[fedora-india] Ambassadors in India

[steve]

Hi Ashwin,

On 05/10/2010 05:59 PM, Ashwin wrote:
> [...snip...]
> I believe in the cause for which I enlist myself, which in my opinion -
> no one else has the right to question other than myself. If you do, then
> you risk of loosing me.
>[...snip...]
>

I think you are being:
a. Overly dramatic
b. Confusing issues
c. Intentionally trolling.

Here's how:
a. Overly dramatic:
Rahul's suggestion of removing inactive members is just a method to increase
efficiency of the Fedora India community. There are different levels of
contribution for Fedora that people may volunteer towards. Rahul just suggested
that to call oneself an 'Ambassador' one just has to be ready to devote more
effort than someone who might call themselves as contributors (like packagers,
testers, translators ...etc). An Ambassador should be one of those things and
more. Making this distinction is useful when the absolute newbies as well as
contributors want to approach someone for assistance. Having inactive
Ambassadors just introduces inefficiencies and delays.

Nowhere does Rahul suggest that once an Ambassador is considered inactive,
he/she can never again become an Ambassador. If i'm not mistaken you do agree to
the fact that personal commitments often restrict the ability to contribute, so,
what's the problem with acknowledging that and letting the community that you
work with and contribute towards become aware of this ?

If I am busy, I let the project know about it. If I am super-busy to even do 
that, I respect the decision of the project to make assumptions about my absence 
and my ability to contribute.

This just shows maturity and commitment on the part of the contributor towards 
the smooth functioning of the project.

Concerns about hurt sentiments and creation of barriers to contribution are just
attempts at sensationalizing this simple decision to simply streamline the way
the community works.

b. Confusing issues:
Rahul is not attempting to pass judgment. In case you missed the memo, all FOSS
project hierarchy basically boil down to being a *meritocracy*. You get called 
an Ambassador if you are performing the role of an Ambassador. Simple. So simple 
that it is worth repeating -- You get called an Ambassador if you are performing 
the role of an Ambassador. Linus is called the maintainer of the just _one_ of 
the maintained branches of the kernel[1]. Guess why ?

Removing someone from the list is not a judgment -- of character, ability, 
commitment or any other thing ! ...It is just a tag to identify your level and 
type of current involvement. Just so that we have some actual number that we can 
rely on when we ask questions like:
- How big is the Fedora project ?
- How much contribution happens in India ?
- How many active contribution comes from so-and-so state ?
- ...etc
Answers to these questions help show the areas that the project needs to focus 
on. So, put your narrow focus aside and understand that it is essential that 
'real' activity can be ^measured^.

This decision is not a autocratic dikat of any sort. It is just a means to an 
end. The end being streamlining the day-to-day as well as macro functioning of 
the Fedora India effort. Are you so myopic that you can not even see that ?

c. Intentionally trolling:
Just your tone reeks of troll talk. You have not countered any of the essential 
people have taken the time to make in an effort to clarify the situation and 
have chosen instead to snip out some casual remark and reply to it out of 
context. Well, if indeed you were intentionally trolling, you sir, have 
succeeded. Cheers to you.

cheers,
- steve

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel#Maintenance
-- 
random spiel: http://lonetwin.net/
what i'm stumbling into: http://lonetwin.stumbleupon.com/