Opening Red Hat Magazine

[Jeff Spaleta]

On Thu, Sep 25, 2008 at 8:35 AM, Jonathan Roberts
<jonrob at fedoraproject.org> wrote:
> Jef, if you'd been following discussions about news.fp.o over the last
> year you'd have seen that this is exactly the kind of thing that I've
> been pursuing, arguing for a writer/editor work flow to ensure
> quality, and making many suggestions for different kinds of Fedora
> related content.
I follow a little.

> Much of this I've attempted before, asking for recording equipment at
> FUDCon, which sadly never materialised, and as I've been explaining
> before, frequently arguing for a central location to bring together
> Fedora content that is already being created. All the while, over the
> last many months I've worked with a number of people to try and make
> this vision a reality, and while it's taken us a long time, we're
> almost there with it.

I'm not suggesting that a RHM "takeover" of the work you are doing.
But, maybe an opening of RHM means an opportunity to access to
additional resources that can help specifically with the things that
are most frustrating.  So its good to know exactly what has been
frustrating your efforts. But in opening RHM means discovering new
resources, or better allocating existing resources, to help
specifically with the most frustrating aspects of the community
vision, then that would be a good thing right? Subverting corporate
assets for community benefit is a beautiful thing.


>
> I'm sorry if this sounds frustrated, angry or exasperated, but I've
> been trying to pull this together for months, making many of these
> points repeatedly, but without any response. Then, to have people come
> along only repeating what I've said, with apparently zero knowledge of
> what I've said before is frustrating.

Let me assure you, I'm not trying to take credit or trump you or
suggest that what you are doing is wrong. It's not wrong, and you get
full credit.  But at the same time I can't speak for you either.  My
main concern is just trying to make sure that key ideas as to where
help is needed are expressed in the context of this conversation
because new people maybe listening with new ears where they had not
been paying attention before.  If it turns out that people hear me for
the first time where they haven't heard you before.... shame on them.
If it turns out people are turned off by me...shame on me.  If it
turns out that I've reinforced what you've been saying all
along...great!

>
> Even more frustrating is that this conversation has come up now, so
> close to us being able to launch something. Where was the enthusiasm 6
> months ago?!

I'm not overtly enthusiastic, I am cautiously wary.  I can't speak to
the timing of this conversation on RHM opening up. If RHM does decide
to open up, we can't really stop them from doing that.  My main
concern is having them open up in a way that does not compete with
community effort.  So if they do open up. I want to know what they
think they bring to the table, and what specific problems we need
solved and see if there's a good fit for a combined community effort.

-jef