[openbeos-cdt] Re: cdt leadership and my personal status.
- From: Kristof Polleunis aka BeAdingo <kristof_polleunis@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: openbeos-cdt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2002 15:07:28 -0800 (PST)
Are you the new teamleader?
Well I think you'd be a good teamleader. I agree with
most of your views on how things should be done.
If you're the new leader I hope you can stay unbiased
in your decisionmaking. Although your answers are
well argumented they sometimes are too direct and as a
result misunderstood. We are a large group of people
with each other views, coming from different cultures
and different backgrounds. This is a very
heterogenous bunch of people and we must keep this in
mind when communicating. Speaking of communication,
IRC great but what if I (let's say live in Japan),
timezones are a problem here.
For the naming issue, I believe we should think of the
message we want to communicate first and choose a name
according to it and not the other way around. What do
we want the people to tell about this new operating
sytem, how do we want to market it? This is more a
question of marketing and not only design. Once we've
got this the rest will follow as it has to be
consistent with the message, that will be the
restrictive factor throughout everything.
Example: Suppose we want send out the message of a
friendly, people-orientated, easy to use OS. Well
this will restrict the choices for names. You won't be
able to use names like war-os or killer-os, you won't
be able to use mascots like sharks, killerwhales or
wasps. And aggresive colors are also out of the
question in this example.
Ofcourse we can go for meaningless names like Linux
based on someone's name and another OS but is that
what we are looking for?
Kristof aka beAdingo
--- Stuart McCoy <stubear@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Jonas,
>
> I agree in part with what you have said. I take
> issue with this comment:
>
> "It is the general concensus (from what the members
> have posted)
> that everyone seems to feel the need for these
> things, but their
> suggestions for the way in which they are to be
> implemented are....
> off basis. There are members that seem to think we
> should be
> 'run and managed' like a business, most likely due
> to their personal
> experience in their professions. That is to say that
> they think,
> from what they have openly said, that we should be
> told what to do
> and how to do it, and that the CDT needs this to
> have 'direction'."
>
> as I have been one of the vocal proponents of this
> style of managing the
> group. Do not think of it as telling people what to
> do, think of it as a
> challenge to your creativity. For instance, if you
> are designing a web site
> and your client says you can't do any DHTML, the
> colors have to be web-safe
> (216 color web palette) and the site will be data
> driven so leave areas
> where text can flow, do you chime in and say "no
> way, you can't tell me what
> to do, I'm the designer" or do you say "ok, let me
> see what I can come up
> with" and go back to your workspace and mull the
> proposal over thinking
> within the boundaries the client has created?
>
> If you are a professional designer you have done the
> latter. Why? Design is
> not directly art. It is an artistic endeavor yet
> the end result must
> communicate an idea. Design has boundaries and
> limits we must work within.
> Technically speaking, so does art; you're probably
> not going to use
> watercolor on a piece of canvas or carve or
> build/weld/create an outside
> sculpture using a material not suitable to withstand
> the elements. Anyway,
> it's these boundaries which designers must view as a
> challenge, not a
> hindrance. When a client asks you to design an
> annual report you better
> have an EXCELLENT reason for using an 11x17 inch
> tabloid sized paper instead
> of working within the typical, standard 8.5x11 inch
> letter sized page. If
> they have a limited budget you need to cut back on
> all those spot colors,
> spot varnishes and metallic finishes. Oh, and lose
> the custom die-cut as
> well. If the company is named "Eagle Air Freight"
> you best not use a hawk
> just because you like them better. If their colors
> are red, white and blue,
> don't design their annual report with garish
> neon-colors unless they
> specifically ask for them or you can argue their use
> in some way enhances
> the companies image.
>
> This group is working on a design project, not an
> art project.
>
> That being said, I have been asked by Michael to
> work as the project lead
> for the Creative Design Team. I know in the past
> that I might have rubbed
> people the wrong way. My goal was to get the group
> motivated to organize
> and begin thinking of this project as a set of goals
> and steps which need to
> be attained, not some loose kit group of people who
> like to play around with
> image editors. As the leader I am going to have to
> work to be less
> abrasive. At the same time, I want everyone to
> realize that this is a
> global group. We don't know one another personally
> and we don't understand
> each others cultures. Keep this in mind when
> posting to the group AND more
> importantly when responding to a message.
>
> I have to get some things together and begin
> drafting a timeline for
> projects and when things should be done. In the
> meantime I'm going to
> outline a couple things here and toss out the first
> project. The basic
> course should be:
>
> 1) name for "OBOS"
> 2) define the OS identity - logo (this includes
> mascots, "bugs", and/or
> typography) and color schemes.
> 3) UI design
> 4) icon, wallpaper and sound design
>
> Numbers 3 and 4 can work simultaneously because
> there might be an icon set
> or wallpaper design which inspires the UI team or
> the UI could inspire a
> whole set of icons, sounds and wallpaper. As this
> part is still a few
> months away there won't be any major focus here.
> Don't let this stop you
> from being creative, it's just that the group
> discussion won't take place in
> earnest until then. However, the icon teams do need
> to begin working on
> icons which match the current BeOS R5 look and feel.
> My recommendations are
> to keep the perspective look and try to use the BeOS
> color palette (I
> believe you can download it from BeBits and use it
> in Photoshop or any other
> image editor that can read .aco files).
>
> Now, some of you are probably wondering about number
> 1. You heard me
> correctly, we need to consider a name change.
> According to Michael Phipps,
> OBOS or OpenBeOS are questionable as to their use.
> Apparently BeUnited has
> spent all their brownie points with Palm by trying
> to license the BeOS
> source code that even a question to Palm concerning
> the legalities of using
> BeOS in the OS name would be out of the question.
> Palm simply does not want
> to think about their future use of the BeOS IP,
> including the name, at this
> point as they have much larger problems to worry
> about. So, it is left to
> us to think of some names. I would like to set some
> times (I'll have a few
> just to make sure everyone gets a chance to be
> involved) to get the group
> together on IRC to have a real-time discussion of
> this part of the project.
> I would like to have some names to pass along to
> Michael and some of the
> other decision makers for OBOS in a couple weeks,
> let's say by April 14th.
> This way I can send them along with my weekly status
> report on the 15th.
> For now, I'm going to post a topic on the forum to
> open the floor to name
> suggestions.
>
> That's it for now. Think of names and if you're in
> the icon team, start
> working on R5 icons. The initial set should have
> tracker, computer, hard
> drive, folder, home, trash can, network, and various
> document type (jpg,
> gif, html, txt, midi/audio) icons. If you want to
> create common app icons
> for the preference apps or some of the regular apps
> which ship with BeOS R5,
> great but I'll have to check to see which of these
> apps will be shipped with
> OBOS R1 so you might wind up designing an icon which
> is not used at all.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: openbeos-cdt-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:openbeos-cdt-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf
> Of DigitalSin
> Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 12:45 PM
> To: openbeos-cdt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [openbeos-cdt] Re: cdt leadership and my
> personal status.
>
>
>
> Hello Guy,
>
> I am sad to see this but am glad that you will
> be sticking around.
> Also, I can understand you not wanting to mess with
> organization,
> but I see that as part of being a 'leader' for the
> CDT ; so I can
> understand Michael's decision.
>
> Having said that, I must also say that I agreed
> with how you tried
> to bring the members together - to be more
> productive and to work
> together without stepping on each other's toes. You
> were always
> courteous and constructive in your criticism -
> something I think
> all the members should try more to emulate.
>
> In that way, I do have some concerns as to the
> future of the CDT,
> and to it's leadership, that I would like to
> address. If you would
> kindly forward this to Michael it would be much
> appreciated.
>
> Firstly, my main concern being the structure of
> the team, and
> the views of some of the members as to how to move
> forward in a timely
> fashion. While I agree with the call for a
> 'professional' appearance
> and internal organization, and that the team needs
> direction, it is
> the means to that end that concerns me.
>
> It is the general concensus (from what the
> members have posted)
> that everyone seems to feel the need for these
> things, but their
> suggestions for the way in which they are to be
> implemented are....
> off basis. There are members that seem to think we
> should be
> 'run and managed' like a business, most likely due
> to their personal
> experience in their professions. That is to say that
> they think,
> from what they have openly said, that we should be
> told what to do
> and how to do it, and that the CDT needs this to
> have 'direction'.
>
> I was under the impression that this was a
> 'Creative Development Team'.
> There are two basic ways to 'manage' a group such as
> this.
> One way is to have a leader who in the end has final
> say in making
> the decisions. The other way is to have the group
> decide, based on a
> voting system where the highest number of votes
> passes a motion.
> Either way though, there is the method of creation -
> born of the very
> words that our team is entitled with - creative
> development.
>
> The best way is to have a mixing of the two, NOT
> just one or the other.
> A team leader is one who will take charge but not be
> overpowering, and
> who can see both sides unbiased. What has been
> proposed by others is
> contrary to these very notions.
>
> Some have said that what we are striving for
> must be defined first,
> before any creative work can be done. What they are
> losing sight of is
> that this in itself is a creative act. What we need
> now is for a leader
> to step in and say:
>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -
> "Ok everyone, as a group brainstorm proposals for
> what you think OpenBeos should look like, feel like,
> be like...
> as a WHOLE - don't be too specific, think general.
> The end for submissions
> is ONE WEEK from now. Remember to work together, and
> come up with
> atleast five
> general descriptions. We will then vote
> individually:
> each member can cast ONE vote for any submission of
> their choice.
> The top three are then voted upon in a final round.
> The winner will be
> the proposal
> with the most points, and the ranking system is as
> follows:
>
> Team Member: 1 point
> Team Leaders: 2 points (there are fewer of us and we
> put up with more :P)
> Project Leader: Breaking decision/ultimate choice
>
> ALL OBOS members take part in final vote, and there
> is an anonymous person
> in charge of point tallying (chosen by project
> leader).
>
> The chosen 'look/appearance/feel' of OpenBeos will
> then influence all
> aspects
> of the cdt, and the voting can have a positive
> affect (publicity). It
> will also
> give everyone a say in the final outcome (including
> not only the cdt but
> importantly
> the programmers), leaving noone feeling 'left out'.
>
> It is important to see this as a stepping stone, one
> to be done
> cooperatively -
> NOT a competition."
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------
>
> After that, of course, the Team Leader should be
> in charge of
> keeping 'deadlines' for
> the development. There should be rounds of
> brainstorming to lay down the
> exactness of
> the details, followed by refinement of the product.
> It is important that
> members be allowed
> to produce 'specialized' material (so long as it is
> deemed fit by Team
> Leader's opinion),
> although this should not interfere with the
> 'mainstream' product.
>
> I'd like to close in saying that it is of course
> Michael's decision
> ultimately,
> in what gets layed out. I only wanted to voice my
> views from my own
> perceptions in the
> hope that it may or may not be agreed with. I'm not
> looking to dictate
> to anyone, or
> to try to impose myself onto anyone... I only want
> what's best for the
> team and the project.
> It's been my experience that what else has been
> proposed in the forums
> just won't cut it
> for this kind of project.
>
> Thanks alot for your time and your efforts,
> Jonas Laurio
>
>
>
>
> Guy wrote:
>
> >hello everyone,
> >
> >i have just recieved an email from michael asking
> me to leave the
> leadership
> >of the cdt. so as of now, i think ill stay around,
> but it will ofcourse be
> >akward.
> >
> >it has been fun, but it also was very difficult. i
> think that the main
> thing
> >i understood in the last months is that i'm an
> artist (and a political
> >acitivst, an educator, partime programmer,etc ..
> :), but i do not wish to
> >manage things in the aspect of organization. i have
> very clear views of how
> >i would like to see openbeos, and i want to stay
> around to make this work.
> >
> >i'm not quite sure who's taking over (since
> michael's email was a bit too
> >short and undetailed in my opinion..) but i wish
> him goodluck.
> >
> >and ofcourse i would like to hear from you.
> >
> >guy.
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
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