[haiku] Re: How Haiku makes decisions
- From: Kit <kervas@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: haiku@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 16:49:02 -0600
2010/9/1 <hudsonco1@xxxxxxx>
> I would like to make an observation and a recommendation about how Haiku
> makes decisions.
>
> I have seen and participated in several threads on this mailing list
> where issues are brought up and discussed.
> I don't think I have seen a formal decision making process that results in
> a vote, or even a definite resolution.
>
> In Roberts Rules of Order decisions follow roughly this process:
> A discussion is initiated or starts informally
> The discussion is closed
> A vote is started
> The voting is closed
> Votes are counted
> The outcome is announced
>
> There are different mechanisms for each of these. Sometimes there are
> designated officials to start each phase, sometimes
> unofficial moderators.
>
> I would like to recommend that we as Haiku members adopt an official
> decision making process. An official process means
> each member gets to voice an opinion, each member get to have a vote, the
> voting process is known ahead of time and is
> orderly. This leads to an effective decision making process that does not
> drag on, become side tracked, or involve
> flaming.
>
> I would like to recommend that Haiku LLC also adopt an official decision
> making policy. If there is already one, please
> make it public.
>
> I would like to open this topic for discussion.
>
> Thanks,
> Andrew
>
I agree that the decision process should be laid out somewhere outside the
mailing list. There should be a page on the Haiku official site where we can
point people to.
That said, I should remind readers that We Are Not A Democracy (tm).
The big decisions in the project are usually made by developers inside a
small group, and sometimes one developer counts as several, and can have
veto powers.
However, most of us are ok with that. We have a community obsessed with
bikesheds [1], just like most communities, so the current model keeps the
project reasonably productive.
We do use the voting process for many decisions. This process does not
always end up in a choice made by popular vote, but sometimes it is. Other
times, it at least allows decision makers to discuss and weigh the benefits
of each option.
Andrew, please do not be discouraged by this. In a way, being like this can
be vital to the survival of an open source project.
On one side, this means that you will be burned many times, just like many
of us. However, overall, you'll end up with a mostly nice tan. :)
Now that this has been cleared up, and if you are ok with this, but you
still believe this process can be streamlined, then please tell us more.
Personally, I think that the biggest flaw in the current process is that we
don't always get to the part where an outcome is announced.
How could we improve that? A special "[Decision Made]" message? A "[Solved]"
thread?
Cheers,
- Kit
[1]
http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/getmsg.cgi?fetch=506636+517178+/usr/local/www/db/text/1999/freebsd-hackers/19991003.freebsd-hackers
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