[Community] mailing lists for proposed Working Groups

[Johannes Ernst]

Eugene,

I understand you want this process to be orderly, but I don't think it  
works. In our case -- I'm asking for Identity Architects -- it is  
unclear at this time whether or not something that could reasonably  
call itself a "working group" comes together. What we need to do is  
advertise it, give it a "place" (wiki, mailing list etc.) and see how  
many people show up over some period of time and develop the charter  
etc. (after all, collaboration is required in order to be able to  
create a charter!)

There are two choices:
  - either we can get space on the identity commons website from the  
get-go (wiki, mailing list) where we'd like it to be and operate that  
for some time on a trial basis prior to being chartered
  - or we pick some other place, set up a wiki and a mailing list, and  
assuming the effort works out, we'll probably stay there because it is  
far too complicated to move after one has established a place. I think  
we all agree that it undesirable.

[This is what happened with OSIS, by the way; the effort of moving the  
OSIS wiki now from osis.netmesh.org is non-trivial and nobody has done  
so although many people have wanted to move it.]

I suggest this:
  - if there is a reasonable chance, in the view of somebody  
authoritative ;-) that a working group might come together, set up the  
wiki and mailing list on a time-limited basis, say 3 months
  - it gets killed off if it has not been chartered within the time  
frame
  - it might have to display something like 'incubator' in order to  
express that it hasn't been chartered yet.

Does this make sense?


On Dec 10, 2007, at 14:27, Eugene Eric Kim wrote:

> Someone recently requested a slew of mailing lists for some Working
> Groups that were proposed at IIW last week.  As you all know, part  
> of the
> value we provide to working groups is access to shared infrastructure,
> which includes mailing lists and Wikis.  As many of you also know,  
> we're
> currently under-resourced, and we have not been as quick to support  
> folks
> as we would like.
>
> Further complicating all of this is that we will offer tools to
> _existing_ Working Groups, but not necessarily _potential_ groups.  We
> want to support the community, but creating lists for anyone who  
> asks is
> neither viable nor smart.
>
> As a way around this, I've drafted proposed guidelines at:
>
>   http://wiki.idcommons.net/index.php/IC_Collaborative_Tools
>
> What it boils down to is this:
>
>   * Develop a charter before you ask for a list.  If you want to kick
>     around ideas over email first, do it on this list or via cc's.   
> Worst
>     case, you can always create a Google Group.
>
>   * Ask for help here.  I'd like to see existing Stewards act as  
> mentors
>     for potential new Stewards, someone to bounce questions off of and
>     share experiences.  If you ask for help, people will answer.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> =Eugene
>
> -- 
> = 
> = 
> = 
> ======================================================================
> Eugene Eric Kim ................................... http://xri.net/=eekim
> Blue Oxen Associates ........................... http://www.blueoxen.com/
> = 
> = 
> = 
> ======================================================================
> _______________________________________________
> Community mailing list
> Community at idcommons.net
> http://mail.idcommons.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/community

Johannes Ernst
NetMesh Inc.


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