Dave, > I've been finding discussion and actions about newcomers far more interesting > this year, than most previous ones. So I think it's worth pressing on > several fronts, to see how we can both accommodate such folk better, as well > as be clear about when and where and how such accommodation is /and is not/ > appropriate. > > Your reply to me, above, lists different types of new folk -- and of course > the list is reasonable and might be useful -- but I didn't see the actual > clarification of what you felt was wrong in the target text or how you agreed > with me an others. So, now you've got me curious for that detail…
The wrong part in the text was suggesting that newcomers should never speak up in meetings. I believe they in many cases should, although beginner or tutorial questions should not be asked. > And while I've got the floor I'll offer a thought I had after a brief > conversation with Jari at last night's reception: > > Warning: This calls for working groups to do a little more work. > > The working group home page and the working group wiki have become excellent > tools for assembling relevant documents. For someone trying to get started > in the wg, these are incredibly helpful. > > My suggestion is for a 'status' page that gives a brief summary about the > current state of the working group, ideally listing the current, near-term > vector of the work -- what's the current focus of effort -- and major open > issues. > > I'll suggest that it be updated after every meeting. > > Arguably, this sort of status statement is good to have even without > newcomers, since it forces working groups to face the question of what > progress they are and are not making. > > An exercise like this can be cast as onerous or helpful, depending upon the > surrounding organizational 'tone' we use. In a supportive environment, the > exercise is helpful. In a hostile one, not so much. > > Basically, if a wg is being diligent and candid in summarizing its problems > (as well as progress) the rest of us have an obligation to be helpful. I like this. Jari
