Re: Arabeyes Future

[Isam Bayazidi <bayazidi at arabeyes dot org>]

On Thursday 02 January 2003 06:11, Mohammed Elzubeir wrote:
[...]
> + Mentor Program
>
>   I. Veteran Developer:
>
> In order to make the Mentor Program efficient there are some pre-requisites
> on part of the veteran developers. Veteran developers are defined as
> current maintainers of Arabeyes projects.
>
>   + Organize TODO list to note difficulty level (difficult/moderate/easy)
>   + Comment code thoroughly
>     - Use Doxygen (www.doxygen.org) for consistency throughout Arabeyes
>       projects (w/ the exception of external projects it is optional)
>     - Note TODO items clearly on code to mark "entry points" for anyone
> wishing to contribute
>
> This is expected to be done by March 1, 2003 at the latest. Once that is
> done, we can thn move on to the settling in. This can be done via IRC
> sessions and will constitute of the following:
>
>   + Ensure apprentice has all the necessary development tools
>     - compilter, debugger, libraries, autotools, etc.

A compilation farm would be nice as well.. at least sf provide it.

>   + Ensure apprentice is comfortable with using those tools together to
>     compile the project maintained by the veteran developer.
>     - this is done by allowing them to make changes in the code,
> re-compile, test, etc.
>     - followed by a short session with the debugger
>
> If IRC is not an option this can be done via email.
>
> Once the apprentice is ready to contribute small fixes, the vetern
> developer assigns tasks from the TODO list accordingly.
>
>
>   II. Apprentice:
>
> It would be naive to assume that all apprentices (newbies) will continue
> to contribute to their mentor's project(s) or any other. In fact, we can
> even make the assumption that the majority will not. So, what do we get
> in return from this process?
>
> We must give some responsibility to the apprentice which would involve the
> following:
>
>   + Record time spent with mentor on irc, as well as log
>   + Take notes and record what they are doing and what they are learning
>   + Perform a minimum of 1 task assigned by the mentor (from the TODO
>     list)
>
> Those records are to be kept and published for others to learn from. Simply
> put, as diaries for others to watch (and perhaps learn from).
>
>
>
> + IRC Seminars
>
> This is not an entirely new concept, but it is designed to invite others
> to learn about a specific project. It can be employed for existing projects
> or items on the global TODO list that are still at hand.
>
> For example, a projct maintainer gives a 30-minute lecture about his
> project on irc. This would involve a detailed discussion of the source code
> organization and how things are implemented. It should be followed by a 30
> minute discussion and Q&A.
>
> Of course this can also be done for items on the global TODO list, where
> a volunteer would elect to take the lead in bringing an issue forth and
> either announcing the intent to take the lead on it, or hope a discussion
> would lead to someone with enough motivation to do it.
>
>
> + Translation and Quality Assurance
>
> This is a major concern as we are the official translation team for both
> GNOME and KDE interfaces. It is our responsibility to maintain a standard
> that reflects the excellence Arabeyes thrives for. This can be achieved
> by ensuring the competence of translators. A place to note is
> www.ArabTranslators.Net. They offer certification for a fee of $25.
>
> What we can request from them is that they wave this fee for translators
> who would like to join the Arabeyes project. There is a good chance of
> them accepting it, since the money primarily goes toward funding
> translation projects. Perhaps they can discount it. This can serve as an
> incentive for translators -- a certification.
>
> As a matter of fact, we should request that they try to promote Arabeyes
> on their websites and/or publications as to attract professional
> translators who may have the love of sharing.
>
> In a way, we try to reach out to professional associations to help
> out in any capacity they can.

Please consider that the translation project had acted as the main attractors 
for contributors in Arabeyes. A good number of those contributors are now 
working on other projects. By making the translation more professional we 
will loose that. Anyhow, I can say that this translation certificate is way 
more than we may need. I am not sure about it, but I get a feeling that this 
will not help as much as make things worse.


> + Publications
>
> One way to ensure maintaining a knowledge-base is by publishing handbooks
> and booklets containing subjects ranging from Arabic howto's, to
> introductions to Open Source development, etc.
>
> Although it requires funding, the idea here is to provide comprehensive
> guides covering a wide range of computing issues, while maintaining the
> Open Source philosophy to further embed it in future generations.
>
> This can also generate a revenue that can be invested directly back in
> translation and documentation work.
>
>
> + Legal Representations
>
> With growing interest from sponsors in investing in the Arabeyes project,
> we must accommodate by registering Arabeyes as a non-profit organization
> for legal and financial paperwork. The most suitable place for such
> a registration in my opinion is the UAE.

I have a meeting with a lawyer tomorrow, Remember that non of arabeyes core 
members is a UAE citizen, infact I am not sure how many of the Arabeyes 
contributors are UAE citizens .. Anyhow tomorrow after exploring this option 
in Jordan we may have a better view the the issue. Things to keep in mind 
that registering the organization must not effect the way things work, like 
requirements for elections and/or elected board and so is not something that 
we want to go through at this stage of Arabeyes development. I will return to 
you with the outcome of the meeting. 


> Unfortunately we do not have the funds to hire lawyers. Instead we should
> contact Arab lawyers through such sites as: www.mohamoon.com -- which is
> a good place to see a database of lawyers. Perhaps through a rigorous
> campaign we can find at least one lawyer who is willing to represent
> Arabeyes (knowing what most likely this will require minimum amount of
> work from his/her part).

I may be able to provide the lawyer in Amman, he is one of my closest friends, 
most probably his fees will not be a probelm, but the cost of any legal work 
(registration and so) is something that we have to cover. 

It is great that the question of Arabeyes Future rouse , I started to feel 
that the need to such discussion after some questions from the press people 
in the OSS workshop, questions about how will Arabeyes survive, and how can 
it be dependable, and how much is volunteer work something work relying on. 

In general your proposal seems nice, I may have some points that I need to 
note later, after investigating how similar organizations function and what 
did they do at this stage. 

Later
Isam Bayazidi