Re: Focus

[Nadim Shaikli <shaikli at yahoo dot com>]

--- Anmar Oueja <anmar at canada dot com> wrote:
> Nadim Shaikli wrote:
> > Guys, I feel like a broken, thrashed record in repeating myself over
> > and over.  We MUST focus on getting things done.  Emails must be answered,
> > registrations (CVS and otherwise) need attention; meeting minutes/agendas
> > need to be completed a day or two after the meeting (these delays are NOT
> > acceptable); in short we need to be on the ball.  We run the risk of really
> > doing more harm than good by sitting about and pretending and thinking that
> > things will manage themselves.
> 
> I don't believe that people are pretending. We are all doing the best we 
> can. I do agree that more could be done but not by core. I think the 

I can't in all honesty say that 'core' is functioning anywhere to 100%
of its capacity and if it is then we really need to re-address our
responsibilities to see why our work is simply not getting done.

> only way we can move Arabeyes forward is to attract more people to work 
> on projects. One thing I see is that we have some bottle necks in the 
> processs. For example, CVS wrtite access should be administered by one 
> person but share the know how with other core members. The same goes for 
> sys admin, which a lot of people collaborate on.

I don't think its the process - I personally think not enough time is
being put in with regard to getting things done.  We all (well most)
spend (or waste) time on IRC; if 1/2 of that time was focused on Arabeyes'
needs and Todo's I don't think we'd be having this conversation.  In
short, I don't think its the number of hands - I think its what are
those hands doing that is an issue.

> > I've said this before - if there is no longer interest in doing the work
> > that 'core' members are supposed to be engaged in, then we need to solve
> > that issue by addressing it.
> 
> From my point of view, I think there is way too much work for 4 
> volunteers. We can not lose track of the fact that we do Arabeyes work 

I really don't think its the amount of work, its the focus on what needs
to be done and getting it done that is missing.  For instance, we say
to newbies put in 1 hour per week -- well, how many hours have we
collectively spent on Arabeyes issues (remove IRC completely from that)
per week ?  Mind you 'core' personale require an hour minimum per day
or so it was said a very long time ago.  This 1 hour is supposed to focus
specifically on Arabeyes and its projects and upkeep.

> cause we consider it fun and challenging. Yes you can have fun and be 
> committed. I recommend that we take a long hard look at our 
> responsibilities and prioritise our tasks. Having a huge TODO will
> only discourage us and make Arabeyes feel more like a chore.

The only time I'd be discouraged if when that list doesn't "move" due
to lack of attention to matters.  Sure there will always be a list and
sure there will be issues popping up here and there, but progress needs
to be made (its like eating an entire cake - you look at it and say
"no way, its too big", but if you sit with a tea-spoon and chip at it
a bit at a time and keep at it you will see that you are getting somewhere).

> > Arabeyes is in a critical stage and is on the verge of _really_ taking off
> > as we've proved a number of things that were seemingly impossible.  We all
> > (including first and foremost me) need to step-up and think about how to
> > grow this operation and how to attain and foster progress.
> 
> This is a very important point. I could not agree more. Arabeyes is 
> about to explode all over the IT sector in the ME. One aspect of our 
> existence that we did not look at in detail is PR and advertising. I 

I've tried to go into this many times, but proper PR requires people
and we simply don't have the people to be foot-soldiers.  If you have
ideas, do please bring them forth ('general' would be a good medium
for that topic).

> suggest we have a bit of chat about this and brain storm so we can 
> develop an agenda. Of course this is part of the long term goals 
> Arabeyes has planned. A refresher would be a good idea also.

I'd rather concentrate on our current list of things that need to be
done rather than forge into new area and new responsibilities.  Once
we've conquered our current items we can surely move into new areas.

> > And for the record - we are all busy, but its a question of 
>
> Question of what ?? :). I can tell you that I am trying my best, 
> although is seem hard to believe :)

Sorry that should have said "its a question of 'making' the time and
living-up to the responsibilities we all have to ourselves and to
our members -- consistency, perseverance and progress go a very
long way given a solid unwavering commitment."

> I take Arabeyes very seriously but as much as I love Arabeyes and what 
> it stands for, I love my family more. Therefore, my priority will always 
> be family, then career then Arabeyes. I am sure that we are all working 

That's fine, but the consistency and having that feeling of dependency
is a must for any project.  In other words, when someone says "ok, I'll
do this or that" we should not worry about that topic again ever - we
simply can't afford to.  We can't continue to see topics appear and
reappear due to the fact that they were not addressed properly for some
reason.  My priority is no different than yours or anyone else's, but
I feel a bit under the gun since I've given my word to those that work
and give-up their free to time to help them and to attempt to be a
source of inspiration ("preaching to attain listeners is nice, leading
by example to attain doers is exceptional").

> as much as we can, but the problem we have is fundamental: No New Blood. 
> We need people who are willing to take on new tasks and see them 
> through... hehe.. I started sounding like a broken record too :)

I agree on this issue, but I think the Todo's and topics we have on
our plate can be easily addressed by 'core' if it were to fire on all
cylinders at most (forget "all") times.

> I am open to an honest discussion with some goals in mind.

I know I'm not making any friends by continually bringing up this
topic - but I fear that it is so critical that it just might
unravel all that we worked for.  Complacency is nothing I am willing
to accept.  We all need to peddle a bit harder and smarter and as
team members, we all need to know that if a topic is owned by someone
that someone will "take care of it" till its completely done.

Sorry if I sound militant or something, but I continue to strive and
think about progress and growth yet I simply don't see it with our
current work ethic and I'm wanting to change that so we can revert
back to how we've progressed in the past.

Salam.

 - Nadim


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