[Info-Ingres] #ingres IRC channel on freenode.net

[grof at rogers.com]

Hi Roy,

I wanted to share the progress not to be inflamatory, but to let
people know what's going on in the channel. This will be best
discussed at the summit later this month face to face. I do understand
where you're coming from and I completely agree about the importance
of not diluting and thinning the community.

It seems to me that the interactions we're seeing in IRC would be
unlikely to happen in usenet or even a mailing list. IRC is a more
interactive and less formal comminications medium making it a
complement rather than a substitute for CDI, info-ingres, or even
service desk. The messages we're seeing are likely to be lost if there
were no IRC channel because those mediums are too heavyweight. Each is
appropriate for certain kinds of situations, at the right time.

Someone noted today that the people we're seeing in IRC are not people
who typically post to CDI or info-ingres which seems to agree with
this thougth. Regardless, we'll likely agree it is too early to tell.

We are planning to index the IRC logs to make them searchable which
addresses one concern we all have. I'm swamped personally, but if
anyone wants to volunteer to take this on, please contact me as it is
quite easy.

Andrew


On Apr 2, 3:20 pm, "Roy Hann" <specia... at processed.almost.meat> wrote:
> <g... at rogers.com> wrote in message
>
> news:3283e3aa-095e-42f0-90c8-3addbe11780d at u10g2000prn.googlegroups.com...
>
> > The questions have been good. A huge thank you
> > to those who have been answering the questions and helping people out.
>
> Anyone who wants to keep up with what is going on has to look in at least
> six different places (twelve if you count each of the Ingres Forums
> individually).  That is a total pain in the ass and it impedes
> communication.   We just don't have the critical mass to support that many
> channels.  I can count the number of people who actively participate in more
> than one of these forums on the fingers of one hand.
>
> Also, anyone NOT using the IRC channel has not seen the "good questions" and
> the undoubtedly even better answers, and apparently never will.   That can't
> be good.
>
> > We've also had a number of Google summer of code students swing by and
> > ask us questions. No surprise that the ones that pop by to talk put in
> > an application.
>
> I could not be more pleased that new people are taking an interest, but
> we've still got a massive (and growing) problem IMO.  I don't know what the
> solution could be, but it deserves thinking about.
>
> > The best part has been a number of ideas about how to solve things or
> > ways to improve the community build and the product. Smart people in
> > the same room (provided they don't kill each other) seems to make
> > things happen.
>
> Well that is exactly the point isn't it?  We're not in the same room, and we
> seem to be actively seeking out new rooms to disperse to.   I think that is
> just nuts.   (It's the same reason I want to shut down the conference calls
> we've been having: we need to have our conversations in public in such a way
> that everyone can join in.)
>
> Roy