About sending e-mails privately in the Skolelinux community
Finn-Arne was asking why people sending e-mail privately when it
concern everyone? He continues:
> When we try to have a private mailinglist, for private discussions,
> that otherwise would have been emails between personals, they fight
> for the right to poke in and monitor the mailing list. I dont get
> it. I think I'll leave you all alone.
This was triggered by the private e-mail from Ralf Gesellensetter,
were Finn-Arne also attached Ralfs private mail. The response was
this:
> First of all: I usually don't feel addressed by "they" (but
> obviously I am not the only one). The reason why I decided to send a
> personal mail (which is something most people respect as private
> matter) is that otherwise this mail would have gotten an official
> touch which was not intended. The reason why I sent it to you, was
> that I met you in real live - and your posting let me think that you
> might know a simple answer to my question.
I know my participation in this «debate» could be to put my hand into
an wasp nest, but I'll try anyway.
- The reason we want that development information and discussion has
to be done in public, is that the Skolelinux / Debian-Edu effort is
a large group effort. To send private e-mail about development,
gatherings and so on, hinders others that would or could contribute
to a solution. If a person get sick or leave us for some reason,
others can easily catch up.
- The other reason is that when tings are done openly, more people can
think of an solution on a problem. It's smarter to work in parallel
than to close others out. It's a lot of articles that confirm that
this is an more efficient and effective way to develop
software. It's also rooted in the Debian Social Contract.
http://www.debian.org/social_contract
- When this communication are open, it's also more easy to let other
contribute. Ragnar Wisloeff used whole the developer gathering to
collect information about the new build-system i Skolelinux, because
he would commit some changes. It was not written any guide to do
this. Even if it was easily done, it was no guide to follow, and you
don't always know were to start if the system is a black
box. Ragnar, with nice help from Finn-Arne on IRC, has written the
first step of the guide. After he has recovered his harddisk the
guide will be committed to Skolelinux CVS :-)
When should e-mail be private when contributing to Skolelinux /
Debian-Edu?
- Well, my rule of thumb is when people just have your name in the
header, and the questions in hand does not has anything to do with
free software development. If I send a question some have sent me
privately, I'll make it anonymous if I want answer from others.
I'll make it clear that it's not my question, but It would be nice
if someone know the answer :-)
- Some seldom times, when a user asks question on how to do things in
Skolelinux, and my answer concerns a lot of people, your answer(s)
could be posted to e.g the user list. I've have also given the
person who ask, the warning that the answer is posted on a
e-mail-list with an recommendation that the teacher should subscribe
to the appropriated list, e.g from here:
https://init.linpro.no/mailman/skolelinux.no/listinfo/admin-discuss
I have not got any complaints about this practice. If I've got
complaints is it because I have not posted things on the developer
list in the first place. I have also got complaints if some part of a
private message leeks out to others, even if the content, or the
question is harmless - and the person who mail me also believe so.
- Knut Yrvin
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