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Re: Committee Role: Helping build the debconf-team



Antonio Terceiro dijo [Fri, Nov 15, 2019 at 09:05:51AM -0300]:
> In my view, DebConf is a production of the Debian community, and each
> local team should be brought in to take part in a larger effort. Of
> course several of the aspects can and should take input from the local
> team, and it's good that the local team members also get involved in the
> "non-local" tasks.
> 
> But the local team is not a service organization either, and every year
> a lot of the local team people are newbies to the larger Debian
> community. I don't think it's OK to put them in a position of "whether
> you do this yourself or it won't happen" (because, as we know, the
> DebConf team is understaffed so the option of finding someone to do it
> is often not available).

Right - It has very seldom happened that DebConf(n+2) members were
already involved in DebConfn organization. Bidding teams are usually
newcomers to DebConf organization, and as such, there is quite a bit
of impedance in what is expected from them and what they expect to be
expected ;-)

> Either way, we should at least let local teams know in advance what they
> are signing up for. I volunteered to help a global conference be held
> for this once in the city where I live. I knew it would require a
> significant amount of effort, and I was willing to learn about it from
> the ones that have been doing it and maybe stay around to help the next
> ones (and that was the case). But I never wanted "my" DebConf or
> expected that I and my friends would have to be under that type of
> pressure.

We have long wanted to get people involved in organization for ~3
cycles at least, to avoid losing memory — If I am the bidder (it has
been stated already, being bidder does not necessarily mean being
local) for DebConfx, it is important for me to be involved in
organizing DebConf(x-1), so I get a good feeling of what it will be
like. And it will be most appreciated for me to stay involved with
orga, at least, for DebConf(x+1), because I (and the team of people
who self-identified as local) have the freshest memory of how to get
through the whole thing and survive...

> Of course, the only fix for this is having a consistent and well-staffed
> DebConf team across the years, and that's why I think this should be
> part of the DebConf committee charter.

Yes. But even under a good, constant, competent DebConf Committee
oversight - Carrying out a DebConf is a very demanding task, and it
has often strained social relations. Being Debian a volunteer
community, not even the bestest Committee you can envision can ensure
DebConf is well staffed, and that all of its working groups are in
perfect shape for the conference to be carried out smoothly.

Of course, DebConf Committee members should be aware of straining
signs, of tension points that will probably lead to
non-properly-operative teams.

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