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Re: -= PROPOSAL =- Release sarge with amd64



Matthew Palmer <mpalmer@debian.org> writes:

> On Fri, Jul 16, 2004 at 02:27:38PM +0200, Ingo Juergensmann wrote:
>> People are mostly more interested in contributing and learning if you
>> guide them during real work. Sure, they must show some serious interest in
>> that task. A simple "here i am, what can i do?" is not enough.
>> But with regards to your bicycle example: a child will not learn riding
>> bike, when you just tell it: "look, there's a bike, there's a somewhere
>> some howtos.. .have fun!" Instead you'll need to guide it while it sits on
>> the bike, you'll need to catch it, if it might fall, etc.
>
> What a perfect analogy.
>
> It takes time to teach someone how to ride a bike.  If it's your own child,
> you'll probably want to spend time doing it.  How many random strangers have
> you taught to ride a bike?
>
> Furthermore, note how incredibly difficult it is to teach someone how to
> ride a bike whilst simultaneously riding yourself.  You have to stop riding,
> hop off, and go help the other person.
>
> Now, ask yourself this -- would you rather have ftp-masters, listmasters,
> project secretary, and a million other things in Debian riding their bikes
> to the benefit of the project, or spending all their time herding newbies
> who are just as likely to decide it's not their cup of tea after all and
> wander off and do something else as stay and help?

The later. Some are bound to stick to it and, to continue the bicicle
analogy, as the RM process shows giving persons a bike with support
wheels first so they don't fall is a great way to teach them how to
ride the bike.

Remember debian is growing exponentially. So at some point more people
are needed to handle the extra work and the longer you wait the less
time there is to teach them (or the more harm will come to debian
because they need to be teached).

> Your call.
>
> - Matt

MfG
        Goswin



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