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Re: [Debconf-team] Cooperation between the DC and the publicity teams (was: DebConf11 call for contributions)



-=| Alexander Reichle-Schmehl, Sat, Apr 09, 2011 at 08:45:49PM +0200 |=-
> Hi DebConf orgas,

Hi, I don't consider myself authorized to speak for the rest of the 
team, but since I was involved in the announce, I'll try to explain 
the situation as I see it.

> … I'll show you a very positive
> example of cooperation between Debian's release team and Debian's
> Publicity and Press team, when new Point Releases are announced.
> 
> Weeks before an point release is created, they ask at press@debian.org,
> if we will be available on the planed date, to send out the
> announcement.  …
> 
> Usually a week before the announcement has to be sent out, they contact
> us again, with details of the desired content - actually they do even
> more:  …
> 
> On the day the point releases are done, they also keep us updated about
> their progress, and when they consider it safe to send out the
> announcements. …
> 
> From our point of view, that's a perfect workflow!

(Sigh) I can only envy for this kind of organization.

> Now compare that with the DebConf Orga Team.  On the evening of the 7th
> I got hilighted on IRC, which I only saw the next morning, when I was at
> work.  I didn't found any details or timeline, but got some pointers to
> a wiki page (which only seemed to me like some notes, not even a draft
> for an announcement and still had some questions in it) and a pointer to
> last years announcement 'for the usual blub' IIRC.  As I was at work I
> didn't had much time to actually do something, so I do, what I usually
> do, when I'm not aware that something is urgent: I ask to contact the
> publicity team via the list or the irc channel.
> 
> So I was quite suprised, when I looked at my mails this midday, and
> found, that the announcement (which IMHO still needed some improvements)
> has already been sent out.  Without any coordination with us.

We needed the announce out. A week ago the latest. We didn't know that 
weeks earlier, we didn't know even two days before the announcement 
was sent that it will be sent a couple of days later. Does this mean 
we need to improve? Certainly! How? I'll let others say. The main 
problem I see is that most people don't have enough time/energy to 
stay on top of things and there are too many things to stay on top of.

> I hope you understand, that it is quite frustrating for me to see 
> press related work fail year after year.  I have no idea, why 
> cooperation between your team and us seems to be impossible...

Well, I think this is not a complete surprise, comparing the 
well-oiled machine the press team is with the chaotic gang we are. 
Your frustration is quite understandable, really.

> So, if anyone reading this has an idea, what's going on or how to 
> improve things, feel free to speak up, I'm willing to listen. But by 
> now I've lost all energy and interst in trying to try to improve things.

Your mail is a step in the right direction, reminding of the 
reocurring problem. Thanks!

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