committers/index.php

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$pageTitle 		= "Tips for Hosting An Eclipse Committer Gathering";
$pageKeywords	= "committers";
$pageAuthor		= "Bjorn Freeman-Benson Nov 20/05";

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<h2>Introduction</h2>

  So you want to have your own committer gathering?  This page provides some suggestions
  for organizing and holding a committer gathering, based upon a successful initial gathering
  on <a href="cg1.php">July 27, 2005</a>.    
  <br>
  What is a committer gathering?  As originally formulated by the
  committer representatives on the 
  <a href="/org/directors.html">Eclipse Board of Directors</a> it's
  intended purpose was three-fold:
  
  <ul>
  <li>Provide a forum for a technical exchange across projects
  <li>Build community and communication among committers
  <li>Enjoy interacting with a terrific group of people
  <li>Give the committer Board reps a chance to collect input from committers for
  representing committer interests
  </ul>

<h2>Top 10 Tips for Organizing A Committer Gathering</h2>

  <ol>
  <li><b>Plan but Don't Over-Plan</b> -- Prepare for the meeting several weeks in advance by 
  communicating with attendees about the proposed agenda.  Leave open the possibility, however,
  that the agenda will change right up until the day of the meeting.
  <li><b>Informal But Focused</b> -- Make sure everyone knows that the meeting will be informal,
  but focused.  Stick as much as possible to technical issues and future plans.  Allow all participants
  an opportunity to identify agenda items.
  <li><b>Short and Sweet</b> -- Keep the actual meeting to < 4 hours.  Leave some time at
  beginning and end for private conversations between committers
  <li><b>Support From Foundation</b> -- The Eclipse Management Organization has offered to support
  these committer gatherings.  Support means resources/funds for (e.g.) a space to meet; presentation facilities;
  food/refreshments; travel.  Contact the EMO directly to inquire about support for
  your own committer gathring via email at (emo at eclipse.org).
  <li><b>Representatives from 3-4 Project Teams</b> -- Attempt to get representatives from approximately four different project
  teams to attend. Two teams is too few, and more than 4 becomes unwieldy.  Having 3-4 project teams represented
  seems to give good opportunities for multiple cross-project team issues to be raised.
  <li><b>Approx 3 Project Team Members for Each Project</b> -- Try to get at least two project team members
  from each project.  Try to keep the number of representatives from each project approximately the same (e.g. 3 from 
  project A, 3 from project B, etc), even if the full teams for the projects are vastly different in size.
  <li><b>Identify One Project to Present Plans</b> -- Identify one project to be responsible for
  presenting their project plan for the next 6+ months to the other committers.  For example, at the
  <a href="cg1.php">July 27, 2005</a> gathering, John Wiegand of the Platform team presented an early version of the
  <a href="/eclipse/development/eclipse_project_plan_3_2.html">Platform plan for 3.2 release</a>.  The
  presentation of the Platform project plan provided a very good structuring of the meeting.  For any given
  gathering, identify one project team to summarize/present their project plan to the other project teams.  Rotate the
  project doing the presentation of their plans, however, so it is not always the same project (e.g. Platform)
  describing their plans to the other committers.  
  <li><b>Have Committer Board Representative Present (if possible)</b> -- Having a Board member present will
  provide a good opportunity for all the committers present at the gathering to express issues, problems, or 
  needs to the Board representative, for subsequent expression before the Board.  Difficulties and needs
  unique to committers inevitably are raised during technical exchanges, and the Board representative
  can take note of these issues and raise them at the appropriate level as needed.
  <li><b>Publish Meeting Notes</b> -- Identify one committer
  for each meeting to take notes for the entire meeting (buy this person a beverage of choice if 
  you have to), and publish the notes taken to the eclipse.org website and 
  the eclipse.org-committers mailing list.
  <li><b>Do Process Check and Repeat...</b> -- Feedback and informed repetition are good.  Leave at least 15 minutes
  at the meeting to do a process check with the attendees, and record their observations
  about how the meeting went in the meeting note.  Then arrange for another one, after
  making adjustments as desired by meeting attendees.  Try to routinize informal cross-project exchanges so
  that they happen frequently enough to be useful, but not so frequently that they interfere with
  other work.  Obviously avoid having gatherings just prior to release ship dates.
  </ol>

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