At DrupalConSF core developers meeting in 2010, I presented,<div><br></div><div><a href="http://content2zero.com/sites/default/files/Shai-Gluskin-Lightening-Core-Community.pdf">Evaluate Core Group Process in Order to Recruit and Retain New Participants</a><br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">There was a well-attended break-out session that followed. I took some notes and someone else took notes. I didn't follow-up at all and I take full responsibility for not following up.</div>
</div><div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">I was moved that my lightening talk was accepted. And I understood my talk being accepted as evidence of the openness of the community. It's not that I was completely unknown, but I certainly wasn't central to anything. I"d helped out with docs and in core on small UI stuff, help text and UI string changes.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">I have been fascinated and inspired by the Drupal project and its process and I have loved having the chance to both watch it and participate.</div><div class="gmail_quote">
<br></div><div class="gmail_quote">In trying to be reflective about my own lack of follow-up, it comes down to the fact that I couldn't afford the time. My Drupal-related 1-person business is site-building, serving small businesses and non-profits. My business benefits very little from my involvement in core. I do feel I'm pulling my weight for the Drupal project in general by helping at <a href="mailto:support@drupal.org">support@drupal.org</a> and posting to issue queues etc.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">But I don't have enough hours to make a significant contribution on core, whether in helping sort out the process side (probably where I'd be most valuable), or in the UI, strings, docs, etc as I had been involved.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">The recent Earl/Acquia collab on a new UI for Views in an interesting case study. While I don't want to minimize the huge personal dedication and long hours logged by the people involved, I will not that most of them were full time employees working on that assignment as an essential part of their "day" jobs.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">For this issue to be seriously addressed, I think the Drupal Association needs to take it on directly. It will likely need to form a committee to study the matter.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">The title of my talk was "<b>Evaluate</b> Core Group Process in Order to Recruit and Retain New Participants." When I look back at the notes of the follow-up session, a lot of it drifted into thinking of ideas about <b>solving</b> the problem. I think evaluation of a group process is harder, and may require the help of an outsider. Without a thorough evaluation, it will be shooting at darts to know which of many ideas should be followed up on to help solve the problem.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">While it wasn't all roses, I think most people believe that Mark Boulton's participation in Drupal improved Drupal. What we've done for design with Mark Boulton maybe we need to do with group process for core development.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">Shai</div><meta charset="utf-8">