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List:       groovy-dev
Subject:    Re: [groovy-dev] The question of whether to bother
From:       Marc Hedlund <marc () precipice ! org>
Date:       2005-01-24 18:03:52
Message-ID: Pine.LNX.4.58.0501241148580.10873 () crankshaft ! bitmechanic ! com
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On Mon, 24 Jan 2005, Guillaume Laforge wrote:
> There are a few things wrong, and it's not that easy to fix them.
>
> a) First of all, Mike's estimate of 20 hours/week of man hours is
> probably quite accurate. We need more contributors. But the problems
> here are that:
> - our contributors have a learning curve and need some confidence
> before being able to do some big chuncks (though of course, even small
> bug fixes contributions are always welcome)
> - even with a plethora of contributors, since it's an Open Source
> movement, we can't order anyone to do any particular required
> development.

Thanks for the response, Guillaume.

While I think you make a lot of good points in your message, let me
quibble with the section I quote above.  I *don't* think Groovy needs more
contributors as a first-order need.  I think your (Guillaume's and also
Jeremy's)  contributions and enthusiasm, and the language's general
appeal, have done a great job of attracting new committers and kibbitzers.

What I think Groovy needs above all else is leadership.  All of the people
interested in Groovy -- the new committers, Mike and myself and Cedric and
the other commentators, and the members of the mailing lists -- have done
*something* to indicate interest in or support for Groovy, even if that
something is just complaining.  (Better that people complain than that
they ignore the project altogether.)  But I at least (like others, I
suspect) am hesitant to dive in all the way with things in the state they
are.  It's not a lack of contributors or infrastructure or interest or
ideas that makes me think this.  It is the lack of a clear and dedicated
leadership.

There are several ways to get this, and someone has to decide that they
are willing to take that on and convince others that they are the right
person to follow.  I don't think there's any one model -- it doesn't have
to be a "Linus clone" or a "Larry clone" or whatever -- but the convincing
is the trick.

Marc Hedlund
e: marc at precipice dot org

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