[Linux-aus] No feedback - Community

[Kimberly Shelt]

*snips a lot.. but what you have said Greg I pretty much agree with

I would like to put my 2cents worth in on the following point..
Specifically the last sentance in this paragraph.. 
 
On Mon, Jan 05, 2004 at 11:32:28AM +1030, Greg 'groggy' Lehey wrote:
> I haven't seen any particular concern on the part of the AUUG
> membership about a merger, though we haven't done any asking.  At the
> last AUUG AGM, I stated that we had had discussions, and that we
> needed to find out more about what our membership thinks.  I didn't
> get any feedback.

No feedback.. 

During my year building LinMagAu I have heard this cry from all 
quarters.. and have experienced it myself to a large degree..
It seems the standard for many committees the following applies..

1) Offer up an idea..
2) Wait.. 
3) Presume the majority approves..
4) Find (usually an already overloaded "doer" in the team) to
   take on the particular task..
5) Wait.. 

Sometimes it gets done.. other times it just sits..

How many "ideas", "new projects", suggestions for new organisations
etc have you seen on various lists?

How many on average do you hear about again that have actually
achieved anything? or are still thriving after 6months?

I have often privately followed up ideas that are raised on lists 
with the person who has suggested them ..only to find out
apathy reigns supreme :(  They too got no feedback..

I don't mean to sound like I am knocking any organisation 
specifically, during my year back in Australia my attempts
to have a great undestanding of the various communities..
has only been in order to offer support to them "ALL".

In both AUUG and LA (and even more so in LCA at the moment)
there is a solid core of "doers".. who actually are doing things
but due to the lack of more "doers".. many good projects are
simply left to die a slow and painful death.. 

Also this costs the community in loss of the "doers" as
they burn out.. either leaving the community in a blaze
of flammage.. or just quietly slipping away doing less.

I understand most people are volunteers and that often
there is simply not enough time for things to get done..
but these boils down to one of two things..

a) Not enough people "doing"
b) Not enough people "doing"

I feel that Australia is far to small a place for so many
organisations to work side by side.. and still achieve
great things.. small things sure.. but great things no..
the current resources (ie people) is just not enough.

Working on the current OpenSource in Govt committee.. I have
seen an attempt at AUUG/LA working together in action.. 

I agree merging organisations is a good idea.. however I
also feel that the effort it would take to get this to 
happen in the present "climate".. would simply see the
"doers" sidetracked into political issues, and even fewer
actual proejcts would get done..

Defining just what it is that each organisation aims to do
would go a long way to getting more clarity regards 
the contribution such organisations make to our community..

Identifying what the community wants.. if anything..
and acting on any responses.. quickly..

Perhaps this is a good time for all committees to look back
over the last year and see what they have achieved..and to 
make a new list about what is planned for the next year..

Final thought.. 
Feedback is a two way street.. whilst the doers are doing
they too need to feedback to the community in order to
gather more doers :)

Kimberly Shelt
--
http://www.linmagau.org