Neary: Drawing up a roadmap
The end result of a good roadmap process is that your users know where they stand, more or less, at any given time. Your developers know where you want to take the project, and can see opportunities to contribute. Your core team knows what the release criteria for the next release are, and you have agreed together mid-term and long-term goals for the project that express your common vision. As maintainer, you have a powerful tool to explain your decisions and align your community around your ideas. A good roadmap is the fertile soil on which your developer community will grow."
Posted Feb 8, 2011 20:39 UTC (Tue)
by daglwn (guest, #65432)
[Link] (1 responses)
Posted Feb 8, 2011 22:48 UTC (Tue)
by coriordan (guest, #7544)
[Link]
Or the too-common no-op thanks: "I'd like to thank the dozens of volunteers who contributed."
IMO, if you don't say their name, you haven't thanked them. I can imagine that some processes make it difficult for the release manager to know the names, but this is important. There's usually at least a page on the website or a commit log which could be linked to.
Dave posts a link to some Bugzilla learning that every project leadership should read. It's an excellent summary of how to cultivate a community. The #1 thing I see lacking in most projects is showing appreciation toward contributors. I was glad to see it near the top of the Bugzilla list.
Neary: Drawing up a roadmap
Thanking people and thanking no one