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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D">I’ve been touring New Zealand all week without Internet access,
so I’m just now catching up with my email. This is a topic that is of great
interest and concern to us, and I look forward to the meeting next week. As I
discussed with Chris Cormack during Kohacon, we have a large number of new
development features in the works, which we’ll post to the RFC page as soon as
the client finalizes the list. Most should be ready for 3.4.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D">Flying home tomorrow so I’ll be out of touch for a while again,
but I did want to chime in with our interest in the topic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;
color:#1F497D">Jane Wagner</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;
color:#1F497D">Senior Project Manager</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;
color:#1F497D">LibLime, a division of PTFS</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;
color:#1F497D">Content Management and Library Solutions</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;
color:#1F497D">6400 Goldsboro Road, Suite 200</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;
color:#1F497D">Bethesda, MD 20817</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;
color:#1F497D">(301) 654-8088 x 151</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;
color:#1F497D"><a href="mailto:jwagner@ptfs.com"><span style="color:blue">jwagner@liblime.com</span></a></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";
color:windowtext">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext"> <a href="mailto:koha-bounces@lists.katipo.co.nz">koha-bounces@lists.katipo.co.nz</a>
[mailto:<a href="mailto:koha-bounces@lists.katipo.co.nz">koha-bounces@lists.katipo.co.nz</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Irma Birchall<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, November 03, 2010 6:19 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:koha@lists.katipo.co.nz">koha@lists.katipo.co.nz</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Koha] Proposal to form Koha Technical Committee</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Below are notes that Bob and I compiled from a meeting at
the KohaCon10 hackfest in Wellington last Sunday. <br>
We're trying to put these up on the wiki but haven't found how to edit the
relevant page. In the meantime, we'll just share them here on list. <br>
The notes are self explanatory, we hope. <br>
We look forward to a vigorous discussion (as usual). <br>
<br>
Irma <br>
CALYX <br>
<br>
Discussion about decision making for Koha technical issues <br>
kohacon10 hackfest 31 October 2010 <br>
<br>
At the kohacon10 hackfest, Paul Poulain of Biblibre initiated a discussion
about the way strategic decisions are to be made in relation to the Koha
software. Paul is concerned that there is no forum for decision making beyond
the next release. The role of Release Manager is focused on ensuring there is a
stable, on-time release incorporating agreed features. But there are other
longer-term architectural issues to be determined beyond the scope of the RM
role. <br>
<br>
In the broad-ranging discussion, the following points were made: <br>
<br>
Pending decisions include: move to solR; mod_perl or plack; move to T::T ; move
to time based release; how to coordinate developments like EDI and RFID,
amongst others. <br>
<br>
It is not clear how to get decisions made about major software issues. There is
also the problem of coordinating development of features. </p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">how do we coordinate development? </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">who decides? </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">what is the structure for deciding? </li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">The current decision-making forum is the monthly irc
meeting. Other forums for discussion include the developers' list and the wiki
(especially RFCs). <br>
<br>
Issues discussed on irc and koha-devel sometimes don't get resolved. No clear
roadmap about what will get included in next official release. <br>
<br>
Some other open source projects have a suite of core code and plug-ins for
extra or alternative features. <br>
<br>
Commitments made to clients have to be met often between official releases.
This has affected Biblibre, Xercode, Software Coop and Liblime. Risk of more
forks if structure to decide is not clear. <br>
<br>
The problem applies to both software architecture issues and features. There
may be one solution or several strategies to mitigate the problem. <br>
<br>
Suggestion to create a Technical Committee. <br>
<br>
Alternatively a committee structure : small working groups to make recommendations.
<br>
<br>
Observation that arranging meetings across world time zones is difficult.
Meetings are time consuming. Hard for key developers to attend multiple
meetings. Keep difficulties in mind. <br>
<br>
Current meetings deal with the immediate, not the long term. A structural
development meeting could be held regularly to discuss longer term development.
<br>
<br>
The need may be for: </p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2">a transparent process about what development will
make it into official Koha; plus </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2">each company must have its own procedure for
dealing with client-sponsored features that will not be selected into a
release version. </li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">RFCs are the usual way to
elicit discussion of proposed features. <br>
<br>
But because everyone is so busy, they usually don't attract much discussion.
For example, a number of RFCs were submitted in September by Nucsoft OSS but
don't seem to have received much comment. <br>
<br>
Suggestion for developers to make an on-line (skype or irc) presentation of
major proposed new features. Forum for input by others. Follow up discussion
would be on list. <br>
<br>
Technical Committee could have 6 to 8 members – rotating. <br>
<br>
Opportunity for Librarians Discussion Group as another regular meeting? Ensure
library standards are applied and kept up to date. Could link project with
academia. <br>
<br>
Another potential forum is an Opac Advisory Committee. <br>
<br>
Current practice is that all meetings are open to all to attend. Mood is to
retain this approach. <br>
<br>
People scheduling a meeting should add the event to the Calendar on
<a href="http://koha-community.org">koha-community.org</a> and send an email to the list. (To check if this can be
automated?). <br>
<br>
Format for minutes of meetings was discussed. <br>
<br>
For further discussion and resolution at the Monthly IRC Meeting on 10
November.<br>
<br>
</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">-- <br>
Irma Birchall<br>
CALYX information essentials<br>
Koha & Kete implementations and services<br>
T:(02) 80061603<br>
M: 0413 510 717<br>
<a href="mailto:irma@calyx.net.au">irma@calyx.net.au</a><br>
<a href="http://www.calyx.net.au/">www.calyx.net.au</a><br>
<a href="http://koha-community.org/">http://koha-community.org/</a><br>
<a href="http://kete.net.nz/">http://kete.net.nz/</a></p>
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