108457 - bugweek should become more permanent.

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(bugzilla.mozilla.org :: General, defect)

Description

[James Cox]

Bugweek has done an excellent job of recruiting new mozilla helpers - me
included :).

I think it should be upgraded to something like "bugstart" or "mozstart" or
similar, and be given a permanent place on moz.org. This (hopefully) will enable
users to get started with helping, but have somewhere to go to get help (we'ed
keep running #bugweek or similar, for example, to allow a place for people
interested to come ask for information) and designated bugstart people would
start compiling FAQs /useful url's etc, so that we would have a contstant stream
of people.

Why not just have bugweeks?

I remember coming along a few months ago, looking at the site, going to bugzilla
and thinking, "er, yeah, right" and going off. By being able to go to IRC,
talking to people, and getting the answers i needed, I was able to start helping.

Comment 1

[Bradley Baetz (:bbaetz)]

You can get help doing QA stuff on #mozillazine most of the time. Maybe we 
should advertise that better, somehow.

Comment 2

[Alex Vincent [:WeirdAl]]

No, no, please, no, I (avincent) can't do four-hour shifts every night like I
have every night of bugweek so far!  Please, mark this bug INVALID, have mercy
on me!  8)

Comment 3

[Grey Hodge (jX)]

I think that this is a godo idea, but not jsut advertising #mozillazine will
solve it. A channel for beginners is perfect. We already advertize lots of ways
to help on Mozilla.org, but having a place where newbies can jump in and learn
how to help in Newbish as opposed to Geekspeak will help immensely. I also vote
to keep #bugweek, and advertize it as the place for newbies. Well, not inthat
terminology. Some newbies find it perjurative and unflattering. :P

Comment 4

[Myk Melez [:myk] [@mykmelez]]

The idea is good, but #bugweek has not yet settled into the collective
subconsious yet, so now is a good time to change the name.  How about #moznewbie?

-> [e-mail], as he seems to be the guy in charge of bug week.

Comment 5

[James Cox]

since the word newbies isn't taken quite so well, by that many people - how does
mozstart sound? #mozstart and www.moz.org/start/ ? :P

Comment 6

[Ben Ruppel]

I think avincent has a point.  Part of bugweek was the fact that people could
devote extra attention to indoctrinating newbies.  If it becomes more 
permanent,the "magic" will be lost and it'll just be another ho-hum part of 
mozilla.  This is not to say that someone shouldn't set up an irc channel just 
for newbies, but bugweek needs to be more rare in order for it to be special.

I also recommend trying to schedule bugweek around the schedules of potential
hackers.  For instance, many of my college student friends happened to have 
exam week at the same time as bug week (October is a b$tch like that).  
However, I bet a lot of CS students are just sitting around twitching to hack 
during, say, winter break (~Dec24-Jan14 here in the states).  Also, 
#bugweekend once per month might be good.

Comment 7

[James Cox]

I see your point.

How about a #mozcentral type channel, where events like this are co-ordinated, 
and resources/documents built? this way, there could be special cvs access for 
the team.. and they could build a microsite for new-bugzilla-helpers.
Yeah, so there is the danger of dilution -- but only a few people need to start 
co-ordinating things.. and others can chip in when they have spare time?

Comment 8

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

When I get some time, I'm going to have a think about this and decide what to
do. I'd appreciate emails from interested parties letting me know how they think
it went, what worked, and what didn't, and how we could do it better.

Gerv

Comment 9

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

Bugweek is unlikely to happen again in the near future, as all of
[e-mail] are far too overworked. Also, it's difficult to get the time
of the developers to hang out in the IRC channel, and the last bugweek hasn't
really resulted in a flood of new contributors.

I'm closing this bug, as there's not much point leaving it open.

Gerv