post FOSDEM

[Gabor Szabo]

On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 3:23 PM, Nitish Bezzala <nbezzala at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi Gabor,
>
> Can you please tell us what you think attracted so many developers to Padre?
> Maybe, we'll be able to borrow some ideas from you...
> Thanks,
> Nitish

I basically just got lucky that I started a project that seemed to be
interesting to some developers but as this happened now I try to play
the expert on the subject.

Also I think it is much easier to make people enthusiastic about a new
project than an existing project that has been in use for more than 10
years.

So please take my suggestions with the appropriate grain of salt.

Anyway, I think the main issue was *publicity* and my earlier
involvement in the Perl community helped in that. I gave a talk about
it on FOSDEM last week but managed to use more time than allocated so
I skipped the most 2-3 import slides which said:

Publicity:
- blog about your project
- talk about it on YAPCs, Perl Workshops, Perl Monger meetings, wherever you can
- encourage other developers and users to blog about it and talk about it.

Create positive feeling towards your project.

Regarding Bugzilla:

I still recall this blog entry:
http://avatraxiom.livejournal.com/58084.html and the discussion it
created on http://use.perl.org/~TeeJay/journal/33269

Maybe it is just me and no one of the other use.perl.org readers think
the same but I am still not sure if the Bugzilla team likes the fact
that it is written in Perl or that you hate every inch of it?

IMHO this image need to be changed if you'd like to attract people to
work on Bugzilla.

For one thing if the Bugzilla web site (and the product itself) was
proudly saying that it is based on Perl (with logo, link to
www.perl.org) that would certainly start creating some warm feelings
in the community.
That would also help drive more people in the direction of Perl.
(e.g. see how every mailman installation has the Python icon even
here: http://mail.pm.org/mailman/listinfo/ )

Also - again IMHO - Bugzilla needs to send the message of using
*modern tools* in its development. (e.g. CVS  still being the
recommended way to fetch the source code is NOT sending this
messages). While I think Git would have been a more attractive vcs for
many perl developers I think Bazar is also good in being modern.
(And I am still using SVN for most of my stuff.)

Make it familiar to CPAN authors and people who are used to the CPAN
style stuff.
e.g.
I was happy to see that you are using Test::More but some items I saw
were not as I would expect

the local::lib/PERL5LIB stuff I am trying to patch,
not using Makefile.PL or Build.PL,
not using "standard" CPAN layout:
   modules in    ROOT/lib/
   command line scripts in       ROOT/script
   cgi scripts in some other directory (e.g. I use ROOT/www)

I'll try to allocate some time and look at the project to give you
more unwanted suggestions and maybe even a few patches.

I think if you would like to attract more people from that community
you should start blogging about Bugzilla and how its Perl code works.
What are your main challenges in the code base, what are you going to
do about it. How people could get involved.
I personally will try to see how Bugzilla is tested.


I am not sure if it should be done on http://bugzillaupdate.wordpress.com/
or on some other blog (maybe on http://blogs.perl.org/ ) but I am quite sure
the entires should appear on both http://ironman.enlightenedperl.org/ and on
http://perlsphere.net/ that are read by many people.


I am sorry if this got a bit too long and if it sounds too paternalistic
but the project I started is called Padre, so you might blame it on that ;-)

regards
   Gabor