Re: [boost] Bug-fix volunteers: risks, downsides?

Subject: Re: [boost] Bug-fix volunteers: risks, downsides?
From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-10-30 16:00:21

At Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:39:28 +0100,
Robert Jones wrote:
> 
> On Fri, Oct 29, 2010 at 7:49 PM, Mateusz Loskot <mateusz_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> 
> > On 29/10/10 15:28, Jim Bell wrote:
> > > To round out the discussion...
> > >
> > > What risks or downsides would there be to recruiting a little legion
> > > of bug-fix volunteers and turning them loose on the tickets and/or
> > > regression matrix?
> >
> > Boost is complex and sets very high requirements.
> > Volunteers risk that they may not be able to cut the mustard
> > (having some GSoC experiences in mind). Thus, potential of dropped and
> > unfinished tasks may be high. The Boost team may find it challenging to
> > find resources to mentor during the process.
> >
> >
> While this is a very real risk the other side of the coin is that, to my
> perception at least, Boost needs to do something to maintain or
> increase participation levels. The 'old guard' have done a magnificent
> job, and their commitment has frankly been awesome, but they can't
> be expected to crew the ship for ever. The barriers to entry to competence
> as a Boost developer are indeed substantial, and probably rising, but
> unless new blood is somehow 'inducted' I fear the future for Boost is
> limited.

+1

-- 
Dave Abrahams
BoostPro Computing
http://www.boostpro.com