On May 3, 2005, at 10:16 PM, Benjamin A. Collins wrote:
> In my experience, I cannot recall any single instance in which my lack
> of communication proved to be beneficial. Further, I cannot recall
> any instance in which my *intentional* lack of communication didn't
> get me into a little trouble. I think John's advice is good advice.
Heh.
It's not "intentional lack of communication." It's "taking initiative."
The objective here is to demonstrate, using our own projects, the
real-world benefits of version control. The communication is in place
already: we need version control, these are the advantages, this is
how it would work, we can get started immediately. The reality is
that someone's got to do it before anyone believes it will ever get
done.
Certainly, there are different kinds of organizations. In a rigid
vertical hierarchy, monolithic changes can be applied uniformly and
decisively, with provisions to manage whatever chaos may actually
ensue. In this type of organization, real-time communication is
critical to the success of the collective, and one hand working
without the other is a strategy for mutual demise. In a more
orthogonal group, on the other hand, a peer network negotiates the
various motives and visions of creative individuals to respond
dynamically to rapidly-changing circumstances. In my office, we're
all essential for what we each can contribute, and our source code is
just one of the many things within my realm of contribution. That
doesn't mean I can just dictate how it will be, but it does mean any
movement in this direction is for me to power.
By taking ownership of this in an exploratory mode that minimizes the
impact on running operations during the startup phase, I can put in
place a clear plan for uniform and direct adoption. Under this plan,
people can come on board single-file as their workflow allows.
Deployment can proceed on an as-needed basis, and the transition will
be complete immediately upon activation of the final contributor's
participation.
Ultimately, this stage is about picking the low-hanging fruit and
delivering a basket with a bow and a balloon. That it will apply
upward pressure on productivity and downward pressure on hair loss is
a factor that will emerge at the forefront once the components come
online.
(Staying out of trouble is all in how you spin it.)
j
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Received on Wed May 4 06:19:11 2005