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+WEBVTT
+
+00:00.799 --> 00:02.734
+Hello, I'm Bastien Guerry,
+
+00:02.734 --> 00:04.701
+and I'm very happy to be here.
+
+00:04.701 --> 00:07.734
+I've been the Org-mode maintainer
+
+00:07.734 --> 00:09.501
+for the last 10 years,
+
+00:09.501 --> 00:11.368
+and I would like to ask the question
+
+00:11.368 --> 00:14.034
+how to help GNU Emacs maintainers in general.
+
+00:14.400 --> 00:15.519
+By GNU Emacs, I mean
+
+00:15.519 --> 00:18.080
+the whole GNU Emacs ecosystem,
+
+00:18.080 --> 00:19.520
+including packages,
+
+00:19.520 --> 00:21.039
+not just the core GNU Emacs
+
+00:21.039 --> 00:24.880
+that we all love.
+
+00:24.880 --> 00:28.268
+After a decade of dealing with
+
+00:28.268 --> 00:29.368
+the Org community,
+
+00:29.368 --> 00:32.934
+my view of what a maintainer is changed.
+
+00:32.934 --> 00:35.101
+I'd like to share some ideas with you
+
+00:35.101 --> 00:37.234
+as I think they could be useful
+
+00:37.234 --> 00:39.201
+to help Emacs maintainers in general.
+
+00:39.201 --> 00:41.968
+And hopefully, these ideas also apply
+
+00:41.968 --> 00:43.601
+to other free software projects,
+
+00:43.601 --> 00:45.901
+at least those where contributors
+
+00:45.901 --> 00:47.568
+are all volunteers.
+
+00:47.568 --> 00:51.368
+First of all, what is a free software maintainer?
+
+00:51.368 --> 00:54.601
+Obviously this is some rich dude
+
+00:54.601 --> 00:56.268
+with a lot of free time
+
+00:56.268 --> 00:58.968
+Acting both as a supersmart hacker
+
+00:58.968 --> 01:02.401
+and a super-patient community manager
+
+01:02.401 --> 01:05.101
+Someone who acts as the central hotline
+
+01:05.101 --> 01:06.901
+for users and contributors
+
+01:06.901 --> 01:09.568
+Who knows how to write many emails,
+
+01:09.568 --> 01:11.468
+probably at the same time
+
+01:11.468 --> 01:14.101
+Who does not hesitate
+
+01:14.101 --> 01:16.934
+to publicly scold annoying users
+
+01:16.934 --> 01:19.801
+and someone narcissistic enough
+
+01:19.801 --> 01:22.668
+to seek credits for community efforts
+
+01:22.668 --> 01:26.034
+But really looking for a job
+
+01:26.034 --> 01:27.768
+in some big IT company
+
+01:27.768 --> 01:32.234
+Right? Well... no. That was a joke.
+
+01:32.234 --> 01:34.601
+But maybe you did smile
+
+01:34.601 --> 01:36.634
+and that's probably
+
+01:36.634 --> 01:39.401
+because there is some truth to it.
+
+01:39.401 --> 01:43.834
+Why? Because our culture encourages
+
+01:43.834 --> 01:45.634
+free software users and casual contributors
+
+01:45.634 --> 01:47.868
+to think about maintainers this way.
+
+01:47.868 --> 01:51.568
+Don't we continue to use the expression
+
+01:51.568 --> 01:54.001
+“Benevolent Dictator For Life”?
+
+01:54.001 --> 01:56.434
+This is what I'd call
+
+01:56.434 --> 01:58.068
+the “Spiderman syndrome”:
+
+01:58.068 --> 02:01.268
+maintenance is perceived in terms of
+
+02:01.268 --> 02:04.168
+great power and great responsibility.
+
+02:04.168 --> 02:07.268
+But I believe our culture of superheroes
+
+02:07.268 --> 02:09.101
+is not helpful here:
+
+02:09.101 --> 02:11.301
+it does not reflect the truth,
+
+02:11.301 --> 02:14.134
+it does not set the right expectations,
+
+02:14.134 --> 02:16.334
+and it prevents contributors
+
+02:16.334 --> 02:17.601
+to properly understand
+
+02:17.601 --> 02:19.601
+how to help maintainers.
+
+02:19.601 --> 02:21.334
+So let's start again.
+
+02:21.334 --> 02:24.968
+And instead of asking what a maintainer is,
+
+02:24.968 --> 02:27.068
+let me take the list of
+
+02:27.068 --> 02:30.001
+what I do as the Org maintainer.
+
+02:30.001 --> 02:31.034
+Here is my TODO-list:
+
+02:31.034 --> 02:33.934
+First of all, I take care of
+
+02:33.934 --> 02:35.201
+the orgmode.org website.
+
+02:35.201 --> 02:37.401
+I also take care of the
+
+02:37.401 --> 02:41.434
+org-contrib NonGNU ELPA package.
+
+02:41.434 --> 02:44.034
+I do gardening on the
+
+02:44.034 --> 02:46.168
+community-driven documentation, Worg.
+
+02:46.168 --> 02:48.401
+I do add contributors to Worg.
+
+02:48.401 --> 02:51.134
+I read emails on emacs-orgmode@,
+
+02:51.134 --> 02:54.134
+emacs-devel@ and bug-gnu-emacs@.
+
+02:54.134 --> 02:56.868
+I contribute to email moderation
+
+02:56.868 --> 02:59.801
+of the emacs-orgmode@ list
+
+02:59.801 --> 03:02.468
+with a bunch of other contributors.
+
+03:02.468 --> 03:05.134
+I reply to private emails
+
+03:05.134 --> 03:06.834
+asking me for help about org-mode.
+
+03:06.834 --> 03:10.168
+I coordinate with GNU Emacs maintainers
+
+03:10.168 --> 03:12.934
+and thanks to them for Emacs/Org integration.
+
+03:12.934 --> 03:16.034
+I contribute with public emails
+
+03:16.034 --> 03:17.801
+on the Org mailing list.
+
+03:17.801 --> 03:20.501
+I release new versions of Org-mode.
+
+03:20.501 --> 03:22.634
+and sometimes, sometimes,
+
+03:22.634 --> 03:24.601
+I contribute with code.
+
+03:24.601 --> 03:27.168
+Do you see a pattern here?
+
+03:27.168 --> 03:30.468
+Yes. I bet the last three tasks
+
+03:30.468 --> 03:31.801
+is what most people have in mind
+
+03:31.801 --> 03:34.201
+when they think of a maintainer:
+
+03:34.201 --> 03:35.534
+it's all about hacking
+
+03:35.534 --> 03:37.734
+and being an efficient hotline.
+
+03:37.734 --> 03:39.734
+But in fact, these tasks
+
+03:39.734 --> 03:41.601
+are only a superficial part
+
+03:41.601 --> 03:43.201
+of what I do as a maintainer.
+
+03:43.201 --> 03:47.001
+Some would consider that these core tasks
+
+03:47.001 --> 03:48.501
+are the interesting ones,
+
+03:48.501 --> 03:51.634
+while the others are the boring ones.
+
+03:51.634 --> 03:53.901
+I don't see it that way:
+
+03:53.901 --> 03:56.534
+some tasks are about the product,
+
+03:56.534 --> 03:58.801
+others are about the project.
+
+03:58.801 --> 04:00.834
+Without a good product,
+
+04:00.834 --> 04:02.168
+there is little chance
+
+04:02.168 --> 04:03.401
+you will have a good project,
+
+04:03.401 --> 04:07.534
+but maintaining a project requires thinking
+
+04:07.534 --> 04:09.301
+in terms of infrastructure,
+
+04:09.301 --> 04:11.068
+not in terms of bugs,
+
+04:11.068 --> 04:13.334
+thinking in terms of resources
+
+04:13.334 --> 04:16.701
+that enable both users and contributors,
+
+04:16.701 --> 04:18.401
+not in terms of commits.
+
+04:18.401 --> 04:21.001
+So let me try to define again
+
+04:21.001 --> 04:23.334
+what a free software maintainer is
+
+04:23.334 --> 04:24.434
+or should be.
+
+04:24.434 --> 04:26.234
+A free software maintainer
+
+04:26.234 --> 04:28.368
+is someone who cares about
+
+04:28.368 --> 04:30.968
+enabling users and contributors
+
+04:30.968 --> 04:32.768
+so that they collectively
+
+04:32.768 --> 04:34.201
+take care of the project.
+
+04:34.201 --> 04:36.734
+See another pattern here?
+
+04:36.734 --> 04:40.301
+Yeah, that's all about the project,
+
+04:40.301 --> 04:41.501
+versus the product.
+
+04:41.501 --> 04:43.634
+It's about taking care of it,
+
+04:43.634 --> 04:46.934
+versus being a direct hotline for users,
+
+04:46.934 --> 04:49.901
+so, it's caring about the project infrastructure
+
+04:49.901 --> 04:52.134
+and about empowering users
+
+04:52.134 --> 04:54.234
+with tools and incentives
+
+04:54.234 --> 04:55.268
+so that they care too.
+
+04:55.268 --> 04:58.434
+How can you help such a maintainer?
+
+04:58.434 --> 05:00.901
+By focusing on the project
+
+05:00.901 --> 05:03.901
+and becoming an enabler yourself.
+
+05:03.901 --> 05:06.934
+So, let's pause and summarize:
+
+05:06.934 --> 05:08.801
+our culture wants heroes
+
+05:08.801 --> 05:12.434
+and this leads us to expect maintainers
+
+05:12.434 --> 05:15.234
+to be superhackers and superactive hotlines.
+
+05:15.234 --> 05:19.568
+This is the HOT mindset of maintenance,
+
+05:19.568 --> 05:23.368
+where the maintainers are Headmasters Of Tweaks
+
+05:23.368 --> 05:26.901
+and soon becomes the Headmaster Of Troubles.
+
+05:26.901 --> 05:29.501
+To resist this HOT mindset,
+
+05:29.501 --> 05:33.201
+I suggest to redefine maintenance as ACDC:
+
+05:33.201 --> 05:36.534
+“Asynchronous Collective Distributed Care”:
+
+05:36.534 --> 05:38.968
+“Asynchronous” because time management
+
+05:38.968 --> 05:40.168
+is a private matter
+
+05:40.168 --> 05:41.968
+and we are all volunteers.
+
+05:41.968 --> 05:44.168
+“Collective” because, well,
+
+05:44.168 --> 05:45.634
+no man is an island.
+
+05:45.634 --> 05:49.201
+“Distributed”: because the more power
+
+05:49.201 --> 05:51.601
+to the “edges”, the more resilient
+
+05:51.601 --> 05:53.534
+the system and the project is.
+
+05:53.534 --> 05:56.368
+“Care” because this is all about care:
+
+05:56.368 --> 05:58.501
+with each other as users
+
+05:58.501 --> 06:00.134
+or as contributors,
+
+06:00.134 --> 06:02.101
+with the project's infrastructure
+
+06:02.101 --> 06:05.301
+(servers, websites, bug trackers, etc.)
+
+06:05.301 --> 06:08.701
+and care about having a useful product.
+
+06:08.701 --> 06:13.901
+So, “enabling” users and contributors means
+
+06:13.901 --> 06:16.468
+encouraging them to take ownership,
+
+06:16.468 --> 06:19.801
+which is more than just delegating tasks.
+
+06:19.801 --> 06:22.068
+Let your users and contributors know
+
+06:22.068 --> 06:23.901
+that they need to tap into
+
+06:23.901 --> 06:26.434
+the collective attention pool with care:
+
+06:26.434 --> 06:28.801
+the more autonomous they are, the better.
+
+06:28.801 --> 06:33.801
+So, with this ACDC definition in mind,
+
+06:33.801 --> 06:37.534
+how can <i>you</i> help Emacs maintainers?
+
+06:37.534 --> 06:41.268
+First of all, by <i>becoming</i> a maintainer
+
+06:41.268 --> 06:44.334
+for your own project*, however small.
+
+06:44.334 --> 06:47.001
+Think in terms of project vs. product.
+
+06:47.001 --> 06:49.034
+Empower users and contributors.
+
+06:49.034 --> 06:50.668
+This will help you understand
+
+06:50.668 --> 06:54.068
+how to help other maintainers.
+
+06:54.068 --> 06:56.501
+“More power to the edges!”
+
+06:56.501 --> 07:00.001
+<i>Volunteer</i> as a contributor steward
+
+07:00.001 --> 07:02.201
+for another project: you don't need to
+
+07:02.201 --> 07:03.868
+be a supersmart hacker
+
+07:03.868 --> 07:05.634
+to help others to contribute.
+
+07:05.634 --> 07:07.701
+For Org-mode, we are lucky to have
+
+07:07.701 --> 07:10.901
+two great contributor stewards.
+
+07:10.901 --> 07:12.868
+<i>Learn</i> how to teach,
+
+07:12.868 --> 07:16.468
+because pedagogical skills are invaluable.
+
+07:16.468 --> 07:18.301
+Taking the time to explain
+
+07:18.301 --> 07:20.868
+how to write a bug report or a patch
+
+07:20.868 --> 07:23.834
+is invaluable and this is a core part
+
+07:23.834 --> 07:25.401
+of the Org culture.
+
+07:25.401 --> 07:27.801
+<i>Test</i> and <i>enhance</i> the project's
+
+07:27.801 --> 07:30.001
+contribution process. For Org-mode,
+
+07:30.001 --> 07:33.268
+you would read and suggest contributions to
+
+07:33.268 --> 07:35.634
+the org-contribute pages on Worg.
+
+07:35.634 --> 07:38.601
+Take care of the project's <i>calls for help</i>.
+
+07:38.601 --> 07:40.968
+For Org-mode, this would be this list
+
+07:40.560 --> 07:43.599
+that we have on updates.orgmode.org
+
+07:43.599 --> 07:47.234
+For Emacs, this would be <i>etc/TODO</i> file.
+
+07:47.234 --> 07:50.834
+If the calls for help are not explicit enough,
+
+07:50.834 --> 07:52.834
+try to contribute some.
+
+07:52.834 --> 07:56.701
+<i>Encourage</i> users from outside the project
+
+07:56.701 --> 07:58.434
+to contribute to the core forum.
+
+07:58.434 --> 08:01.434
+For Org-mode, there are many hacks and fixes
+
+08:01.434 --> 08:03.901
+being shared on Reddit and Stack Overflow,
+
+08:03.901 --> 08:05.401
+and that's fine, but we we should not
+
+08:05.401 --> 08:07.401
+wait for months before having this
+
+08:07.401 --> 08:08.801
+shared on the list.
+
+08:08.801 --> 08:11.434
+Let the core forum <i>know</i> about
+
+08:11.434 --> 08:13.701
+what happens in this outside world
+
+08:13.701 --> 08:16.601
+by sharing important information yourself.
+
+08:16.601 --> 08:19.868
+<i>Propose</i> your help for non-code tasks:
+
+08:19.868 --> 08:21.368
+maintain a website,
+
+08:21.368 --> 08:23.734
+enhance the community-driven documentation,
+
+08:23.734 --> 08:26.101
+help with bug triage, etc.
+
+08:26.101 --> 08:29.568
+If you expect someone else to fix your bug,
+
+08:29.568 --> 08:33.234
+try fixing someone else's bug first, and too:
+
+08:33.234 --> 08:36.234
+that's how you'll learn Emacs Lisp
+
+08:36.234 --> 08:37.668
+and that's how you'll concretely
+
+08:37.668 --> 08:40.501
+train your empathy, your sense of taking care.
+
+08:40.501 --> 08:42.068
+That is so critical.
+
+08:42.068 --> 08:44.101
+Don't expect the maintainer
+
+08:44.101 --> 08:45.168
+to be a <i>hotline</i>,
+
+08:45.168 --> 08:46.801
+especially a private one.
+
+08:46.801 --> 08:49.234
+Address yourself to the community.
+
+08:49.234 --> 08:51.968
+and last but not least,
+
+08:51.968 --> 08:53.120
+<i>complete</i> this list.
+
+08:53.120 --> 08:54.959
+I'm trying to open a conversation here,
+
+08:54.959 --> 08:57.168
+so don't be shy.
+
+08:57.168 --> 09:01.760
+That's it.  Uhm, is it hard? Yes, this is hard,
+
+09:01.760 --> 09:04.640
+and that's because helping maintainers
+
+09:04.640 --> 09:07.760
+by becoming such a enabler
+
+09:07.760 --> 09:09.839
+in this ACDC mindset
+
+09:09.839 --> 09:12.080
+is not immediately rewarding,
+
+09:12.080 --> 09:15.168
+whereas fixing a bug clearly, clearly is.
+
+09:15.168 --> 09:17.701
+But if you start thinking of the project
+
+09:17.701 --> 09:19.301
+as something that enables you
+
+09:19.301 --> 09:21.440
+to do amazing things, and I believe
+
+09:21.440 --> 09:23.434
+Org is this kind of project,
+
+09:23.434 --> 09:25.034
+and if you start thinking
+
+09:25.034 --> 09:26.634
+of the maintenance as something
+
+09:26.634 --> 09:28.934
+that enables more contributions,
+
+09:28.934 --> 09:31.734
+you will see how important and rewarding
+
+09:31.734 --> 09:35.668
+it is to become such an enabler.
+
+09:35.668 --> 09:39.701
+So, definitely grateful to all the enablers
+
+09:39.701 --> 09:41.401
+that we have in Org's community!
+
+09:41.401 --> 09:43.734
+And to everyone who maintains
+
+09:43.734 --> 09:45.701
+a culture of teaching and learning
+
+09:45.701 --> 09:49.068
+through polite and respectful interactions
+
+09:49.068 --> 09:50.801
+on the mailing list and elsewhere:
+
+09:50.801 --> 09:55.001
+we always need more “power to the edges”.
+
+09:55.001 --> 09:57.168
+And I'm also very grateful
+
+09:57.168 --> 09:59.034
+to the EmacsConf organizers,
+
+09:59.034 --> 10:02.568
+because that's really taking care
+
+10:02.568 --> 10:05.068
+of the community! So, thanks very much!
+
+10:05.068 --> 10:06.868
+[captions by sachac & zaeph]