[Python-Dev] Python Core Mentorship program

[Ben Finney]

Guido van Rossum <guido at python.org> writes:

> On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 1:57 PM, Ben Finney <ben+python at benfinney.id.au> wrote:
> > Surely a forum specifically for mentorship will be more useful if
> > outsiders can be directed to existing discussions, without needing to
> > join the private club.
>
> This argument comes up repeatedly. Some people object on principle to
> all closed lists.

I apologise if anyone mistakes my position as that.

Closed forums are necessary for all kinds of reasons. If my position
were against all closed forums, people would be correct to regard that
position as too extreme.

No, I'm pointing out that a closed forum *for mentorship specifically*
is undermining the goal of mentorship: to efficiently share valuable
knowledge and help newbies learn from existing discussions with experts
and other newbies.

One of the great things about a discussion forum open view for the
public is that, when a topic comes up again in a *different* forum, I
can easily point anyone to the existing discussion without requiring
that they join some private group. That's invaluable for spreading
knowledge freely.

If the goal of spreading knowledge isn't primary for the forum, I think
it's a bit misleading to call it mentorship. Sure, mentorship can still
be private; but it's pretty inefficient – and counter to the goal of
spreading knowledge – if only a private group gets to benefit from the
discussions.

> Other people will not participate in a discussion (or will not speak
> their minds about certain topics) unless they have some sense that the
> list is "closed".

That's unfortunate, in my view, and I've stated the reasoning behind
this view. Others are, of course, entitled to their view, just as I'm
entitled to point out the flaws.

> I propose to give it a rest. If you want to know what's going on
> there, just subscribe, nobody will stop you (and if they did there are
> plenty of public forums to complain).

I thought that's exactly what I was doing; confusingly, in this
paragraph you seem to simultaneously suggest that I stop complaining
when I see something wrong and that I should complain when I see
something wrong.

I'm not requiring anyone change anything, only pointing out what I see
as a mistake.

> You will find soon enough that nothing unsavory is being discussed.

That was never the concern; I hope that's clear now.

-- 
 \        “The problem with television is that the people must sit and |
  `\    keep their eyes glued on a screen: the average American family |
_o__)                 hasn't time for it.” —_The New York Times_, 1939 |
Ben Finney