[Python-Dev] Python Core Mentorship program

[Nick Coghlan]

On Sat, Mar 26, 2011 at 3:20 PM, Ethan Furman <ethan at stoneleaf.us> wrote:
>
> I disagree.  The goal of mentorship is to help someone learn -- a subtle,
> yet distinct, difference.  I think a closed list will suit that purpose
> better.
>
> Keep in mind also that the list is *closed*, not *locked* -- anyone can
> join, and anyone who has joined has full access to current goings-on and to
> the archives.

The other thing to remember is that part of the purpose of the new
list is to fulfil roles that python-dev doesn't (and shouldn't really
be expected to) handle.

These are things like:
- keeping in touch with new contributors that participate in core sprints
- asking for clarifications of points that may not be clear in the devguide
- how to respond to negative feedback on the public lists and on the tracker
- advice on "who's who" on the public mailing lists

Anyone that is themselves comfortable with the rough-and-tumble of
typical open source development may see the list as unnecessary, and
that's fine. python-dev does see new contributors arriving without an
active mentorship program, and that's great.

However, there are still an *awful* lot of modules on
http://docs.python.org/devguide/experts that don't have names against
them. The tracker still has a huge backlog of issues, some of which
are there because they're genuinely difficult, but others are there
just because none of the current core devs have the interest and/or
expertise to make the necessary calls as to what changes are needed
and how they should be made.

If we can broaden our developer base by giving people a specific place
to ease into things without having to dive straight into the deep end
of python-dev, then I think it's an experiment worth trying.

Cheers,
Nick.

-- 
Nick Coghlan   |   ncoghlan at gmail.com   |   Brisbane, Australia