1 reply to this topic

[VividHazE]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this forum, I've been reading around the place for a while and it seems like a really great bunch of very smart people. :yes:

I came across the very long, and very interesting topic of a way to better organise Community Projects that everyone could participate in, and for it to be a success.

Before reading this bear in mind I am quite new to programming myself, and have no idea of how to implement any of this...yet.

I would welcome any and all critism about any of the ideas, as I'm sure there are factors I am unaware about, you letting me know how ridiculous an idea of mine is will only help me further develop the experiment. :lol:

"The CommunityProject(CP) Experiment

The CP Experiment is aimed at taking a fresh look at how development users, who interact through Community Forums, can better utilise and organise their talents in a united and concerted way.

Use eBay type score system, using the amount of time and complexity of the module or piece of code to estimate the starting score available, with each day (after the first full day) making the score go down, until it goes at max -5 of a score added. A day after the -5 rating has been achieved the module under that persons control will be relinquished from their control and placed back on the Available Module board for another member to attempt.

If a user checks out a certain module to code, and then realises that it is much too difficult for them, a system could be in place to allow them to quickly check it in again, as long as this is done within the first 24 hours after check out.

In order to avoid this situation clear and concise info. will be provided with each module specifying what would be required of the programmer for the task. Additional info. could be added. (Try to imagine something like viewing an item in eBay, with all the info on it, each module has its own page giving as much detail as possible.) The source code would be provided for anyone to view if interested, but write access would be restricted the person currently coding it.

Once a user has accepted a module, and has a high enough rating score to check it out, they are given a module number which is needed to access the existing module for update (if there is one) or to allow access to upload it. This I think would get rid of the problem of anyone and everyone uploading and downloading whatever they wanted.

If a user decides not to code a module, but waits until after the first 24 hours, it will be checked in as normal for someone else, and that user will receive a -2 score applied.

A user will be banned from taking on project modules if their score reaches -20 (could possibly play with this number to be more fair or strict).

At first only simple projects will be available to allow for the feedback to build up.

Also a persons average score increase will level out, so people quite new to programming only attempting the modules which have an easy difficulty, which has a lower score achieveable. People more versed and talented would be able to take on much harder tasks much more quickly, and with higher scores attributed to these modules, even new, yet experienced programmers, will not be frustrated by being restricted to easy projects with a lower score
rating for very long.

Each module holds its own difficulty rating, which ranges from 1-20. This rating is taken and increased by 5, which results in the overall score available by completing it. This also sets the number of days available to complete it, +5, due to the max of -5 feedback if it has not been handed back by then.

In its early stages the timescale for the projects will be recorded for analysis in how users are experiencing the experiment, but no overall projects will have deadlines until the rules for the system, and adapting to how users wish the experiment to change.

Once it has been fully fleshed out, the system has been shown to work to a desirable level, and the number of smaller projects has grown, then so shall the scope of the experiments project undertaking.

After analysis of the efficiency, speed and integrity of the system ideas are explored this experiment could be expanded, with more Community wide projects being introduced."

So....whatta ya think? Heard it before? Am I talking nonsense? Is it great?

None of this is set in concrete, so feel free to jumble everything about for the sake of argument!

~ VividHazE ~

[dave_]

I dont think it will work. Your main problem will not be managing peoples time but getting anyone to do any work at all.

Why should I be forced to work on something I dont want to? I'm not going to.
Whats the point in having negative scores? I'll just get a new account.
Why should i work on mediocre projects before I can get to the desirable ones if I'm a good developer? Wikipedia has this problem, they dont respect authority.

As I've found on many distributed projects you need someone who is a strong driving force to push the project forward until people feel that they can contribute. Never rely on anyone else.