Software Development Committee + Computer Committee Meeting

Hackerspace Software Development
#15

We can absolutely talk about and debate the idea of SDC becoming a SIG and whoever has the authority to make that call can.

The question right now is how we can bring clarity and meaning to the name of what’s currently called the Computer Committee on the wiki. Yes, that’s what I want to debate. I think naming matters. If you think naming doesn’t matter, or you think that naming does matter and VCC is a good name, then let’s debate it.

Here’s my argument:
There needs to be one name (abbreviations of which are also useful) because people need to be able to communicate and reason about the committee easily.
Names should be meaningful in that they should describe the thing they refer to. They should also be concise.
The committee referred to on the wiki as Computer Committee is not just about vintage computers. It’s about computers in general.

VCC Computer Committee

is less concise and than Computer Committee. It is also redundant as evidenced by the fact that it contains the phrase ‘Computer Committee’ twice.

VCC
is less meaningful than Computer Committee because it includes the word ‘Vintage,’ which does not describe the committee itself, but rather a subset of the scope of the committee.

What do you think the name of the committee should be? If it’s VCC or VCC Computer Committee, then please explain where my reasoning fails.

#16

Bringing in Vector @Team_Vector
Can you please rename your committee to “Pinball”

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#17

The VECTOR Restoration Committee (Vintage Electromechanical Conservancy of Technology, Operation, and Restoration) serves as a knowledge hub and work space for amusement technologies developed from the turn of the 20th century onward. Our goal is to educate, preserve, and build upon the knowledge of the past… “Learn. Fix. Play!”

Meaningful and concise. Renaming it to Pinball would be like naming a committee that’s about computers VCC, too limited in scope.

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#18

@raffi I’m seriously would love to hear more about SDC’s goals here, sig/committee or otherwise.

Can one say; What’s the vision for the future?

How would this be considered a success?

Other than just software development at the makerspace; what’s the meaning of the group’s existence?

What benefits outweigh one going to starbucks with a laptop and udemy or hanging out at NoD coworking space?

#19

@Kevin please rename Digital Media to VIDEO (VAPE (Video and Audio Production and Editing) with Introductions to Digital Equipment Operation)

or you could name it DNOT (DNOT Not Other Things)

I think we can do better than GNU.

#20

I too, would like to discuss that separate topic and help people answer those important questions point in the near future, maybe at the meeting. And I understand if you want to hold off on talking about the name of the committee. Here’s my question though:

Is the committee specific to vintage computers or not?

Ideas for what vcc means
#21

I too, would like to discuss that separate top

By all means feel free to take it up in this thread:

But the questions on the floor for the SDC group is still

  1. What’s the vision for the future?

  2. How would this be considered a success?

  3. Other than just software development at the makerspace; why would anyone wish to contribute?

  4. What benefits outweigh one going to starbucks with a laptop and udemy or hanging out at NoD coworking space for software development?

  5. Who is the target audience? What do they look like as a “user”/ “member”/“contributor”?

#22

So I was going on the assumption that you, as the chair of
VCC (VCC (VCC (VCC Computer Committee) Computer Committee) Computer Committee)
were the only person who could edit the wiki. Looks like anyone in the committee can, according to the rules:

Each committee will need to maintain a page on the wiki with at least the following information: …

So really this question isn’t for you specifically, but the entire committee. So I guess I made a scope error.

That being said, I’d like to bring all of the other members of the committee listed on the wiki.
@mrhavens
@dougemes
@Bill

What you guys think? Is VCC a good name? Should the committee be named Computer Committee? Should a SIG be formed for VCC?

#23

You forgot the other 13 or so members, Adding @Team_VCC

#24

And I’m still waiting on my questions above. Those are serious questions that any committee need to answer.

#25

I can’t speak for the software committee. I’ll add those questions to the agenda for the next committee meeting.

#26

good, since that’s what I was lead to understand we were discussing at this meeting.

#27

I can tell you my views on those questions, though, and try to back those answers up with reasoning.

  1. My vision is that the funds that are currently allocated for SDC be transferred to the committee that should be named Computer Committee. I don’t think it would be useful to have a SIG for SDC under the Computer Committee.

  2. Depends on who’s doing the considering. I think it’s a good vision because I think it will serve those who are interested in learning about software development and developing software. It will enable the Computer Committee to buy software and hardware that would enable people to learn about computers and make software and/or hardware projects.

  3. The purpose of a committee is to enable education and the making of projects by purchasing the necessary equipment. So a Computer Committee would enable people to learn about computers and make projects with computers by purchasing things like veertu.com subscriptions, vintage computer hardware, Raspberry Pis, Arduino boards, etc. and potentially providing a space for people to work on their projects.

  4. I don’t think we have to provide an experience that’s better than going to Starbucks or a co-working space just to exist. If the question is: should there be a committee whose scope covers software development, then the answer depends on whether there is demand and whether a committee can help these people learn and make software projects.
    Learning how to develop software:
    Having access to hardware like laptops, microcontrollers, etc. on which to run the software.
    Having access to certification programs and learning resources (like some of the books in the current area mislabeled VCC)
    Making software projects:
    Purchasing proprietary software that is sometimes needed for a software project (e.g. RobotC: http://www.robotc.net/purchase/vexrobotics/)

Yes, you can do all of these things yourself. That’s true for all committees. I think the value people get from the committees is the knowledge of the other members and the access to the equipment that would otherwise be cost-restrictive.

#28

So one really is proposing that an existing committee commit to the purchase of software and hardware.

Other than vex robotics which RobotOS supports and should be something Robotics would have more experienced and talented minds to support.

What software/hardware that Infrastructure hasn’t provided which is needed?

#29

I realize now that the Robotics would cover that in particular. That’s a fair point.

I’m not asking any committee to commit to purchasing anything. I was explaining why there should be a committee whose scope covers software development.

I personally don’t know of all of the software and hardware that would help people learn software. I can speak for myself, though. I want to teach an iOS development class. To enable that, the students need access to a development environment. It would be helpful if they could run their applications on real devices, as opposed to the iOS simulator, because you cannot get notifications on the simulator, and sending notifications is a pretty common thing in iOS development.

I’d love to get your view on this @Draco. What other hardware and software could the Computer Committee provide to people to help them learn software development and make software projects?

#30

It would be helpful if they could run their applications on real devices, as opposed to the iOS simulator, because you cannot get notifications on the simulator, and sending notifications is a pretty common thing in iOS development.

Ok in that particular regard, yes VCC has a partnership with veertu for osx vms. plus they even provide a 14 day free trial.

As for real hardware; there’s some of that in the inventory that’s stored off-site. Some iPhones, Tablets, Desktops.

What days do you need on site?

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#31

The computer committee wiki says Software Development is a SIG under it btw
https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Category:Computer_Committee

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#32

I don’t have a date and won’t have one for at least a week. I’m still working on developing the class. But I will let you know.

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#33

Perfect. Keep me informed and I’ll make sure those resources are available for your class.

#34

Heck of a day at work, sorry to be absent from this conversation. Its certainly worthy of a longer reply, but let me work on my actual work deliverable this weekend.

I think we have folks with knowledge AND bandwidth to share their talents, and that’s the most important thing. Keep up the good work, and I’ll see if I can type up a few paragraphs Sunday.