Software Development Committee - Initial Meeting

Hackerspace Software Development
#21

I’ve always been supportive of Civic hacking and was talking with one of our members last night how we could use Processing.js and OpenCV to build an interactive projector app like GRL Laser Tag but with an important community message kind of thing and include hidden cameras for OpenCV to process message engagement and crowd sentiment.

I even feel we could build out the maker bus into a mobile civic hacking platform, while working more with PR and the other committees to do build some real positive impact with things like Net Neutrality and other issues that we discover along the way.

In the TL;DR, yes it would be more than welcomed as a SIG and I would love for the group to have a larger impact around the space and within our community around the DFW area.

3 Likes
#22

I plan to put it before the board that the Civic Hacking Committee be assigned as a SIG under Software. It has not needed to be a committee for a long time, but didn’t really have a logical home until Software came along.

[UPDATE] It has been added to the consent agenda. https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Board_of_Directors_Meeting_20171119#Consent_Agenda

2 Likes
#23

It is official only when the BoD allocates funds and space. I strongly believe it will happen, but until it does, it merely my opinion and hope.

1 Like
#24

i am interested as well

#25

UPDATE:

Tuesday night we had a meeting to discuss the formation of a new Software Development Committee where around 20 people showed. The only attendee to voice against the new committee was Dwight. All else were in favor of moving forward with the new committee and, as a whole minus a single hole, agreed we would approach the board with our agenda. This is the way the meeting was left.

After the meeting, Dwight, David K. and me were having a discussion regarding the future of Software Development. David we explaining the difficulty it would be now that some of the BoD members want to limit new committees. There was talk about renaming VCC to software development and VCC being a SIG under the new committee.

Later that night I had a post ready for a board agenda but decided to wait after Dwight and I agreed to meet the next day as I wanted to hear everything he had to say on the subject.

Unfortunately, the next morning, Dwight took it upon himself to go against the wishes of the Software Development community and post a board agenda to make VCC the new Software Development committee appointing himself as chair.

Although this seemed a bit underhanded to me and upset a number of members given the meeting we had a few hours ago, it seems to me to be the best option and the path of least resistance.

There is currently a meeting set for Dec. 5th for the new Software Development Committee. At this time, we can elect a new chair if this is what the committee decides.

I want to thank all of you who have taken an interest in this long over-due committee. If you are able, please attend Sunday night’s Bod meeting @ 5p to show your support.

Discussion of events
#26

For those of you who were unable to attend Tuesday’s meeting, here are the notes provided thanks to @Brian:

This is what I took away from the meeting…

Software Development currently has at least three homes: Vintage Computer, Infrastructure, Digital Media.

The official home is Digital Media.

@Coul believes the time has come for Software Development to be a new committee. The people in attendance were in strong agreement.

The plan is to propose forming a new committee and removing Software Development from Digital Media at the next board meeting (Sunday). The people in attendance were in strong agreement.

@denzuko suggested reforming Vintage Computer into Software Development. I see this suggestion as a difference without distinction. The end result is the same: a new committee is formed for Software Development.

If the new committee is formed the first meeting is to occur in early December. A chair is to be selected at that time. The people in attendance were in strong agreement.

I believe @Coul nominated someone for chair (Humdan Bakhshi?)

@denzuko advocated for himself as chair given the depth and breadth of the software classes that have been taught under the umbrella of Vintage Computer.

#27

You cannot claim that this meeting is truly representative of the community.

How many of the 45 or so people you tagged in the OP were there?

1 Like
#28

I would suggest that this does not need to be voted on at Sunday’s board of directors meeting until a couple of things happen. First off I see the support of a possible new committee but a meeting should be given plenty of notice on the calendar to let all interested take part in said meeting. Secondly I would love to see a clear consensus as to what you are wanting before you take time at the BOD meeting. I think I the idea is wonderful but I, personally, as a board member do not want to try to make decisions about a possible new committee without said group exploring exactly what it wants or who it wants to lead it. Thank you in advance for working together with this exciting idea.

7 Likes
#29

Continued from Discussion of events.

Hence the “at least”. :grinning:

“Software Development” at DMS can divided into these categories…

  • Internal development (e.g. the calendar)

  • Language classes (e.g. Learn Python in Six Minutes)

  • Coupled (e.g. build an Arduino weather station)

  • Learn about computers of yore (e.g. 6502 class)

Is the list complete? (What is missing?)

Is the list accurate? (What should the categories be?)

#30

Is the list complete?

A little brain dump from my backlog of VCC projects:

  • CompTIA Certification Prep courses
  • Sharktank for IT/DevOps, and Progressive Web/Mobile apps events
  • Tech based TED talks
  • IT/DevOps hands on training and/or classes

Is the List accurate

  • Learn about computers of yore - this is more of an Interactive Computer Museum thing but I think we’ve debated the semantics enough

  • Last thing I can think on that list is External Development via volunteer opts much like how FreeCodeCamp works with its members/students to provide not just a training course with certifications but also partners with nonprofits to give those students a path to gain experience

For the IT/DevOps hands on training and/or classes this because in the current market Fullstack developers are more needed than a single coder since most apps now are in the cloud, mobile with some 12 factor backend api, and all of it needs automation of some sort to be programmed via meta languages like Ansible/Salt/Puppet/Shell.

#31

As promised at Tuesday night’s meeting: https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Board_of_Directors_Meeting_20171119#Request_for_Software_Development_Committee_.28Coulson_Mullen.29

Please be there to show your support!

#32

Crossposted from the other thread…

I could not make the meeting because I had something else scheduled at the time. But the “meeting” sort of came to me. A director with whom I often have long conversations came by as I was packing up. Because he would spend a lot of time in the big Common Room, I asked how the software development meeting went. He did not know particulars, but he was very amused about the name. Around that time, Dwight came by and the “meeting” continued.

Dwight explained that by changing the scope of the Vintage Computer Committee, it would be easier to get a new one accepted. In the past, the directors created committees only when there is a need to allocate space or if a group needed to handle money. The main reason is that additional committees makes the job of the Finance committee harder.

Another director came by and we discussed this some more along with other issues about The Space.

I had a discussion with Coul later that night. He told me he just wants software development out of Digital Media.

Anyway, here is my take on the situation:

  • Several committees currently claim software development. Electronics because of the embedded microcontrollers connection. Digital Media because it is a set of bits on a storage device. Vintage computers. Science because of the term “computer science.” And finally, Infrastructure because it is actively developing and maintaining software in use.

  • Electronics has a good case. Many colleges put computer science in with electrical engineering, though some used to associate it with math. Many of the programming classes have been associated with Electronics.

  • The Digital Media claim is dubious at best as they have offered probably fewer classes on software development than the others other than Infrastructure. I do not get why some think Digital Media currently owns software development; just because it is listed that way on the wiki? So does Science.

  • Vintage Computer has a natural claim except when it comes to modern technologies.

  • The Science Committee claim initially seems to be a stretch, but look at the calendar for the next week. A majority of programming and related classes are by a Science member, whether it is Python, Processing, Arduino, BASH or MATLAB.

  • Infrastructure because of active software development and maintenance.

  • The term “sponsoring committee” is a misnomer. “Beneficiary committee” may be more accurate as an instructor may designate any committee to receive honorarium money. Unless a class requires using the tools or space of a particular committee, the chair need not even be aware of the class.

  • Software development is a very broad topic. A committee will have difficulty with focus much as the Science Committee has. I am not sure a single committee is better than separate parts affiliated with existing committees.

  • Maybe more discussion is needed before any action is taken. This thing seems to be very rushed.

4 Likes
#33

Congrats on the board vote. I’ll be running for chair as stated doing the meeting.

Also note;

  • That VCC does have a modern Macintosh Tower PC which was donated to us earlier in the year that is ready to bring back onsite to the ICM.

  • VCC has been able to publish to apple store and google play store via our relationship with Da Planet Security we’ll be able to set this up for the space as a whole.

  • Committees and groups have already been able to use the github.com/dallas-makerspace github group. The usual process to message Stan and/or myself to get one added.

  • Further discussion on classes such as android, progressive web apps, and iphone can be brought up at anytime and will be discussed at the VCC Meeting on the 20th

  • Either committee, and any one of the membership can present at the TED Style talk at UTD we’ll be hosting in January. PM your slide deck to myself and we’ll get things setup.

  • Development within the makerspace has already been headed up with our scrum meeting taking place earlier in the week. We have agreed that the active chair of infrastructure is the Product Owner with the chair of VCC standing in as scrum master and dedicated development.

    The results of this scrum is https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/t/helpline-at-the-space/17072/6 and we are looking for additional developers that wish to help work on the code and the initial work on the demo is being documented in that same thread.

  • If there’s any resources I can bring to help the Software Development Committee, and since I’ve been in the software development industry for over 20 years that is a lot that ranges across several areas, then let know.

  • I did hear a few subjects that where brought up in the BoD and I’ll be more than glad to make those immediately happen. But I also want to this committee a success so I would need to know what you guys want to have happen after those items and when we want that to happen?

  • I also want to hear what you guys want for the SDC’s hackathon and what kind of reward we would like to see for those whom complete it?

Ultimately lets be excellent and do some great things as a whole community.

3 Likes
#34

Guys, I need the email list so I can send out the invites to the github team.

#35

I thought Software Dev committee didn’t have anything to do with DM anymore. Saw that they had their own spot on talk and now it back under digital media?!

What’s with that?

#36

I find it interesting that you use the term "they"when describing the software development committee when you have attended every meeting and your name is all over the committee page Wiki.

You’ll need to check with Lisa. A request was made by me the day after the new committee was approved by the board to move software development subcategory out from underneath digital media into its own category within Talk.

Btw, I’m not sure if you are still checking help desk github but I still have 2 open tickets from almost 2 weeks ago.

Please let me know if you’re having difficulty with the issues and I can give you a hand next time I’m at the space, it should only take a few minutes. I have solved both issues multiple times in the past, just don’t have access to DMS network do it myself. Thanks!

#37

A request was made by me the day after the new committee was approved by the board to move software development subcategory out from underneath digital media into its own category within Talk.

Sorry but the record shows I’m the one who made the request:

https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/t/request-move-software-development-topic-to-its-own-section-on-talk/30124

"they"when describing the software development committee

Yes, I’ve been an active contribute to the committee and even made that request above as a member of the SD committee. Which over two weeks ago was completed. Hence as supporting member of the SD committee I’m posing this same question in the thread.

So please don’t try to turn this into a political turf battle. Especially over the overtly ambiguity of the word they when clearly I’m asking an honest question.

#38

Nothing to be sorry about, it’s all good. I sent my request to @LisaSelk via PM.

Haha, nothing political here, I have no turf to protect or gain and regardless of what you may think from not knowing me, that’s not the way I operate anyway.

I’m referring to the use of the word “they” instead of using the word “we” as though you still don’t feel like you’re part of the new committee.

We accept and value you as a member of the committee Dwight. I just want to see you take ownership and stop referring to it as us vs you.

In regards to your question, you would probably find more success in finding an answer by replying to the [REQUEST] thread you mentioned above.

Have a great new year!