[Mageia-discuss] The Law of Two Feet

[Hoyt Duff]

On Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 11:39 AM, Wolfgang Bornath
<molch.b at googlemail.com> wrote:
> 2010/11/11 Hoyt Duff <hoytduff at gmail.com>:
>> The Law of Two Feet
>>
>> http://socuteurl.com/pudgykissymidgypiggle
>>
>> A good read about how FOSS could work better.
>
> Interesting read but ..... let me give an example from my personal
> experiences over the previous weeks:
>
> We (the founders) are meeting each Monday to discuss progress,
> schedules, ideas of setting up the Mageia infrastructure. Me, being
> neither a technician nor a developper are very often just sitting in
> front of my screen watching the experts talk about things and
> sometimes I have no clue what they are talking about. So, according to
> the LoTF I should rather spend my time thinking about ideas and ways
> to get those parts going where I can contribute.
>
> No.
>
> These meetings are giving me insights of the whole system I never had
> before and the things I am learning about the whole system will
> definitely help me in my future contributions to Mageia. My turf is
> communication, documentation, "user relations",  and "community
> organisation and support" and very often users ask things which I can
> explain better now with this new experience. I will be able to see
> issues now from both sides, not only from the user's side (as I did
> before).
>
> So, even if you can't contribute to the topics of a meeting you may
> benefit from being there by learning and gathering information. Ask
> your brain before you move your feet.
>
> --
> wobo
>

You are interpreting the Law of Two Feet too concretely.


In your example, you are contributing by gaining a better
understanding of the others in the group. This allows you to more
effectively offer expertise when it's useful.

You would not, I suspect, continue attending such meetings
indefinitely in that capacity and would exercise the Law of Two feet
or begin actively contributing.

-- 
Hoyt