Group:FSF Community Team/Workflow

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FSF Community Team Workflow

Right now, we're just using the Community Team mailing list for crafting and posting official FSF responses to news articles in the traditional press or in blogs.

Here's what should happen with most articles.

1. Somebody posts an article to the list.
2. People respond with a comment to the article and also send their comment to the list.
3. The posted responses may then be discussed in order to improve on how to make certain points.
4. Any other discussions about our process is a process point (see below).

Discussion aimed at improving our process it a good thing too, but it should be flagged appropriately (so that people can filter it out if they want) and it normally shouldn't take up more than a reasonable share of list traffic.

Message Types

Please follow these formats when sending messages to the list. Messages for the following purposes that don't follow these guidelines will probably be rejected by moderators, since it's important to maintain the list as an effective workspace for people who want to help out.

Article

This is a proposal for an article we should respond to. When proposing an article, include:

• "[ARTICLE]" in the subject
• The link
• Quick description of the source (if not obvious)
• Data or a subjective take on the source's popularity (why worth it?)
• Reason for response
• Proposed form of response? Comment? Email? (incl. links/addresses)
• Optional: a proposed response (see below).

Example:

Subject: [ARTICLE] Article about something

http://joetechblogger.net/posts/the_iphone_is_awesome/ 

Joetechblogger is a popular tech blog.  #78 on technorati, 12,345 
twitter followers (or: a widely-read Australian tech-blogger).

The iPhone is a serious threat to peoples' freedom, we should explain why.  
I propose we leave a comment in that post and write the author a friendly 
email (j@joetechblogger.net).
 

Response

This is a proposed response to an article. It should be a reply to the article thread. A response should be:

• [RESPONSE] in the subject
• A complete, actual written response
• In the form of an email, comment, or both as necessary.
• Something you would actually send, that would inform or persuade.

NOTE: If you want to suggest an improvement to somebody else's text, *always* include real proposed language that fits in their proposal. No ideas without real writing!

Example:

Subject: [RESPONSE] to Joe on the iPhone

Hi Joe,

I realize the iPhone is a cool piece of hardware, but the software 
on it presents a real danger to society, and I think you have a duty 
to make your readers aware of this.

(reasons)

Thanks,
Holmes Wilson
FSF Community Team

Process Point

This is a wide open area for discussing our goals or how we're organizing ourselves. Anything is on the table, but please be concise and constructive, and avoid generating needless controversy or list traffic.

• Explain what problem you're trying to solve or what you're trying to achieve
• Include a simple, concrete actionable proposal that you could imagine getting done.
• The phrase "I propose that" should probably appear in your email.

NOTE: Every response to a process point should also include a proposal.

Proposed Changes

Put any proposed changes to the types above (or new message types) on the "Talk" page. When you have something you feel is ready to discuss, send to the list as a process point.

Introduction

See Introduction Letter (fill this in)