00:05:48 #startmeeting 00:05:48 Meeting started Wed Feb 8 00:05:48 2012 UTC. The chair is duanedesign. Information about MeetBot at http://wiki.ubuntu.com/meetingology. 00:05:48 00:05:48 Available commands: #accept #accepted #action #agree #agreed #chair #commands #endmeeting #endvote #halp #help #idea #info #link #lurk #meetingname #meetingtopic #nick #progress #rejected #replay #restrictlogs #save #startmeeting #subtopic #topic #unchair #undo #unlurk #vote #voters #votesrequired 00:06:12 so, we're only 4 here 00:06:40 yap 00:07:04 #meetingtopic Beginners Team February Meeting 00:08:12 so, what are we going to discuss today? 00:08:34 I wanted to talk about the mentor/guides/student 00:09:08 +1 00:09:21 and how we guide new people who come into the channel or email us after they find our wiki 00:09:39 maybe having a welcome page for beginners 00:10:15 wiki page is enough I think 00:10:21 for welcome 00:10:24 +1 00:10:48 a wiki page where we say hello, and specify what can people do for support, or for community collaboration 00:10:49 #topic Guiding Ubuntu Users New to the Community 00:11:19 We have, and many team, tried the 1 mentor 1 apprentice thing 00:11:47 wherre someone signs a waiting list and waits to be assigned or picked up by a mentor 00:12:02 it is very hard to keep up with 00:12:22 that's a good idea, but, as you said, we would need a lot of people 00:12:38 hum 00:12:45 The Bug Squad has been using their Mailing List more extensively 00:12:57 But this is our problem 00:12:58 That way users do not have to wait 00:13:00 people 00:13:22 waiting list is a pretty good idea, but it would need to be managed in a different way 00:13:30 so we don't have that big problem 00:14:09 The problem has been not enough mentors 00:14:16 exactly 00:14:36 +1 JoseeAntonioR 00:15:06 people are 50/50 satisfied with LP answers, but they complain about not getting an instant answer 00:15:25 and sometimes, it's something they could have found out just by searching 00:15:57 The Bug Squad during the Natty cycle started https://launchpad.net/~bugsquad-mentorship-group-alpha 00:16:06 yes this is why we are here 00:16:33 yo give support to the new 00:17:02 the idea behind what the Bug Squad did was to have a handful of mentors help a larger group of apprentices 00:17:45 something like 1 mentor with 3 or 5 apprentices? 00:17:50 So wee need mentor 00:18:12 I think this is a good idea. Instead of having one mentor one apprentice 00:18:26 JoseeAntonioR: right 00:18:39 +1 00:18:50 if we start something like that, we need something like a schedule 00:19:08 Like 00:19:15 I think we could use the team mailing list and everyone pitches in to help answer quesations for those people looking to get started in the community 00:19:29 When which mentor will be present? 00:20:01 I have noticed something 00:20:04 i think we could be informal. Everyone help out when they can. 00:20:27 Hopefully we would all try and check the list regularly 00:20:30 It is our regular task 00:20:50 when people is redirected to the IRC, they normally enter the #ubuntu channel, and they ask very basic questions 00:20:52 But there is hardly mail in the list 00:21:46 it would be good if someone who is usually in the channel redirects that person to #ubuntu-beginners 00:21:57 another issue with the current list is people feel like they can not get started working in the community until they get a mentor 00:22:06 one thing we can do 00:22:25 JoseeAntonioR: They can get help both places, and there are more to help in #u 00:22:27 duanedesign that's what I felt last year, as I didn't know where to start 00:22:29 we can divert people from #ubuntu to here 00:22:35 duanedesign: Zone defence style 00:23:11 exactly, ashickur-noor 00:24:01 I do not like the idea of redirecting people from another channel 00:24:40 I proposed it #u is too busy 00:24:55 The type of help we would be giving on the mamiling list would be people interested in getting involved in the community. 00:25:14 even I don't like to there to take help 00:25:24 unless there is some one here 00:25:35 ashickur-noor: when you ask a question it is off the screen in a couple seconds 00:25:36 As far as #u goes, they have a lot more people supporting, how many times have you seen a question go unanswered? 00:25:37 One thing we can do 00:25:39 duanedesign maybe giving them an introduction to LP 00:26:00 for me some times 00:26:09 Unit193 is right. 80% of the time the question is answered. 00:26:16 JoseeAntonioR: that would be good tool for people to learn early on 00:26:24 JoseeAntonioR: under 'Guides' https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BeginnersTeam/Mentors 00:26:39 we can do one more thing 00:26:46 JoseeAntonioR: we have a few things for people new to the community to do 00:26:49 promote this team 00:26:49 And how many times have you seen #u-b go unanswered? 00:27:11 Unit193 I have never seen. 00:27:21 I have many times 00:27:53 My experience is same as Unit193 00:28:02 in @ubt 00:28:13 *#ubt 00:28:15 And Team channel isn't exactly for support 00:28:38 it for discussion 00:29:04 duanedesign we might put some guides in the wiki, like introduction to lp, how to report bugs, how to answer questions, some tips, irc helping, etc 00:29:24 +1 00:29:31 JoseeAntonioR: we had a 'sign post' page at one time 00:29:53 because those pages exist elsewhere on the wiki we just need to find them and link to them 00:30:37 I would like each Focus Group Page to have a few steps to get people started 00:30:56 duanedesign and maybe link the UBT wiki page in the membership page, so people can know where to find some guiding 00:32:06 if you look at the User Support page it has where users can give support and some resources to help them give support https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BeginnersTeam/FocusGroups/Support 00:33:10 The bugs page a better 'roadmap' under Current Tasks https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BeginnersTeam/FocusGroups/Bugs 00:33:26 duanedesign: So you want to move this to group but on the mailing list? 00:33:29 that way people can help themselves as much as possible :) 00:33:45 :-) 00:34:13 Unit193: move what? 00:34:36 Currently I see the focus mainly in IRC 00:34:49 ahh, right 00:36:05 When people join the Beginners Team and want to get started helping other users I just want to make sure we are doing a good job of getting them started 00:37:01 so, new users would have to introduce theirselves in the mailing list? 00:37:15 My thought was that the guide mentor list is not working very well. 00:37:18 Good idea 00:37:35 Alright, I'm not saying I'd be agenst doing the mailing list style, just I'm not a mailing list sender 00:37:43 :) 00:38:13 I think IRC is optimal if people are present to help 00:38:27 Hum 00:38:29 but we always had mentors as the safety net. 00:38:45 Also, I noticed #ub gets some people after being banned (for a reason!) from #u 00:38:48 list is also good 00:39:18 if you couldnt reach someone to answer your question you had a mentor who volunteeres to help you. I think the mailing List could be that 'safety net'/ 00:39:45 +1 duanedesign 00:39:57 I think that's great 00:40:01 I would agree that is a good idea 00:41:27 ok, i will write an email to send to the mailing list to get feedback from the rest of the team 00:41:38 anyone elsse have anything?> 00:42:26 nope 00:42:37 erm, I think I have something 00:43:19 #action duanedesign is going to email the ML to get further team feedback on tweaking the mentor program. 00:43:19 * meetingology duanedesign is going to email the ML to get further team feedback on tweaking the mentor program. 00:43:59 JoseeAntonioR: what was on your mind? 00:44:08 I'm trying to explain it :S 00:44:30 how do we get beginners to contact us? because afaik we aren't on the docs 00:45:11 Is us, the team 00:45:21 or us, individual members? 00:45:34 the team 00:45:58 yes it is a question 00:46:02 I mean, I don't see many beginners entering the IRC channel, I only see 3 or 4 a week 00:46:19 i think most people stumble on the wiki 00:46:25 or the IRC channel 00:46:27 every one does not know that there is ubt 00:46:44 ashickur-noor, that's my point 00:47:36 What I say before 00:47:47 We have to promote our team 00:47:54 yes 00:48:40 by social media 00:48:42 last year we were working on reaching out to other teams 00:48:45 by other list 00:48:56 other team 00:49:02 from forums 00:49:26 Yes, but advertising in #u is agenst policy, and we need to get good, dedicated mentors first 00:49:56 if we don't promote 00:50:06 then new will know about us 00:50:15 about Ubuntu 00:50:24 Ok. So first of all, let's tweak the mentorship system, so we can promote afterwards 00:50:44 Sounds like good 00:52:17 #action brainstorm on ways to reach new users looking to get involved in the coomunity 00:52:17 * meetingology brainstorm on ways to reach new users looking to get involved in the coomunity 00:52:30 hows that :) 00:52:34 great 00:53:22 thanks JoseeAntonioR 00:53:35 :) 00:53:38 thanks Unit193 00:53:41 As hobgoblin keeps saying, we need to get shorter /topics as people don't read them, and that may get a few more doing it 00:53:45 duanedesign: I didn't do much 00:53:51 thanks ashickur-noor 00:54:15 yes, before we end, wha Unit193 said 00:54:22 Unit193: our topics in the IRC chabbels? 00:54:26 ugh 00:54:28 it's my pleasure 00:54:30 duanedesign: Yes sir 00:54:33 channels* 00:54:45 Unit193: good idea 00:54:54 I can talk after meeting, nothing really needed in here 00:55:01 ok :) 00:55:07 if nothing else? 00:55:22 I will update the team report 00:55:33 ahh cool 00:55:41 some one update the meeting log and next meeting 00:55:52 yep 00:56:11 I'll update the wiki 00:56:20 short list of after meeting items on the /meeting wiki page 00:56:34 #endmeeting