denise: Image: Me, facing away from camera, on top of the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome (Default)
Denise ([staff profile] denise) wrote in [site community profile] dw_dev2009-07-11 04:08 am

Development Poll

Out of curiosity, I'd like to do a checkpoint dev poll once a quarter or so, so [staff profile] mark and I can identify what we can improve in the process and pat ourselves on the back for things that we're doing well. :)

This poll is for people who have done any sort of work on the DW codebase. It's not just limited to people who have finished/submitted patches -- if you've downloaded/installed the code at all, or if you have a Dreamhack installation, fill out this poll even if you haven't finished or submitted a patch yet!

If you've got any feedback you'd like to provide about the process, or if you want to clarify your answers in any way, you can comment here, or email me and [staff profile] mark privately at the_bosses@dwscoalition.org.



Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 29

Your development-related history with Dreamwidth so far is (check all that apply):

I've contributed major features/functionality
5 (17.9%)

I've contributed major bugfixes
5 (17.9%)

I've contributed minor features/functionality
15 (53.6%)

I've contributed minor bugfixes
21 (75.0%)

I've contributed a single patch
3 (10.7%)

I've contributed a few patches
11 (39.3%)

I've contributed a number of patches
11 (39.3%)

I've written patches that haven't been committed (for any reason)
12 (42.9%)

I've done some tinkering, but haven't finished a patch yet
4 (14.3%)

Before starting dev work with Dreamwidth, your perl experience could be summed up as:

Heavily experienced with perl
4 (14.3%)

Moderately familiar with perl
10 (35.7%)

Vaguely familiar with perl
8 (28.6%)

Had no clue about perl
6 (21.4%)

Before starting dev work with Dreamwidth, your Unix experience could be summed up as:

Heavily experienced with Unix
10 (35.7%)

Moderately familiar with Unix
11 (39.3%)

Vaguely familiar with Unix
4 (14.3%)

Had no clue about Unix
3 (10.7%)

You do your development work:

On your own private server
5 (18.5%)

On a Dreamhack installation
22 (81.5%)

On something I've forgotten to think about
1 (3.7%)

On a scale of 1 (very) to 5 (not at all), how helpful/useful/approachable do you find other DW volunteer developers to be?

Mean: 1.76 Median: 1 Std. Dev 1.16
1
17 (58.6%)
2
7 (24.1%)
3
2 (6.9%)
4
1 (3.4%)
5
2 (6.9%)

The DW Wiki?

Mean: 2.17 Median: 2 Std. Dev 0.91
1
5 (17.2%)
2
18 (62.1%)
3
3 (10.3%)
4
2 (6.9%)
5
1 (3.4%)

The [site community profile] dw_dev community?

Mean: 2.59 Median: 3 Std. Dev 0.83
1
2 (7.4%)
2
10 (37.0%)
3
13 (48.1%)
4
1 (3.7%)
5
1 (3.7%)

The Dreamwidth irc channels?

Mean: 1.93 Median: 2 Std. Dev 1.01
1
11 (37.9%)
2
13 (44.8%)
3
2 (6.9%)
4
2 (6.9%)
5
1 (3.4%)

[staff profile] mark and [staff profile] denise?

Mean: 1.78 Median: 2 Std. Dev 0.87
1
12 (44.4%)
2
11 (40.7%)
3
2 (7.4%)
4
2 (7.4%)
5
0 (0.0%)

What single resource has helped you most while hacking?

The DW wiki
10 (34.5%)

[site community profile] dw_dev
0 (0.0%)

#dw/#dw_work
13 (44.8%)

#dw_kindergarten
6 (20.7%)

Rate the following statements from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree): I feel like I can approach Mark and Denise with questions.

Mean: 1.89 Median: 2 Std. Dev 1.01
1
13 (46.4%)
2
7 (25.0%)
3
7 (25.0%)
4
0 (0.0%)
5
1 (3.6%)

I feel like it's easy to find a project I want to work on.

Mean: 2.18 Median: 2 Std. Dev 0.97
1
8 (28.6%)
2
10 (35.7%)
3
7 (25.0%)
4
3 (10.7%)
5
0 (0.0%)

I feel like my contributions are valued.

Mean: 1.56 Median: 1 Std. Dev 0.83
1
16 (59.3%)
2
9 (33.3%)
3
0 (0.0%)
4
2 (7.4%)
5
0 (0.0%)

I feel like there are clearly defined goals for the project.

Mean: 1.96 Median: 2 Std. Dev 0.94
1
10 (35.7%)
2
12 (42.9%)
3
3 (10.7%)
4
3 (10.7%)
5
0 (0.0%)

If I get stuck on something, I know exactly where to go to find help.

Mean: 1.93 Median: 2 Std. Dev 1.17
1
12 (41.4%)
2
13 (44.8%)
3
1 (3.4%)
4
0 (0.0%)
5
3 (10.3%)

I feel like the process and requirements for contributing code is well-documented.

Mean: 1.86 Median: 2 Std. Dev 0.79
1
10 (35.7%)
2
13 (46.4%)
3
4 (14.3%)
4
1 (3.6%)
5
0 (0.0%)

I feel like the codebase's architecture is well-documented.

Mean: 3.22 Median: 3 Std. Dev 0.92
1
1 (3.7%)
2
4 (14.8%)
3
12 (44.4%)
4
8 (29.6%)
5
2 (7.4%)

I find it easy to find what I'm looking for in the code.

Mean: 2.93 Median: 3 Std. Dev 0.88
1
1 (3.6%)
2
9 (32.1%)
3
9 (32.1%)
4
9 (32.1%)
5
0 (0.0%)

I find it easy to keep my development installation up-to-date.

Mean: 2.19 Median: 2 Std. Dev 0.98
1
8 (29.6%)
2
9 (33.3%)
3
7 (25.9%)
4
3 (11.1%)
5
0 (0.0%)

I know where to go to get a policy decision on something I'm working on.

Mean: 2.26 Median: 2 Std. Dev 1.35
1
10 (37.0%)
2
9 (33.3%)
3
2 (7.4%)
4
3 (11.1%)
5
3 (11.1%)

I feel like my patches are reviewed and committed in a timely fashion.

Mean: 1.83 Median: 2 Std. Dev 0.80
1
10 (41.7%)
2
8 (33.3%)
3
6 (25.0%)
4
0 (0.0%)
5
0 (0.0%)

I feel like contributing code to Dreamwidth is a rewarding use of my time.

Mean: 1.57 Median: 1 Std. Dev 1.02
1
19 (67.9%)
2
5 (17.9%)
3
2 (7.1%)
4
1 (3.6%)
5
1 (3.6%)

I find the Programming Guidelines easy to understand and follow.

Mean: 1.96 Median: 2 Std. Dev 0.82
1
8 (28.6%)
2
15 (53.6%)
3
3 (10.7%)
4
2 (7.1%)
5
0 (0.0%)
av8rmike: (desk on)

[personal profile] av8rmike 2009-07-11 03:15 pm (UTC)(link)
For what it's worth, I almost filled out the 1-5 questions backwards. I was expecting 1 to be "strongly disagree" and 5 to be "strongly agree". People may want to revise their answers in case they didn't read the directions closely.
foxfirefey: A fox colored like flame over an ornately framed globe (Default)

[personal profile] foxfirefey 2009-07-11 05:02 pm (UTC)(link)
This was totally me, I had to go redo the poll.
ysobel: (Default)

[personal profile] ysobel 2009-07-11 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
On the first question, is the num-patches thing cumulative or exclusive? i.e. would you select the most appropriate of single/few/many, or would someone that's done 20 patches and have some pending check *all* of single/few/many/not-committed?
pauamma: Cartooney crab wearing hot pink and acid green facemask holding drink with straw (Default)

[personal profile] pauamma 2009-07-11 08:33 pm (UTC)(link)
I find the Programming Guidelines easy to understand and follow
To understand yes, to follow... it depends. Some of it run against ingrained habits or stylistic preferences.
janinedog: (Default)

[personal profile] janinedog 2009-07-12 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
I didn't respond to the "I feel like the codebase's architecture is well-documented." one because I was already familiar with the codebase before working on DW, so I honestly don't even know how DW documents stuff (I never looked).
yvi: Kaylee half-smiling, looking very pretty (Default)

Some stuff

[personal profile] yvi 2009-07-12 09:22 am (UTC)(link)
"Vaguely familiar with perl" = "Heavily familiar with Python" :)

"I feel like my patches are reviewed and committed in a timely fashion." = dw-free patches are reviewed and committed fast, dw-nonfree take longer - I have two in queue right now and at least I think that's why they are taking longer than the others.

"I find it easy to keep my development installation up-to-date." I constantly manage to mess it up so that my /dw changes are copied to /dw/cvs/dw-free instead of the other way around.

"I feel like it's easy to find a project I want to work on." Sometimes it's a bit hard to see how difficult something really is. There are things in 'effort-minor' which I am sure would take longer than a few hours or one/two days even if I were more familiar with stuff.
pauamma: Cartooney crab wearing hot pink and acid green facemask holding drink with straw (Default)

[personal profile] pauamma 2011-12-07 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
*ping* Recent bug reminded me of this. You still want it as a regular feature?
pauamma: Cartooney crab wearing hot pink and acid green facemask holding drink with straw (Default)

[personal profile] pauamma 2012-02-07 10:19 am (UTC)(link)
Might want to add a question about SQL/MySQL and one about Afuna and seasoned devs?