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Ubuntu Open Week - Community Q+A - Jono Bacon - Wed, Nov 5th, 2008

(12:03:30 PM) jcastro: jono: take it away, man of metal!
(12:04:20 PM) jono: hey everyone!
(12:05:19 PM) jono: ok folks, welcome to the Community Q+A session :)
(12:05:35 PM) jono: my name is Jono and I am the Ubuntu Community Manager working at Canonical
(12:05:55 PM) jono: my job is to help the Ubuntu community to be a strong community
(12:07:08 PM) jono: at every open week session I have a Q+A where you can ask any questions you like about the ubuntu community, me, my team or related topics
(12:07:31 PM) jono: so, head over to #ubuntu-classroom-chat and ask your questions there, prefixing them with QUESTION, eg:
(12:07:37 PM) jcastro: FreelanceJazz will be pasting in the questions
(12:07:44 PM) jono: QUESTION: Why is metal the greatest artform in the work?
(12:07:48 PM) jono: world
(12:07:51 PM) jono: oopshehe
(12:07:52 PM) jono: hehe
(12:07:54 PM) FreelanceJazz: ... lol
(12:08:14 PM) jono: thanks FreelanceJazz
(12:08:24 PM) FreelanceJazz: No problem Mr Bacon
(12:08:36 PM) jono: so let me give you folks a few mins to ask some questions, and then we will begin
(12:08:44 PM) FreelanceJazz: QUESTION: Any support for Ubuntu on the Nokia n810?
(12:09:31 PM) FreelanceJazz: from michlinuxguy
(12:10:51 PM) jono: Ubuntu does not run on the n810 right now, but a bunch of related Free Software technologies do
(12:11:23 PM) jono: we have seen the Nokia Internet Tablets be a great breeding ground for free software
(12:11:34 PM) jono: but Ubuntu is not available for it
(12:11:46 PM) FreelanceJazz: unimatrix9: QUESTION: is the ubuntu community structure becoming to complex for mortal soul to understand, or do you think its very transparant?
(12:12:03 PM) jono: good question
(12:12:56 PM) jono: I think the community always faces the risk of becoming too complex, but have worked hard to keep it as simple as possible
(12:13:11 PM) jono: much of this is about communication - helping people to understand how to slide their brick in the wall
(12:13:36 PM) jono: with so many teams, structures, processes and governance, that can be difficult at times - but in the next cycle we are going to continue to improve this
(12:14:10 PM) jono: I am confident that we can always make the community a simple place to get involved, and initiatives like Ubuntu Open Week, Ubuntu Developer Week, 5-A-Day, Jams and more, really help this along
(12:14:15 PM) jono: but, one important point...
(12:14:30 PM) jono: if you think it is too complex - let  me know
(12:14:36 PM) jono: jono AT ubuntu DOT com
(12:14:46 PM) FreelanceJazz: xander21c: QUESTION: Is there cases of Ubuntu LoCO currently working us companies giving support?
(12:15:35 PM) jono: not sure I understand the question, can you ask again
(12:15:52 PM) FreelanceJazz: DoruHush: QUESTION: What others subjects should we choose to discuss?
(12:16:18 PM) jono: in which context, DoruHush ?
(12:16:38 PM) FreelanceJazz: I think they mean 'what can we talk about in this session?'
(12:16:45 PM) LjL: no
(12:16:47 PM) LjL: read the lines above that
(12:16:47 PM) DoruHush: ubuntu.ro open nights
(12:16:54 PM) knome: 19:10  DoruHush: with only 3 days, called ,,Ubuntu.ro Open Nights" with this sessions:
(12:16:57 PM) knome: 19:10  DoruHush: ,,Ubuntu.ro Team", ,,If you used windows - about open alternatives", ,,How to become involved in translatoins",
(12:17:01 PM) knome: 19:10  DoruHush: ,,Compiling a program - workshop", ,,Using subtitles when payng video files in vlc - workshop".
(12:17:05 PM) knome: 19:10  DoruHush: The ,,Ubuntu.ro Open Nights" will take place next week on #ubuntu-ro IRC channel.
(12:17:08 PM) knome: 19:10  DoruHush: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/RomanianTeam/Proiecte/Suport/SerileDeschiseNov2008
(12:17:14 PM) knome: ^ context
(12:17:24 PM) jono: I am not in ubuntu-ro, so I can't really answer
(12:17:38 PM) FreelanceJazz: LjL: QUESTION: Can teams (not limited to LoCo teams) obtain an "official" status? If so, how, and how is a team's status checked?
(12:18:09 PM) jono: we don't really have the concept of official teams, but we do have established teams
(12:18:21 PM) jono: some teams have been around since the birth of ubuntu, so many see them as official
(12:18:38 PM) jono: but the definition of official and approved in our community is anything approved by the Community Council
(12:18:52 PM) jono: if the CC deem something right for Ubuntu, you can consider it as official
(12:19:04 PM) FreelanceJazz: RoAkSoAx: QUESTION: xander21c asks if there are cases where Ubuntu LoCo Teams are currently working with companies, by giving support
(12:19:41 PM) jono: sure, there are many cases all over the world where companies look to LoCo teams for advice and support
(12:20:02 PM) jono: many companies typically hear about Ubuntu, and they look to the community to find out more
(12:20:10 PM) jono: and in many cases they find their LoCo who also help them
(12:20:27 PM) jono: this is an excellent, and important function that LoCo teams provide for Ubuntu
(12:20:29 PM) jono: :)
(12:20:34 PM) FreelanceJazz: cyphermox: QUESTION: what do you think is the most interesting achievement that we've made as a community? Aside from releasing Intrepid, of course ;)
(12:20:49 PM) jono: ooh great question
(12:21:19 PM) jono: aside from delivering Ubuntu, every six months, which is in itself an incredibly achievement...
(12:21:37 PM) jono: I think the most stunning thing that we have achieved is our sense of adventure in our community
(12:21:59 PM) jono: we really do have a strong sense of changing things, and  having an impact
(12:22:15 PM) neverendingo_ is now known as neverendingo
(12:22:18 PM) jono: but importantly, this sense of drive is underlined with an even stronger sense of togetherness in how we move forward
(12:22:31 PM) jono: I am proud that our community actually "feels" like a community
(12:23:12 PM) jono: we work together, we manage problems together, we celebrate together and we console each other together - Ubuntu is not just about kick-arse distribution development, but about friends, and that is the what I think is our crowning achievement
(12:23:45 PM) FreelanceJazz: Xoke: QUESTION:  Do you think Nvidia will ever sort their drivers out properly on linux.  Not neccersarily opening them up but getting the darn things to work properly (nvidia-96 and 71 still have issues on intrepid). I'm not blaming ubuntu on the nvidia screwups mind, just wondering if they will ever open up to ubuntu
(12:24:47 PM) jono: proprietary software is always riddled with these kinds of issues, and its frustrating for a distribution of course because we generally have a tapestry of free software, and when we see bugs, we fix them
(12:25:15 PM) jono: we can't do that with closed sourced code, and that makes us feel uncomfortable  about compromising the quality and stability of Ubuntu
(12:25:30 PM) jono: but I think one day, NVidia *will* get it
(12:26:03 PM) jono: but the driving force is going to be economics - NVidia need to know it is not commercially sensible to have a closed source driver
(12:26:21 PM) jono: and market changes will make that happen - but  I think Intel and ATI will drive them that way
(12:26:32 PM) FreelanceJazz: unimatrix9: QUESTION: If Canonical was to stop supporting Ubuntu, because of the financial crisis ( lets hope it does not happen ) what effect would this have on the community? (NB: edited to make it make real sense in the form of an official question)
(12:26:59 PM) jono: ok, so first and foremost, Canonical is *not* going to stop supporting Ubuntu
(12:27:04 PM) jono: and not stop developing Ubuntu
(12:27:58 PM) jono: I know we are in worrying times right now, but we are confident we can ride the storm out
(12:28:02 PM) jono: and Mark is 100% behind that
(12:28:08 PM) jono: so firstly, don't worry
(12:28:19 PM) jono: but now onto how sustainable Ubuntu is without Ubuntu
(12:28:24 PM) jono: oops
(12:28:27 PM) jono: without Canonical
(12:29:00 PM) jono: if Canonical went away, it would naturally affect Ubuntu - we hire a lot of developers and other staff who work on training, support, marketing, certification, testing and more
(12:29:10 PM) jono: all of these functions revolve around the Ubuntu platform
(12:29:42 PM) jono: but at the heart of Ubuntu is community, and open and transparent community, and with this central governance in place, it means that if Canonical went away, Ubuntu could carry on
(12:29:51 PM) FreelanceJazz: LjL: QUESTION: Wouldn't it be beneficial, for various coordination tasks, for teams or projects that have been approved by the Community Council to bear a mark in Launchpad (by being themselvse a member of Ubuntu Members, or another such trick)?
(12:30:52 PM) jono: LjL, possibly - I am sure that just outlining "approved by the CC" status would change the social economics of the project that much, but possibly - will note it down
(12:31:06 PM) FreelanceJazz: r000n: QUESTION: Why Ubuntu includes Mono software even in LiveCD version? Problems with MS patents impossible?
(12:31:20 PM) jono: ahhh the great Mono debate :)
(12:31:44 PM) jono: I am not going to delve into this too far as Mono has been debated often enough across the  net
(12:31:53 PM) jono: but its important to remember a few things:
(12:32:41 PM) jono: the Mono project very specifically separate out the core library and framework (which is all legally above board) from the bits which could worry a few lawyers
(12:32:59 PM) jono: as such, the Mono project themselves have insulated the vast majority of potential legal threats
(12:34:01 PM) jono: secondly, a lot of people rag on Mono (the clearly legal bits), but forget that Microsoft have targeted many other parts of the Linux stack, so lets not see Mono as the only problem
(12:34:14 PM) FreelanceJazz: DoruHush: QUESTION: Ubuntu will include in the future multimedia made by the users, that will be placed in „Example” folder. What is the procedure, if one whant to contribute.
(12:35:00 PM) jono: this is the Ubuntu Free Culture Showcase - it is a competition on each release cycle where we like to showcase quality Free Culture media by including it in the Examples/ folder in Ubuntu
(12:35:21 PM) jono: we will be launching the Ubuntu Free Culture Showcase later in the cycle - just stay tuned for more details
(12:35:35 PM) jono: I will announce it on my blog, which will appear on Planet Ubuntu and The Fridge
(12:35:51 PM) FreelanceJazz: Picklesworth: QUESTION: What should new teams and development projects around Ubuntu do so that people are better able and more welcome to contribute?
(12:36:50 PM) jono: the best gift to a new contributor is an outstretched hand
(12:37:01 PM) lemma is now known as lemmAway
(12:37:04 PM) jono: every new contributor wants to feel welcomes, and like there is someone there who can help
(12:38:22 PM) jono: as such I recommend that when you see new people, introduce yourself, ask them how you can help them, and get them up and running with things to do
(12:38:36 PM) jono: I also recommend that all teams make it really easy for someone to find out:
(12:38:39 PM) jono:  * how to join the team
(12:38:46 PM) jono:  * what they need to know to contribute
(12:39:01 PM) jono:  * what the team hopes to achieve
(12:39:08 PM) jono: this will help people get up and running quickly :)
(12:39:19 PM) FreelanceJazz: sloopy: QUESTION: Finding info (HOW TO's, ubuntu specific FAQ's, etcs) on the help pages (help.ubuntu.com, wiki.ubuntu.com,etc) is hard to browse often, so i have to resort to using google to find specific info within those pages, any suggestions on how to make help more accessable/easier to get answers to questions and issues?
(12:40:17 PM) jono: I think there are lots of opportunities for us to improve how we deal with help
(12:40:33 PM) jono: I think it would be great to have better methods of searching and indexing help
(12:40:46 PM) jono: and better processes for updating, refining, and knowing what people need help on
(12:40:59 PM) jono: I would recommend working with the docs team on this - this is valuable work
(12:41:10 PM) FreelanceJazz: xander21c: QUESTION: Do LoCos can be registered as some kind of organization to obtain profit by giving ubuntu support
(12:41:47 PM) jono: no, we don't offer direct funding right now through a programme - Canonical does sponsor some LoCos, but that is at our discretion
(12:42:00 PM) FreelanceJazz: cyphermox: QUESTION: Would there be a benefit is growing your team to overlook different parts of the world, e.g. someone for NA, somebody else for Europe, or Asia, etc.?
(12:43:00 PM) jono: I don't think it makes that much sense right now to focus on geographical regions, but my team could benefit from focus on additional areas of the community
(12:43:26 PM) jono: in fact, right now I am hiring a new horseman or horsewoman to focus on translations, and I would like to expand the team into other areas in the future
(12:43:38 PM) FreelanceJazz: unimatrix9: QUESTION: will ubuntu have legal open source DVD playback any time soon?
(12:44:23 PM) jono: I am not really the best person to answer that question - I don't work with ISVs
(12:44:45 PM) jono: ok so we are done with all the questions so fatr
(12:44:49 PM) jono: any more?
(12:45:39 PM) FreelanceJazz: RoAkSoAx: QUESTION: can we register our LoCo team as some kind of organization in our own country? which kind?
(12:46:13 PM) jono: some team have done that with LoCos to make them legal entities, mainly for tax and financial reasons
(12:46:24 PM) jono: I would only recommend that you do this if you absolutely have to
(12:46:29 PM) jono: its a paperwork nightmare
(12:46:38 PM) FreelanceJazz: unimatrix9: QUESTION: are most of the community based in europe , how does it look from the other side of the world?
(12:46:59 PM) jono: the community really is worldwide
(12:47:19 PM) jono: as an example, we have 170+ LoCo teams, in pretty much every country in the world
(12:47:33 PM) jono: we have a huge worldwide spread in all teams and in all kinds of contribution
(12:47:45 PM) jono: any more questions?
(12:47:53 PM) FreelanceJazz: samgee: QUESTION: when Gobuntu died both you and Mark Shuttleworth expressed interessed in working closer together with gNewSense. How is that coming along?
(12:48:34 PM) jono: I have not had a chance to check in with the development team to if we have made any more changes in that direction
(12:48:47 PM) jono: I think Gobuntu helped us in one very specific way though
(12:49:04 PM) jono: it framed a new question in Ubuntu, a question that helped us assess freedom in different ways
(12:49:46 PM) jono: any more q's?
(12:51:39 PM) jono: ok I think we are done
(12:51:44 PM) jono: thanks for the questions folks!
(12:51:54 PM) FreelanceJazz: Wait!
(12:51:56 PM) FreelanceJazz: yusuf_: Question: Ubuntu without the internet is not very intresting. is there improvment being made on this aspect?
(12:52:27 PM) jono: I will finish on this one
(12:53:04 PM) jono: we want Ubuntu to be valuable in the unconnected world, and that is why we care so much about getting as much on the disc as possible - we want to be able to ship a complete system for offline use
(12:53:20 PM) jono: but with the entire world becoming so connection, naturally, a lot of our focus will be there
(12:53:22 PM) jono: thanks folks!
(12:53:29 PM) cyphermox: jono: thanks! \o/
(12:53:33 PM) jono: and thanks to FreelanceJazz for helping with pasting the questons :)
(12:53:38 PM) FreelanceJazz: No worries
(12:53:46 PM) jono: Xoke> jono, you have to end by saying 'communitising the community, using community tools' :P
(12:53:52 PM) Xoke: lol
(12:53:54 PM) jono: communitising the community, using community tools
(12:54:07 PM) Xoke: thanks jono :)
(12:54:15 PM) jono: :)
(12:54:31 PM) Xoke: for the whole session, not just cutting and pasting :P
(12:54:33 PM) kenvandine: jono: one word... belonging :)
(12:54:37 PM) jono: ok next up is a session on Kubuntyu, stay tuned folks :)
(12:54:40 PM) jono: kenvandine, :)
(12:54:46 PM) jono: Kubuntu, rather