D Language Foundation Weekly Planning Session Update

[Don Allen]

Perhaps I've missed it, but one thing I haven't seen mentioned in 
this discussion about improving the management of the D project 
is that perhaps *the* most important aspect of management is 
leadership, particularly in a volunteer project like D where 
peoples' livelihoods don't depend on doing what they are told. If 
you don't have that, then any improvements in tactical management 
will be moot.

By leadership I mean that the top management of the project 
conveys a clear message of where the project is heading *and* the 
message is convincing to most of the people who will actually do 
the work.

In addition to the IVY experiment, I'd suggest looking at 
successful projects as examples. I've cited OpenBSD in past 
messages to this forum. Take a look at the tech at openbsd.org 
mailing list and the way de Raadt interacts with the other 
OpenBSD developers. It's an example of the kind of leadership I'm 
talking about. There are many ways to achieve this and while de 
Raadt is frequently abusive to people he thinks don't matter to 
his project, he's clear, firm and convincing in setting the 
direction for those who do.

There are other successful projects run in stylistically 
different ways than OpenBSD that could be useful examples to the 
D project.