XSF Discussion - 2012-03-07

Afternoon, all.

I take it it's just me and Mike so far?

Afternoon Chris.

good afternoon!

Dave Cridland: And me. I'm just not sure that counts for anything useful.

I don't see Ashley online

Dave: I'd like to throw Athena briefly onto the agenda.

yhello @ all

Righty. With three people actively here, I'll declare ourselves quorate.

:)

So I *think* the agenda stood at GSoC, but Kev is asking to add Athena - anything else?

not from my end

Oh. I wouldn't mind raising the membership elections. As in, having some.

But we'll start with GSoC.

Kev, What's the status with GSoC?

Dave Cridland: We have an application submitted, we can change it until this Friday. I've sent a copy for review to those people who mailed to say they wanted to help this year.

I think that list stands at Me, Peter, Florian, Bear, Alex.

Kev, Any responses/feedback?

yup. It was fine. nothing to add

A couple of 'it's fine' noises.

I've not heard from everyone yet, though.

So, the application needs to link to an ideas page.

it looked ok to me - the app info can be adjusted at any time

bear: Until Friday.

Our ideas page is at http://wiki.xmpp.org/web/Summer_of_Code_2012

Without spinning up a browser, is there anything but Swift on there?

I've been mercilessly chasing people to populate it, and that's starting to show some results. If anyone else has contact with appropriate people, please do chase them.

Swift, Spectrum, Prosody, BC.

OK, cool.

The ideas page is a bit odd - we're not accepted, so clearly we don't need ideas yet.

But the application includes the ideas page, and without a solid ideas page, we won't get in.

right

OK.

I chatted briefly to Carol about this, she pretty much confirmed that without a good ideas page, we're not getting in this year.

Bureaucracy 2.0?

No, I don't think so, I think this is right.

agreed

Carol (and others) have to judge the org. apps. somehow, and ideas pages are important.

It just means we need to get ours populated competently.

OK. So is ours OK, or should we be panicking?

I think ours is getting there. I'd like to see a little more on it - ideall something from Gajim, as they've frequently contributed in the past.

no need for panic, I think, but a bit more attention would be good perhaps

nod

OK. So actions here are to push on a few more projects, particularly Gajim.

So if people can please chase anyone they have contacts with (and would be appropriate), I'd appreciate that.

So .. Athena?

And yes, this is for Kev to report on as well.

Some I've not heard back from (Psi, Tigase), others have promised to get something done, and Gajim I've not seen anyone online to poke.

Kev: will do

Ta.

I'll poke Tigase

thanks, Florian!

ok, so Athena?

Dave Cridland: I've not seen any disagreement from iteam on a plan of "replace Athena with a new box, and then mirror at least critical (and ideally all) bits of xmpp.org onto a box of Florian's - either ds0039, or the other box if that's still on offer". So I'd like to push forward with that plan.

push forward with what?

I realise this seems like overkill for hosting a couple of hundred static pages (the XEPs), but given that's our main purpose, it seems important.

Right, I agree.

Florian: Someone getting a replacement for Athena in the bunker, and the iteam starting setting up some mirrorring.

ok

So we need to have the executive director discuss with the treasurer about sourcing the machine?

so we need to get some offers in from HP / Dell for a box?

I think having a copy in the states and a copy at yours gives us a pretty good chance for resilience.

I don't think athena2 needs to be hugely powerful, FWIW.

right

Athena isn't, and we're not replacing her because she's underpowered, justbecause she's falling apart.

the iteam probably needs to do some scoping

OK. I think we find a price, then, and go from there. We've got the money to spend on this, and it's mission critical.

yes

Ok, is that an action on iteam to get quotes, then?

Yes, please.

(I'll have to let someone else do this, as I'll buy the wrong shape plug or something, I don't do hosting)

Ok.

heh

Kev, I've heard they have funny shaped plug over there, yes.

I think that's my two items done with, so you Board chaps can carry on with your meeting now :)

:)

BTW, I have received multiple offers of assistance in the past (hosting, DNS, etc.), but I haven't kept a good log of them

Kev, Thanks.

(Genuinely)

so if we decided that we needed additional mirrors for some reason, I think we could gather some offers

(As in, *no* sarcasm. Which is a shock)

but backup to ds0039 is probably good enough for now

stpeter: I think so, yes. ds0039 has worked as our fallback (albeit with painful manual steps) so far.

yes

we'll just work to remove the painful manual steps

So, aside from pointedly not mentioning all the actions we didn't do from last meeting because I forgot to write any minutes, the only other thing is membership elections...

I noticed that the applications page suggests we may hold a meeting next February.

hmm

as in last month?

Who ought to be deciding when the election is? Is this for us to prod Alex, or should we let Alex decide and butt out?

stpeter, Yes, I'd assume so - we've just missed it what with FOSDEM etc.

usually Alex decides, but I think prodding might be in order

+1 to Alex just doing his thing

+1

yeah, that FOSDEM thing kept us busy

And distracted.

Florian, WHat are you actually voting for, there?

Bear's suggestion :)

I think we should prod Alex, personally, in this case. I'm assuming it's an oversight, and reminding him that the page is out of date is a sensible thing to do.

yup

yes

But if you guys disagree, I shall abide by your decision and just write this up in the minutes. :-)

so we'll just announce a voting period opening next week?

giving alex a nudge wfm

stpeter: I seem to have a potential SoC project involving wokkel sent to me by ploum

ralphm: cool :)

OK. So I think that's us done, unless there's any other business?

stpeter: mentioning you sent them to me

Dave Cridland: nothing from here

ralphm: he contacted me, yes

ralphm: I asked him what programming languages he was interested in, and when he said Python I mentioned some projects he might look into

Schedule another meeting for same time next week?

wfm

yep

+1

OK. I motion to adjourn until next week, then.

seconded

Thanks, all.

cheers guys!

calendar updated

bear, is it live streamed?

Tobias: no, but TWiT will be covering it :)

it's live streamed only if someone brave points their camera to the stage

heh

I just have to ramp up monitoring of the twit web and streaming servers

bbiab

bear: I've read the other day that Apple fans behave as religious fanatics. Does that help you?

the viewer levels have already exceeded the "normal" range

ralphm - yes, it helps explain why I don't seem to be able to be one

bear: I'm monitoring the flosoft box :)

florian - that's the one box i'm *not* worried about

it's the PHP app servers that need extra help

bear: if you need additional ressources, tell me :)

load it onto our CDN (requires DNS update though)

"Honest Florian's Top Server Deals"

:)

:D

what I need is for the drupal devs to learn how to make the site not fail when switched to static

i've had to put varnish in front without them knowing

Kev, Florian's banned from using that adjective thanks to EU trade description rules.

"Server"? :)

fail?

To be fair, my Flosoft server is the silliest piece of barely-a-computer imaginable, and it's doing me absolutely fine.

Any dedicated server I can afford must be good :)

Dr Kevin Smith, author of such classics as "XMPP: The Definitive Guide", says...

haha

... "My FLosoft server is the silliest piece of bare-a-computer imaginable"

Haha

I'll never make it in advertising.

server=142

bear: http://www.technologytell.com/apple/42656/brand-expert-martin-lindstrom-calls-apple-a-religion/