simonbaker
Simon Baker
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![[*]](./images/grass/default_icon.gif) posted on 29 May 07 at 03:27 PM |
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Why so little interest in these threads?
There’s not a lot of activity going on in these threads. Views are low. Replies are lower still. There are quite a few prominent names conspicuous by
their absence, but more importantly where’s the rest of the community?
I'm asking myself: Is the lack of interest in these topics telling us something?
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DamonPoole
Damon Poole
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| posted on 29 May 07 at 04:47 PM |
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Hi,
Actually, if you look at the list of all forums, this new forum is rapidly on its way to becoming the most popular forum on this site. I think it has
more to do with traffic on this site in general rather than traffic on this forum. There does not yet seem to be "the" place to go for discussion of
Agile topics. The forums and lists are all over the place requiring multiple accounts and passwords.  Perhaps this is yet another thing that the AA could help out with. :-o
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simonbaker
Simon Baker
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| posted on 29 May 07 at 05:11 PM |
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You're right. These forums generally don't get that much traffic. The Agile Alliance 2.0 threads have been mentioned in a few blogs out there and I
thought they might draw a crowd larger than you typically see here.
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marick
Brian Marick
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| posted on 30 May 07 at 07:15 AM |
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A lot of people think the Agile Alliance is irrelevant.
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WayneMack
Wayne Mack
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| posted on 30 May 07 at 08:44 AM |
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The read and response rate is probably low because the number of threads is overwhelming. It would probably be better to start over with 1 - 3
threads.
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RyanMartens
Ryan Martens
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| posted on 30 May 07 at 01:45 PM |
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I agree with all the points above. There is enough content in here that structures the debate.
1. It is time to refactor.
2. It is time to call the community to action.
According to Jim Collin's Hedgehog strategy for Non Profits, to make an effective and lasting non-profit you need:
1. Passion - Understand what the AA stands for and why it exists
2. Best At - Understand what your organization can uniquely contribute
3. Resource Engine - Understand what drives your resource engine (volunteers) and members in time, money and brand
By focusing on the this hedgehog, you can build a virutus cycle of:
- attracting believers
- building strength
- demonstrating results
- building brand
I will try to find our releative numbers here, but my best guess is:
- 200 companies and 2000 members
- good board with a good conference
- growing conference
- pretty weak brand
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marick
Brian Marick
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| posted on 01 Jun 07 at 07:04 AM |
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| Quote: |
By focusing on the this hedgehog, you can build a virutus cycle of:
...
- building strength
- demonstrating results
...
I will try to find our releative numbers here, but my best guess is:
...
- good board with a good conference
- growing conference
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I like this characterization. What is the one next strength to add?
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LaurentB
Laurent Bossavit
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| posted on 01 Jun 07 at 10:16 AM |
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| Quote: | | What is the one next strength to add? |
Support people involved at a hands-on level in software efforts in their professional development. That includes but is not limited to: acquiring new
skills, leveraging existing skills into new responsibilites, making conscious choices as to career paths. (I'm probably missing some aspects; help me
flesh this out ?)
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RyanMartens
Ryan Martens
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| posted on 01 Jun 07 at 12:11 PM |
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I love Kathy Sierra's post on becoming experts. http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/03/how_to_be_an_ex.html
Once you look at the graph, answer the question. Do you want to help people over the "Sucks Threshold" or the "Kick Ass Threshold." I love her
message about dedication. This message drives a ton of what we do at Rally. I think it should also drive what the Agile Alliance does.
To me it is about building a community to support your dedication and it is about linking people to folks who can help you over the "Sucks
Threshold"
One strength to add is "community support for individuals" to keep up the dedication to stay on the expert curve and not just stay an amateur.
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scottduncan
Scott Duncan
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| posted on 11 Jun 07 at 09:44 AM |
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I think the Alliance can do both
While I find myself, regardless of the topic (i.e., whether it is agile something or traditional something or something else), to like to help people
get beyond the "Sucks Threshold," I think the Agile Alliance can do this as well as address the "Kick Ass Threshold."
Now whether a single Conference can do that, I am not sure. But since Brian was addressing what the Alliance could (or should) do, not what a
Conference could (or should) do, I'd say there is a lot of room to do both.
At this point, the success of agile values and principles, in that they have reonated with so many people, is their own worst enemy as with any
emerging direction. Lots of people will have lots of ideas about what agile means to them as well as very different thresholds for what they think
they can (at least at the moment) do to be more agile in their current situation.
Helping individual teams is very important since practical success will be its own best advocate for garnering further support for agile methods.
However, I think being able to explain and introduce agile methods to people who somewhat control the fate of teams trying to be more agile is
important, too. Unfortunately, such people (especially from larger organizations) are not typically attendees at conferences and training sessions.
This, of course, is not just true for agile methods. I am sure many of us can remember many times that people at conferences and training classes
have come up and said, "Gee, my boss ought to be here to hear this."
So how do we get to that "boss"? Usually, it's through being fortunate enough to get in the door then hoping to to gain enough access to that boss
to make them a bit more comfortable with whatever new idea/method we're there to impart to the team. If the Alliance could come up with some ways to
target awareness at that level, I think it would be beneficial while trying to give actual teams practical, hands-on support.
Unfortunately, the success of agile methods as something lots of people and organizations want to latch on to in one way or the other means there are
lots of "interpretations" of what it means to be agile being communicated within and outside of organizations.
I think the Alliance could help by encouraging more targeted, and commercially independent, "explanations" -- I hesitate to use the word
"interpretations" -- of what the values and principles are trying to communicate to people. (And from my experience working with the IEEE
Recommended Practice on agile methods, I know how hard this can be on a voluntary level and without trading on or crossing over the commercial line.)
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erik
Erik Petersen
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| posted on 29 Jun 07 at 01:41 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally posted by scottduncan
<snip>
However, I think being able to explain and introduce agile methods to people who somewhat control the fate of teams trying to be more agile is
important, too. Unfortunately, such people (especially from larger organizations) are not typically attendees at conferences and training sessions.
This, of course, is not just true for agile methods. I am sure many of us can remember many times that people at conferences and training classes
have come up and said, "Gee, my boss ought to be here to hear this."
So how do we get to that "boss"? Usually, it's through being fortunate enough to get in the door then hoping to to gain enough access to that boss
to make them a bit more comfortable with whatever new idea/method we're there to impart to the team. If the Alliance could come up with some ways to
target awareness at that level, I think it would be beneficial while trying to give actual teams practical, hands-on support.
Unfortunately, the success of agile methods as something lots of people and organizations want to latch on to in one way or the other means there are
lots of "interpretations" of what it means to be agile being communicated within and outside of organizations.
I think the Alliance could help by encouraging more targeted, and commercially independent, "explanations" -- I hesitate to use the word
"interpretations" -- of what the values and principles are trying to communicate to people. (And from my experience working with the IEEE
Recommended Practice on agile methods, I know how hard this can be on a voluntary level and without trading on or crossing over the commercial line.)
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This is what I am trying to leverage. I am a long term supporter of agile methods but only a recent Alliance member. I know there are great
articles in IT management magazines, crying out for some links to the Agile Alliance site to explain benefits and charactiersitcs of agile approaches.
I was quite surprised to find that there really isn't anything there. I am trying to mobilize some people to get a proposal to the Board, so
here's hoping.....
Part of any sell is what's in it for me. So as an executive, if by adopting agile practices like TDD I get better control of my IT costs, and
working systems that my users want, that is a great thing (and great for sarbannes oxley too. there is an article in that I think). We should have
some material clearly explaining the benefits of having TDD usage as a factor in selecting software providers. This can be extended to other agile
practices. This is just one little example....
See my Executive Outreach proposal for more detail....
Agile Forums » Advancing Agile » Executive outreach
cheers,
Erik
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