User:Sethwoodworth/MembershipDraft
Prologue
Potential community members have been searching for a way to get some sense of ownership of the OLPC project. I originally started hanging around in OLPC irc rooms just to get a better idea of what was going on and maybe get involved. Many people, prominent and talented, have sent emails to the volunteer@l.o list trying to contribute as well. For programmers the contribution structure system is established and familiar. They contribute code, and are listed in some obscure way as a development contributor. Some 60 of these volunteers have found their validation in the Support-Gang, others have formed local OLPC groups (SeaXO) and still others have forged their own paths in content and non-programming activities (Cjl, Mchua(?), myself). Others have languished and disappeared due to a lack of structure for their contributions (cafl).
Examples
Wikipedia
WP, partially, allows for the recognition of contributors via edit counts (universal or by article) and awards barnstars for contribution of note. This, along with their lofty goal, has allowed for a strong sense of ownership of the encyclopedia.
Wikipedia also has adminships that it awards contributors. This is almost an accident, however. Adminships are only supposed to be awarded for those who *need* the privileges and in stead are often awarded for substantial contributions.
Gnome Membership
http://foundation.gnome.org/membership/application.php
The Gnome foundation has a process for becoming a voting member, and are chosen for those who provide non-trivial contributions to Gnome. Non-trivial contributions are normally considered code, debugging, and maintaining packages, but may also be awarded for advocacy or for producing other materials for Gnome. Also memberships have been awarded for documentation and tutorials.
Memberships are decided on by the "discretion of the Membership Committee and the Board of Directors" last two years, and can be renewed. And Gnome membership gives one a vote in the foundation.
Ubuntu Membership
http://www.ubuntu.com/community/processes/newmember Ubuntu has a system of membership (created by Mako?) that closely resembles the process for Gnome. But Ubuntu is a much more community driven program and has connections to a far less technical group of users who require much more documentation, artwork, how-to's, forum support. Ubuntu is also much more focused on creating and supporting local Ubuntu user groups, and advocacy. So their definition of a non-trivial contribution is much broader than that at Gnome.
You also get much greater bonuses for becoming a member of Ubuntu. Officially you get:
- a vote in community processes,
- @ubuntu.com address,
- an irc cloak,
- business cards (self print)
Unofficially you get
- great resume entry
- big bragging rights
OLPC Needs
OLPC has big and lofty goals. I see OLPC as three layered system; hardware, software, and content. The XO laptop is a great piece of hardware. Our software development, while it could use more people, is progressing very well. Our goals in content are well supported by a very large wealth of materials available in open license.
Unfortunately not much of this material has been packaged or even pulled together for OLPC. The work needed is pretty broad in scope. We need illustrators, translators, people who can format, hack php/html, and lots of people to find and review content. We have lost people due to their not feeling appreciated or understanding where their work was going. We have also had far more people arrive, fail to find the tasks we needed them to do, and then disappear. New users too could be recruited by good examples of content to work with.