Newsgroups: php.internals
Path: news.php.net
Xref: news.php.net php.internals:53246
Mailing-List: contact internals-help@lists.php.net; run by ezmlm
Received-SPF: pass (pb1.pair.com: domain gmail.com designates 209.85.216.170 as permitted sender)
DomainKey-Status: bad
DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws;
        d=gmail.com; s=gamma;
        h=mime-version:sender:date:x-google-sender-auth:message-id:subject
         :from:to:content-type;
        b=OjYcYsZFAsT7gyrBVrDzm/psdZACfmt33OI9nS9rJpmeBHiuhjjbdKhDxGDDxpBfoW
         AjYdX4PpedG/PQ7F5C+UbYeNwA2NKRSOZekI0t5z35dieKApFfyT8EzubtZMIxSD0XBY
         TKANjBKf0JNoxRQqSkPOAKOJJ/G71tSnlRXjY=
MIME-Version: 1.0
Sender: david.coallier@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:39:12 +0100
Message-ID: <BANLkTin7==22GsJTth1SrGSWyWcdDYsPBg@mail.gmail.com>
To: internals <internals@lists.php.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Subject: [IDEA/PRE-RFC] PHP Core Mentorship Program
From: davidc@php.net (David Coallier)

Hey all,

Let me start by saying that this is merely an idea I'm trying to put
together and before doing so, I need to see who would be interested.

A short while ago, the Python community created something called "The
Python Core Mentorship Program" [1][2] which is essentially an attempt
to lower the barrier of entry to the Python core for new developers,
students, etc. and connect everyone together in a more cohesive manner
where people actually talk and interact. I strongly believe in such
initiative and believe this is something we should also think about.

Simply put, I'd love to put something together for the PHP
core/internals where the goals of the program would be, not unlike the
Python project, to get a few internals (Zend Contribs (Stas are you
reading this? :P), Core contribs, PECL extensions developers,
documentation maintainers) to be willing to help newcomers and provide
a more comprehensive understanding of the contribution processes,
internal trickeries, optimisations, etc.

The general idea is to create a channel between the rest of the world
and the internals of PHP where more experienced developers can
transfer their knowledge and get a fresh perspectives from new
developers that haven't approached the core before.

Before continuing further into exploring this idea, we need to get
volunteer mentors. The mentee process is likely to get a self-managed
one and the mentors' role will hopefully be rather low in terms of
time consumptions and the roles of the mentor will most likely be:

 - Introducing new developers to the processes
 - Answering questions
 - Helping with code review of patches

Again, like the Python program and similarly to the GSOC projects, we
should have a mailing list (restricted) dedicated only to the mentor
(php-mentorship?) where anyone can ask the simpler questions. From
this mailing list we should also be able to construct a solid baseline
for new developers contributing to PHP. From the mailing list, we'll
see what questions are coming over and over again we'll be able to
build a wiki-faq-like sections for new contributors.

I digress and here's what I'm hoping to achieve with this email: I
want to get a few contributors from various aspects of the core
including docs and pecl extensions willing to help new people. If you
are interested, please raise your voice and if enough interest is
displayed I'll get a proper wiki section started.

Furthermore, one thing I am hoping this program will help bring is not
only a stronger interest in the core and a fresh injection of talent
but more importantly I hope we'll be able to contributors from our
various communities that are scattered across the internet that barely
ever interact with the internals.

Hoping this email reaches as many of you and that my message is
properly conveyed :-)

P.S. This is really an attempt to find volunteers. If you are interested please
feel free to contact me directly if you prefer so we can start organising
whatever would have to be done: davidc@php.net

References:
[1]: http://pythonmentors.com/
[2]: http://jessenoller.com/2011/03/25/just-proposed-python-core-mentorship-program/


--
David Coallier
Orchestra.io