Rethinking Coders

Comparison with the Build Program

I often compare the Coders program with the Build program as a start to figuring out what might work better for coding at Free Geek.

In the build program, volunteers:

• can sign up for any of nine shifts per week
• need to work at Free Geek
• trade time building and QCing in exchange for something (often a computer, often skills)
• go through a Prebuild program where they are exposed to skills they'll need later on
• in prebuild, folks sometimes realize they're in over their head and drop out
• once you teach someone how to build a computer, they (basically) need to repeat that task several times

In contrast the volunteer coders:

• can come in once per week, but can work on their own time
• can work from home or elsewhere if they choose (though some things need to be done at Free Geek)
• trade time writing code in exchange for skills
• don't go through any prerequisites program
• sometimes realize they're in over their head and drop out while coding
• once you teach someone how to write a program, they cannot repeat that task several times in any kind of a useful way

The build program is quite successful at involving a lot of volunteers at Free Geek, while the coders successer are much more modest (and that may be putting it charitably).

What motivates volunteer coders?

• Some people want to learn useful skills
• Some want hands on experience
• Some want to teach others what they know
• Some just want to help out

Some problems

• Projects move very slowly -- way more slowly than expected.
• People who are the impetus for starting a project often move on before it's completed.
• Volunteer coders often implement changes without much coordination, leading to incompatible code.
• Entire projects are abandoned (or at least forgotten)
• New coders are often overwhelmed by the learning curve