Comments

andypost’s picture

Your focus is really great! We have to grow talents and we do it but actually I see no real battleplan here.

Can you point here a steps at short that you posted at http://www.valthebald.net/2012/09/20/elections.html

This direction is really needed but could probably out of scope of DA.
Can you explain deeper a DA role and your the title can be of a great help.?

valthebald’s picture

So thanks for the question.
I believe that the only way to learn any technology is to do something practical with it. Drupal is no exception.
There are excellent theoretical courses (drupalize.me, drupalladder etc.), yet "attending" these courses alone won't help in becoming drupal developer.
What I thought about is a combination of drupal shop, classroom and maybe even HR agency. There would be top-notch mentors, accompanied by ambitious "students", all making real projects for real clients, for real money. The mentor/newcomer approach has proven itself in drupal core development process, and I see no reason it won't work for "applied" site development. In my everyday routine work I meet a lot of tasks that require not intelligence, but a habit of using well-known approaches.
Shop/classroom model implies higher rates of manpower changes, and longer times for tasks made by "students". For many clients this combination may seem risky. I see this as one of the main threats of this business model.
I see 2 ways to overcome this risk: to make development as much transparent as possible, including decision making, why we choose specific modules/patterns over counterparts, and use body like Drupal Association as kind of warrant of such a model (thus a title mention).
I believe there is a place not for one, but many such "combines" in a market, and we all can win from cooperation.

andypost’s picture

DA body could bring some flame into learning process because people could see a this in light of DA domination in this area.
otoh this could bring good attraction to this process and a step to some kind of certification...

I glad to see a somebody from DA who can be responsive about learning and classifying a drupal-way to study!

kattekrab’s picture

Hi Valery,

In 50 words or less, what will you bring to the board of the Drupal Association?

- Donna

valthebald’s picture

Teaching and course-organizing experience, as well as connection to non-English speaking developer communities in Israel and former Soviet Union (Russian is my mother tongue). I think both communities are "under-penetrated" by Drupal today.