SUMO community discussions

Feedback needed: SUMO contributor information

  • 6 Replies
  • Last reply by Jameson Green
  1. vesper
    vesper 1182 posts
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    Hello, SUMO Nation.

    We were recently discussing the information about contributors we have at SUMO and what we do with it. Below is a list of items, existing and new, with explanations for their use.

    • name (could be your real name or a made up username - whatever you prefer - but it should be unique) <<<
      • for identification and logging in
    • age (18+ or below, not a number)
      • for event invites, legal limitations on signing NDAs or representing Mozilla, etc.
    • email address <<<
      • for identification, logging in, and communications
    • location: regional / district location (or by city, if that's too granular) <<<
      • for easier communication and community coordination
    • time zone <<<
      • for easier communication, community building, and management
    • phone number ^
      • for mobile testing
    • travel limitations (visas, etc.) ^
      • for event planning
    • NDA status (signed / not signed / not sent) ^
      • for higher-level communication, testing, and event planning
    • other Mozilla-related activity (links) <<<
      • for easier community coordination
    • Products/projects you interested in (i.e. Firefox, Firefox for iOS, etc)
      • for easier community coordination
    • Devices you own and/or stuff we sent you ^
      • for improved support, launch-related projects, testing, and general recognition

    ^ Items marked with this symbol would only be visible to the person who owns the profile and the SUMO staff members.

    <<< items marked with this are already included in the profile information


    • What do you think about this list?
    • Is there anything missing from it?
    • Do you have any concerns?
    • What similar type of data would you not share with us and why?
    • Where do you think does this information belong more - SUMO or Mozillians.org? Why?

    Cheers,

    Michał

    Hello, SUMO Nation. We were recently discussing the information about contributors we have at SUMO and what we do with it. Below is a list of items, existing and new, with explanations for their use. * name (could be your real name or a made up username - whatever you prefer - but it should be unique) <<< ** for identification and logging in * age (18+ or below, not a number) ** for event invites, legal limitations on signing NDAs or representing Mozilla, etc. * email address <<< ** for identification, logging in, and communications * location: regional / district location (or by city, if that's too granular) <<< ** for easier communication and community coordination * time zone <<< ** for easier communication, community building, and management * phone number ^ ** for mobile testing * travel limitations (visas, etc.) ^ ** for event planning * NDA status (signed / not signed / not sent) ^ ** for higher-level communication, testing, and event planning * other Mozilla-related activity (links) <<< ** for easier community coordination * Products/projects you interested in (i.e. Firefox, Firefox for iOS, etc) ** for easier community coordination * Devices you own and/or stuff we sent you ^ ** for improved support, launch-related projects, testing, and general recognition ^ Items marked with this symbol would only be visible to the person who owns the profile and the SUMO staff members. <<< items marked with this are already included in the profile information * What do you think about this list? * Is there anything missing from it? * Do you have any concerns? * What similar type of data would you not share with us and why? * Where do you think does this information belong more - SUMO or Mozillians.org? Why? Cheers, Michał
  2. Michael Buluma
    Michael Buluma 125 posts
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    Personally, i have no concerns with the data being kept. With the right access levels, this shouldn't be a problem.

    I feel this is more relevant to SUMO as we mostly depend on location, timezones and projects/products to determine our meeting times, collaboration times and such.

    The same information would be important to Mozillians too for those looking to get in touch with someone or just need to get information on a person.

    Personally, i have no concerns with the data being kept. With the right access levels, this shouldn't be a problem. I feel this is more relevant to SUMO as we mostly depend on location, timezones and projects/products to determine our meeting times, collaboration times and such. The same information would be important to Mozillians too for those looking to get in touch with someone or just need to get information on a person.
  3. Paul
    Paul 1081 posts
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    Hi

    I broadly agree with Michael's comments above.

    Products/Projects and Devices owned - generally the same thing and would help makes rue that there is a broad range of support knowledge in various elements of SUMO.

    Age / NDA status / Travel limitations - Could be seen to be a barrier to participation. Should this only be looked at when it becomes an issue?

    Phone number - Could scare people off of they are asked to supply this.

    Where should this information be placed...? Give the details that mozillains.org already goes into (like t-shirt size!) it may be better there, especially since the projects/devices info could be of broader use across Mozilla.

    Hope this helps.

    Hi I broadly agree with Michael's comments above. Products/Projects and Devices owned - generally the same thing and would help makes rue that there is a broad range of support knowledge in various elements of SUMO. Age / NDA status / Travel limitations - Could be seen to be a barrier to participation. Should this only be looked at when it becomes an issue? Phone number - Could scare people off of they are asked to supply this. Where should this information be placed...? Give the details that mozillains.org already goes into (like t-shirt size!) it may be better there, especially since the projects/devices info could be of broader use across Mozilla. Hope this helps.
  4. NoahSUMO
    NoahSUMO 440 posts
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    I think all of that is fine except for the phone number and age. The phone number is something people want to protect these days. Well those of us who are smart and less trusting of all the apps and websites that ask us for it. :P So like Seburo says that might scare a privacy sensitive person off.

    For age, "18+" or "Under 18" is a good way to implement this but I don't think it should be required. Just optional. It would help you identify who is a minor. But I think it would be better to hide this info and show it only to moderators & admins. Part of me thinks this should be at Mozillians but seeing the trend they're on (because of Participation), I feel like they'd force you to answer this question. Which I wouldn't like.

    I think all of that is fine except for the phone number and age. The phone number is something people want to protect these days. Well those of us who are smart and less trusting of all the apps and websites that ask us for it. :P So like Seburo says that might scare a privacy sensitive person off. For age, "18+" or "Under 18" is a good way to implement this but I don't think it should be required. Just optional. It would help you identify who is a minor. But I think it would be better to hide this info and show it only to moderators & admins. Part of me thinks this should be at Mozillians but seeing the trend they're on (because of Participation), I feel like they'd force you to answer this question. Which I wouldn't like.

    Modified by NoahSUMO on

  5. Chris Ilias
    Chris Ilias 2447 posts
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    Is there a need for timezone, when you have the person’s location?

    Put as much of it as you can mozillians.org. I don’t see a reason why any of that should be considered sumo-only. I also think there should be a way to link sumo profiles to mozilians profiles. If it’s impossible to just use mozillians profiles for sumo.

    Is there a need for timezone, when you have the person’s location? Put as much of it as you can mozillians.org. I don’t see a reason why any of that should be considered sumo-only. I also think there should be a way to link sumo profiles to mozilians profiles. If it’s impossible to just use mozillians profiles for sumo.
  6. vesper
    vesper 1182 posts
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    Thanks to everyone for very thoughtful comments. To give more context:

    • Hosting all this information on mozillians.org is definitely an option, as long as we can easily use it within SUMO. Since Mozillians does have an API (http://www.programmableweb.com/api/mozillians), this is something we could potentially explore, but it could take more time than just adding fields with such information to SUMO.
    • Phone number - would be visible only to the owner of the profile and the staff admins, and would only be used in emergencies (e.g. someone goes missing at an event) or for testing/foxfooding purposes
    • Age - we could make this visible only to the owner of the profile and the staff admins; maybe rephrasing it to something like "Please tick this box if you are sure that you are legally OK to travel abroad on your own and take full legal responsibility for keeping certain information shared with you private" (or something similar, I am not a lawyer, so take all this with a pinch of salt) would sound better? Making it optional is possible, but then we couldn't reach out to those who didn't use this setting directly, defeating the purpose of having this data in the first place, I think.
    • Timezone vs location - some people could be uncomfortable giving their location, so letting them specify only their timezone would definitely make it easier to figure out their general availability throughout the day. Also, the same timezone can span several countries, and they may be half the world apart from others, so adding their location makes it easier to figure that one out.

    Generally, none of this information is meant to be obligatory (well, maybe aside from a user name and an email address... it's hard to operate on SUMO without these), and the idea here is definitely not to hinder participation - rather to make it easier for all Mozillians contributing to SUMO to build local communities - and for the admins to have a better understanding about our global presence (and community needs, if we are to expand to new countries/regions in the future).

    Keep your feedback coming, I want everyone interested to voice their opinion. You're making SUMO better every day by being here and sharing your talents and time with everyone else here, so your opinion matters.

    Cheers,

    Michał

    Thanks to everyone for very thoughtful comments. To give more context: * Hosting all this information on mozillians.org is definitely an option, as long as we can easily use it within SUMO. Since Mozillians does have an API (http://www.programmableweb.com/api/mozillians), this is something we could potentially explore, but it could take more time than just adding fields with such information to SUMO. * Phone number - would be visible only to the owner of the profile and the staff admins, and would only be used in emergencies (e.g. someone goes missing at an event) or for testing/foxfooding purposes * Age - we could make this visible only to the owner of the profile and the staff admins; maybe rephrasing it to something like "Please tick this box if you are sure that you are legally OK to travel abroad on your own and take full legal responsibility for keeping certain information shared with you private" (or something similar, I am not a lawyer, so take all this with a pinch of salt) would sound better? Making it optional is possible, but then we couldn't reach out to those who didn't use this setting directly, defeating the purpose of having this data in the first place, I think. * Timezone vs location - some people could be uncomfortable giving their location, so letting them specify only their timezone would definitely make it easier to figure out their general availability throughout the day. Also, the same timezone can span several countries, and they may be half the world apart from others, so adding their location makes it easier to figure that one out. Generally, none of this information is meant to be obligatory (well, maybe aside from a user name and an email address... it's hard to operate on SUMO without these), and the idea here is definitely not to hinder participation - rather to make it easier for all Mozillians contributing to SUMO to build local communities - and for the admins to have a better understanding about our global presence (and community needs, if we are to expand to new countries/regions in the future). Keep your feedback coming, I want everyone interested to voice their opinion. You're making SUMO better every day by being here and sharing your talents and time with everyone else here, so your opinion matters. Cheers, Michał
  7. Jameson Green
    Jameson Green 13 posts
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    I think this is a personal information and based on preference, so yeah I would agree on put it in on Mozillians.org, and then use API to connect with SUMO?

    SUMO is a page for support profile, so maybe Mozillians is a place for those kind of information?

    I think this is a personal information and based on preference, so yeah I would agree on put it in on Mozillians.org, and then use API to connect with SUMO? SUMO is a page for support profile, so maybe Mozillians is a place for those kind of information?