Up The Down Staircase
Having played with Linux for 10 years it's interesting to see the recurrence of some problems. From day one documentation has been a bug bearer for seemingly all FLOSS projects. In tandem with the need for strong documentation is the need for modularization. Strong documentation and modularization are themes that resonate throughout the history of FLOSS. It calls to mind Escher prints. Strengths in one area mirror, benefit and are necessary to strengths in another area. The key ingredient is management.
The job of capable management is articulate in a dual sense. First it's necessary to articulate a problem in a manner amenable to viable solutions. The first order of articulation encompasses good documentation. Secondly it's necessary to articulate the resources available in a way that permits economical solutions. The second mainstay of effective management can be pointed out using the hackneyed metaphor of the right hand working effectively with the left hand, versus, the example of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. The second order of articulation requires management 'get on top of things'. The second order of management requires insight and innovation. An example of second order management thought process was exemplified ,in a cute sense, during the web cast when someone used the term stupider and then questioned whether it was a word. Mark replied it was a word when referencing those who use the term "stupider". Good management can move up the down staircase and down the up staircase to oversee the articulation of resources. Such good management ability is like good stand up comedy. It requires not only the wit but the equally critical sense of perfect timing.