Outreach of the R Development Guide

Coming up and executing sustainable ideas that would help with the outreach of the R Developer's Guide.

@SaranjeetKaur and I have discussed this a bit further offline, coming up with the following ideas:

Monthly Challenge

Direct people to read particular parts of the guide and put together a challenge for them to test out what they have learned, using real case studies where possible. Examples:

Learn how to write a good bug report
Learn how to review a bug report
Create a personalized checklist for testing pre-release R versions
Learn how to contribute a translated R message

This would be announced on R Weekly, advertised on Twitter and Slack (see #14).

We could have a Slack channel for discussion about the monthly challenge and get people to report any issues they faced with the guide or official documentation.

This is an iteration on the book club idea, with the advantage that people can join in according to interest/background and there is a goal to aim for to give a sense of achievement.

Meetups

We could have online meetups with R-Ladies Remote and the MiR community to tie in with the monthly challenges. These would actively encourage people from under-represented groups to engage. They could be run at distinct times to cover different time zones. RUGs could be encouraged to run their own tie-in events, if interested.

Monitoring

The R Foundation have already agreed to fund a https://plausible.io/ subscription so that we can monitor the effect of the above or any other outreach we do to engage people with the guide.

These are now named Collaboration Campfires and scheduled as here: https://twitter.com/R_Contributors/status/1484524996701855747

Things to do in preparation for Collaboration Campfires before first event on Feb 22

[x] Add HackMDs from community champions consultation to rcontribution repo (Saranjeet, w/b 31 Jan)
[x] Create page on R Contribution Site giving overview of series that is currently planned
- [x] Prepare first draft (Saranjeet, w/b 31 Jan)
- [x] Get feedback from community champions (Heather/Saranjeet, w/b 31 Jan)
- [x] Update site (Heather, w/b 7 Feb)
[x] Invite a couple of experienced contributors to attend first and/or second event (Heather w/b 31 Jan)
[x] Promotion to individuals/companies known to us/recommended by community champions (Heather, w/b 7 Feb)
[x] Initial promotion on Twitter/Slack/mailing lists (Heather and Saranjeet, 14 Feb)
[x] Prep for first session in more detail (Heather and Saranjeet, w/b 14 Feb)
- E.g. supporting slides, skeleton for collaborative notes, test out activities
- Prepare certificate of attendance template
[x] Promotion via the R Consortium (Saranjeet, w/b 14 Feb)
- Promote to companies, asking them to promote event to staff and encourage their participation as a way to support the R project
- Promote to R Consortium Working Groups - people already interested in contributing
- [x] Record R podcast episode (Heather & Saranjeet, w/b 14 Feb)
- [x] Follow-up promotion on Twitter (Saranjeet, w/b 14 Feb) - still needed?
- [ ] Follow-up promotion on Twitter (Saranjeet, w/b 21 Feb)

February 14 is "I love free software day" (https://fsfe.org/activities/ilovefs/index.en.html) - we should co-ordinate a tweet or two with that.

Things to do in preparation for Collaboration Campfires on Mar 22

[x] Email registered participants for session 1 not on Slack to encourage them to join Slack (Saranjeet, by 27 Feb)
[ ] Attendance certificates (Saranjeet, by 27 Feb)
[x] Add podcast link in getting-started channel (Saranjeet, by 27 Feb)
[x] Add the code conduct link to the Collaboration Campfires website (Heather, w/b 28 Feb)
[x] Invite experienced bug reviewers if they can come to (part of) session (Heather, w/b 28 Feb)
- [x] ideas for bugs to review in next campfire - link to this message
[ ] Book cover for the R Development Guide
- [x] Post message on Slack, linking to issue (https://github.com/rstudio/bookdown.org/issues/165#issuecomment-1056662276) and thread about R-Devel logo design (Heather, w/b 28 Feb)
[x] Post on Slack: ideas for bugs to review in next campfire - link to this message (Heather, w/b 28 Feb)
[ ] Find alternative to https://r-devel.slack.com/customize/get-started, e.g. DM when people join Slack, maybe link to page on R Contributor website. Pin message on welcome channel. Reduce channels that people automatically join and add description of all channels in welcome message. Have channel just for posting "documentation" posts? Think about channel order, to make sure welcome and docs are at the top - user numbers to name. (Heather, w/b 28 Feb)
[x] Contact Laura (RC marketing manager) to help promote next time (Saranjeet, w/b 7 Mar)
[x] Initial promotion on Twitter/Slack/mailing lists (Heather and Saranjeet, w/b 7 Mar)
[ ] Optional pre-reading: chapter on bug review - suggest on Slack/Twitter as thread?(Heather and Saranjeet, w/b 7 Mar)
[x] Prep for first session in more detail, i.e. skeleton for collaborative notes, test out activities (Saranjeet, w/b 7 Mar)
- Poll (while people join): Did you come to the first session?
- Logistics (Zoom, code of conduct, etherpad, etc). More than one written room? Don't forget to mention captions.
- Discuss take-home activities from session 1 - if anyone posted a plot/table
  - Poll: did they sign up for Bugzilla?
- Poll: did they do the pre-reading? (One option: I already know about bug review)
- In introduction, give examples of good and bad bug reports (bit of discussion from participants with experience)
- Use Activity 3 from last time as Activity 1 for next time:
  - Look at report that already has several comment (first part of the activity).
- One more longer/structured activity - practice reviewing one or more bug, e.g.
  1. Review the bug report against good practice. Does it have a reprex? Does it have session info? Does it OS/machine architecture? Is the issue clear?
  2. Confirm bug on their machine.
  3. Diagnose cause of bug if possible (or discuss!)
- If we find anything to follow up on (e.g. a possible comment to add to bug report), post on #getting-started channel to discuss how to move forward.
- Allow more time for feedback/discussion in the session
- Take home activity: repeat activity 2 on a different bug.
- In future, when reviewing bugs use #work-out-loud channel.
- Link to Contributing to R tutorial (https://youtu.be/CZmldTOdlRM?list=PL4IzsxWztPdnCC_kMCYKrd_t6cViMhBrD, https://github.com/gmbecker/contributing_to_r_lesson)
- [x] Follow-up promotion on Twitter and R-Devel Slack ? (Saranjeet, w/b 14 Mar)
- [x] Start TODO list for next campfire (Heather and Saranjeet, 17 Mar)
- [ ] Rewatch translation tutorial https://contributor.r-project.org/translating-r-to-your-language/
- [x] Follow-up promotion on Twitter and R-Devel Slack ? (Saranjeet, w/b 21 Mar)
- [x] Make new list to prepare for next campfire (w/b 21 Mar)
Comments welcome! cc @elinw.

Things to do in preparation for Collaboration Campfires on Apr 26 (translations session 1)

[x] Discuss with Appsilon, by email to start with (translations? Bug BBQ), try to arrange meeting (Heather, by 27 Mar)
[x] Email registered participants for session 2 (Saranjeet, by 27 Mar)
- encourage them to join Slack
- report back on bugs they looked at and their category for future examples
[ ] Attendance certificates (Saranjeet, by 27 Mar)
[x] Invite experienced translation contributors if they can come to (part of) session (Heather, w/b 4 Apr)
[ ] Find alternative to https://r-devel.slack.com/customize/get-started (Heather, w/b 4 Apr)
- [x] Put welcome channel first
- [x] Added #1_guide_to_this_slack channel with old content from get-started page
- [ ] DM when people join Slack, maybe link to page on R Contributor website?
- [ ] Add description of all channels in #1_guide_to_this_slack. Reduce channels that people automatically join,: #0_welcome, #1_guide_to_this_slack, #get-started, #work-out-loud, #job-opportunities, #events, #random. Think about channel order.
[x] Full promotion on Twitter/Slack/mailing lists; translation tutorial participants? (Heather, w/b 18 Apr)
- Note about people that only know English - can still help, think about alternative exercises.
[x] Rewatch translation tutorial https://contributor.r-project.org/translating-r-to-your-language/ (Heather and Saranjeet, CW22)
[x] Email reminder to participants registered for Session 3 (Saranjeet, w/b 18 Apr)
[x] Prep for Session 3 (exploratory) in more detail, i.e. skeleton for collaborative notes, test out activities (Heather and Saranjeet, CW22)
- Poll (while people join): Did you come to sessions 1 or 2?
- Logistics (Zoom, code of conduct, etherpad, etc).
- Poll: What languages are you proficient in? [Multiple choice 20-30 options? Split by continent?] Use other tool, e.g. mentimeter? padlet?
- In introduction: In what languages translations exist right now and which need representation? Do some analysis in the first session, based on svn sources/r-svn mirror on GitHub?
  - Can we ask Michael to give instructions we can follow? Or reuse tasks from Outreachy project?
  - Can we re-use some introductory/background slides from translations tutorial?
  - Speed blog on translation? Similar to blog post about bug review (history and motivation: describing the need; summarising the current status - need to get data, then think how to summarise; how you can help - quick guide to contributing translation)
    - Initial tasks could help inform blog post - common questions for each language, questions to answer in each breakout. (https://www.software.ac.uk/speed-blogging-and-tips-writing-speed-blog-post)
    - If time, think how to do combined summary of all languages
    - Table with some metrics? That could go in the blog post.
    - Prepare skeleton with essential steps to contribute a translation (Saranjeet)
- Take home activity: ?
- (Optional) Watch translation tutorial https://contributor.r-project.org/translating-r-to-your-language/
- [ ] Check what tools are required. Open source software, e.g. if don't have required keypad for a particular language.
- [x] Follow-up promotion for Session 3 on Twitter and R-Devel Slack ? (Saranjeet, w/b 18 Apr)
- [x] Start TODO list for next campfire (Heather and Saranjeet, 28 Apr)
- [ ] Prep for Session 4 (practice) in more detail, i.e. skeleton for collaborative notes, test out activities (Heather and Saranjeet, CW22)
- Poll 1: Did you come to sessions 3?
- Logistics (Zoom, code of conduct, etherpad, etc).
- Poll 2: Did you watch the translation tutorial?
- Activities: ideas from translations tutorial (longer activity where we translate into 2 or 3 languages).
  - Use languages mentioned in Session 3
  - Invite experts on translation in R and/or the languages of interest
  - Guide through step by step of adding a translation, with cheat sheet to make it easier (e.g. translation already worked out)
- Take home activity:?
- Ask for specific help on #core-translation channel.
- Use #work-out-loud to work through particular example.
- Advertise Bug BBQ.
- Joining translation team/how to co-organize.

Things to do in preparation for Collaboration Campfires on May 24 (translations session 2)

[x] Post a message on Slack with materials from Session 2 (# getting-started) and 3 (#getting-started) (Saranjeet, by May 5)
[x] Make blog post draft self-contained (how to contribute) (Saranjeet, by May 5)
[x] Post on #core-translations about adding contributions to the blog post and share on email with registered participants. Invite Session 3 participants to Session 4 (not a problem if didn't attend session 3 - can still come!). Use Google Docs suggest feature to add further comments. Deadline for contributions: next campfire (May 24). (Saranjeet, by May 5)
[x] Email people from useR! translations tutorial to find out if anyone has worked on translations since? E.g. Indonesian. How best to add people to the team? (Heather, by May 3)
[x] Contact leaders of translation teams (Heather, by May 5)
- Are they still active? Does team contact need to be updated?
- Can they come, or can their teammates comes?
- Explain more about the campfires and check best way for people to contribute?
- Add a column: what version of R first included translations in their language?
[x] Confirm May 5 meeting with Appsilon. Discuss Session 4 and Bug BBQ. (Heather, Apr 28)
[x] Rewatch translation tutorial https://contributor.r-project.org/translating-r-to-your-language/ (Saranjeet, May 5)
[ ] Prep cheat sheet for translating a message to Hindi/non-Latin language. Step-by-step with minimal example (PO file). Check what tools are required. Open source software, e.g. if don't have required keypad for a particular language. (Saranjeet, by May 12)
[ ] Find alternative to https://r-devel.slack.com/customize/get-started (Heather)
- [ ] DM when people join Slack, maybe link to page on R Contributor website?
- [ ] Add description of all channels in #1_guide_to_this_slack. Reduce channels that people automatically join,: #0_welcome, #1_guide_to_this_slack, #get-started, #work-out-loud, #job-opportunities, #events, #random. Think about channel order.
- [ ] Consider new channels #gsod, #gsoc
[x] Promotion on Twitter/Slack/LinkedIn (1 week before)
- Note about people that only know English - can still help, think about alternative exercises.
[x] Email reminder to participants registered for Session 3 or 4 (1 week before)
- [x] Follow-up promotion for Session 3 on Twitter and R-Devel Slack ?
- [x] Prep for Session 4 (practice) in more detail, i.e. skeleton for collaborative notes, test out activities
- Poll 1: Did you come to sessions 3?
- Logistics (Zoom, code of conduct, etherpad, etc).
- Poll 2: Did you watch the translation tutorial?
- Activities: ideas from translations tutorial (longer activity where we translate into 2 or 3 languages).
  - Two simple examples: one from English to British English, one to Hindi
  - Discussion on social process with translation team leaders - how to join team, how to find translations that need updating, how to contribute.
  - Use languages mentioned in Session 3
  - Invite experts on translation in R and/or the languages of interest
  - Guide through step by step of adding a translation, with cheat sheet to make it easier (e.g. translation already worked out)
- Take home activity:?
- Ask for specific help on #core-translation channel.
- Use #work-out-loud to work through particular example.
- Advertise Bug BBQ.
- Joining translation team/how to co-organize.
- [ ] Attendance certificates for all session (Saranjeet)
- [ ] Remove any confidential info from collaborative notes and share on the collaboration campfires webpage/GitHub.
- [ ] Finalize blog post on translations status
- [ ] Create reusable lesson on translations? May 26.
- [ ] Submit proposal to CarpentryCon on our lessons by June 12.
- [ ] Adding links to lessons and missing information to the dev guide?

Closing this now the planned series of Collaboration Campfires has completed. We can start a new issue for future Collaboration Campfires or other outreach.

r-devel / rcwg