Consistency between Host Team vs Core Team

[rmarting]

After reviewing the full content of the current learning path I found something that it is a bit confussed, or it can produce misunderstanding to the reader: the use of Host team vs Core team

The current content always refers to the Host Team, as the team who is owner or responsible of the repository project. That concept is fine, however, if we check the patterns, there is one identified as Core Team that represents exactly the same concept.

IMHO, it should be a consistency to identify the team owner of a InnerSource project. I think the Core Team concept fits better and it can be linked with the pattern. So, the reader can have a clear understanding that content is speaking about the same concept.

The following links have multiple references about Host Team that they could be replaced as Core Team, if it is perfectly replaced.

Learning Path - Introduction

• https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/introduction/03/
• https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/introduction/04/
• https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/introduction/05/
• https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/introduction/06/
• https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/introduction/07/
• https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/introduction/workbook/

Learning Path - Contributor

• https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/contributor/01/
• https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/contributor/02/
• https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/contributor/03/
• https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/contributor/04/
• https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/contributor/workbook/

Learning Path - Trusted Committer

• https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/trusted-committer/workbook/

[rrrutledge]

Thanks @rmarting. Sorry to not write for so long. I wrote most of these articles. In my mind, there is a slight distinction. A Host Team may do feature work on the codebase in addition to infrastructure, maintenance and community support work. A Core Team does not to feature work, but only the infrastructure, maintenance, and community support work that allows others to contribute the features.

Not sure best how to represent that? I don't think I've articulated my mental difference between the two up until this point.

P.S. As an interesting aside, there is a marting in the InnerSource Commons Slack, which is nearly the same as your GitHub username. Interesting!

[rmarting]

Reading again those articles with that idea, it could make sense as your following the example of guest and hosts in the contribution and collaboration flow. However, I found some places where the "core team" concept is added without a proper introduction as everything is related to "host team".

Evidences:

InnerSource Principles - https://innersourcecommons.org/learn/learning-path/introduction/05/

The Transparency section starts speaking about guest teams, however, ends speaking about core team. This is the first time that concept is included, and a newbie could be a bit confussed.

By the way, IMHO from an InnerSource point of view it does not matter who is "hosting" the infrastructure for the community, as it could be done for someone else. It is very common in enterprises that a operational team supports the infrastructure for the source repositories, issues tracking systems, and other tools but they are not part of the core team or part of the collaboration workflow. In that case, I found more accurate speak about the core team as it is described in the pattern. They support the project and anything for a healthy usage and contribution ecosystem, so they are focused on the InnerSource principles of collaboration rather "hosting" the project (it could not be limited by).

Maybe it is just my personal view and opinion about this consistency of usage the same concepts along the InnerSource, such as an standard vocabulary. As I usually do in my conversations with companies in this space. And I am also sharing my concern to connect the learning path with the well-known patterns, and close the loop. As many of this content was not updated in the last 2, 3 or 4 years.

Maybe it is just add some small reference somewhere to that pattern, as it is done with others. Just as an idea. I can also propose that change as I am thinking about it.

Hope that helps.

[rmarting]

@rrrutledge I created a PR #599 with a small set of changes for improving the current content and align the concepts of Host Team and Core Team. Please, take a look and share your feedback. Feel free to update it.

[rrrutledge]

Will take a look. Sorry for the delay.