Posts Tagged with “2010 goals”

As part of finalizing the 2010 goals I’ve been working through the feedback to each specific goal. I’ll post the results for each goal separately and then assemble them into a complete document.

Here’s the mobile piece. Everything is framed as a goal, rather than a big goal with specific tasks Mozilla ought to accomplish. I think this is the right approach, though I’ve gone back and forth. Many groups within the Mozilla community will identify specific tasks to accomplish these goals.

Goal: Integrate mobile into one unified, open, innovative web

1. Product(s)

• are as exciting to users and developers as products built on closed proprietary technologies
• accelerate innovation by reducing the fragmented operating system/ carrier / handset problems that developers face today
• have mindshare and marketshare to influence the industry

2.  The web becomes the primary “SDK” for applications, rather than product specific proprietary SDKs.

3.  New web standards are for all devices, not segregated into mobile-specific or “web” standards.

I’m going to consolidate the feedback received to date on the 2010 goals and create a new version in the next couple of days. I will do a brown bag Tuesday, December 16 at 12:30 Pacific Time (8:30 p.m. GMT) for final feedback. We’ll stream the discussion on Air Mozilla and moderated chat is available on #brownbag. We’ve had a lot of discussion so there may not be a lot of interest in this session. That’s fine. Also great if there is. The next version is likely to be very close to final, if not the final version itself. So if you have any thoughts you haven’t expressed, please do so asap.

In the past few weeks I’ve been involved in a lot of conversations about strengthening the Mozilla Foundation and a lot of conversations about the 2010 goals. I don’t think we’ve got the connection between the two quite right.

We’ve been thinking about the Foundation’s role in too small a way. We’ve been thinking along the lines of: “Which portion of our goals has a good space for Foundation activity?” Or “are some of these goals particularly Foundation-like?”  The result has been identification of some areas that do feel particularly appropriate for the Foundation. But this isn’t the biggest, or most important question.  These questions focus on organizational structure rather than the goals themselves.

The really important question is: How does Mozilla assemble / motivate / use all of our resources to achieve the things we identify as most important? In the near future, the  Foundation will develop new programs and new capabilities. For example, Mark has mentioned “education” as a likely area of focus. Let’s assume that’s the case, and let’s assume that mobile is a 2010 goal. The question we should be asking is:  what are all the things Mozilla can do to bring openness and participation and innovation to a unified web that spans mobile devices and the desktop?

The Foundation leads a set of product – related programs indirectly, through delegation to  Mozilla Corporation and Mozilla Messaging. It currently leads a set of programs directly, and will organize and lead a larger set in the future.    All of these programs should contribute to the tasks we think are most important. The product groups — browser, platform, messaging, email should all be contributing to each goal. Other parts of the Mozilla community will hopefully use their resources to help achieve the same goals.  The Mozilla Foundation should lead the way here.

With this approach, I looked at the goals again to see if they make sense. I think they do. Of course, the goals may be revised a bit as a result of the conversations of the past few months. But I don’t feel that the list should be changed due to increased Mozilla Foundation involvement. If the Foundation focuses on education, then it makes sense that some part of those programs would try to advance a unified web, consumer control over relevant data, and the other goals. If the Mozilla Foundation has a program focused on consumer outreach or evangelism, it again makes sense that part of those programs focus on the 2010 goals.

I also find that this approach better reflects the centrality of the Mozilla Foundation values — we are all focused on building an the Internet that refects Mozilla values. Some of us do so through creating products.  This is not separate from the key values or somehow different from the heart of the Mozilla Foundation. The products exist to make our values concrete. Our products exist to put innovation, choice and participation at the fingertips of hundreds of millions of people.

The products also open many doors, from evangelism to participation to thought leadership. All of thse resouces should be utilized in pursuit of our goals.

I’d like to go back and look at the the Foundation through this broader lens of Mozilla-wide goals.  I’ve talked with Mark about this. I think it’s fair to say he was also feeling we’re not quite there yet with the Foundation-specific part of the 2010 goals.  Mark will certainly speak for himself, but I do know that this more integrated approach resonates well with his work.    Look for something on this topic from Mark soon.

I see from Guillermo that the discussion of 2010 goals among the Spanish speaking Latin American community kicks off this week. And I know Marcio is back from vacation and getting ready to start discussions in Brasil. I’m very eager to see this develop, and start to build communities of people accustomed to — and who expect to be — talking about our goals and how to get there.

On Tuesday, October 28 at 1 p.m. Pacific Time I’ll be holding a session to talk about the privacy and data section of the Mozilla 2010 goals. This will broadcast on Air Mozilla. We’ll also use the IRC channel (#2010goals) for people who want to ask questions via IRC. As usual, Asa will be the contact for Air Mozilla aspects of this.

I’m doing this Tuesday because a big set of the platform team will be in town and available at that time. That creates an opportunity to have a session that includes face-to-face discussions with a set of people who are rarely together. This follows the goals discussions in Barcelona this weekend, and will proceed other goals discussions among smaller groups where hopefully people will feel more engaged and comfortable speaking up.

I’ll get a more complete schedule for other goals discussions together shortly. If you want to participate in a session on data but can’t make the Tuesday session, let me know. If there are a lot of such people then I’ll schedule another session. Or you might contact anyone who is part of the other Mozilla contributor groups I listed — they will be participating in goals discussions.