HOWTO Help iRQLinux

Hi,

HOWTO Help iRQLinux is a new program that aims to explain more about iRQLinux Project and how could anyone join and help?

Now, in order to create a draft for the possible episodes or parts of this new program, here is a list of the areas we need for iRQLinux:

1. Developing and Packaging
2. Artwork
3. Documentation
4. Marketing and Communications
5. QA (Testing and Bug Reporting)
6. HR (recruit volunteers/contributors)
7. E-Learning

These are the 7 main areas which are involved (or should be involved) in iRQLinux Project.

Starting from now, we need to work hard to finish the setup of these 7 areas so that we could start the real work on iRQLinux. Failure to setup these areas means we can't release iRQLinux and for what it's worth, iRQLinux was founded in 6th of July, 2011 and the reason why we haven't done anything yet is here - check this link.

Hopefully, by the end of this year, we shall have iRQLinux version 1.0 :)

Thank you!

Improving ITA #1

Hi,

On 4th of June, 2014; we had a meeting for ITA Team Leaders and we have decided several improvements for our team:

1. ITA Team Leaders to form a group called: QA Group. It has been approved and decided that this group will be in charge of each and everything related to ITA Team. Any project, any task, any post on social media, etc. Quality is our main concern and TLs of ITA should play a major role to make sure everything should be of high quality. In short, each TL of ITA should be part of this group.
2. Games Sub-Team is NO LONGER part of Phase 1 due to failure to submit a roadmap by ITA Games TL.
3. ITA Marketing and Communications Sub-Team TL - it has been agreed and approved - to extend his activities and do both Marketing and Communications. The idea is, the TL (Atheer) to approach Universities, Colleges, etc and try to spread the word of ITA on such communities and we try to recruit from them. It has also been agreed that Atheer should recruit people to do the marketing on Social Media Channels and focus on the external communications between ITA and other people in Iraq.
4. ITA TLs should be proactive and take the initiative by following up with everyone within ITA and step-in whenever needed. The founder should not do everything by himself, we should work as one team and help each others.
5. ITA Documentations Sub-Team should start to help ITA with some documentation. It has been agreed that Mustafa (TL of ITA Doc Sub-Team) will start working on a draft for our very first official Document/Wiki. Currently, due to the fact that we don't have a website nor a Wiki System, we shall use Google Drive to host these docs.
6. It has been agreed and approved to share the idea of ITA Contact Center among the members of ITA Team and check whether someone might be interested to join. If none will join or like the idea, we have to put this proposal on HOLD until we find interested people. We can't take the risk and recruit anyone just like that without we make sure he/she will be ready for such task. We do care about quality and about our reputation and whoever would like to step in, he/she needs to be fully aware of this. In short, we can't implement this idea without reliable resources. 
7.  It has been agreed and approved to go ahead with the expanding proposal.
8. ITA TLs should decide which domain name our team should use. This must be discussed ASAP so that ITA E-Learning Sub-Team starts their activities and sooner or later, we do need a domain name.

Above is the summary of the last meeting on 4th of June, 2014 between 5 TLs of ITA.

Thank you!

P.S.
I have started this blueprint to track the work item easily.

Quality Assurance for ITA

What is QA?

Quality Assurance (QA) is: is a way of preventing mistakes or defects in manufactured products and avoiding problems when delivering solutions or services to customers. More information is here.

What do we need?
We need to apply this concept to each and everything we do on daily basis. Whatever we publish on any social media channel, whatever we communicate with our team members ... everything and anything.

Why?
Simply because we are a team of 'Quality' NOT quantity and everything must be selected and chosen very carefully. Whatever we do, it should be of high quality.

Who is in charge?
We do have Team Leaders for a reason. I'm suggesting to assign a new task to the team leaders by asking them to be a Quality Assurance people with their teams and with everything else within our team.

How to do this?
Very simple. Whatever we decide or do, it should be done under the very eyes of our team leaders. Team leaders must play a major role and do their best to make our community a successful one. It is a matter of voting and sharing thoughts, no more and no less.

That is all what I have in mind in this regard :)

Thank you!

X Foundation

Hi,

As always, I used to think loudly and share my thoughts with my team/community and I have an idea in mind that is not yet complete but it's worthy to share.

ITA Team has been founded in 10th of of March, 2014 and ever since, the success progress of this project/team is undeniably massive. However, when you live in this world where everything is as fast as light, you need to think faster and react even faster. That said and to keep it short and simple, I'm simply suggesting to go with ITA beyond the huge team with 25 Sub-Teams ... I'm suggesting to expand our scope and focus on Science over all, not just Computer Science :)

What is X Foundation?
If we're going to expand, we need to think of a better name as Iraqi Technological Academy will only refer to two concepts: Technology and Academy and both will never define the new scope which is all about Science and there are lots of branches when it comes to Science: Computer, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, etc, etc.

If we will go for that plan and expand our scope, ITA the one we know which has 25 Sub-Teams will be nothing in size compared to X Foundation :)

X may refer to any name - I have not yet decided what? I have this name in mind: Mesopotamia Foundation but nothing yet final.

"X" itself as a name is good idea too because it may refer to anything and everything and this is all about the new plan. We shall be everything related to science, not just computers.

Why X-Foundation?
If truth to be told, this idea was initially inspired from One Stop Shop Concept. One Stop Foundation/Project/Community that deals with Science and Technologies.

The main reason is one word: IRAQ.

Iraq and Iraqis are in desperate need to such huge project. This project will not be done over night, it will take years to finish but I'm more than happy to go that path no matter how hard it is :)

Imagine 10 ITA Teams, each with 25 Sub-Teams (for example) or even more than just 10 ... can you imagine how huge and vast this community will be?

Iraqi are the best people when it comes to great minds with great thoughts. No doubt about it.

What is the mission?
The hardest part is NOT to setup such foundation, that is not very hard (yet not easy) ... the toughest and hardest part is where, how, and when we shall start to hunt for great minds? if we wish to this HUGE project to be successful, we need to bring people of very high qualifications, skills and experience. We shall call them the builders. Those builders will be in charge of building this huge project and set everything up. 

I have lots of ideas in this regard ... we could have online universities with official certificates ... we could have a lot of stuff ... nothing yet in mind but as I said, I'm thinking loudly :)

Challenges
YES. I'm aware of this for sure. It is NOT going to be easy at all but at the same time, it is NOT impossible. Everything is possible if we want it and work hard to achieve it.

For ITA? I had a vision where each of ITA Sub-Team, by time, becomes a huge community by itself. Example? ITA E-Learning Sub-Team - by time - could be a huge E-Learning Centre or University :)

Now, imagine if we go for the X-Foundation plan? each section will be ITA with sub-teams ... this is really huge ...

While no doubt this is great huge idea, I admit it is seriously so hard to achieve for these reasons:

1- 90% of the Iraqi people will NOT understand the real depth/scope of this idea. Sad but true.
2- Currently, we do NOT have the required manpower/resources to do this.
3- Time to achieve such plan considering the above two points will be a lot. We might need 5-10 years or even more. Yes, sad but true. The only chance this will take less is to find people who will quickly understand the idea, join and start to help to achieve this.
4- Lack of experience. Such huge project requires A LOT of power, efforts, etc and above all, enough experience to lead, plan for it and handle it. Who is going to lead all that?
5- Other reasons - nothing more in mind right now in this regard.

How to achieve this then?
The only way to achieve that or let's say 'the best' way to achieve that is to start very very slowly and carefully under one important condition: we should NOT burnout and kill ourselves. 

To apply this to reality, IMHO, the best way is to team up with other projects.

For example, there are some projects like:

• ITP
• Fikra Space
• TEDx Baghdad
• etc etc etc

It is always easier and faster to start from a base rather than starting from scratch. Let's face it, we're too weak right now and very thin to start from scratch. We just CAN NOT - it is a suicide and an overkill for sure.

Also, we must approach Iraqi Universities. Universities will be the secret weapon and the major key player in this project. IMHO, without them, the whole project will collapse and won't ever see the light.

I think this is the best and currently the only way to achieve that. ITA Team right now at this very moment can NOT go for such move unless we team up with some other people. However, we can start to implant the seed slowly without wasting so much time and effort over that. If we could just do this, the seed will grow by time ...eventually, the tree will come up and grow bigger and bigger :)

That is all for now :)

Thanks for reading!