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Too Many Cooks

The expression, “too many cooks, spoil the broth”, is an accurate precaution for managing projects. The solution, a hard and fast rule underscoring that information flows to a single project manager to best oversee a job. However, when it comes to a community of practice, where we invite all sorts of contributors, a different set of rules apply. So, let’s form a line in the Web 2.0 Test Kitchen, as it’s all about order and convention.

Kars in the Kitchen by Glen Zazove is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

As far as I can tell, well-engaged communities of practice are cooperative and follow a formal set of policies and applied governance.  The Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) communities typically have a philosophical understanding or ethos that binds the community similar to a social contract. There are also codes of conduct that clearly identify unacceptable behavior as well as the repercussions.

Here are a few policies for FLOSS communities:
Drupal
Apache
Ubuntu
JS Foundation

It is apparent that there is a high regard for being considerate, respectful, and collaborative with others. The Golden Rule is observed as these policies convey a principle in treating others as one would wish to be treated. Aside from the technology that brings the community together, this system of reciprocity is a foundation for collaborative environments. As we consider working within online communities, we can look back at these systems to better understand how policies influence organizations for the better.

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