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Though adequate documentation has been a goal from the very beginning, the Perl 6 documentation project is a relatively recent addition. It operates under the guidance of Michael Lazzaro. The stated goal of the documentation project is to systematically walk through each Apocalypse and produce fully specified documentation from it. The results of the project are eventually intended to be the documentation released with Perl 6.0.
The task of the documenters is a difficult one. The specification for Perl 6 is still in development and constantly shifting, so they're shooting at a moving target. The process is immensely valuable though, as it helps to identify inconsistencies or problems in the design that the broad brushstrokes of the Apocalypses miss. Sometimes it is the documentation process that causes the shift in language specification, as identified problems lead to solutions and the solutions, in turn, trigger changes throughout the system.
Last, but not least, is the glue that holds the project together. The highest praise belongs to Ask Björn Hansen and Robert Spier, who manage the email, revision control, and bug-tracking systems, as well as the web pages for Perl 6 and Parrot. Without these systems, the project would grind to a screeching halt.
Nathan Torkington and Allison Randal share the load of project management. Nat tends to handle outside interfacing while Allison tends to handle the nuts and bolts of the project, but neither role is set in stone. As is typical of open source development projects, managing the Perl 6 project is quite different from managing a commercial project of the same size and complexity. There are no schedules, no deadlines, no hiring and firing, and no salaries, bonuses, or stock options. There are no employees or bosses; there is very little hierarchy whatsoever. Management in this context isn't about giving orders, it's about making sure everyone has what they need to keep moving forward.
In the end, it is the developers themselves who hold the project together. Each individual bears their own share of the responsibility for finding a task that suits their skills, coordinating with others to keep duplicated effort minimal, and making sure the job gets done.
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Created: March 27 2003
Revised: August 23, 2003
URL: http://webreference.com/programming/perl/essentials/chap1/1
