[m-dev.] Regular meetings.

[Mark Anthony BROWN]

> 
> > 
> > With the growth of the mercury group (I can count at least ten people
> > siting within 7m of my desk),  I think that it would be a good idea to
> > schedule a meeting every couple of weeks and for one person in the group
> > to summarise their recent work and future directions that they might
> > take it in.
> > 
> > This would mean that everyone would present only once every 6 months (when
> > you factor in directed study students, summer students and visitors).
> > 
> > Comments?

I think it is a good idea too.

> I think this is an excellent idea. Mark and I have discussed this once, but
> I don't know how the rest of the group feels. My feeling is that it would be
> great for several reasons:
> 	- We would all have some idea what everyone is doing
> 	- It would encourage us all to think a little more about the research
> 	  side of what we do (as opposed to implementation).
> 	- It would be a good forum for fostering new ideas (although I guess
> 	  that our current work environment already achieves this to a fair
> 	  extent).

Our current work environment generally achieves this when somebody wanders
through with a coffee pot -- maybe they've just fixed a tricky bug (or
found one) -- and they stay for a chat.  It is one of the more social
parts of the day, and I think that any more formal forum should try to
retain this aspect.

With that in mind, I propose that the third floor tea room would be a good
venue.  Using Th 2 will split the people involved into "speaker" out the
front and "audience" in the seats, which may not promote discussion as
much as we'd like.  Using the meeting room might seem too much like real
work ;)

> 	- We could all make fun of Pete on a regular basis.

I guess that our current work environment already achieves this to a fair
extent :) :)

> The downside is, of course, that its an extra commitment for everyone. IMHO it
> would be time well spent.

We already drink coffee (or whatever) and chat about our work.  It shouldn't
need much more effort to all do it in the same place at the same time,
occasionally.  IMHO2 it would be time well spent.

Cheers,
Mark
-- 
Mark Brown  (dougl at cs.mu.oz.au)             |  Any technology that is
MEngSc student,                             |  distinguishable from magic
Dept of Computer Science, Melbourne Uni     |  is insufficiently advanced