Wikimedia Apps/Team/Retrospectives/2016-02-12

Feb 12, 2016

=Android=

Previous Retrospective Actions

 * Check and see that the sprint 74 tasks are parented [DMITRY] DONE
 * Create and parent additional tasks for general collections [DMITRY] DONE
 * Check out plain j-unit screenshots for flaky CI tests [STEPHEN] PHABBED

Significant Events

 * Gather convo
 * Lots and lots of Gather sturf
 * TSG rampup soon
 * Q4 goals pitched
 * Lots of WMF employee departures.+1
 * WTF factor is high
 * Q4 planning, schmanning <-- Technical term
 * Another sprint, another beta (or two)
 * Lower memory usage
 * Wiki zero
 * [dev] Reduced domain complexity (nice to not have to worry about "m." on domains)

Loved

 * Crashes at all-time low. Wohooo!
 * Finally touched some code again.
 * Burnin' through groomin'+

Lacked

 * Clarity around Gather, and/or which API we should be using+++
 * Histogram of Android points distribution for Phlogiston

Learned

 * Wikipedia Zero work is fun but time-consuming!
 * There was a reason we were using mobile domains after all! Not anymore +

Longed for

 * Want to see other groups at WMF doing well, makes us uneasy when other folks at the company are in turmoil+
 * Would help to know what other people's problems are clearly+

Action Items
- =IOS=
 * Create "Did Not Pass" column left of the QA column [MAX]

Previous Retrospective Actions

 * Figure out regression test possibilities with the A11Y people [BRIAN] ONGOING
 * Josh to articulate 3-5 big areas/epics during planning meeting [JOSH] DONE
 * Review possibility to release a beta during Tuesday planning meeting (and plan for the next one) DONE

Significant Events

 * Release date!
 * beta feedback overview and Sherah initial results
 * Jonatan (Josve05a) joining us in IRC, filing bugs, and interpreting Swedish App Store reviews! ????????+1
 * a11y accessibility testers are invited to repo & iOS dev program, w/ devices provisioned!
 * wow. so efficiency. much streamline.
 * New settings view looks awesome!!!!
 * Brace yoruselves, iOS donations are coming
 * http://cdn.meme.am/instances2/500x/4275007.jpg
 * Set a release date for PR/Comms
 * Set a release date for PR/Comms

Worked Well

 * catching bugs in code review
 * set a release date (and closed scope)
 * new community members filing bug and feature requests+1
 * contributions!+1
 * a11y - would not have had an accessable app at 5.0.0 without them
 * at our chosen release date (see: Triangle of Death/Iron Triangle/ IRON TRIANGLE OF DEATH)
 * Triage looks great/is working
 * QA COLUMN EMPTIED

Worked Poorly

 * lots of bugs being found in code review
 * Wish we could change our software without introducing so many bugs
 * "Design Review" during estimation
 * if we have more detailed feedback about design which isn't related to cost of implementation, we (at least for now) need to bring it up at a separate venue and/or file an "enhancement" ticket.
 * BG's "file a ticket" threshold
 * Need to be re-calibrate threshold for filing tickets when regressions are discovered during code review. We're in crunch mode!
 * Approaching our release deadline goal and there's a lot scoped that isn't done
 * What can we learn from this for defining "done" for 5.1?
 * Our main planning etherpad died
 * institutional issues and "community"
 * Quarterly planning doesn't align with out planning and snuck up on us
 * Individual goals also don't line up with planning (BG also mentioned this in "confuses us")

Confuses Us

 * What to do with EPICS
 * How title
 * Where to put them
 * Working on EPICS vs shaving them down
 * Blocking tasks
 * WIP limit for Blocked or Waiting
 * Purpose of Blocked or Waiting (also TSG needs)
 * OTRS Plan
 * (nit/bugaboo) purpose of personal goals vs. team goals (vs. org goals, etc..). never understood rationale behind encouraging personal "professional" goals in context of "vertical strategy"

Action Items

 * When can we talk about upcoming design stuff? Planning meeting? Should we have designs ready for planning discussion? Email thread. [MAX]
 * Retro followup meeting [MAX]