Request for Feedback - Proposal to Adjust Core Dev Meeting Timing for Odd-Numbered Months

[luckyparadise]

Proposal to Adjust Core Dev Meeting Timing for Odd-Numbered Months - Feedback Requested

Core Devs,

As we continue to optimize our meeting schedules to suit our globally distributed team better, we've observed that the current timing, particularly the 00:00 UTC slot on odd-numbered months, is challenging for some participants. This timing was initially set to accommodate team members in China/Asia, but it now appears to be inconvenient for a significant number of our contributors across various time zones, including North America (PST, EST) and Europe (CET).

Current Meeting Schedule:

• Even-numbered months: 16:00 UTC on the first Thursday of the month (This timing will remain unchanged.)
• Odd-numbered months: 00:00 UTC on the first Friday of the month

Proposed Timing Alternatives for Odd-Numbered Months:

Please select your preferred meeting time from the options below for odd-numbered months:

🗳️ Poll: Meeting Time Preference (Odd-Numbered Months)

• Option A: 14:00 UTC – Suitable for Europe (CET) and North America (PST, EST), with some accessibility for Oceania.
• Option B: 21:00 UTC – Potentially more convenient for North America and Oceania, but may be late for Europe.
• Option C: 18:00 UTC – A balanced option for all involved regions.

Capturing Your Time Zone:

To ensure we make the best decision, please include your current time zone in your comment when selecting your preferred option. You can add a line like:

Time Zone: [Your Time Zone] (e.g., PST, EST, CET, CST, etc.)

Request for Feedback:

To finalize a meeting schedule that maximizes participation, please share:

1. Your current time zone.
2. Your preferred meeting time from the options above, or suggest an alternative.
3. Any specific challenges or constraints regarding the current or proposed times.

Please submit your feedback by 6 September 2024.

Thank you for your collaboration.

Best regards,
Filecoin Governance Team

[Stebalien]

Time Zone: PST

Any of those times are acceptable.

[jsoares]

Time Zone: CEST (UTC+2)

All options work, A or B preferred.

My preference aside, I think A and C are too close to the even-numbered slot to do much for geographic diversity/accessibility. Not sure how much of a problem that is.

[anorth]

Time zone: UTC+12

Option A is not accessible to Oceania any more than the even-numbered slot is (e.g. 2am vs 4am). However I can see it might be an improvement for further west Asia where it could roll into the late evening previous.
Option C is not terrible for me, but pretty terrible for west Oceania / Asia.
Option B is fine for me, a bit rough in Asia
Status quo is (by design) great throughout this whole region.

I think this comes down to the goals. The premise that status quo accommodates Asia but is inconvenient for US/EU is of course just exactly the opposite of the even-numbered slot. If the goal is fairness of access/inconvenience, then the status quo is the right option. If the goal instead is something about effectiveness for a majority, max attendance numbers, or something similar, then let's drop the attempt at fairness, just use the same time every month and accept the diversity hit. The options A/B/C would only achieve a show of fairness, nothing significant.

So do we want

1. Fairness for current and potential participants
2. Effectiveness and high attendance of the meeting for existing majority