Re: [libreplanet-discuss] RFC: GNU Developer Network on libreplanet.org

[Christopher M. Hobbs]

Greetings, all!  I'm a new FSF member and while I'm not new to GNU/Linux 
or software development, I'm definitely new to the GNU way.  I wanted to 
wait a while before replying to this, but I think I can offer some 
insight as someone who's only recently drank the tasty GNU kool-aide.

Many developers like myself will never find a GDN stuffed away in the 
LibrePlanet wiki.  We may never learn about things like semver being a 
copy of a GNU versioning system as one poster mentioned.  We may never 
learn about proper ways to document in the GNU style.

I really think this project needs its own site with a heavily styled 
wiki, much like the Mozilla Developer Network.  These days, to reach 
developers (especially web developers), one needs to have a solid web 
presence and easy to access/edit documentation.

Most things GNU appeal to me philosophically, but much of what's out 
there looks cluttered and complex from the outside.  A site to distil 
styleguides and common information would be highly useful and would 
allow people to start bringing up GNU standards in the workplace (as 
also was mentioned).

Useful stuff may include a quick HOWTO for applying the GPL to your 
code.  How to write languages other than C to GNU standards/styles.  How 
to produce GNU approved documentation other than info pages as some 
things like RESTful APIs may only have documentation tools for their 
languages.  Where to find GNU resources to mirror resources in the rest 
of the world (Savannah, Gitorious, etc.).

Just some thoughts.
cmh

On 07/04/2013 03:55 PM, Brandon Invergo wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> I hope this is the right place to bring this up.
>
> I'm a member of the GNU Advisory Board and we are considering the
> possibility of setting up a GNU Developer Network.  Developer Networks
> can take many forms but in general they provide a central place for
> developers to find documentation, tutorials and other information
> related to software development, as well as the opportunity to discuss
> and interact with other developers.
>
> We considered some ready-made software for this, such as the one Mozilla
> uses for their network, but we determined that it would not be feasible
> to maintain it.  After weighing our options, we felt that it would be
> best for us to try to take advantage of infrastructure that we already
> have.  rms suggested that we could use the LibrePlanet wiki.  A wiki
> would be a good fit for the kind of activity that would go on in a dev
> network, so it seems like a good suggestion to me.
>
> So, I come to you with the proposal that we carve out a corner of the LP
> wiki for a developer network.  What do you think about this as a general
> idea?  Are there any specific technical or other practical
> considerations that we must make?  Are you opposed to something that
> would (ideally) end up consisting of many pages?  I know that it's a
> community site but since this is a large undertaking, it's better to get
> community (and sysadmin) approval first.  And lastly, is there anyone
> who is interested in joining in on this?
>
> There are is a practical concern that we have.  How does LibrePlanet
> moderate its content, since everything is user-generated?  We could not
> support, for example, people recommending proprietary software in the
> developer network.  Likewise, we would have to be careful that people
> aren't calling the system "Linux" and that they are aware that we are
> developing free, not "open source", software.
>
> I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this!
>
> Cheers,
> Brandon
>
> ps - please include David (CC'ed) in replies; he is helping me out with
> this and I'm not sure that he is subscribed to the list.