[FM Discuss] ars entry - first attempt

Tue Mar 18 13:23:26 PDT 2008

this is all good. It seems we now have an extension to the 25th so I
will finish this from Amsterdam on Thursday.

Thanks for all the comments. Send more if u have more.

adam

On Wed, 2008-03-19 at 01:03 +0530, hello at phonebox.org wrote:
> hi,
> Julian covers any details i noticed very well, and many more, and so
> i'm greatful to him not to be atempting editing much on phone over
> gprs from overnight train across rajahstan (brings back memories ; )
> Only couple of things i can think might be added at this late juncture..
> Immenent 1 manual in hindi too.
> And maybe a couple of sentences making explicit the community building
> aspect and how the open licensing and open source practices are
> integral to this incase readers are only thinking free as in beer.
> 
> Fingers crossed
> xs
> 
> On 18/03/2008, Julian Oliver <julian at selectparks.net> wrote:
> > here are my suggestions.
> >
> > ..on or around Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 04:01:35PM -0400, adam hyde said:
> > > below is my first attempt. we have 8 days to improve it. We can also
> > > upload an extra document about the project and all its facets.
> > >
> > > any suggestions on improvements are very welcome.
> > >
> > > ---------------------
> > >
> > >
> > > * Titel / name of the project:  FLOSS Manuals
> > >
> > > * Type of project:  Community-Projekt
> > >
> > > * Description of the project:  FLOSS Manuals is a community of free
> > > documentation writers. We write manuals about how to use free software.
> > > Largely the manuals are written by artists who have a great deal of
> > > experience with free software and often have experience leading
> > > workshops on these technologies.
> >
> > the use of 'Largely' and 'often' sounds a little lacking in confidence.
> > this is normally fine but not in an introduction. i'd be more assertive
> > and say "The manuals are written by.." and "..  with free software and
> > have experience leading.."/
> >
> > >
> > > In addition more and more developers are looking to FLOSS Manuals to be
> > > the repository and community to develop the documentation for their
> > > projects. One Laptop Per Child and Inkscape are both utlising the FLOSS
> > > Manuals toolkits and interacting with the community to build and improve
> > > their docs.
> >
> > above line contains grammatical ambiguities. try:
> >
> > 	Increasing numbers of developers are looking to FLOSS Manuals as an
> > 	important repository in the development of the documentation for their
> > 	projects. Communities like One Laptop Per Child and Inkscape are both
> > 	utlising the FLOSS Manuals toolkits and interacting with the community
> > 	to build and improve their docs.
> >
> >
> > >
> > > * URL of the project:  http://www.flossmanuals.net
> > >
> > > * Objectives:  Our main objective is to increase the uptake of free
> > > softwares through the provision of excellent free documentation.
> >
> > 'softwares', while correct, looks like a typo to most eyes. words like
> > 'provision' look a bit posh. try:
> >
> > 	* Objectives:  Our main objective is to increase the uptake of free
> > 	software by providing high quality free documentation.
> >
> > >
> > > * Language and context:  We are a distributed international community.
> > > Currently we are extending into Farsi and Bengali communities with the
> > > development of localised FLOSS Manuals sites and communities in each
> > > language.
> >
> > 'Currently' doesn't work well as a sentence opening i think.
> > 'communities' appears twice in one sentence also. looks forced. sentence
> > way too long try:
> > 	
> > 	 * Language and context:  We are a distributed international
> > 	 * community.
> >
> > 	 As an example of our efforts to internationalise, we are currently
> > 	 extending documentation into the Farsi and Bengali languages. We
> > 	 are doing this by developing sites and communities localised in
> > 	 each language.
> >
> >
> > >
> > > * Project history:  The project was launched in October 2007.
> > >
> > > FLOSS Manuals genesis began in 2004 when Adam Hyde from r a d i o q u a
> > > l i a (http://www.radioqualia.net) put his workshop notes online for his
> > > teachings on free software tools for streaming media. After this,
> > > through a residency with MAMA (New Media Lab, Zagreb) Adam put all the
> > > content in a wiki so he could update it (2006). In 2007 this wiki
> > > (TWiki) was extended with custom plugins for FLOSS Manuals so it could
> > > be a collaborative authoring platform for free documentation on free
> > > software. The official launch was in Amsterdam, October 2007.
> > >
> > > * Involved People:  There is a wide community of writers and they focus
> > > on one or more documentation projects within FLOSS Manuals. We have, for
> > > example, artists like Julian Oliver (http://www.selectparks.net), Derek
> > > Holzer (http://www.umatic.nl) and Sophea Lerner (http://phonebox.org)
> > > heading the Blender, PureData and Audacity manuals.
> > >
> > > Alongside this the official documentation teams from the One Laptop per
> > > Child and Inkscape (free software vector graphic program) use FLOSS
> > > Manuals for creating the 'official' documentation for their projects.
> > >
> > > Most people involved are either new media artists that use free
> > > software, or free software advocates and enthusiasts that see better
> > > documentation as the key to the increased uptake of free software in the
> > > desktop.
> > >
> >
> > the above is all pretty good i reckon.
> >
> > > * Lessons learned:  We mix voluntary and paid contributions and this
> > > works very well although it is usually frowned on by other 'free
> > > culture' projects. We intend to find away where payments are possible
> > > but not always required. In this way we build and maintain experience
> > > within the organisation.
> >
> > hmm, a few too many 'ands'. try:
> >
> > 	* Lessons learned:  We mix voluntary and paid contributions. This
> > 	works very well although it is sometimes frowned upon by other 'free
> > 	culture' projects. We intend to find a way where payments are
> > 	possible but not essential to inviting contributions. In this way we
> > 	build and maintain experience within the organisation.
> >
> > >
> > > Also, our platform surpasses anything available as a platform for
> > > collaborative authoring of books. We have created many tools that turn
> > > TWiki into a authoring platform from which we can output digital and
> > > books (via print on demand).
> > >
> >
> > begins with 'Also' and 'platform appears twice. assumes people know
> > that TWiki is a software (readers are lazy). s/a/an needed also.
> > 'output' is ambiguous.
> >
> > 	We believe our platform surpasses any other in the collaborative
> > 	authoring of books. We have created many tools that have transformed
> > 	the popular TWiki software into a fully capable authoring platform
> > 	from which books can both be created and distributed. Books written
> > 	using our platform can be published online and in 'hard copy', via
> > 	our print on demand service.
> >
> >
> > > So far nothing has 'not worked'.
> >
> > 	So far we have enjoyed great success as a publishing and
> > 	distribution platform.
> >
> > >
> > > * Technological basis:  We are an all GPL system. We are built on TWiki,
> > > and we develop customised plugins that we feed back into the TWiki
> > > repository.
> >
> > assumes reader knowledge of the 'GPL'.
> >
> > 	* Technological basis:  The FM platform uses software released under
> > 	the General Public Licence, encouraging public improvement of the
> > 	tools we use. We chose to use the popular WIKI software 'TWiki',
> > 	upon which we've built special plugins. In the spirit of the GPL,
> > 	these plugins are shared back into the public TWiki repository for
> > 	others to use in the own authoring projects.
> >
> > >
> > > All coding is in perl although we are currently using python for a PDF
> > > formatting module. This will tie FLOSS Manuals directly into print on
> > > demand so that books can be published and available for purchase after
> > > one click.
> >
> > assumes knowledge of what 'perl' is. try:
> >
> > 	All programming was done in the language Perl, although we are
> > 	currently using another scripting language Python for a PDF
> > 	formatting module. This will tie FLOSS Manuals directly into print
> > 	on demand so that books can be published and available for purchase
> > 	as a 'one click' service.
> >
> > >
> > > We currently output to downloadable PDF and online HTML.
> > >
> > > It is also possible to remix (http://www.flossmanuals.net/remix) content
> > > to make your own manuals from available content. This means you can
> > > create lovely PDF, or downloadable HTML (with your own CSS) through a
> > > simple drag and drop process.
> >
> > 	It is also possible to remix (http://www.flossmanuals.net/remix)
> > 	content to create customised manuals from existing content. Content is
> > 	made using a simple drag-and-drop process and can then be published
> > 	as either a beautifully rendered PDF document or as downloadable,
> > 	stylised HTML documents.
> >
> >
> > >
> > > Additionally we have a 'Live Manual' api which enables you to embed your
> > > remixed manual into any webpage, CMS, or Blog by cutting and pasting 5
> > > lines of HTML.
> >
> >
> >
> > 	Additionally, we have a 'Live Manual' Application Programmers
> > 	Interface which enables users to embed their remixed manual into any
> > 	webpage, CMS, or Blog by simply cutting and pasting 5 lines of HTML
> > 	code.
> > >
> > > we have done tis on a shoe string and the functionality exceeds anything
> > > else available.
> >
> > many second language english speakers have no idea what a 'shoe string'
> > budget is. i speak from experience having tried to use that phrase ;)
> >
> > 	We have done this on a very small budget, yet we believe the
> > 	functionality exceeds anything else available.
> >
> > >
> > > * Solutions:  The solution is inpart a software solution. We have built
> > > plugins to turn a wiki into a publishing system, suited for
> > > collaborative authoring and outputting to multiple sot and hard copy
> > > formats. There is nothing like this available until now. Most
> > > importantly we have developed copyright tracking functionality for
> > > appropriate accreditation of contributions, and index manager for
> > > determining the sequence of chapters via a simple drag and drop process,
> > > sophisticated output to PDF, and the ability to remix any content to
> > > make your own document.
> >
> >
> > 	* Solutions:  The FM solution comes in the form of a software tool
> > 	that we believe fills a vital gap in the publishing and distribution
> > 	of quality, free, technical manuals.
> > 	
> > 	We have built many plugins that transform a wiki software into a
> > 	fully capable publishing system, suited for collaborative authoring
> > 	and output to both digital and hard-copy formats. Until FM, there
> > 	was nothing of this kind available for those that wanted to freely
> > 	publish manuals..
> > 	
> > 	Other solutions include the development of a 'copyright tracking'
> > 	functionality to ensure the appropriate accreditation of
> > 	contributions, an index manager for determining the sequence of
> > 	chapters via a simple drag and drop process, sophisticated output to
> > 	PDF and the ability to remix any content to make your own document.
> > >
> > >
> > > The Live Journal API is entirely innovative. Nothing exists to parallel
> > > it. It enables anyone to embed full manuals in their own webpage or blog
> > > through the pasting of 5 simple lines of HTML.
> > >
> >
> > the above trumpet-blows a bit too much. i'd tone it down a bit..
> >
> > > All these plugins we have released as GPL.
> >
> > 	All the plugins we've authored have been released under the
> > 	General Public Licence.
> >
> >
> > >
> > > * Implementations:  We have English manuals, and Dutch Manuals. On the
> > > horizon is a complete site in Farsi, and then we move t the
> > > implementation of a Bengali site.
> >
> >
> > 	* Implementations:  We currently have English and Dutch Manuals.
> > 	Coming soon is a complete site in Farsi after which point we begin
> > 	the implementation of a Bengali site.
> > >
> > > * Users:  Anyone that has a need for desktop software is a potential
> > > user.
> > >
> > > * License:  All technologies are available via GPL. In addition, all
> > > content is available under GPL (GPL is a content license too, please
> > > see : http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/nonsoftware-copyleft.html
> > >
> > > * Statement of Reasons:  With 60% of all websites running on free
> > > software, why do only 1.7% of all computer users have free software on
> > > their desktops? The answer is simple, the deficiency is :
> >
> > where do you get the above statistic from? it's a good one but may need
> > backing up.
> >
> > >
> > > ???not in the software-it is the lack of good free manuals???
> > >
> > > (Free Software Foundation)
> > >
> > > FLOSS Manuals provides high quality manuals about how to use free
> > > software - to anyone, for free.
> > >
> > > FLOSS Manuals fulfills our mission through our innovative online
> > > collaborative authoring system. Our community of contributors is lead by
> > > some of the brightest minds in documentation and free software
> > > internationally.
> > >
> > > There is nothing like it in terms of content or technology available
> > > anywhere.
> >
> >
> > 	FM fulfills a vital need for free, high-quality manuals authored by
> > 	experienced users. At the time of writing there is no platform that
> > 	offers this, both in terms of content and the publishing
> > 	technologies we offer.
> > >
> > > * Planned use of prize money:  To hold a Free Documentation Symposium.
> > > The first of its kind internationally. This event will bring together
> > > key members of the FLOSS Manuals community with other documentation
> > > writers to look at techniques and technologies to improve the quality
> > > and quantity of free documentation.
> > >
> >
> > cheers!
> >
> > --
> > julian oliver
> > http://julianoliver.com
> > http://selectparks.net
> > messages containing HTML will not be read.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Discuss mailing list
> > Discuss at lists.flossmanuals.net
> > http://lists.flossmanuals.net/listinfo.cgi/discuss-flossmanuals.net
> >
> 
> 
-- 
Adam Hyde
FLOSS Manuals

http://www.flossmanuals.net