Task:Texts for maemo.nokia.com

m (→(Text to recycle))
(→Software freedom, open communities and you)
Line 9: Line 9:
Maemo is an open platform running in open devices. It has Linux at its core, but also plenty more software components maintained by communities of open source developers. The development platform is based on well known toolkits and languages widely used in the free software community.  
Maemo is an open platform running in open devices. It has Linux at its core, but also plenty more software components maintained by communities of open source developers. The development platform is based on well known toolkits and languages widely used in the free software community.  
-
''"So what?"'' you might say. Well, all of this does matter if you desire to evolve beyond the role of a pure user.  
+
''"So what?"'' you might say. Well, all of this does matter if you wish to evolve beyond the role of a user.
-
(((to be continued tomorrow Friday)))
+
In 1991 a young developer called Linus Torvalds started a software project in Helsinki (Finland), coincidentally the same city where the Maemo headquarters are located. That project was called Linux and one interesting aspect was that the software created was free. Other developers could look at the code, improve it, customize it, redistribute it...
-
=== (Text to recycle) ===
+
All this process was and is still done in a transparent and collaborative way, mostly via Internet. Freedom, transparency and online collaboration defined the way of working of this successful project. Free software had existed before Linux but then over the years became a global phenomenon, an industrial trend and a source of inspiration for many other projects around the Internet: Mozilla, Wikipedia, BitTorrent...
-
Maemo is a Linux-based software platform consisting primarily of open source code. Maemo is geared towards mobile devices and powers Nokia Internet Tablets.
+
Maemo is part of this tradition, and you feel it as soon as you land in http://maemo.org. The Maemo community is a place for everybody to share, discuss, get help, improve and enjoy. No matter what is your background or your motivations, the chances to find peers to meet and have fun are high.  
-
=== Maemo Development ===
+
Pick your preferred applications and rate them, share your questions with other users, give your opinions to the developers, report a problem and help fixing it... This is how anybody can get involved in open source collaboration, even without having a clue about programming.
-
Maemo is developed as an open collaboration between Nokia and many generous volunteer programmers, designers, and users. Most of Maemo's components are open source, which gives users and developers the freedom and flexibility to contribute to and modify the platform's core development.
+
Give it a try. Download and rate some applications. Share your first impressions in the forum. Suggest one improvement or two. Be careful, you may learn more things than you expect. You may get more addicted to community discussions than you think. Your community karma might go beyond your expectations. And one day you might find yourself meeting other Maemo peers face to face, till late in some city you had never visited before.
-
Developers are naturally inquisitive and enjoy understanding how things are created. Open source developers have the liberty to improve them. As with the World Wide Web, the absence of license restrictions and fees allows anyone with the knowledge and initiative to start new projects and participate in existing ones. The openness of the Maemo platform attracts open source projects developed by the community. This means more choices for users and more freedom for developers.
+
All these things might happen when you open a Maemo box.
-
 
+
-
=== The Maemo Community ===
+
-
 
+
-
Open source software is created by communities of developers and users working together to solve problems, innovate existing technologies, and implement new ideas. Users are in direct contact with developers and can suggest improvements, obtain support, and get involved. Smart minds, creative skills, and helpful people of all kinds are all welcome—and, in fact, are necessities of a sustainable open source community.
+
-
 
+
-
The best part is the exciting potential for collaboration—you will rarely find yourself working alone. This is the power of a passionate community. It is exactly this power that brings humanity together through software that improves the lives of others.
+
-
 
+
-
=== Get Involved with Maemo ===
+
-
 
+
-
There are several ways to get involved with Maemo. If you just want to get your feet wet in community affairs or ask other users for help, head over to [http://talk.maemo.org talk.maemo.org]. If you know of a bug or want to make a feature request, do it at [http://bugs.maemo.org bugs.maemo.org]. If you're a developer, start with the [http://maemo.org/development/documentation/ Maemo documentation] and check out some of the current projects going on at [http://garage.maemo.org garage.maemo.org]. It doesn't matter how you interact with Maemo—every community member's contribution makes this community better.
+
== Further Development Needed ==
== Further Development Needed ==

Revision as of 15:23, 31 July 2009

maemo.nokia.com will contain two pages related to the current scope of maemo.org. Here we will draft the text for both. Quim has to deliver a first complete draft by 2008-11-18.

Software freedom, open communities and you

Maemo devices are all about choices. Users can choose to enjoy a variety of features and services that come out of the box. Additional software (in most cases for free) is always available to download and enjoy. Because of this Maemo users have the ability to use their device as-is, or dive deeper into what actually makes their device work.

That said, if you want more...there is a lot more.

Maemo is an open platform running in open devices. It has Linux at its core, but also plenty more software components maintained by communities of open source developers. The development platform is based on well known toolkits and languages widely used in the free software community.

"So what?" you might say. Well, all of this does matter if you wish to evolve beyond the role of a user.

In 1991 a young developer called Linus Torvalds started a software project in Helsinki (Finland), coincidentally the same city where the Maemo headquarters are located. That project was called Linux and one interesting aspect was that the software created was free. Other developers could look at the code, improve it, customize it, redistribute it...

All this process was and is still done in a transparent and collaborative way, mostly via Internet. Freedom, transparency and online collaboration defined the way of working of this successful project. Free software had existed before Linux but then over the years became a global phenomenon, an industrial trend and a source of inspiration for many other projects around the Internet: Mozilla, Wikipedia, BitTorrent...

Maemo is part of this tradition, and you feel it as soon as you land in http://maemo.org. The Maemo community is a place for everybody to share, discuss, get help, improve and enjoy. No matter what is your background or your motivations, the chances to find peers to meet and have fun are high.

Pick your preferred applications and rate them, share your questions with other users, give your opinions to the developers, report a problem and help fixing it... This is how anybody can get involved in open source collaboration, even without having a clue about programming.

Give it a try. Download and rate some applications. Share your first impressions in the forum. Suggest one improvement or two. Be careful, you may learn more things than you expect. You may get more addicted to community discussions than you think. Your community karma might go beyond your expectations. And one day you might find yourself meeting other Maemo peers face to face, till late in some city you had never visited before.

All these things might happen when you open a Maemo box.

Further Development Needed

Ideas to develop, keeping them simple and short. More catchy than accurate or explained in depth.

  • Why being able to look at the source code of software is relevant to normal people.
    • No licencing costs
    • Freedom to use (No constricting EULA)
    • Freedom to share (pass copies around)
    • Developing software in the open permits peer review (more secure software)
    • Development by community - the doors are open, come on in!
  • How normal people benefits from software freedom.
  • Every user is a potential contributor.
  • How Maemo benefits from the work of other projects, and viceversa.
    • Sharing infrastructure - collaborate on higher quality building materials to make better houses
    • Collaboration on what's shared, competition on what's different
  • Short history and trends.
  • maemo.org entry points to get started.

Links to know more:


Introduction for developers

Ideas to develop, keeping them simple and short. More catchy than accurate or explained in depth.

  • Basic platform description.
  • Intro to the offering in a sensible way: Mozilla add-ons, Python, C/C++, GTK+Qt, SDK, SDK+, Eclipse plugins (do we need to digest all this or make a tighter selection).
  • Specific message to Linux ports.
  • Specific message to Symbian and .NET developers.
  • Highlights on open platform development.
  • Introduction to Forum Nokia: official & stable.
  • Introduction to maemo.org Developers corner: community & unstable.
  • Links to Quickstart Guide, Reference Manual and Training Materials.
Retrieved from "http://wiki.maemo.org/Task:Texts_for_maemo.nokia.com"