Task:Texts for maemo.nokia.com

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.

Contents

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.

Software freedom, open communities and you

You get many choices with a Maemo device. As a user you can choose to enjoy the features and services that come out of the box. You can also download more software (in most cases for free) and enjoy. This way you can become a happy Maemo user and be good with it. But if you want more, there is a lot more.

Maemo is an open platform running in open devices. It has Linux in its core, and 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 could say. Well, all this matters to you if you want to go beyond the role of a pure user.

(((to be continued tomorrow Friday)))

(Text to recycle)

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 Development

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.

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.

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 talk.maemo.org. If you know of a bug or want to make a feature request, do it at bugs.maemo.org. If you're a developer, start with the Maemo documentation and check out some of the current projects going on at garage.maemo.org. It doesn't matter how you interact with Maemo—every community member's contribution makes this community better.

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: