Maemo Weekly News: a proposal - Page 3 - maemo.org

Jaffa | # 21 | 2009-11-23, 14:40 | Report

Originally Posted by javispedro View Post

I also think it's a great initiative. I enjoyed Wine Weekly News _a lot_ while it was alive, and hope to do so with MWN

You know how to make sure you get enjoyment; get involved ;-)

Anyway, another example of the content I'd contribute (it's easier to spot these things as you go through):

Originally Posted by

Twitter: Device programme recipients' limited warranty http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p...&postcount=441

Originally Posted by

Title: Device programme recipients' limited warranty
Lead-in: {user:milhouse} has asked the Forum Nokia folks behind the device discount programme (DDP) as to the warranty included in the half-price N900s available to high-profile members of the community, and the news isn't good:
Quote: The devices that are sold through the Discounted Device Program (DDP) do not have Nokia's standard Product warranty. If the device that you receive is defect, you can return it within one (1) week from the purchase with a written note explaining what the defect is.
Lead-out: Obviously, this has caused some consternation; and it's not yet clear what happens after the one week has expired.

Hopefully these examples will help to dissuade rcadden and christaexport that I'm trying to tread on their toes - indeed, as jonquark says, it should help drive traffic to their sites, rather than the opposite. Yes, it's implicit that I don't think this is an audience the blogs are catering to, but neither do I think they ever intended to! The blogs are doing a great job highlighting consumer-facing news and explaining, in-depth, what that means to the users. That's not the same as fishing through the depths of tmo, IRC, Bugzilla and Brainstorm to highlight where the interesting activity in the community is happening each week.

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christexaport | # 22 | 2009-11-24, 09:05 | Report

I'm past alll that, and all for a weekly digest type deal, and you can count on my participation on a part time basis from time to time, if I'm welcome. Just too busy now, and waiting on my N900 is making me crazy. I don't have a single mobile device right now. All are broken or on loan. For those that don't know me, I spend zero time on laptops and desktops unless I'm in the studio. I spend at least 6 hours, usually more, actively using my device as my main computer. I'm actually depressed as hell not having a mobile. Won't even have my N900 for the DFW meetup wednesday. Life sux, unless the DHL truck shows up tomorrow.

Last edited by christexaport; 2009-11-24 at 09:07.

CrashandDie | # 23 | 2009-11-26, 09:08 | Report

Jaffa, all,

We have started to tinker about the possibilities of a specific UI for this task. I believe you would be trying to make a mockup in the near future, and I would be happy to provide my services to help setup the system. However, I will be traveling a lot and spare time will be sparse.

Is there a wiki page used to coordinate our efforts?

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timsamoff | # 24 | 2009-11-26, 17:37 | Report

Funny. I think some of the "blogger" issues come from a closed-source (competition-based) world colliding with an open source (free market) world. But, funny also, since I've been blogging since June 2000 now and I've always viewed blogging as an open source, the more the merrier sort of world by design. But, maybe it's just me...?

I'm glad that the issues have been resolved -- it seems -- since Jaffa's original proposal was/is nothing but good for the community and bloggers alike.

Wow... I haven't posted here in weeks and it feels...strange. Ok, carry on.

Tim

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GeneralAntilles | # 25 | 2009-11-27, 17:45 | Report

Originally Posted by timsamoff View Post

(competition-based) . . . (free market)

One of these things is exactly like the other. . . .

I'm guessing you probably want to compare it more to the sort of gatekeeping that more traditional journalistic entities (like newspapers) tend to practice and we've seen exactly how well that arrogance has turned out for them.

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Jaffa | # 26 | 2009-11-29, 13:55 | Report

Originally Posted by CrashandDie View Post

We have started to tinker about the possibilities of a specific UI for this task. I believe you would be trying to make a mockup in the near future, and I would be happy to provide my services to help setup the system. However, I will be traveling a lot and spare time will be sparse.

Indeed. No time at the moment to set up a mock-up (as I describe in the mailing list post.

Originally Posted by

Is there a wiki page used to coordinate our efforts?

Just created http://wiki.maemo.org/Maemo_Weekly_News

I might try and fill it in this evening, but I'm in the process of packing for a mini-trip and so time is running out...

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Jaffa | # 27 | 2010-01-17, 15:12 | Report

Thanks to everyone who's volunteered so far; I've now fleshed out the wiki page with more examples, details and next steps (OTTOMH):

http://wiki.maemo.org/Maemo_Weekly_News

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CrashandDie | # 28 | 2010-01-17, 21:18 | Report

Thread stickied.

Thanks for the effort Jaffa.

CrashandDie | # 29 | 2010-01-21, 03:25 | Report

Hi guys,

Small update.

I've started working on a small PHP framework that will be used to develop the tools for people who would like to contribute to MWKN.

Just to get the discussion going again:

- I am currently working on implementing a lightweight "Browser" of sorts for the contributors, so that they can easily and quickly find the message they want to select and use in the edition. This will collate data such as direct URL of the thread/post, author information, date, etc.

- The system will be robust in the way that it won't allow the same article/post to be discussed a second time without overriding some protection.

- At first it will be quite rough, but as the software matures I'm expecting to implement wysiwyg functionalities, also enabling drag&drop, and having highly interactive webpages, so that the work will be as small as possible. After an edition has been compiled, reviewed and approved, the system will allow to generate in a few formats.
- I am currently hoping to output to PDF, HTML (web page), raw text.
- Other transmission formats include email, twitter, blog post and RSS feed.

- People will be able to mark and submit items freely, so that contributors are pointed to them, in case it has been missed by everyone who contributes regularly. This will obviously be honeypot for spam, but that's just how it has to be. Only URLs will be accepted, and tinyURL and other services will be banned, and even just images will be banned (the system will do a pre-load of the page and ensure the mime-type of the content submitted isn't pure jpeg or binary).

- I've started working on a resource adapter framework which will allow people to write their own resource adapter implementations (yes, this is PHP). What this will enable is that people who are used to the twitter API can help us reach a greater amount of information. I'm currently working on the mailing-list API and talk.maemo.org API. Both will most probably be web based, due to the complexity of interfacing with SMTP/POP and having raw access to the TMO databases.

Comments are highly welcome,

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Jaffa | # 30 | 2010-01-21, 14:11 | Report

Originally Posted by CrashandDie View Post

I've started working on a small PHP framework that will be used to develop the tools for people who would like to contribute to MWKN.

Excellent, cool stuff. I can give you access to mwkn.net and the box running on it. Source code control in gitorious? Or garage project?

Originally Posted by

- I am currently working on implementing a lightweight "Browser" of sorts for the contributors, so that they can easily and quickly find the message they want to select and use in the edition. This will collate data such as direct URL of the thread/post, author information, date, etc.

Cool. The biggest problem with getting a useful link out of reading the mailing list or being on IRC is capturing the link. Having a tool which makes that capture easy for contributors is key.

Originally Posted by

- At first it will be quite rough, but as the software matures I'm expecting to implement wysiwyg functionalities, also enabling drag&drop, and having highly interactive webpages, so that the work will be as small as possible. After an edition has been compiled, reviewed and approved, the system will allow to generate in a few formats.

Initial roughness is fine, but as the (sub-)editors' enthusiasm drops off, the tools being trivial to put together an issue, and expand on the captured information is key. This is why I included some example macros for doing common things (such as linking to a user profile and expanding their name).

Originally Posted by

- People will be able to mark and submit items freely, so that contributors are pointed to them, in case it has been missed by everyone who contributes regularly. This will obviously be honeypot for spam, but that's just how it has to be. Only URLs will be accepted, and tinyURL and other services will be banned, and even just images will be banned (the system will do a pre-load of the page and ensure the mime-type of the content submitted isn't pure jpeg or binary).

Not quite so sure about this. It seems we've got a good scattering of contributors and they'll be open during the week to suggestions; and can see the #mwkn hashtag on Twitter to decide whether to Tweet/submit something @mwkn.

Originally Posted by

- I've started working on a resource adapter framework which will allow people to write their own resource adapter implementations (yes, this is PHP). What this will enable is that people who are used to the twitter API can help us reach a greater amount of information.

I certainly see value on having people like Tim and Aniello being able to slightly adapt their existing Twitter workflow. If they see something they want to be included in the next MWKN, they can include "#mwkn" in their tweet. The mwkn Twitter account can follow approved contributors and re-tweet what they say.

Therefore, the Twitter resource adapter which presents information to (sub-)editors can "list all tweets by mwkn which haven't been included yet".

The key for contribution, IMNSHO, is making sure that the high-calibre contributors don't have to waste any time to put something into the submission queue, to make it available to a (sub-)editor during the collation of an issue on a Sunday evening. If they see something worth sharing (such as Quim's post about fMMS and frals) they can do it with just one or two clicks from within their browser. Whether that's Twitter clients like Echofon, or bookmarklets for opening a "recent posts to maemo-developers" window.

The key for sub-editors is being able to - over the weekend - in a multi-pass way, decide whether a submission should be included, expand on it with contextual information, put it into a preferred order within their section.

The for editors is being able to quickly review the whole issue and decide which of the items in a sub-section get promoted to the front-page.

Originally Posted by

I'm currently working on the mailing-list API and talk.maemo.org API. Both will most probably be web based, due to the complexity of interfacing with SMTP/POP and having raw access to the TMO databases.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by

Comments are highly welcome,

Sounds like a good start; just shout if you've got any questions.

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