From: Benj. Mako Hill Date: Sat, 4 Jun 2005 00:07:29 +0000 (+0000) Subject: Finished going through and writing the "Starting a Project" general X-Git-Url: https://projects.mako.cc/source/fspm_howto/commitdiff_plain/065c74841d7913b88a0080afc2fb257d76e2a95f?ds=sidebyside;hp=24b5107d4077795776937de128305bb4a13f02d7 Finished going through and writing the "Starting a Project" general Author: mako Date: 2001/03/25 19:40:27 Finished going through and writing the "Starting a Project" general introduction and writing the entire "Choosing a Project" subsection. There are some errors that need to be fixed with URLs (the url is entered twice and shouldn't be). --- diff --git a/FreeSoftwareDevelopmentHOWTO.sgml b/FreeSoftwareDevelopmentHOWTO.sgml index 32091e7..8c83f39 100644 --- a/FreeSoftwareDevelopmentHOWTO.sgml +++ b/FreeSoftwareDevelopmentHOWTO.sgml @@ -392,9 +392,194 @@ If you are reading this document, there's a good chance you already have an idea for a project in mind. Chances are pretty good, it fills a gap by doing something that no other free - software process does or or does something unique + software process does or or does it in a way that is unique + enought to necessitate a seperate project. + + Indentify and Articulate Your Idea + + Eric S. Raymond writes about how free software projects start in + his paper, "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" which comes as required + reading for any free softare development. You can find it online + at + http://www.tuxedo.org/!esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/. + + + + In "The Cathedral and Bazaar," Raymond tells us that: + Every good work of software starts by scratching a + developers itch. Raymond now widely accepted + hypothesis is that new free software programs are written, first + and foremost, to solve a specific problem facing the developer. + + + + If you have an idea for a program in mind, chances are good that + it it is targetting a specific problem or itch you want to see + scratched. This idea is the project. Articulate it + clearly. Write it out. Describe the problem you will attack in + detail. The success of your project in tackling a particular + problem will be tied to your ability to identify that problem + early on. Find out exactly what it is that you want your project + to do. + + + + + Evaluate Your Idea + + + In evaluating your idea, you need to ask yourself questions. + Before you move any further into this HOWTO, you need to + determine if the free software development model really is the + right one for your project. Obviously, since the program + scratches your itch, you are definately interested in seeing it + implemented in code. But, because one hacker coding alone fails + to qualify as a free software development effort, you need to ask + yourself the question: Is anybody else + interested? + + + + Sometimes the answer is no. If you want to + write a set of scripts to sort your MP3 + collection on your machine, maybe the free software development + model is not the best one to choose. However, if you want to + write a set of scripts to sort anyone's + MP3s, a free software project might fill a useful gap. + + + + Luckily, The Internet is a place so big and diverse that, chances + are, there is someone, somewhere, who shares your interests and + how feels the same itch. It is the fact that there are so many + people with so many similar needs and desires that introduces the + second major question: Has somebody already had your + idea or a reasonably similar one? + + + + Finding Similar Projects + + + There are places you can go on the web to try and answer this + question. If you have experience with the free software + community, you are probably already familiar with all of these + sites. All of the resources listed bellow offer searching of + their databases: + + + + + + freshmeat.net + + + Located at at + http://freshmeat.net, freshmeat describes itself as, + the Web's largest index of Linux and Open Source + software and its reputation along these lines remains + unquestioned. If you can't find it on freshmeat, its doubtful + that you'll find it indexed anywhere else. + + + + + + Slashdot + + + Located at + http://slashdot.org, Slashdot provides News + for Nerds: Stuff that Matters, which usually includes + discussion of free software, open source, technology, and + geek culture new and events. It is not unusual for an + particularly sexy develpment effort to be announced here so + it definately worth checking. + + + + + + SourceForge + + + Located at + http://sourceforge.net, SourceForge houses and + facilitates a growning number of open source and free + software projects, SourceForge is quickly becoming a nexus + and an necessary stop for free software + developers. SourceForge's + + software map and new releases + pages. should be necessary stops before embarking on a new + free software project. SourceForge also provides a + Code Snippet Library at http://sourceforge.net/snippet/ + which contains useful reusuable chunks of code in an array + of langauges which can come in useful in any project. + + + + + + Google and Google's Linux Search + + + Located at + http://www.google.com and + + http://www.google.com/linux, provide prowerful web + searches that may reveal people working on similar + projects. It is not a catalog of software or news like + freshmeat or Slashdot, but it is worth checking before you + begin pouring your effort into a redundant project. + + + + + + + + + + Deciding to Proceed + + Once you have successfull charted the terrain and have an idea + bout what kinds of similar free software projects exist, every + developer needs to decide whether to proceed with their own + project. It is rare that a new project seeks to accomplish a + goal that is not similar to related to the goal of another + project. Anyone starting a new project needs to ask themselves: + Will the new project be duplicating work done by + another project? Will the new project be competing for + developers with an existing project? Can the goals of the new + project be accomplished by adding functionality to an existing + project? + + + + If the answer to any of these questions is yes, try to contact + the developer of the existing project in question and see if he + or she might be willing to collaborate with you. + + + + This may be the single most difficult aspect of free software + development for many developers but it is essential. It is easy + to become fired up by and idea and be caught up in the momentum + and excitement of a new project. It is often extremely difficult + but it is important that any free software developer rememeber + that the best interests of the of the free software community + and the quickest way to accomplish ones own project's goals and + the goals of similar project can often be accomplished by + not starting a new project. + + + + @@ -440,7 +625,7 @@ Maintaining a Project: Interacting with Developers - +>which fswd!developers @@ -524,4 +709,4 @@ sgml-exposed-tags:nil sgml-local-catalogs:nil sgml-local-ecat-files:nil End: ---> +--> \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/FreeSoftwareProjectManagementHOWTO.sgml b/FreeSoftwareProjectManagementHOWTO.sgml index 32091e7..8c83f39 100644 --- a/FreeSoftwareProjectManagementHOWTO.sgml +++ b/FreeSoftwareProjectManagementHOWTO.sgml @@ -392,9 +392,194 @@ If you are reading this document, there's a good chance you already have an idea for a project in mind. Chances are pretty good, it fills a gap by doing something that no other free - software process does or or does something unique + software process does or or does it in a way that is unique + enought to necessitate a seperate project. + + Indentify and Articulate Your Idea + + Eric S. Raymond writes about how free software projects start in + his paper, "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" which comes as required + reading for any free softare development. You can find it online + at + http://www.tuxedo.org/!esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/. + + + + In "The Cathedral and Bazaar," Raymond tells us that: + Every good work of software starts by scratching a + developers itch. Raymond now widely accepted + hypothesis is that new free software programs are written, first + and foremost, to solve a specific problem facing the developer. + + + + If you have an idea for a program in mind, chances are good that + it it is targetting a specific problem or itch you want to see + scratched. This idea is the project. Articulate it + clearly. Write it out. Describe the problem you will attack in + detail. The success of your project in tackling a particular + problem will be tied to your ability to identify that problem + early on. Find out exactly what it is that you want your project + to do. + + + + + Evaluate Your Idea + + + In evaluating your idea, you need to ask yourself questions. + Before you move any further into this HOWTO, you need to + determine if the free software development model really is the + right one for your project. Obviously, since the program + scratches your itch, you are definately interested in seeing it + implemented in code. But, because one hacker coding alone fails + to qualify as a free software development effort, you need to ask + yourself the question: Is anybody else + interested? + + + + Sometimes the answer is no. If you want to + write a set of scripts to sort your MP3 + collection on your machine, maybe the free software development + model is not the best one to choose. However, if you want to + write a set of scripts to sort anyone's + MP3s, a free software project might fill a useful gap. + + + + Luckily, The Internet is a place so big and diverse that, chances + are, there is someone, somewhere, who shares your interests and + how feels the same itch. It is the fact that there are so many + people with so many similar needs and desires that introduces the + second major question: Has somebody already had your + idea or a reasonably similar one? + + + + Finding Similar Projects + + + There are places you can go on the web to try and answer this + question. If you have experience with the free software + community, you are probably already familiar with all of these + sites. All of the resources listed bellow offer searching of + their databases: + + + + + + freshmeat.net + + + Located at at + http://freshmeat.net, freshmeat describes itself as, + the Web's largest index of Linux and Open Source + software and its reputation along these lines remains + unquestioned. If you can't find it on freshmeat, its doubtful + that you'll find it indexed anywhere else. + + + + + + Slashdot + + + Located at + http://slashdot.org, Slashdot provides News + for Nerds: Stuff that Matters, which usually includes + discussion of free software, open source, technology, and + geek culture new and events. It is not unusual for an + particularly sexy develpment effort to be announced here so + it definately worth checking. + + + + + + SourceForge + + + Located at + http://sourceforge.net, SourceForge houses and + facilitates a growning number of open source and free + software projects, SourceForge is quickly becoming a nexus + and an necessary stop for free software + developers. SourceForge's + + software map and new releases + pages. should be necessary stops before embarking on a new + free software project. SourceForge also provides a + Code Snippet Library at http://sourceforge.net/snippet/ + which contains useful reusuable chunks of code in an array + of langauges which can come in useful in any project. + + + + + + Google and Google's Linux Search + + + Located at + http://www.google.com and + + http://www.google.com/linux, provide prowerful web + searches that may reveal people working on similar + projects. It is not a catalog of software or news like + freshmeat or Slashdot, but it is worth checking before you + begin pouring your effort into a redundant project. + + + + + + + + + + Deciding to Proceed + + Once you have successfull charted the terrain and have an idea + bout what kinds of similar free software projects exist, every + developer needs to decide whether to proceed with their own + project. It is rare that a new project seeks to accomplish a + goal that is not similar to related to the goal of another + project. Anyone starting a new project needs to ask themselves: + Will the new project be duplicating work done by + another project? Will the new project be competing for + developers with an existing project? Can the goals of the new + project be accomplished by adding functionality to an existing + project? + + + + If the answer to any of these questions is yes, try to contact + the developer of the existing project in question and see if he + or she might be willing to collaborate with you. + + + + This may be the single most difficult aspect of free software + development for many developers but it is essential. It is easy + to become fired up by and idea and be caught up in the momentum + and excitement of a new project. It is often extremely difficult + but it is important that any free software developer rememeber + that the best interests of the of the free software community + and the quickest way to accomplish ones own project's goals and + the goals of similar project can often be accomplished by + not starting a new project. + + + + @@ -440,7 +625,7 @@ Maintaining a Project: Interacting with Developers - +>which fswd!developers @@ -524,4 +709,4 @@ sgml-exposed-tags:nil sgml-local-catalogs:nil sgml-local-ecat-files:nil End: ---> +--> \ No newline at end of file