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The Puffin Group Sponsors Open Source Writers
dria writes "The Puffin Group yesterday announced that it will be fully sponsoring the Open Source Writers Group, a growing organization of volunteer writers, editors, proofreaders, and translators who donate their time toward non-commercial open-source projects. The Puffin Group will provide the Open Source Writers Group with a combination of technical resources and financial compensation in order to ensure its continued existence and growth.
"
If this means that someone will get paid for writing some of this documentation, then it may be one of the best things for open-source in a while.
Many programmers, myself included, absolutely hate writing docs. It's not fun. Code is fun. Solving new problems is a lot of fun. Sometimes, talking about it is fun, but only with people who understand what's going on.
Documentation isn't nearly as much fun. I can do it, and do it well, but I won't promise to enjoy it. And if I can choose between spending free time on code or on docs, code will win almost every time.
Now if you'll throw some money at me, docs could win. There's a LOT of software out there that could use some decent documentation (ideally docs that are as free as the code).
So where do I send my resume?
Wow, this is neat.
This is slightly offtopic, though: Is there anything like this for open-source developers? I mean, an organization that provides a bit of funding and support for non-commercial and open programmers?
Hummm ......
This has just got to be a MS troll. They will do anything to find out who their enimies are!!!!!
I've used open source software for over 8 years.
My coding skills are limited, I know only a bit of C and shellscript programming. I can, however write a decent document or manual page. I'm wondering, does writing the documentation for something require that you know the program as well as the person who has written it? Would I need weeks of experience with the software before I could even start writing? Or would the programmer be able to help me by providing a "rough, technical draft"? How does this work? Are most manuals written by the people who wrote the program as well?
--Zarn
Thanks
Bruce
Bruce Perens.
Far out. The OSWG is a good bunch, albeit a little short on labor resources. The GNOME project has recently been realizing that they have a lot of neat code with almost no documentation; a lot of the docs are simply header files with a comment here and there.
A company with little enough resources (manpower, money, etc) of its own will be "sponsoring" another vapororganization? Is it just me, or are there more and more of these things today -- a linux organization, or company, or whatever, that has done nothing except gain publicity just by existing? What have they ever produced? (I know Saturday's are slow, but really..)
I would like to formally announce a strategic partnership with my neighbor. Every other week, I'll mow his yard, and in the between weeks, he'll mow my lawn. Oh, and, uh, we'll also do linux consulting on our free weekends, and work to port Linux to the Lawnmower Architecture.
[p.s. I am biased]
[p.p.s. They're still valid opinions]
--- Where's my X.400 protocol decoder?
I think there is a way to code around the lake of documentation
for GNU/Linux.
Something like the open directory.
A website where it were possible assign as editor on a open document.
Then on every document it should be possible for the visitors to
leave comments and suggestions which the editor use to update the document.
All the documents should then ordered in a directory like Yahoo or Aeiwi
so they are easy to navigate and browse.
So, if you like to code, what about coding this ??
And the benefits won't be only limited to the open-source communities.
For examples, there are initiatives abound to write open-source softwares for education, and those softwares not only will benefit the schools (by cutting down cost) but also the generations of students to come.
Most of the time, under the propriety software model, schools have to upgrade their softwares in order to get updated --- like MicroSoft's Encarta encyclopedias, if what you have is 1996 version, you just gotta upgrade or you won't get the new stuffs they put in --- but under the open-source models, scores of volunteers around the world can do the upgrading for FREE, and because there are PEER REVIEWS among the world-wide volunteer network, the upgraded informations will stay FACTUAL too !!
The effort taken to foster the open-source development with technical and financial support will ultimately benefit the entire world.
I would like to give my thanks to all those who will support the open-source initiatives and also to those who actively volunteer their talents and valuable time to do the actual coding.
Thanks to all. God bless !!!
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
Kathy? Is that you?