December 2010 Newsletter
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Issue 17/2010 http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/newsletters/december2010.pdf December Supporting open source in education and research http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk elcometoourfinalnewsletterof2010.Inthisissue,we In thIs Issue: WbringyouanarticlebyElizabethTatham,whichlooks atthebroadrangeofrolesfoundinopensourceprojects, • Roles in open source projects thusshowinghowanyonecancontributetoanopensource project,whatevertheirskills.Wealsobringyoua blogpostfrom • Daniel Pink’s Drive: open SandervanderWaalwhoarguesthatmuchofthematerial source model is key to future weproduceisapplicableoutsidetheHEandFEsector,and development aguestpostfromAlvinaLopezlookingatDanielPink’slatest • Use OSS Watch’s resources bookDrive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. within your organisation Finally,we’dliketowishyouahappyChristmasandwe’llsee • FAQs youinthenewyear. ElenaBlanco,ContentEditor,[email protected] stay up-to-date Onlinenewsletteravailableat OSSWatchnewsfeed News from OSS Watch http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/ http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/rss/osswatchnews.rss newsletters/december2010.pdf SymbianFoundationtocloseitsopensourcecode achieved‘CertificationforWindowsServer2008R2’ websites forversion2.4.0ofitsflagshipproduct,SilverStripe TheSymbianFoundationhasdecidedtoshutdown CMS.Thisisaworldfirst,accordingtoMicrosoft, itswebsitescontainingopensourcecode,software asthesoftwareistheonlytrulyopensourceweb fixesanddocumentationfrom17December.The applicationtoachievecertificationontheWindows platformwillremainopensource,however,andrelated platform. documentation,codeandupdateswillbeavailableon http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/kiwi-open-source-software-first-world-get- microsoft-server-certification-133334 request. http://www.itproportal.com/2010/11/29/symbian-foundation-close-its- IBM,15Europeanpartnerstodevelop‘smart’cloud open-source-code-websites/ IBMhasannouncedthatitisleadingajoint GuildHEgoesopensource researchinitiativewith15Europeanpartners, Withtheaimtosupportresearchexcellenceand includingstandardsbodiesandcompaniesinthe createacommunityofcross-institutionalcollaboration, telecommunications,healthcareandmediaindustries, GuildHEhaschosenUniversityofLondonComputer todevelopanobject-based,standardised‘smartcloud’ Centre(ULCC)toprovideavirtualresearch storagearchitecture.Thegoalofthecollaborationis environment(VRE).Atthecoreofthesolutionisthe toimprovedeliveryofrichdataandstorageservices leadingopensourcee-portfoliosoftwareMaharawith acrossnationalboundariesandavarietyofvendors. Moodleprovidingtheplatformforthedevelopmentof http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9196281/IBM_15_European_ partners_to_develop_smart_cloud_ sharedtrainingresource. http://bit.ly/GuildHE MicrosoftreleasesF#underApachelicence OSSWatchonline AttachmatetobuyNovellfor$2.2billion MicrosofthasreleasedthesourcesoftheF# programminglanguageasopensourcecodeunder NovellhasagreedtobeacquiredbyAttachmatefor OSSWatchblog theApache2.0licence.Thecompilerandlibrariesare $2.2billion,endingmonthsofspeculationoverits nowavailableas‘codedrops’withintheF#PowerPack future.Thecompanyhasalsoagreedtosellcertain ContactOSSWatch collectionontheCodePlexwebsite,Microsoft’shosting intellectualpropertyassetstoCPTNHoldings,a platformforopensourceprojects. technologyconsortiumledbyMicrosoft. http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Microsoft-releases-F-under- OSSWatchtwitter http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9197598/Update_Attachmate_ Apache-licence-1131485.html to_buy_Novell_for_2.2_billion NokiareclaimsSymbiansmartphonesoftware OSSWatchisfundedbythe Kiwiopensourcesoftwarefirstinworldtotoget JointInformation MicrosoftServercertification NokiahastakenbackcontroloftheSymbianoperating SystemsCommittee system,18monthsafteritsetupanon-profit SilverStripe,awebdevelopmentcompanydelivering foundationtooverseeitsdevelopment.Nokiawill opensourcecontentmanagementsystems(CMS)for controlthefuturedirectionoftheworld’smostpopular websitesanddevelopmentservicestobusinesses smartphonesoftwarefromApril2011. throughoutAustralasia,EuropeandtheUSA,has http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11713192 OSSWatchonline OSSWatchblog ContactOSSWatch OSSWatchtwitter http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk http://osswatch.jiscinvolve.org [email protected] http://twitter.com/osswatch OSSWatch,ResearchTechnologiesService,OxfordUniversityComputingServices,13BanburyRoad,OxfordOX26NN,[email protected] ©2007-2010UniversityofOxford.CreativeCommonsAttribution-ShareAlike2.0England&Waleslicence Roles in open source projects Fullarticlecanbefoundathttp://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/rolesinopensource.xml 1.Introduction will probablymakeyouawarethatnotallfeature requestswillbeimplemented,althoughevery ou don’tneedtobeasoftwaredeveloperto commentwillbecarefullyconsideredandfeedback Ycontributetoanopensourceproject.Thecode, willbeprovidedastohowimportantthatrequestis. documentationandartworkthatmakeupanopen sourceprojecthaveallbeencreated,tested,used, 3.Usersupport Once youhavegainedsomeexperienceoftheproject, discussedandrefinedbymembersoftheproject youcansupportnewuserswhohavenoexperience. community.Theseprocessescanbebrokendown Helpingpeopletogetstartediscriticaltothe intoamyriadtasks,requiringdifferentskills,levelsof medium-tolong-termsuccessoftheproject.Thisis involvementanddegreesoftechnicalexpertise.So, becausesomeofthesenewcomerswillthemselves ifyouwanttogetinvolvedinanopensourceproject, becomecontributorsandensuretheongoing thereisarangeofrolestochoosefrom.These developmentandsupportoftheproject. include: Thequickest,easiestandmostsignificantwayto •providingfeedback providesuchsupportintheearlystagesofyour •helpingnewusers involvementistoanswernewcomers’questions. •recommendingtheprojecttoothers Theseareoftenbestansweredbythosewhohave •testingandreportingorfixingbugs themselvesrecentlyexperiencedthesameissues.By •requestingnewfeatures answeringquestionsfromnewcomers,youwillalso •writingandupdatingsoftware behelpingtheprojectbysavingthedeveloperstime. •creatingartwork Asyougainexperience,youwillbeabletoaskand •writingorupdatingdocumentation subsequentlyanswermorecomplexquestions.In •translating turn,youwillbesupportedbymoreexperienced Allofthesecontributionshelptokeepaprojectactive usersasthecomplexityofyourownrequestsgrows. andstrengthenthecommunity.Theprojectteamand Inthisway,providingsupportwillbenefitbothyou thebroadercommunity andtheprojectitself. willthereforewelcomeand encourageparticipation, 4.Evangelising andattempttomake The quickest, easiest and andmarketing itaseasyaspossible most significant way to provide It goeswithoutsaying forpeopletoget such support in the early stages thatthelifebloodofany involved.Theexact of your involvement is to answer opensourceprojectisits rolesandmechanisms users:moreusersmeans forparticipatingwillbe newcomers’ questions. moreopportunitiesfor dictatedbytheproject’s success.Andfeedback governancemodelandvary fromusersonwhatthey fromoneprojecttoanother. wanthelpstoensurethat Thetoolsforcommunicatingwithinthecommunity theproductisofincreasinglygoodquality.Soitis andmakingcontributionswillalsovary. vitalthattheprojectattractsusersonanongoing Formostprojects,thefirststepisnormallytojoin basis.Asanexistinguser,youcanhelptheproject oneormoreoftheprojectmailinglists,dependingon todothisbytellingpeopleaboutitandencouraging yourareaofinterest.Mailinglistsaregenerallythe themtotryitout. DECEMBER maincommunicationchannel,butsomeprojectsmay Theprojectmayalsoengageinmoreactiveformsof alsouseforumsorothertools.Theproject’swebsite marketing,suchasrepresentationatconferencesand shouldprovideclearguidelinesonhowtogetstarted workshops.Bybeingwillingtopresenttheproject andwhichchannelstouse. toothers,youcanalsohelptoensurethataflowof Let’sexploresomeoftherolesyoucouldfulfilinan users,andthuspotentialcontributors,ismaintained. opensourceproject. 5.Softwaredesignandimplementation OSSWatchonline 2.Userexperience As asoftwaredeveloper,yourfirststeptowards Project teamsarealwayskeentoknowmoreabout contributingcodewillprobablybereportingbugsand howusersengagewiththeprojectandhowthey OSSWatchblog submittingfixes.Ifyouarenotyetacommitteronthe wouldlikeittolookandfunction.Thisfeedbackis project,youwouldnormallymakethesecontributions vitaltothelifeoftheproject.Withoutit,theteam bysubmittingapatchontheissuetracker.Youmight ContactOSSWatch wouldnotbeabletoimprovethesoftware’susability, thengoontodesignnewfeaturesfortheprojector akeyelementthatcouldmaketheprojectstandout redesignordevelopcurrentones. OSSWatchtwitter amongitscompetitors. Rememberthatallsignificantcodecontributions Asanewuser,youmayfeelreluctanttomake shouldbediscussedonthedevelopermailinglist requestsorprovidecriticism,nomatterhow beforeimplementation.Thiswillallowtheproject OSS Watchisfundedbythe constructive,forfearofseemingimpoliteor teamtoensurethatthedesignisappropriateand JointInformation ungrateful.Butmostopensourceprojectswill thatuserexperiencewillnotbeadverselyaffected. SystemsCommittee encourageyouineverypossiblewaytocontribute Smallercontributions,suchasbugfixes,canbe todiscussionsonusermailinglistsoraddfeature submittedaspatchesontheissuetrackerwithout requeststotheissuetracker.Atthesametime,they discussion. Articlecontinuesathttp://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/rolesinopensource.xml OSSWatchonline OSSWatchblog ContactOSSWatch OSSWatchtwitter http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk http://osswatch.jiscinvolve.org [email protected] http://twitter.com/osswatch OSS Watch,ResearchTechnologiesService,OxfordUniversityComputingServices,13BanburyRoad,OxfordOX26NN,[email protected] ©2007-2010UniversityofOxford.CreativeCommonsAttribution-ShareAlike2.0England&Waleslicence