Re: Are you a newbie? Start here! -- MIDRANGE-L

Aaron,

I started a meager attempt at code searching with theOpenSource4Systemi.com site. I am not much of a site designer but acouple of years ago, after searching the web for RPG open source appsand having to wade through "Rocket Propelled Grenade" links(fortunately, not many "Open Source" RPG's in THAT context) and "RolePlaying Games" links, I decided that I would do the filtering myself andmonitor this list and other sources and whenever something like a codesnippet or program came up that was open source, I'll register the linkin my humble DB. I am still doing that and I'll continue to do thateven though traffic to the site is slim to none. But the idea is a goodone. Free resources and code abounds. Categorizing and organizing allthat stuff is the hard part. I am happy to do that but it is timeconsuming I can only do what I can only do. I'd be happy to host thecomplete repository, beyond just having links, on theOpenSource4Systemi.com site.

If Trevor brings anything to the party it's enthusiasm, which is also ascant resource when it comes to promoting System i. There are a fewjaded "been there, done that" types on the list. I like the emphasisdoing rather than ranting that Trevor promotes. There is much to do andiSociety, while not *doing* it, will at least provide a central spot toconsolidate the "do-ers".

I say give it a whirl. I have already said I'll do whatever I can dopromote the System i and anyone on this list is free to contact me, onor off the list, to solicit whatever help I can contribute.


Pete Helgren


albartell wrote:

If I were to draw up the iSociety vision I would make it a place that is
user/member driven where members "own" it and add content to it.  To some
extent this is the case (i.e. midrange.com's FAQ's and the like), but in
other respects it is not the case. Wikipedia.com is an excellent example of
how I would like to have iSociety.  I put a high level of weight on the
definitions found in Wikipedia as I know it has been (usually) critiqued by
many eyes.

The two things I would LOVE as a developer would be:

1) Central code archive to store everything from small chunks of code
showing how to use the latest feature of version xyz to being able to store
(or link to) full fledged products (i.e. like my RPGMail at
mowyourlawn.com).  This would be very searchable and category friendly.  An
RPG version of this would be cool: http://javaref.com/.  An RPG version of
this would rock (look at the User Contributed Notes):
http://us2.php.net/manual/en/function.date.php - note that comments from
users can be added directly to the user manual to relay drawbacks and best
practices, very nice.

2) "Research Central".  This would be a place where links (like the ones
mentioned in this thread) could be posted and categorized for easy access.

They key to community buy in is ease of use.  I think that is the reason why
wikipedia has faired so well - you just edit the page and you're done (over
simplified I know).  Last night I had to install a LICPGM on my iSeries for
the first time and would have liked a small 5 minute tutorial on the
subject.  I eventually waded my way through it (pretty slick actually), but
what about the person buying an i5 for the first time?

To be honest right now iSociety just seems like a messy conglomeration.  I
don't mean to downplay it at all, but that is how it feels to me.  If that
is what first impressions draw out then adoption will be minimal IMO.  I
will do my best to make it into something else, but it sounds like iSociety
is not run by the people in the System i5 Society but instead by larger
entities that have $$ ambitions (i.e. systemiportal.com). Nothing wrong with
iSeriesNews making money off of it (good for them, and I think they are a
great company), but I think it limits where iSociety can be taken.

There's my iSociety input for the day :-)

Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Joe Pluta
Sent: Friday, December 22, 2006 10:22 AM
To: 'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion'
Subject: RE: Are you a newbie? Start here!

From: Trevor Perry
Thanks for the advice. As you did not know about this before thisweek, neither did many of the rest of us. Now we do, I bet that theywill be added to the appropriate iSociety pages. Since the Welcomepage is the one that will lead you to the rest of iSociety, I wouldlook there first for an appropriate link.
Since I am not in charge of iSociety member web sites, I will forwardthis information to some of them where this will fit. For me, it doesnot fit on Angus - where I am working on posting as much originalmaterial as I can.
I would suggest you look for it on the some of the iSociety membersites that are the centerpiece for all System i related information.Those would be www.midrange.com and www.systemiportal.com.


See, THIS is the part I don't get.

You want people to join iSociety, but iSociety doesn't actually exist.  It's
just a loose confederation of other web sites.  When things are brought to
you about iSociety, then you immediately defer to "member sites".

In effect, iSociety does nothing.  And since based on the number of links
iSociety's primary information provider is System i Portal, and System i
Portal is itself primarily an aggregator of other information, then iSociety
is sort of a third-hand provider of information.

I just don't get it.

Joe


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