RE: [Boost-users] The Boost Community

From: Foster, Gareth (gareth.foster_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-05-04 03:40:37

Hello all,

As a C++ developer, and a developer who is coming to appreciate the
usefulness of Boost, I think this is a great idea.

There isn't really a focal point on the web for C++ developers, at least not
in the sense that Java developers have in java.sun.com, Mono developers have
in go-mono.net,  and as menitoned by somebody else, PHP developers have in
php.net. Boost certainly has enough clout to make this happen.

The idea of having the following C++/Boost oriented things on one site is
fantastic.

* blogs for people with influence over the development of the C++ standard
(think planet),
* blogs for heavy boost contributors (think planet),
* documentation for C++/Boost with user anotations +
* forum
* news section feat. latest compiler news and c++/boost developments etc

        + see recent work murray cumming did in adding anotation facilities
to gtkmm docs

I am sure there are more ideas, but that summarises the best of them I hope.

Useful links that might help get this off the ground.

- http://www.planetplanet.org/
// will help with blogs
- http://oswd.org
// will help with site design
- http://www.murrayc.com/temp/gtkmm_book_with_comments/html/ch13s02.php
// murray's annotation effort

It would be nice to get the site looking good right from the outset, whilst
a "Name Competition" might not merrit a two month wait, I think perhaps a
site design competition would. Look at sites like the Firefox page, a real
central C++/Boost resource looking that professional would have to be good
for C++ as a language.

I hope my comments and thoughts add something to the discussion.

All the best,

Gaz

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fernando Cacciola [mailto:fernando_cacciola_at_[hidden]] 
> Sent: 03 May 2005 17:42
> To: boost-users_at_[hidden]
> Subject: [Boost-users] The Boost Community
> 
> Hello people,
> 
> In 1998, Bemans Dawes wrote the "Proposal for a C++ Library 
> Repository Web 
> Site" (you can find the paper in 
> (www.boost.org/more/index.htm), which 
> lunched the Boost we all know and love today.
> The focus of the site was and is the production of high-quality 
> peer-reviewed C++ libraries.
> Over the years, Boost grew as a community of experienced C++ 
> developers with 
> the will and means to share their expertise and work 
> contributing to the 
> highly respected Boost Libraries. Today, Boost is a somewhat 
> recongisable 
> part of the C++ programming community at large.
> 
> Today, the way I see it, Boost as a community encompases only 
> the boost 
> developers, which are just a fraction of the larger C++ 
> crowd. There are 
> certainly Boost users, but I don't think we can say both 
> developers and 
> users form a community. I think is worth and in-the-spirit to 
> reach out for 
> ALL C++ programmers of ALL LEVELS around an "extended" Boost 
> Community whose 
> main sharing point is not just the submission of high-quality 
> libraries but 
> also the efficient and effective use of the language.
> 
> A Boost Community site would focus not directly in the 
> Libraries produced by 
> Boost but on C++ itself as the great language we all love and 
> on fostering 
> proper use of it (which includes mixing it with other languages when 
> appropiate).
> It would be volunteer-driven, just like the Boost libraries 
> are, so the site 
> would be moderated but open for external edition (I think a 
> wiki would 
> work).
> I envision it having home page links to the fundamental 
> resources for C++ 
> programmers (CUJ,ACCU, "the" books, etc), blogs from 
> developers and users 
> (related to state of the art C++ and/or the boost libraties), 
> important C++ 
> related news (not just boost-library related news), reviews, etc... 
> essentially, everything the will of volunteers can bring on to the 
> community. The motto being "fostering proper use of C++".
> A minimum of moderation would be required but I assume not much.
> 
> I know there are other programmer communities around (even 
> C++ focused). The 
> reason I propose this here (around Boost) is becasue I think that a 
> community centered around the Boost Libraries but reaching 
> out could stand 
> out for its quality in the same way the Boost Libraries do.
> I also know that a newsgroup or mailing list is a form of 
> community, and we 
> have c.l.cpp.m and c.s.cpp. But they lack the verstile structure and 
> dynamism of the today's virtual communities. Also, somehow I 
> believe that 
> centering a community around the Boost Libraries would spread 
> their quality 
> into the rest of the site; to some degree at least.
> 
> I welcome comments, ctricticism and I call interested people 
> to put forward 
> concrete ideas.
> 
> Best
> 
> Fernando Cacciola
> SciSoft
> 
> 
> 
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