0.11.11
This is the list of things I'd like to see in the November 2011 OpenHatch release.
We can change this document!
Theme: Simplify.
Basically can't live without it: Website
Fast developer setup
Goals:
- Linux-based developer setup should take <= 5 min
- Mac-based developer setup should take <= 10 min
- Windows-based developer setup should take <= 15 min
Status: The technical changes are probably complete. Documentation-wise, we should write clear instructions for Windows, Linux, and Mac users go from "I don't know if I have Python installed" all the way to "runserver is running."
Finish migrating all bug trackers to new "bugimporters" framework
- Write more about this, but anyway, that's the goal.
- Remove the "mysite/customs/bugtrackers" directory entirely.
Status: bugtrackers/ is gone, and bugimporters/ is now being used. We still need to rewrite the Launchpad importer.
- Asheesh says this is "some basic performance improvements to a few sites, and a few Apache tunable parameters, away from being true."
- This is done!
- Next month, though, we ought to do load testing to be more sure that the site won't go down all the dang time.
Status: Many core problems are resolved.
Initial implementation of handler for people who've clicked "I want to help"
Right now, when visitors to OpenHatch click a button on a project page indicating they want to help, we add them to a list. We have repeatedly received feedback that project maintainers want the ability to manage this as a queue.
(Recently, we've used the short-hand "IWH handler" to describe this -- "I Want to Help" handler.)
More info:
- Mockup and conversation: http://openhatch.org/bugs/issue282
- Related bugs: http://openhatch.org/bugs/issue567 http://openhatch.org/bugs/issue568 http://openhatch.org/bugs/issue570
Owner: Asheesh (but someone else may take it)
Skills needed: Familiarity (or willingness to learn) Django
(Asheesh's note: I'm particularly motivated to see us get this done, so I'll make sure it's on my agenda if no one else takes it.)
Status: Jule grabbed this bug, and submitted a patch for it on 12/4/2011, and it landed!
Add some reasonable antispam to project pages
They get spam. What a drag.
Maybe filter links with the Akismet module.
Status: I did manual spam filtering, which seems to work okay, and documented further possible steps here: https://openhatch.org/bugs/issue624
Rate each of the training missions w/r/t Missions Pedagogy
- More info: Missions pedagogy
Owner: Karen
Skills needed: Willingness to think carefully about clarity in teaching.
Status: First two missions done; some feedback already handled.
Basically can't live without it: Non-website
P2PU-based "How to join Open Source" class begins
Owner: Asheesh
See: Campus outreach 2011-2012
Status: Put on hold, pending finishing the curriculum.
Three commitments from campuses for dates for "How to join Open Source" class
Owner: Asheesh
See: Campus outreach 2011-2012
Status: No firm commitments yet.
Non-urgent but important: Web tech
Project page reorganization
When you visit a project page within OpenHatch (e.g. https://openhatch.org/+projects/OpenHatch ) it is unclear which parts are for new contributors, and which parts are for current maintainers.
In September, we began to discuss some UI changes to improve this.
Owner: ?
Skills needed: Django templates, plus small bits of Python, plus an ability to think critically about web layout.
Status: Not started.
Stop using embedded copy of patch parsing library
As described at http://openhatch.org/bugs/issue562, we have a copy of patch.py in our source code.
We should move it out so that it is a dependency, and make sure our tests pass.
Status: Not started.
Design a frame that provides context for OpenHatch users who visit bugs on other bug trackers
When you click out of the volunteer opportunity finder onto a bug, the bug tracker can be confusing.
We should make a mockup and discuss it.
More info: http://openhatch.org/bugs/issue247
Owner: ?
Skills needed:
- Willingness to think critically about what information could improve newbies' experience on bug trackers
Status: Not started.
IRC training mission
One essential skill for many people, in terms of participating in open source projects, is being able to chat on IRC. Let's have a training mission for it.
More info:
- Bug: http://openhatch.org/bugs/issue396
- Discussion of possible plot: http://lists.openhatch.org/pipermail/devel/2011-September/002396.html
Owner: Alex Ose said he aims to work on this
Skills needed: Solid understanding of IRC, and willingness to take feedback on the content of the training mission.
Status: Not started.
Buildhelper lets you edit via a textarea
A new, under-publicized feature of the project pages (e.g. https://openhatch.org/+projects/OpenHatch ) is the "buildhelper," a set of steps a new contributor would take that sets up a usable build environment.
Read more about the buildhelper here:
- Blog post: https://openhatch.org/blog/2010/introducing-the-buildhelper/
- Click around on one that is working: https://openhatch.org/+projects/OpenHatch#buildhelper
Right now, we have a working (and simple) frontend and backend for the buildhelper. However, there is no way to edit a buildhelper document except from the Django admin interface.
I think we should:
- Write code that converts the models to a text-based representation that looks like MediaWiki markup
- Provide a textarea that lets people edit this MediaWiki markup
- On save, render that markup into HTML, and then parse the HTML into buildhelper step objects for the database
Owner: ?
Status: Not started.
Non-urgent but important: Non-web tech
Not-for-profit corporation is created
There is a good chance that, during November, we will create the Massachusetts not-for-profit corporation to house the project. That'd be great. We can then file the IRS paperwork.
Status: "Nearly ready"