View source for DevMo Project Plan Notes

== Vision ==

[DevMo] is a comprehensive, usable, accurate, and up-to-date resource for the international community of Web Developers, Mozilla ISVs, and Mozilla Contributors, being the definitive resource and daily touchstone for all related documentation, training, tools, news, and community support.

[DevMo]'s mission is to provide all the documentation, training, tools, news, and community support that developers need in order to accomplish their goals quickly, easily, and effectively, regardless of their initial expertise or experience.

== Goals ==

The primary goal is to create a resource so valuable that all three types of developer will visit it on a daily basis.

This can be accomplished by:
* Creating comprehensive, usable, accurate, and consistently maintained documentation that is continually improved over time.
* Providing an extensive library of correct, tested, and well-documented code samples.
* Creating online training resources for beginner, intermediate, and advanced developers that allow them to learn both the abstract theories and concrete practicalities of development at all levels at their own pace.  These training resources should reflect �best practices� of all types, at all levels.
* Providing a central online Commons for developers that includes forums, mailing lists and newsgroups, weblogs, RSS feeds, news, wikis, and other tools that facilitate community communication and cooperation.

== Strategy ==

This is a huge project when taken as a whole, so the trick will be to break it up into manageable components and develop these as independent projects with separate (but integrated) requirements, project plans, development timelines, and so forth.  

Each of the �Components� discussed below could be treated as independent projects.  Sorting out which to work on first will be a matter of prioritization and short-term benefit for the work required.

Keys to this project�s long term success:
* Create backend components in such a way that the front end �glue� (portal/CMS) can be completely torn down and reworked from scratch without having to redo huge amounts of content and structure.  We really don�t want to have to start this over again in three years.
* Create backend components with an eye towards future extensibility and scalability.  We need to start small and grow quickly without creating an unstable and hard-to-maintain disaster.  Make sure chosen technologies are proven in the field wherever possible.
* Create the system in such a way that it is easy and rewarding for users to contribute content without huge barriers to entry.  Define the expected skill sets of the various expected contributors then create the system with those skill sets in mind.  It has to be easy to add, edit, and update content without having to worry about gatekeepers, technology hurdles, and other flaming hoops.

== Plan ==

TBD

== Site Notes and Ideas ==

=== Audiences ===

# Web content and application developers
# Mozilla Independent Software Vendors (Moz ISVs)
# Mozilla Contributors (traditional "Mozilla Developers")

=== Components and Requirements ===

==== Overall Site Requirements ====

* Single account creation and login facility for the whole site, including all components and subsites.
* All components must have a consistent look and feel and navigation system.  In an ideal world this is easily skinnable.
* Single search facility for the whole site, with advanced search that enables sub-site and component searching.
* At least three paths to any particular bit of content.
* Over all structure must be flexible � we don�t want to have to start this whole thing from scratch in a year or three.

==== Portal/CMS System ====

This would be used to create front end "glue" for the main site and three subsites.  These front ends would be used to provide at least three vectors into each of the components � Link to the component itself, finessed organization of links into the various components, and comprehensive search facilities.  The CMS facilities would be used to post news, articles, and other such things. 

# DevMo front end
# Web content and applications developer subsite front end
# MozISV subsite front end
# Mozilla Contributors subsite front end

Requirements:
* Article posting w/ RSS
* News posting w/ RSS
* Freeform HTML blobs for linking, alerts, etc.
* Comprehensive and customizable navigation scheme
* �?

==== Mozilla Documentation Library ====

Single repository of all Mozilla-created and hosted developer documentation, including:
* Product and Reference documentation
* Mozilla Education Center documents (tutorials, lessons, classes, presentations, etc.) ** see below
* FAQs
* Knowledge Base
* Annotated sample code and other examples
* Whitepapers
* Tools documentation
* ...whatever else

Requirements:
* tbd

==== Mozilla Developer "Cookbook" ====

Cookbook style composite documents � very task-specific procedural documentation.  These would exist for all audience types, and would likely be a structured subsection of the Documentation Library.  Alternately, could be integrated into the Education Center, depending on which technologies lend themselves most effectively to this sort of approach.  Cookbook composites could include task summaries, required tools, succinct procedures, code samples, and templates for accomplishing some particular development task.

Requirements:
* tbd

==== Mozilla Education Center ====
Technically this could be part of the Documentation Library, but this collection of documents, files, and code samples is focused on helping people learn how to use the various technologies being discussed.  Education resources should be thought more of as "online classes" rather than reference documents -- more task specific.
	
Eventually this could be expanded towards creating certification programs, and possibly towards developing resources for trainers.

Requirements:
* tbd

==== Mozilla Code Samples Library ====
Central repository of correct, tested, and well-documented code samples, for all developer audiences, obtained from a variety of sources (most importantly from the developer community itself).  Annotation/comments should be possible on a per-sample basis.		

==== Mozilla Tools Library ====
Single repository of all Mozilla-created and hosted developer tools, including sidebars, Venkman, validators, Bugzilla, Bonsai, Tinderbox, etc, including links to Documentation Library resources for each tool (docs, education center resources, FAQs/Knowledge Base, etc.)

Requirements:
* tbd

==== Mozilla Contributor�s Dashboard ====
This is Chase�s idea � create a system that allows us to display the current status of bugzilla, tinderboxen, bonsai, etc on the front page of the Mozilla Contributor�s subsite.

Requirements:
* tbd

==== Mozilla Community tools ====
Community tools:
* Wiki(s)
* Forums
* Mailing Lists and Newsgroups
* Hosted Weblogs (would we provide weblogging facilities for people?)
* Syndicated RSS feeds of weblogs (users can sign up their feeds)
* IRC
* ...whatever else

Requirements:
* tbd

=== DEVMO FEATURES ===

==== Developer spotlight ====
Periodically we choose a developer out of the community who is doing particularly good or interesting work.  We interview him/her and bring him, and his projects, to the attention of the development community as a whole.

==== Technology spotlight ====
Periodic articles outlining particularly interesting/useful technologies, whether they be old or new.  Do an article introducing the technology, then provide links to other resources within DevMo related to that community -- documentation, educational materials, code samples, other articles, etc.  Examples of these would be XUL, XHTML, CSS...etc.

==== Topic spotlight ====
Periodic articles about a particular topic of concern/interest to the community.  These would introduce the topic, the various issues surrounding it, and some of the Mozilla technologies and approaches related to it.  Topics could include things like standards, accessibility, cross-browser design and development, etc.

==== Tool spotlight ====
Periodic articles about one of the Mozilla-created and/or hosted tools, such as Venkman, Bugzilla, Bonsai, whatever.  These articles would serve as introductions to these tools with links, to comprehensive documentation, articles, tutorials, FAQs, and so forth.  Bringing the tools to light so developers can take better advantage of the stuff that's available to them.

==== Developer Newsletters ====
Weekly or bi-weekly opt-in mailouts that will remind people about DevMo and bring them back to take a look.  These should not be empty missives, but should contain a summary of the news and changes that have taken place since the last newsletter went out.  Maybe have one newsletter per audience, or one big one for the whole site, or some combination.

==== Guest Articles ====
Weekly articles by outside contributors about anything development related, for any or all of the three developer communities.  Ideally, we would eventually have enough content coming in that we could have at least one new feature-length article per week per developer subsite.
	
==== Tips & Tricks ====
Short, task- or topic-specific articles that reveal some bit of useful information to developers.  Each developer subsite would have its own set of tips and tricks, but they would be integrated into the Knowledge Base (or just be part of the KB).  These can be posted as often as possible, whenever they come available, and can be derived from a wide variety of sources.  Mining mailing lists and forums is a good place to get ideas -- if someone posts something useful or interesting, approach them about writing it up.