[dot] TechBase Hits 1,000,000

[Dot Stories]

URL: http://dot.kde.org/1184809999/

From: Aaron J. Seigo <aseigo at kde.org>
Dept: apidox-was-good-enough-in-my-day
Date: Wednesday 18/Jul/2007, @18:53

TechBase Hits 1,000,000
=======================

   Note: please hold this article until this page shows 1,000,000 page
views [http://techbase.kde.org/Special:Statistics]. It should happen
sometime in the next 12hrs or so. Thanks =)
     KDE's new technical documentation library, TechBase
[http://techbase.kde.org], hit an important milestone today when it
served up its one millionth page. In step with the KDE 4.0 development
cycle, TechBase is rapidly maturing into a central hub for high-level
technical information related to KDE and the Free software desktop.



  I. THE TECHBASE MISSION

     Over the years, KDE has become a vibrant source of technology, with
over 5.4 million lines of KDE 4 code currently hosted at svn.kde.org.
KDE has progressed to the point where we compete alongside and in areas
even surpass the proprietary competition.

     While this has been great news for the growing number of people who
choose KDE software, it has become increasingly difficult for individual
developers, administrators and system integrators to keep up with all
that is available. This is particularly true for those new to KDE as the
project continues to extend its reach across the globe and onto new
platforms. This has resulted in unnecessary barriers to participation.
Those that have taken advantage of KDE's offerings have often had to
earn their stripes through long hours of arduous research and
trial-and-error learning.

     TechBase is the bridge across that knowledge gap.


 II. DISCOVER, INTERACT AND DEVELOP

     TechBase exists to cater to the needs of three main groups of
people:
    * Software developers
    * System administrators
    * System integrators
 With over 80 cross-referenced tutorials and some 2,200 pages organised
by topic and skill level on TechBase today, it is already an impressive
resource. New content appears on a daily basis and is being translated
into Simplified Chinese, French, German, Dutch and Russian.

     The TechBase homepage provides a portal to this growing body of
information. Links are organised into categories that cater to different
interests, making it easy to jump straight to what interests you.
Instructions on how to get and install KDE
[http://techbase.kde.org/Getting_Started] on the operating system of
your choice, programming tutorials
[http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Tutorials] and much more are all
just a click away from the main page.

     Software development information
[http://techbase.kde.org/Development], KDE release engineering reports
and schedules [http://techbase.kde.org/Schedules], system administration
information [http://techbase.kde.org/SysAdmin] and more are put right at
your fingertips, while the search box on every page makes it easy to
find the proverbial needle in the haystack.

     TechBase also provides launch points to other useful sites such as
the recently revamped KDE API documentation library [http://api.kde.org]
and an area where KDE projects can openly collaborate.
 [http://techbase.kde.org/Projects]
     Given the strong community basis upon which KDE thrives, it is only
natural that an entire section of TechBase is dedicated to information
on how to get involved with the KDE project.
 [http://techbase.kde.org/Contribute]

III. OPEN FOR CONTRIBUTION

     Upon visiting TechBase, One of the first things you may notice is
that it uses the same software that powers Wikipedia. This makes it easy
for anyone who wishes to contribute content. Since its launch at the
beginning of the year, there have been on average over 40 edits per day
made to TechBase content.

     Having a wiki which the community can collaborate on together has
not only made it easy to find information, it has brought together more
high quality technical documentation on KDE than we have ever had in one
place before.


 IV. COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT

     TechBase being an open wiki does not make it an editorial
free-for-all. The MediaWiki software publishes changes made on TechBase
via RSS feeds. There is a group of KDE community members, led by Dominik
Haumann and Daniel Molkentin, who monitor all changes made to TechBase
on a daily basis and who take an active role in helping shape the
content and structure of the site. This ensures a sustained level of
quality, accuracy and consistency.

     This same group of people also put a large amount of effort into
making templates and other content creation helpers available so that
there is a noticeable consistency to the presentation.


  V. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

     Today's TechBase is already an invaluable resource with a
remarkable amount of information. It is, however, just the beginning.
With more sections slated for publication and more of KDE4's key
technologies still needing tutorials written, we are seeing but the dawn
of a new day.

     Sections dedicated to independent software vendors (ISVs)
[http://techbase.kde.org/ISV] and system integrators are currently being
constructed as information is gathered and categorised for them. Coupled
with offline versions, release advisory information and a growing
community of contributors TechBase will continue to evolve to meet the
needs of those who participate in creating, enjoy supporting and
otherwise rely on KDE technology.

     Perhaps the most exciting thing of all is that you can play a part
in making it happen. By adding new content, grooming existing content
for correctness and readability and translating content into other
languages you can help TechBase become the definitive source of
information so many have been seeking. The wiki makes it easy to do; the
community makes it rewarding.

     TechBase will help the coming generations of developers,
administrators and entrepreneurs discover and be productive with KDE
technology, thereby growing the KDE community and moving Free software
one step closer to world domination.