Wesnoth as a game and idea built together by different people all around the world has a strong community. The biggest and strongest part of it is the forum - it contains answers and ideas to many questions and gives a lot of support.
I can see that many members are active and often online - even the chat is handled well. Although the chat wasn't so easy to find.
Simple campaign
The forum provided information but also a really useful tool that our team used - Simple Campaign, with just one scenario, but it had explanations on the wiki pages as well.
Our team tried to find a real tutorial. Although the Simple Campaign that I mentioned above, provides us much help, it didn't answer many questions we had that seemed to be really basic.
There is a webpage Building campaign tutorial, but it has only firs step and second ones like First scenario and First custom unit have no date or guidelines.
If a new person goes to Wensoth page and finds the Create link he/she doens't get information on how to start the development, what are the first steps to actually understand how Wensoth works. I think this Create page should have simple and easy links to tutorials to get more people starting to understand the basis of Wesnoth and get familiar with it, without immediately starting bigger things.
I liked to work with Wensoth code and trying to understand how things work. But in several cases I couldn't find solutions of the ideas I had. Because it was a schoolwork I couldn't forget about it, but I had to continue research together with all the members in our team. But I would have really wanted to get a game creation tutorial, that would have helped me a lot to in the beginning.
Community of Wesnoth
Based on the information that I just wrote about the understanding in forums and not being able to find simple information to get me hooked to play the game or jump in to development I would say the community needs to get itself more open.
I am sure that "old members" don't have any difficulties finding the information they want and need. But today Wesnoth should also think about what to give to "newbies", those that don't have much patience to spend days on trying to figure out how the game goes. It's all about sharing information and building the environment that would create interest in visitors.
So between new developments of new version and scenarios of the Wesnoth game, a small team could spend some time on finishing the tutorials and thinking about making the feeling of the community more open and flexible.
Bugs on the page
This is not so much about the community itself but how frustrating it can be when Forum SEARCH doesn't work. And it happened so many times. We had to use "backdoor" in many occasions, insert searches to Wesnoth forums through Google help.
In this webpage where forum itself provides the most and best answers to questions visitors or users can have, search engine must work, and not provide error notice "try later".
Friday, March 26, 2010
OSM HM n 4 - It companies using Open Source as a part of their business
Many IT-companies use open source and free software in their everyday work. for example Open Source Streaming Servers, Firewall Builders to many different games.
1. Copyleft Solutions is a compay that provides support to uphold the supremacy of the open source software. They have various packages tailored to suit various kinds of IT needs in today's businesses. The company is situated in Pakistan ;)
This companies main issue seems to be giving support with open source software used by others - by phone and email.
According to their list, their highly trained engineers give quick support and find solutions with all these Open source:
Database servers - Linux, Sun Microsystems.
Fax servers - Joomla, Drupal,
2. Joomla - is a award winnign content management system which enables you to build Web sites and powerful online applications.
Their slogan is: ... because open source matters
Joomla Project is a community-based project with contributors from all over the world working in many different capacities.
There are 2 working groups: Production and Community. These groups utilize the wealth of knowledge our community provides. Each of these groups focuses on a specific aspect of Joomla essential to the project's growth and development.
To handle the production there is Leadership Team who governs the production and Board of Directors of OpenSource Matters.
They use GNU General Public License copyright.
Joomla webpage gives a short list of both their Vision and Key Values, but also about their mission with just one sentence.
In Leadership Team they have 14 people from different sides in the world.
3. SQL-Ledger is a double entry accounting/ERO system. Accounting data is stored in a SQL database server, for the display any text or GUI browser can be used. The ntire system is linked through a chart of accounts.
... so basically it's a accounting software from simpole accounting tools to handling POS devices and backups.
SQL-Ledger is developed under GNU General Public License.
Although the company works with open source and provides software under GNU GPL license, they are not so open for developing. They do have a forum, but it seems more for people who use the software itself, not so much for discussing developments.
***
I can see on our company how much information can be found with the help of Google. Until now I have not thought about under which license some parts of our webpage code is developed or server administration handled.
The fact is that with the help of accessing so much knowledge by different people through Internet all licensing becomes more and more difficult. Therefore I agree with a person that I citated in my last post - weak and no copyleft cases become more in common. The World is changing. As before people wanted to claim something as their own - it's no needed to get access to more information and get solutions quickly, everything can't be developed from the scratch. But if one wants to use other developments easily and freely with no issues of copyright legal issues, then this person also has to give out things on his own.
1. Copyleft Solutions is a compay that provides support to uphold the supremacy of the open source software. They have various packages tailored to suit various kinds of IT needs in today's businesses. The company is situated in Pakistan ;)
This companies main issue seems to be giving support with open source software used by others - by phone and email.
According to their list, their highly trained engineers give quick support and find solutions with all these Open source:
Database servers - Linux, Sun Microsystems.
Fax servers - Joomla, Drupal,
2. Joomla - is a award winnign content management system which enables you to build Web sites and powerful online applications.
Their slogan is: ... because open source matters
Joomla Project is a community-based project with contributors from all over the world working in many different capacities.
There are 2 working groups: Production and Community. These groups utilize the wealth of knowledge our community provides. Each of these groups focuses on a specific aspect of Joomla essential to the project's growth and development.
To handle the production there is Leadership Team who governs the production and Board of Directors of OpenSource Matters.
They use GNU General Public License copyright.
Joomla webpage gives a short list of both their Vision and Key Values, but also about their mission with just one sentence.
In Leadership Team they have 14 people from different sides in the world.
3. SQL-Ledger is a double entry accounting/ERO system. Accounting data is stored in a SQL database server, for the display any text or GUI browser can be used. The ntire system is linked through a chart of accounts.
... so basically it's a accounting software from simpole accounting tools to handling POS devices and backups.
SQL-Ledger is developed under GNU General Public License.
Although the company works with open source and provides software under GNU GPL license, they are not so open for developing. They do have a forum, but it seems more for people who use the software itself, not so much for discussing developments.
***
I can see on our company how much information can be found with the help of Google. Until now I have not thought about under which license some parts of our webpage code is developed or server administration handled.
The fact is that with the help of accessing so much knowledge by different people through Internet all licensing becomes more and more difficult. Therefore I agree with a person that I citated in my last post - weak and no copyleft cases become more in common. The World is changing. As before people wanted to claim something as their own - it's no needed to get access to more information and get solutions quickly, everything can't be developed from the scratch. But if one wants to use other developments easily and freely with no issues of copyright legal issues, then this person also has to give out things on his own.
OSM HM nr 3 - Different copyleft cases from none to strong.
Copyleft comes from the idea of copyright. When the last phrase refers to the rights that a perosn has over something he/she has "invented" then copyleft is about giving the right to modify the work of someone else in order that the same is allowed for others as well.
Bit it's not so easy with copyleft, there are different levels in it. Sometimes some parts of the work can be modified an sometimes all.
1. Weak copyleft case is for example Mozilla Public License. With weak copyleft license person can make modifications to the work code and add additional settings to the code. But the person should not use parts of the code and only link to the original licensed code.
The most important thing in weak copyleft is that source code copied or changed under the MPL must stay under the MPL (Wikipedia, 2010)
With weak copyleft strong copyleft can't be used, as these criterias doesn't fit the main license rules.
Mozilla Public license is defined at Mozilla nonprofit organization page. Some examples of the softwares under MPL 1.1 license are: Bugzilla, Tinderbox, Bonsai.
Bugzilla is a server software designed to help manage software development. The soft itself helps to find bugs in developed software and handle server issues. At the same time the Bugzilla itself is developed by international volunteers who want to participate in making the version better and better to contribute their needs.
Weak copyleft
2. Strong copyleft case - GPL and GNU General Public License.
With strong copyleft license a person can incorporate code from projects licensed under the permissive license, or strong copyleft license under which software is licensed. It basically means that by using some code parts from GPL code, perosn ahs to agree and disribute hes/her own work under the same GPL license.
While using strong copyleft it's unlikely that someone else will use your code as a source of their work. Strong copyleft might end up in several legal issues.
A comment at 451 CAOS Theory, On the fall and rise of the GNU GPL syas that the strong copyleft is probably on the fall and weak one is on the rise. Especially because week copyleft gives a choice
3. No copyleft case - X11 license, Apache license and the BSD licenses.
This means that someone's work can be sued without the need to give something back to the community. No copyleft is supported by those who would like to become free from the legal restrictions and enjoy and use development made by different communities and people. With no copyleft one doesn't have to worry about any legal issues.
No copyleft should make it quicker and easier to use best solutions for everyone's work. At the same time it allows to distribute the outcome free or commercially. But the creators of original software creators still have to be credited ;)
Sources:
1. Copyleft law Tracking and analysying the key legal developments of the Internet Age. Licensing 101 for open source projects - Pick a license, part II.
2. Mozilla Public Linense Version 1.1 , 25. March
3. Wikipedia. Mozilla Public License , 26. march 2010
4. 451 CAOS Theory, On the fall and rise of the GNU GPL, 25. March 2010
Bit it's not so easy with copyleft, there are different levels in it. Sometimes some parts of the work can be modified an sometimes all.
1. Weak copyleft case is for example Mozilla Public License. With weak copyleft license person can make modifications to the work code and add additional settings to the code. But the person should not use parts of the code and only link to the original licensed code.
The most important thing in weak copyleft is that source code copied or changed under the MPL must stay under the MPL (Wikipedia, 2010)
With weak copyleft strong copyleft can't be used, as these criterias doesn't fit the main license rules.
Mozilla Public license is defined at Mozilla nonprofit organization page. Some examples of the softwares under MPL 1.1 license are: Bugzilla, Tinderbox, Bonsai.
Bugzilla is a server software designed to help manage software development. The soft itself helps to find bugs in developed software and handle server issues. At the same time the Bugzilla itself is developed by international volunteers who want to participate in making the version better and better to contribute their needs.
Weak copyleft
2. Strong copyleft case - GPL and GNU General Public License.
With strong copyleft license a person can incorporate code from projects licensed under the permissive license, or strong copyleft license under which software is licensed. It basically means that by using some code parts from GPL code, perosn ahs to agree and disribute hes/her own work under the same GPL license.
While using strong copyleft it's unlikely that someone else will use your code as a source of their work. Strong copyleft might end up in several legal issues.
A comment at 451 CAOS Theory, On the fall and rise of the GNU GPL syas that the strong copyleft is probably on the fall and weak one is on the rise. Especially because week copyleft gives a choice
3. No copyleft case - X11 license, Apache license and the BSD licenses.
This means that someone's work can be sued without the need to give something back to the community. No copyleft is supported by those who would like to become free from the legal restrictions and enjoy and use development made by different communities and people. With no copyleft one doesn't have to worry about any legal issues.
No copyleft should make it quicker and easier to use best solutions for everyone's work. At the same time it allows to distribute the outcome free or commercially. But the creators of original software creators still have to be credited ;)
Sources:
1. Copyleft law Tracking and analysying the key legal developments of the Internet Age. Licensing 101 for open source projects - Pick a license, part II.
2. Mozilla Public Linense Version 1.1 , 25. March
3. Wikipedia. Mozilla Public License , 26. march 2010
4. 451 CAOS Theory, On the fall and rise of the GNU GPL, 25. March 2010
OSM HM nr 2 - Playing an Open Source game
Wesnoth is an open source game. Everyone who want to participate in development can do this. There are different levels - either people can aprticipate in writing the source code, the basic system for the Wensoth games, or participate in writing and developing scenarios for different stories either short or long ones.
I have played some similar strategic games like Wesnoth before, and as I am not familiar with the ideology background of wesnoth or other commerce games similar, I can't make conclusions based on that.
These are the main points that I would like to share about Wesnoth:
Dying all the time
As I said, I am not a fan of these games, so I ended up dying with even playing the easier versions. Usually the game was over during first scenario already. So I could try out the Wesnoth itself so much, when couple of hours played I didn't end up getting to second level. Yes, its bad to actually admit it, but I am really bad at this game.
But it went a lot better when I started to look inside the game codes myself and after I had tested several things on "Simple campaign" - a 1-scenario test version game that I got from Wesnoth forums. - everything was a lot better, i really could get the feeling of how to decide things and make my turns.
I guess my biggest mistake in just playing the game at first was that I didn't think of actually recruiting new units :P So it's not imaginable that the game was finished quickly.
Getting the information
Every scenario started with the goal what I have to do to win the game itself. I don't remember what game I was playing, but when at some point the game was over with sentence "You have been defeated", I really didn't understand why. My teamleader was alive, that was the intention of the game - I didn't end up using all the moves I had, but my character in the game was still dead.
It would have been really good to get the notice why the game was over and what I did wrong, not only write so platonic message with no information in it.
Ambiguity
Wesnoth games are developed by real fans of these games - and it shows. I guess this is why it was hard for me to try to start liking the game, as at first the feeling of actually making something myself together with teammembers wasn't part of the case.
I totally understand now why Wesnoth is liked and how the community behind it functions. Although I am most likely continuing developing Wesnoth games or participating in the game forums, for several days my evenings were full of reading information about Wesnoth, getting information what code parts to use to be able to make the scenario we had decided.
It's interesting that if users of Wesnoth have some idea what they want their characters to do in the game or want to change the source code and change some default expectations, it all can be done.
So anyway, when me and the team got hands on on the game code, for me the game became much more interesting :)
I have played some similar strategic games like Wesnoth before, and as I am not familiar with the ideology background of wesnoth or other commerce games similar, I can't make conclusions based on that.
These are the main points that I would like to share about Wesnoth:
Dying all the time
As I said, I am not a fan of these games, so I ended up dying with even playing the easier versions. Usually the game was over during first scenario already. So I could try out the Wesnoth itself so much, when couple of hours played I didn't end up getting to second level. Yes, its bad to actually admit it, but I am really bad at this game.
But it went a lot better when I started to look inside the game codes myself and after I had tested several things on "Simple campaign" - a 1-scenario test version game that I got from Wesnoth forums. - everything was a lot better, i really could get the feeling of how to decide things and make my turns.
I guess my biggest mistake in just playing the game at first was that I didn't think of actually recruiting new units :P So it's not imaginable that the game was finished quickly.
Getting the information
Every scenario started with the goal what I have to do to win the game itself. I don't remember what game I was playing, but when at some point the game was over with sentence "You have been defeated", I really didn't understand why. My teamleader was alive, that was the intention of the game - I didn't end up using all the moves I had, but my character in the game was still dead.
It would have been really good to get the notice why the game was over and what I did wrong, not only write so platonic message with no information in it.
Ambiguity
Wesnoth games are developed by real fans of these games - and it shows. I guess this is why it was hard for me to try to start liking the game, as at first the feeling of actually making something myself together with teammembers wasn't part of the case.
I totally understand now why Wesnoth is liked and how the community behind it functions. Although I am most likely continuing developing Wesnoth games or participating in the game forums, for several days my evenings were full of reading information about Wesnoth, getting information what code parts to use to be able to make the scenario we had decided.
It's interesting that if users of Wesnoth have some idea what they want their characters to do in the game or want to change the source code and change some default expectations, it all can be done.
So anyway, when me and the team got hands on on the game code, for me the game became much more interesting :)
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