Idea: Community Module (brainstorming)

[NewUserfromDE]

Idea

As you might have heard (first time in December), I would like to - and promised - to write a concept for a so called Community Module.

What is a concept?

• "Concept" means a written, structured proposal about:
  • what should be the functions / features
  • description of each feature with enough details (some kind of technical description)
  • hints and don'ts/dangers how to implement a feature from a strategic point of view (e.g. opt-ins and opt-outs, scope, limitations)
  • hints and don'ts how to implement a feature from a technical / admin point of view (in sense of right planning before writing a single line of code)

(I'm an admin and I have experience in open source communities. I have basic knowledge of programming from assembler to high level programming languages, but I'm no coder, besides scripts, because my job led me to administration, instead of coding.)

Such a concept shall convince and help coders to really implement this module. And it shall convince the community.

What is a Community Module?

• "Community Module" means:
  • providing some set of technical data about the server, on which the module runs --> providing data about the global installation base
  • providing some kind of support data set (mainly for support / bugs) --> subset or identical to technical data set
  • providing some set of data about the admin of the server --> providing data about the global community
  • providing important up-to-date information about the project to the admin (no replacement but addition to current internet sites) --> think of security advisories or important announcements
  • providing important information about the community to the admin (no replacement but addition to current internet sites) --> for example think of a set of help links for very new users or appointments
  • participate in special important polls / questionnaires (to reach mostly all admins independent of internet platforms) --> for example think of changing a version to tag stable
  • mainly: to make all of the above easy --> not all users want or have time to use {insert-platform-here}; to reach as many as possible one has to meet them where all of them are: at the MeshCentral server GUI

Warning

Well, if you are now upset about things like profiling or telemetry or technical complexity then please pause and think twice, because that's exactly why I'd like to write a concept:. To influence ideas into the right direction, because an idea misses way too much details to be understood right. This needs a concept.

For example ads are a bad thing, but just-in-time security warnings right in your MeshCentral are a good thing. Being forced to give details about your person is a horrible thing, but being able to give voluntarily enough information to being able to find others to network and help each other is a wonderful thing. Having a binary telemetry function is a plague, but having the option to voluntarily send clear text system data with a flexible send function is a helpful thing. And of course I don't propose to reinvent the wheel and to code a social platform, sometimes a link is enough, if it needs no login and maybe has some other form of authentication.

That's why a concept needs time: to think, rethink and overthink the implementation suggestions to avoid at least half of the bad ideas ;-)

Call to action

I already have many ideas for the concept since to me it's an old idea for another open source project. But there will be many ideas I'm not aware of. Also I'm afraid that peoples opinions go into a wrong direction, so I hereby try to be transparent early.

So my call to action is: Post your ideas.

But please don't discuss them in detail, create new (sub) discussions for this ;-) I will read all the postings to consider them. And if there will be no suggestions then wait for the concept in 1-2 months and then share your opinions.

Many thanks.