[CREATE] [Fwd: Desktopcon.org Presentation Abstract for LGM2 + Create Project]

[Jon Phillips]

-------- Forwarded Message --------
> From: Jon Phillips <jon at rejon.org>
> To: create at lists.freedesktop.org <create at lists.freedesktop.org>
> Subject: Desktopcon.org Presentation Abstract for LGM2 + Create
> Project
> Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2006 16:11:44 -0700
> 
> Hey all, I'm including here a copy of my abstract for desktopcon 2006.
> Please make any changes to the proposal and/or abstract by editing the
> wiki page here: 
> http://rejon.org/wiki/index.php/Desktopcon_2006
> 
> If there are any bugs in the proposal please let me know, as they are
> due on MAY 1. If that is accepted then I will next submit this full
> abstract. I kind of jumped the gun on developing the full paper, but I
> had the pieces laying around already ;)
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Jon
> 
> Here is a copy of the longish abstract:
> 
> 
> LGM2005 Overview and the Create Project: Ambiently Sharing Creativity
> 
> This presentation begins with an overview of the extremely successful
> Libre Graphics Meeting 2005 (LGM2005), organized by Dave Neary (the
> Gimp). This conference brought developers of Free and Open Source
> graphics software like the Gimp, Inkscape, Scribus, Open Clip Art
> Library and Xara LX together to present and intermingle in order to
> catalyze development. This first part of the presentation discusses the
> successes of the conference and plans for next year (2007) in Montreal
> with a hope to incite further participation. In support of the next
> Libre Graphics Meeting in Montreal, the communications and planning are
> happening on the Create Project's communication channels.
> 
> Both LGM and the Create Project are interested in the following
> problematic: Creative Free and Open Source projects such as Blender,
> Gimp, Inkscape, Scribus, Audacity, Open Clip Art Library and others are
> highly successful projects which produce much media &mdash; video,
> audio, illustrations, photos, and other content. However, much code,
> media, and infrastructure are produced by each project somewhat
> independently which could be shared. For example, several of the
> aforementioned applications have their own brush types, color
> preferences, preferred media storage locations, keyboard shortcuts and
> file format converters. Sharing these resources saves a developer time,
> increases productivity, and contributes to an overall improved user
> experience. Because of this overlap and the similarity of creative
> media, there is need to work together on standards, promotions, and
> inter-community plans.
> 
> This second part of the presentation is about the Create Project
> (http://create.freedesktop.org) whose goal is to develop and consolidate
> shared resources amongst the various Free and Open Source creative
> software applications while building relationships between these
> communities. This part outlines the rationale for the project, its
> current state, who is participating, and future plans.
> 
> Already Create is bearing fruit such as the Shared Resources
> Specification, a swatches file format, and an Open Color standard. The
> Shared Resources Specification consolidates brushes, gradients, color
> swatches, patterns, and clip art into standard locations on different
> operating systems for simple packaging and implementation by
> applications. Already, Scribus, Krita, and Inkscape support this spec
> with Open Clip Art Library, Gimp and others planning on supporting it in
> upcoming versions.
> 
> The Create Project also builds relationships through "ambient sharing."
> This is typified by combining developers’ blogs from the different
> development communities into a planet-type [2] blog aggregation,
> available at Create’s project space at Freedesktop.org [3]. In the
> commercial world, affiliations and alliances are brokered through
> contracts and funding. In Free and Open Source Software alternate
> approaches for encouraging collaboration and sharing are necessary which
> do not rely upon forced meetings, ultimatums, and explicit timetables
> that decrease the fun in development. Rather, the emphasis on ambient
> sharing is about providing a service for sharing, lowering social
> barriers for participation, and making collaboration casual.
> 
> [1] This list is not exhaustive but used as an example of the type of
> project that is considered a Creative Software. See
> http://www.blender.org, http://www.gimp.org, http://www.inkscape.org,
> http://www.scribus.net, and http://audacity.sourceforge.net, and
> http://www.openclipart.org.
> 
> [2] See http://www.planetplanet.org/
> 
> [3] See http://create.freedesktop.org/
> 
> 
> 
-- 
Jon Phillips

San Francisco, CA
USA PH 510.499.0894
jon at rejon.org
http://www.rejon.org

MSN, AIM, Yahoo Chat: kidproto
Jabber Chat: rejon at gristle.org
IRC: rejon at irc.freenode.net

Inkscape (http://inkscape.org)
Open Clip Art Library (www.openclipart.org)
Creative Commons (www.creativecommons.org)
San Francisco Art Institute (www.sfai.edu)