Difference between revisions of "Free Software Directory:Participate"

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You can join the '''[http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/directory-discuss directory-discuss list]''' or join us each week for the '''Friday Free Software Directory IRC meeting'''! For details and time (and how to figure it out in your time zone), check the [[Main_Page|home page]].
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The Free Software Directory is edited by a community of volunteers and FSF staff members.
  
Anybody can update or submit new entries to the Free Software Directory (short name Directory). Please review the [[{{ns:4}}:Requirements|Requirements]].
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Besides this wiki itself, there are two main channels to follow as part of your participation:
  
To edit, you must register first. If you don't already have a [{{fullurl:Special:CreateAccount}} Free Software Foundation Central Login] ([https://my.fsf.org/join member] or [https://my.fsf.org/user/register non-member]) you need to create one: It is mandatory to allow this wiki software to allow you to edit on it.
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* The '''[http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/directory-discuss directory-discuss mailing list]'''
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* The '''Friday Free Software Directory IRC meeting'''. For details and time of the meeting, check the [[Main_Page|home page]].
  
We talk about three things here -- how to submit, update, and delete entries.  
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Anybody can update or submit new entries to the Directory. Please review the [[{{ns:4}}:Requirements|Requirements]] for entries.
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To submit a new entry or update an existing one, you must have an FSF account. If you don't already have a [{{fullurl:Special:CreateAccount}} Free Software Foundation Central Login] ([https://my.fsf.org/join member] or [https://my.fsf.org/user/register non-member]), create one, and then click Log In on the Directory.
  
 
== Submit new entries ==
 
== Submit new entries ==
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To update an entry:  
 
To update an entry:  
 
# [[Special:UserLogin|Login to the directory]].
 
# [[Special:UserLogin|Login to the directory]].
# Click "Edit" at the top-right of the page you'd like to update.  
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# Click "Edit with Form" at the top-right of the page you'd like to update.  
  
 
When you update an entry, you edit the latest version of the page, approved or not.
 
When you update an entry, you edit the latest version of the page, approved or not.
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* Historical means no longer works on any currently supported free software distribution. Since that is hard to determine, some hints are:  
 
* Historical means no longer works on any currently supported free software distribution. Since that is hard to determine, some hints are:  
 
** The last release or source code change is probably older than 2007.
 
** The last release or source code change is probably older than 2007.
** It's not being maintained by Debian (it's not a [https://packages.debian.org/wheezy/allpackages package in wheezy]).
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** It's not being maintained by Debian (it's not a [https://packages.debian.org/stretch/allpackages package in stretch]).
 
** If you are using a GNU/Linux distro, it doesn't compile or run for you.
 
** If you are using a GNU/Linux distro, it doesn't compile or run for you.
 
You can always revive historical free software to run again.
 
You can always revive historical free software to run again.
  
 
==Friday IRC Meeting==
 
==Friday IRC Meeting==
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) that hosts the Friday IRC Meeting might or might not edit the Free Software Directory during the meetings depending on what they need to do on their working time.
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The Free Software Foundation (FSF) hosts the Friday IRC Meeting to help new volunteers get started working on the Directory, as well as to discuss ongoing or new Directory projects.
  
 
== Delete an entry ==
 
== Delete an entry ==
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Please always state "Other/additional reason:" when you delete entries, because when a page is deleted, it will show up in [[Special:Log/delete|the deletion log]] with a stated reason for its rejection, so users trying to submit a project can know how to correct any errors (if possible). Preserve Talk pages when appropriate (eg for malware like [[Blacklist/Web of Trust - WOT]]).
 
Please always state "Other/additional reason:" when you delete entries, because when a page is deleted, it will show up in [[Special:Log/delete|the deletion log]] with a stated reason for its rejection, so users trying to submit a project can know how to correct any errors (if possible). Preserve Talk pages when appropriate (eg for malware like [[Blacklist/Web of Trust - WOT]]).
  
Check on [https://archive.org archive.org] if a package's homepage is gone.
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If the issue is that the software is no longer available, make sure to check on [https://archive.org archive.org]. Archive.org can sometimes be the last home for free software that is no longer maintained but could still be useful.
  
 
When an entry is deleted, also search for references to it by other entries. For example, it may be listed as a "related project" for some other entries. These references need to be edited out manually; deleting an entry does not automatically remove them. The [[Special:WhatLinksHere|What links here]] tool comes handy when hunting down the links.
 
When an entry is deleted, also search for references to it by other entries. For example, it may be listed as a "related project" for some other entries. These references need to be edited out manually; deleting an entry does not automatically remove them. The [[Special:WhatLinksHere|What links here]] tool comes handy when hunting down the links.

Revision as of 13:35, 17 May 2019


The Free Software Directory is edited by a community of volunteers and FSF staff members.

Besides this wiki itself, there are two main channels to follow as part of your participation:

Anybody can update or submit new entries to the Directory. Please review the Requirements for entries.

To submit a new entry or update an existing one, you must have an FSF account. If you don't already have a Free Software Foundation Central Login (member or non-member), create one, and then click Log In on the Directory.

Submit new entries

To submit a new entry to the directory:

  1. Login to the directory.
  2. Head to our 'Submit a new entry' page. (Also linked in the sidebar.)
  3. Enter the name of the package or software program.
  4. You will be brought to a multi-part form -- don't panic! Only the first few fields are required. (Form documentation helps you to complete the form, but it can also be completed by another volunteer or by the reviewer.)
  5. The final step is to go to the last tab and press the save button at the bottom.

Please note that when you save, your submission won't appear. Don't Panic! The reason it is not appearing is because updates and new submissions need approval by an administrator before they will appear publicly. Logged-in users can tell if they are seeing the latest version of the page, or if there are newer versions of the page waiting for approval by a message at the top of the page.

  • Not the latest version message: This is the approved revision of this page; it is not the most recent. View the most recent revision.
  • Latest version message: This is the approved revision of this page, as well as being the most recent.

Until approved you can review or improve your submission by editing it as outlined below.

Update an entry

To update an entry:

  1. Login to the directory.
  2. Click "Edit with Form" at the top-right of the page you'd like to update.

When you update an entry, you edit the latest version of the page, approved or not.

To find entries that haven't been updated in a while, check the Free Software Directory:Participate/oldies page. You can also see a list of approved pages or pages waiting for approval. They are often added by people who are new and do not complete the form fully. Please correct and expand these entries to help the reviewers and reduce the review queues!

Guidelines for choosing Version Status of an entry

  • Stable: If it has a release and no indication of the type, choose stable.
  • Historical means no longer works on any currently supported free software distribution. Since that is hard to determine, some hints are:
    • The last release or source code change is probably older than 2007.
    • It's not being maintained by Debian (it's not a package in stretch).
    • If you are using a GNU/Linux distro, it doesn't compile or run for you.

You can always revive historical free software to run again.

Friday IRC Meeting

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) hosts the Friday IRC Meeting to help new volunteers get started working on the Directory, as well as to discuss ongoing or new Directory projects.

Delete an entry

If a submission doesn't meet criteria for inclusion in the directory, it can be proposed for deletion, and deleted by an administrator from the drop-down menu. To propose an entry for deletion, edit it's description to start with:

[[Category:Candidates for deletion]]
This is a candidate for deletion: (describe why here) ~~~~

Then it will show up in Category:Candidates for deletion.

Please always state "Other/additional reason:" when you delete entries, because when a page is deleted, it will show up in the deletion log with a stated reason for its rejection, so users trying to submit a project can know how to correct any errors (if possible). Preserve Talk pages when appropriate (eg for malware like Blacklist/Web of Trust - WOT).

If the issue is that the software is no longer available, make sure to check on archive.org. Archive.org can sometimes be the last home for free software that is no longer maintained but could still be useful.

When an entry is deleted, also search for references to it by other entries. For example, it may be listed as a "related project" for some other entries. These references need to be edited out manually; deleting an entry does not automatically remove them. The What links here tool comes handy when hunting down the links.

If the package is a particularly popular or well-known proprietary package, it might make more sense to have the page redirect to free alternatives already listed on the directory. That way, if a person searches the directory for the proprietary program, they can be directed to free equivalents.

Donations and Cryptocurrency Donations

Entries have a space for listing where users can donate, as well as a checkbox for indicating that the project accepts cryptocurrency donations. The donation text box should be filled with the url to the project's donate page, not the particular cryptocurrency address. This is because the address could change, and it also means that we don't have to verify the wallet address when listing the donations.

Mentions

When you mention a user's profile or name, you must always sign. If you forget the signature (which must always be in the form " --~~~~") make a minor change to add it. Unsigned mentions will not produce a notification for the mentioned!

Administration of MediaWiki

  • If you are an administrator looking for directions or scripts, check out the workflow page.
  • Website guidelines for people who want to make contributions to the layout and the design of the directory.
  • Check often for buggy entries and fix them.
  • Special:Version is useful for MediaWiki, and Semantic Forms, and so on, when you need to evaluate version specific syntax.
  • Finally, if you have experience and a particular interest that you want to work on, you can start or join a Project Team.

Outreach



Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the page “GNU Free Documentation License”.

The copyright and license notices on this page only apply to the text on this page. Any software or copyright-licenses or other similar notices described in this text has its own copyright notice and license, which can usually be found in the distribution or license text itself.