[maemo-developers] Software categories

[From: Quim Gil]

The install files don't bring any mess, they just make the mess more
transparent and accessible. Don't kill the messenger, though. Instead,
fix the mess.

If the extras repositories is going to have some kind of community
quality assurance we can show an icon "community supported" or something
next to the install files in the app pages at downloads.maemo.org , like
we plan to do with "Nokia official" software.

If we are going to agree on sections we can just apply the same sections
to http://downloads.maemo.org/

And so on. 

On Thu, 2007-08-16 at 17:23 +0300, ext Ed Bartosh wrote:
> I don't think that creating new service is anyhow better than extend
> existing one.

This is true or false depending on the cases. Besides, from a mainstream
user point of view an "application manager" is a new service compared to
a web catalog of downloadable software, with an extended functionality
to get one-click installs.

In our case downloads.maemo.org and the install files provide a way for
end users to know about the software they can get and install it in a
very easy way. This is the main objective and it's accomplished.

Via a web interface you can get all the information you want, no matter
if you are now with your tablet or with a PC, at home or in a cybercafe.
The install file links should operate differently if you are in a tablet
rather you are in a system where you can't install the applications
(improvement pending). The single click install functionality could also
be more seamless, showing a fluent progress to the user instead of the
current jumps (another improvement pending).

downloads.maemo.org still needs more power from the community
contribution: all the apps present there with info updated by the
developers, more user comments and ratings, and so on. There are a
couple of projects pointing in this direction: maemo CRM, Quality
Assurance and a promotion path we will set showing to developers how to
push your software from the lowest maemo level to the Nokia marketing
channels.

None of this is stopping us from improving the Application Manager and
fixing the repositories issue.

-- 
Quim Gil - http://maemo.org