I think this is indeed a great idea. I believe I'm not speaking only for myself when I say the more I use boost the more I relate it to C++ at large. Many times I find myself thinking "what would be the boost community advice about so and so?" Indeed, the advice I have gotten at this boost-users mailing list is remarkable and it has both encouraged me to look into boost for solutions, and also helped me build better software. It would be great to have a sharing place for ideas on how to use C++ better; a place open to C++ programmers of all levels wanting to know more and wanting to share their knowledge. -delfin
-----Original Message----- From: boost-users-bounces@lists.boost.org [mailto:boost-users- bounces@lists.boost.org] On Behalf Of Fernando Cacciola Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 9:42 AM To: boost-users@lists.boost.org Subject: [Boost-users] The Boost Community
Hello people,
In 1998, Bemans Dawes wrote the "Proposal for a C++ Library Repository Web Site" (you can find the paper in (www.boost.org/more/index.htm), which lunched the Boost we all know and love today. The focus of the site was and is the production of high-quality peer-reviewed C++ libraries. Over the years, Boost grew as a community of experienced C++ developers with the will and means to share their expertise and work contributing to the highly respected Boost Libraries. Today, Boost is a somewhat recongisable part of the C++ programming community at large.
Today, the way I see it, Boost as a community encompases only the boost developers, which are just a fraction of the larger C++ crowd. There are certainly Boost users, but I don't think we can say both developers and users form a community. I think is worth and in-the-spirit to reach out for ALL C++ programmers of ALL LEVELS around an "extended" Boost Community whose main sharing point is not just the submission of high-quality libraries but also the efficient and effective use of the language.
A Boost Community site would focus not directly in the Libraries produced by Boost but on C++ itself as the great language we all love and on fostering proper use of it (which includes mixing it with other languages when appropiate). It would be volunteer-driven, just like the Boost libraries are, so the site would be moderated but open for external edition (I think a wiki would work). I envision it having home page links to the fundamental resources for C++ programmers (CUJ,ACCU, "the" books, etc), blogs from developers and users (related to state of the art C++ and/or the boost libraties), important C++ related news (not just boost-library related news), reviews, etc... essentially, everything the will of volunteers can bring on to the community. The motto being "fostering proper use of C++". A minimum of moderation would be required but I assume not much.
I know there are other programmer communities around (even C++ focused). The reason I propose this here (around Boost) is becasue I think that a community centered around the Boost Libraries but reaching out could stand out for its quality in the same way the Boost Libraries do. I also know that a newsgroup or mailing list is a form of community, and we have c.l.cpp.m and c.s.cpp. But they lack the verstile structure and dynamism of the today's virtual communities. Also, somehow I believe that centering a community around the Boost Libraries would spread their quality into the rest of the site; to some degree at least.
I welcome comments, ctricticism and I call interested people to put forward concrete ideas.
Best
Fernando Cacciola SciSoft
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