-----Original Message----- From: boost-users-bounces@lists.boost.org [mailto:boost-users- bounces@lists.boost.org] On Behalf Of Foster, Gareth Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 1:41 AM To: boost-users@lists.boost.org Subject: RE: [Boost-users] The Boost Community

Hello all,

As a C++ developer, and a developer who is coming to appreciate the usefulness of Boost, I think this is a great idea.

There isn't really a focal point on the web for C++ developers, at least not in the sense that Java developers have in java.sun.com, Mono developers have in go-mono.net, and as menitoned by somebody else, PHP developers have in php.net. Boost certainly has enough clout to make this happen.

The idea of having the following C++/Boost oriented things on one site is fantastic.

* blogs for people with influence over the development of the C++ standard (think planet), * blogs for heavy boost contributors (think planet), * documentation for C++/Boost with user anotations + * forum * news section feat. latest compiler news and c++/boost developments etc

+ see recent work murray cumming did in adding anotation facilities to gtkmm docs

I am sure there are more ideas, but that summarises the best of them I hope.

Useful links that might help get this off the ground.

- http://www.planetplanet.org/ // will help with blogs - http://oswd.org // will help with site design - http://www.murrayc.com/temp/gtkmm_book_with_comments/html/ch13s02.php // murray's annotation effort

It would be nice to get the site looking good right from the outset, whilst a "Name Competition" might not merrit a two month wait, I think

Excellent ideas. I hope this "happens" and is not another good idea that never gets implemented. :) perhaps a

site design competition would. Look at sites like the Firefox page, a real central C++/Boost resource looking that professional would have to be good for C++ as a language.

I hope my comments and thoughts add something to the discussion.

All the best,

Gaz

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-----Original Message----- From: Fernando Cacciola [mailto:fernando_cacciola@hotmail.com] Sent: 03 May 2005 17:42 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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