If you're an artist, you've been there: applying that final touch or minor adjustment that finishes the piece off. You're done! Everything looks exactly as you'd imagined it, and you can't wait to put it out there and show your prowess to the world. In the few years that I've been working on websites, I've found the building process to be strikingly similar. My latest assignment, the recently updated Open Font Library, placed me in a position I have never quite been in before: the "Code Middleman". Along the way, I learned a lot about the process of a singular developer and how encouraging collaboration in this medium can be.

The task sounded simple enough. Manufactura Independente had been contracted to craft a visual upgrade to Open Font Library. They did so (and quite well). My mission was to take the series of HTML/CSS/JavaScript mockup pages and apply them to the existing work our own Christopher Adams had done in building the site in it's initial form.

What I hadn't anticipated was the hair pulling and sleep-deprived nights that would lay ahead as I began to untangle the two webs and retie them into a functioning whole.

The Open Font Library was built on an open source web software called Aiki Framework. While Aiki is continually growing and gaining in popularity, it wasn't a software that Manufactura were immediately familiar with. The visual upgrade was only one of a number of features that were to be included in the upcoming release, so it soon became necessary for an Aiki-experienced developer to apply the completed redesigns to the site as work on the additional upgrades was going on behind the scenes.

Trial and error was key. I dove in pasting some design code here, amending an existing Aiki-built widget there, as the site slowly began it's metamorphosis. Things often broke, but communication with both Chris and Manufactura Independente helped me stay on course by establishing the commonalities between the two sets of code and ways of thinking. The veil of mystery often surrounding web development began to lift, in the process.

Why is collaboration so difficult in web development anyway? I think the software, as well as our processes and perceptions are at the heart of the issue. To many in my everyday circles (parents, peers, etc), what I do is a very ambiguous thing. I've described my work process in such vague terms that I began assuming the role of a wizard holed up in a tower solemnly researching and brewing his next potion. Sites are increasingly about speedy deliveries and giving clients dynamic control. Management systems like WordPress have evolved to make these solutions easier, but nothing has excelled at allowing real-time collaboration between multiple developers. Standard procedure often involves a repetitive process of a single developer designing, setting up, and configuring a site for general use.

With the completion of Open Font Library's latest release, I found myself leaving behind my worst working tendencies. I lost the desire to forge ahead in solitude or to be overly attached to work I completed and hyper critical of other's work. The necessity of communicating between multiple groups through a new software and meeting a tight deadline has helped me grow as a developer. It stopped feeling like a competition and started being about learning from and helping others.

Is Aiki Framework the ultimate collaborative solution? Not in it's current form, but each release brings us closer, and each project is another opportunity to build together.

Beijing, Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Mozilla Drumbeat Hackfest is coming to Beijing. The 2011 China Drumbeat is organized around the theme of citizen science on the web, and has attracted some of the world's leading developers in this field to participate. The Hackfest takes place from March 23 – 25, 2011 and is to be hosted at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

The goal the 2011 China Mozilla Drumbeat is to increase public awareness of citizen science on the web, and partner open source developers with the scientific community to build prototypes and solutions for "citizen cyberscience" in China. The Hackfest is for web developers, mobile app developers, processor enthusiasts, online game developers and virtual world enthusiasts.

The first night of China Mozilla Drumbeat Hackfest, Wednesday March 23, Mozilla is hosting a Firefox 4 Release Party from 9:30 until 11:30 at the Rainbow Club. It is a night of fun, music and celebration for the global launch around the world of the most free, open and secure web browser, Mozilla Firefox. This is a free and open event, but registration is required prior:
http://mozilla.com.cn/event/25-ff4-launch-party/

The main two days of the Hackfest on March 22 - 23 are focused on "citizen cyberscience" which includes volunteer computing projects such as SETI@home, BOINC, CAS@home, and LHC@home. These projects all leverage the power of distributed computing to aid basic scientific research.

A Drumbeat Hackfest is a live collaborative event where tools and technologies that support the open web are designed and created. The 2011 China Drumbeat welcomes the participation of developers with skills in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, data visualization, distributed computing, mobile computing and online gaming. Participating developers can take advantage of this opportunity to aid the scientific community and increase public uptake of volunteer computing using the latest in web technologies.

The Hackfest opens on March 23, 2011 with an evening of speeches by Francois Grey, Coordinator of the Citizen Cyberscience Centre and initiator of the Africa@home and Asia@home citizen cyberscience projects; as well as team leaders from SETI@home, BOINC, CAS@home, LHC@home, EpiCollect, the Quake Catcher Network Project, and the Computing for Clean Water Project. Fabricatorz Christopher Adams and Jon Phillps are also in Beijing supporting and hacking at the event with the teams and creating news.

March 24 and 25 will see full-day hackfest sessions with scientists and developers to take on new challenges and help enhance volunteer computing through rapid software and product prototyping.

The Fabricatorz are proud to be participating and supporting this event. Christopher Adams and Jon Phillips will be the master of ceremonies at the Firefox Release Party. We hope to see you there!

About China Mozilla Drumbeat Hackfest

More Information in English and Chinese:

• http://mozilla.com.cn/event/23-drumbeat-en/
• http://mozilla.com.cn/event/24-drumbeat-cn/

About Firefox 4 Release Party

http://mozilla.com.cn/event/25-ff4-launch-party/

Rainbow Bar
彩虹轩酒吧

Address:
B1, Tower C, Science Plaza, Tsing hua Science Park, Wu Dao Kou
北京市海淀区清华科技园科技大厦C座地下一层

UPDATE: So many people have registered, so we had to get a bigger venue! Please take note!

Wen Jin Hotel B1, Chamber bar (The hotel is close to Tsing Hua South Gate.)
北京市海淀区中关村东路一号清华科技园文津国际酒店地下一层璨酒吧（文津酒店
在清华南门旁边）

About Mozilla Drumbeat

Drumbeat is a global community of innovators like you, building a more awesome web and world. Connect with others. Find projects that need your help. Or share your own. https://www.drumbeat.org/

About Fabricatorz

The Fabricatorz is a “open” production company that makes successful projects from start to finish, including development and community management. We specialize in Free and Open Source Software, Creative Commons technology, growing on-line and off-line communities in San Francisco, China and the Arab World. We develop software with Aiki Framework, hardware using Qi Hardware, and build communities around the philosophies of Sharism.

http://fabricatorz.com/

Press Contact

• Jon Phillips
• press@fabricatorz.com
• Global +1-415-830-8334
• China +86-187-1003-9974

Weeks spent hopping the globe and spreading the word on Open Source Tech have brought the Fabricatorz back into a heavy development cycle. As all of these projects and events evolve, Community updates become vital to those keeping track, and the first week of November promises a month packed with new and exciting projects!

Fabricatorz Developer, Christopher Adams, has been busy promoting Sharism on a global scale. Christopher and other Fabricatorz launched The Sharism Forum, at Get It Louder 2010 in Beijing, where the ideology behind new cultures stressing openness and sharing was featured and promoted.

October 23 brought Fabricatorz (Barry, Bassel, Jon and Christopher) to Doha, where they held an Open Source Workshop at the Digitally Open conference hosted by ICTQatar. The Workshop brought in a maximum capacity crowd of students and professionals eager to learn techniques, histories, and best practices of an emerging and Open digital culture.

October 25 saw even more Sharism love at a Creative Commons Salon in Beirut at Karaj, where Christopher again spent time introducing and presenting. Last week was rounded out with a group Developer/Planning Session at Hackerspace Damascus, where progress on new features for Aiki Framework were focal points.

In related Open Source news, The Open Clip Art Library recently received some contributions from a group of first-time users of it's key development tool: Inkscape. John Haltiwanger led a class where students investigated the possibilities of the tool as an alternative to proprietary systems for creating digital artwork. Some examples from the students are shown above, below and as a part of the heading graphic.

Marije Rooze notes in her blog, after her work in Inkscape:

I like the idea of open source, of community and sharing. In terms of sympathy my head goes to initiatives like Inkscape. But I am also a creature of habit, unwilling to let go of something so good as Illustrator.

Marije's impressions are indicative of the challenges that the Open Source Community has to address in order to move forward and continue cultivating a healthier and more vibrant digital culture. The Fabricatorz are hard at work making this a reality. Stay tuned for more Fabricatorz Business and Open Source cultural happenings.

Fabricatorz are back in the development cycle after weeks filled with travel, meetings, and community events. Developer Bassel Safadi is busy building out new features for his rapidly evolving Aiki Framework, while Brad Phillips helps improve Aiki's portfolio with new and improved sites. Official announcements on these projects are expected next week, and feel free to utilize Brad's newest GPL-Themed web badges!

Meanwhile, Founder Jon Phillips and Developer Christopher Adams capped off successful journeys, in Tokyo, with Digital Garage, by taking the stage at The New Context Conference 2010. Building off of last week's CC.ASIA site launch, Jon and Christopher spoke about Sharism and it's potential impact in Asia.

From Asia, Jon landed in London, where he was a featured speaker at the Future of Web Apps Conference.

Later this month, many of our Fabricatorz (including Bassel, Christopher, Jon, and Barry Threw) will be featured at ICT Qatar, an open source workshop that will aim to inform and educate attendees about F/LOSS (Free Libre Open Source Software) and how it can be effectively utilized.

More details and Releases are on the agenda for next week!

The Fabricatorz are charging through a week filled with sets of hotly-anticipated projects and collaborative efforts. Just today, Fabricatorz Founding Developer Jon Phillips led the way in the Announcing Laoban Soundsystem 2.0 and it's associated debut at Get It Louder in Beijing (beginning at 7:00pm, this Sunday, September 19). Christopher Adams, who has been hard at work on Get It Louder organization, will be present at the event, alongside Jon.

Also just Released, Laoban-Soundsystem.com, the latest in an exciting lineup of new pages developed under Fabricatorz Developer Bassel Safadi, and his Aiki Framework. Visitors to Laoban Soundsystem's new homepage will find details of Laoban-powered events, as well as official documentation and steps to take to replicate these 6000-watt beasts.

Speaking of Aiki Framework, Bassel continues behind-the-scenes plowing, as the platform encroaches ever nearer it's 0.5 Release. Enthusiasts can stay tuned in to Fabricatorz and expect a new iteration in the very near future!

Another Aiki-Powered Project, The Open Clip Art Library, is fast moving up it's Release Schedule and adding new features, to boot. Fabricatorz Developer Brad Phillips has inserted a new 'Community Status Updates' Section, at the base of the home page sidebar, in which the latest updates from the Open Clip Art Library StatusNet Page are featured.

Check this space again soon, for more on Get It Louder, Sharism, and other projects and events in the Fabricatorz Universe!