On Monday 12 July 2004 02:53 pm, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > graphic designer. How can I contribute?
Pursue self-interest. What do you want to see changed? How can you help to get it there? I started off by posting some rather scathing, nasty judgements about the unsuitability of Linux for MIDI work. In particular, I really had it out for the Rosegarden project, and I made my opinion known very publically. That lead to a well-needed butt-chewing and attitude readjustment. I came to see that a lot of the functionality I was looking for was actually there, but I couldn't figure out how to use it. Someone suggested that the project needed a tutorial. I decided to accept that challenge. I put something together, and then mailed them a tarball. Next thing you know, I had CVS access so I could maintain my docs in the project's repository. After too much time spent trying to write around the many bugs and unimplemented features, I eventually caved in to the temptation to try to do something about them, and before you know it, here I am hacking on one of the most ridiculously complicated C++ applications in all Linuxdom. I who had not touched a compiler since the days when DOS was going to rule the world forever. I who had barely written a hello world in C++, back before the STL even existed, and who had never done any GUI programming at all. It's kind of funny how it all worked out. I'm not writing any earth shattering code, but I've fixed a few bugs, added a few features. I've done a lot of testing. I've continued working on the docs. I've added toolbars for actions that didn't have toolbars, made up icons for actions that didn't have icons... I've done a whole lot of a little bit, really. Whatever was within my grasp, or just beyond. Few of these things are sufficiently noteworthy to rate a blurb in the AUTHORS file, but I've really accomplished quite a lot of little things, and occasionally something important. Anyway, I'm not suggesting you stop by Rosegarden necessarily, unless you're interested in this particular niche. Our icons could probably use a face lift, and our manual isn't finished, but unless this kind of project is your thing, it will be hard for you to make sense of any of it. What I am really suggesting is that you find a cause of your own, and work however you can toward furthering it. What could be better? How can you make it so? Wanting to see it happen is the impetus that will get you through all the rough spots. Good luck! Contributing to Linuxdom is rewarding, frustrating, and above-all, time-consuming. Very time-consuming. :) -- Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621 http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/ -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
