OpenDesktop.org
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openDesktop.org homepage | |
| Web address | http://www.opendesktop.org/ |
|---|---|
| Slogan | Let's build the Desktop of the future |
| Commercial? | no |
Type of site | Social network service |
| Registration | optional |
| Owner | h i v e 01 GmbH |
| Created by | Frank Karlitschek |
| Launched | 2001 |
| Current status | Active |
The website openDesktop.org is a social networking site with main focus on the open source community. It centers on sharing of user generated contents such as applications and artwork with social components. openDesktop.org is one of the biggest online communities, social networks and portals for the free software movement with more than 90 million page impressions per month. It's a home for more than 100.000 user generated contents and also a place where developers, artists and users can come together.
Social network functionalities were integrated over time to increase the communication between users and developers. According to the project site providing the social network functionality and a well communicated community is necessary to improve the acceptance of open source and to grow market share of the Linux Desktop.[1]
Features
Applications
Every visitor of openDesktop.org is allowed to download the digital content listed on the site, but only registered users are able to upload self-created artwork, applications, and little scripts. These programs can be for example KDE or GNOME specific. Other users are able to appraise each upload, can comment on them and ask questions. If they like an upload, they can become a fan of an artwork, or an application and subscribe to it to get informed for updates and new releases.
Artwork
Sharing wallpapers, new desktop icons, and themes, and much more artistic stuff is also possible.
People and Groups
Becoming friends with other free software users and/or developers, creating groups where everyone can meet interested people sharing the same passion and where they can discuss new changes and developments is possible. micro-blogging features and a personalised newsfeed for each user help to stay tuned with events in each circle of friends.
Events
Every registered user is free to launch new events e.g. an open source conference in London, a developer meeting in Berlin or a Linux User Group Party to see each other in life. Each event gets listed in the event database so other users can 'join' the event. Other sites can import the event RSS feed and can embed them in their sites.
New participants can be for an event can be invited to take part, friends get automatically informed via the friend newsfeed that some of their friends go to an event. The date, a short description and a location are necessary to start a new event. Locations get directly displayed via an OpenStreetMap applet provided by the free wiki world map on each event page.
Jobs
Since March 2009[2] it's also possible to post and to scan through job offers. Everyone is able to post new job searches and can upload his own cv. It's directly integrated in the site, the RSS feeds and many million system email.
Knowledge Base
Questions concerning applications and artwork can be posted and their responds are viewable for everyone. Tips and tricks and short guidances from project owners or users can be posted.
Social Desktop
openDesktop.org is the main inventor and creator of the so-called Social Desktop. Backend of the Social Desktop is the Open Collaboration Services API which was developed by openDesktop.org. It got certified as a freedesktop.org standard. As a first website openDesktop.org has integrated the Open Collaboration Services and serves as a provider for the social components in KDE SC 4 and other KDE-based applications. The protocol is also used for the MeeGo App Store.
Statistics
In December 2001, 2000 users were registered on the sites. About 0.8 million page impressions per month were made. A year later, in 2002 there were 6000 registered users and 3 million page impressions. Heavy growth for more than 8 years lead to more than 130.000 registered users in a greater extant than 100 countries in June 2009.[3] Over 90 million page impressions per month are reached with more than 6 Terabytes traffic per month.[4] 2,5 million unique visitors come every month on openDesktop.org.
History
The first website of the portal, KDE-Look.org, was started in the year 2001 by Frank Karlitschek.[5] Shortly many similar sites with focus on other open source themes such as GNOME were launched. Today, more than 35 community sites are available.[6] In 2007 the openDesktop.org got established as an umbrella page for the whole network that summarizes the content from the sites such as KDE-Look.org, KDE-Apps.org, GTK-Apps.org, GNOME-Look.org.[7]
Nowaday openDesktop.org is a global meeting place for open source and Linux enthusiasts from different countries. The websites get maintained by the h i v e 01 GmbH, based in Stuttgart, Germany. Frank Karlitschek is the majority owner of h i v e 01 GmbH.
References
- ↑ ""About" page on openDesktop.org with described motivation".
- ↑ "Job board announcement".
- ↑ "h i v e 01 website with realtime statistics".
- ↑ "Frank Karlitschek about the web traffic".
- ↑ "Short history about the evolution of openDesktop.org".
- ↑ "Overview of all included websites".
- ↑ "Announcement of the openDesktop.org head website".