Being a contributor

We welcome folks to join the effort and we’re happy to share your info on our ‘About Us‘ page (as much or as little as you prefer!).   Some guidelines we have for items you wish to have available for download on our site.  We’d also like to get some new Authors and help with managing our website.   More details below. Don’t hesitate to Contact Us if you have questions/interest.

WEBSITE: We’d like to add a Forum capability to our site, potentially using something like phpBB.  We’re running on Linux, using Apache, and a pretty complete tool set.  If you’re interested in the setup and helping with moderation – welcome!

SOFTWARE/TOOLS:  Developing software is a lot of work!  We don’t ask you to give up ownership, but we do encourage you to consider making it “Open Source“.  You still have the copyright and will always be the ‘founder’… but it allows other programmers to help and make improvements.  XCSoar is a  good example.

  • In the minimal case, all we need is the executable.  Add an “About” menu item.   You must include at least the version info of the software and a “FREE for redistribution for non-commercial use”.  We encourage to also add your name and copyright.
  • Think about sharing your source code.  Currently we have one large package using Git and hosted on Gitlab.   We can help you with setup.  The platform also allows you track bugs and control access so others can help.

DOCUMENTATION/TUTORIALS:  A lot of good software fails because of poor user documentation.  Nobody enjoys writing documents and it’s a lot more work!  All we need is a PDF, but again we welcome you also supplying a .doc file so others can make revisions/changes.    Check here for more info on public documentation.

AUTHOR/ARTICLE: You can see we carry postings from different members of the Soaring Community on our site.  It’s an opportunity for a thoughtful article and to encourage some discussion.  You don’t have to be a ‘web wizard’ to be an Author.  We can take care of all the formatting.   Currently interested in:

  • Clubs using a structured syllabus for instruction, student progress tracking, and grading.
  • Simulator/Condor usage in training and before/after changes in student performance.
  • A student perspective on the usage of Condor in your training.
  • Send us your idea!