mikroElektronika is launching LibStock soon
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MikroElektronika has posted an announcement today on their news blog site about providing a dedicated platform (Library Stock) for the user community to publish their ideas that could be in various forms including projects, source codes, schematics and tutorials. Since I am a big fan of MikroC pro for PIC, I thought I should share my views on this topic.
Library Stock from mikroElektronika
Currently, they do have a separate Projects page under their main domain name (www.mikroe.com), and a lot of projects have already been posted there. Once I browsed some of them, and I realized most of them are just source codes without sufficient details on the functioning part of the projects. Some of them even don’t have circuit diagrams. I bet even experienced embedded programmers would have problems in understanding those projects by just looking at the source code and no hardware details. MikroElektronika might have realized this too and thought of providing a better content management system for the contribution from user communitiy.
Here are my few suggestions for Library Stock:
- Documentation is the key of a good project. Therefore, whenever users submit their projects they should at least provide three things: a brief description of what it is about and how it works, the complete circuit diagram, and the required firmware for the project. This will help readers to understand the project and implement similar scheme in their projects.
- If the description of the project, circuit diagram and other images are made viewable online for the readers, it would reduce their searching time for what they are actually looking for. Therefore, instead of providing everything of the project in a zipped file, a blogging type platform where registered users can actually write about their projects, would be better.
- A search feature would be helpful to find the right projects based on entered keywords.
- Separate categories for Projects, Library Routines, Theory, Tips and Tricks, Product Reviews, etc.
- A discussion forum or comment section to share ideas and interact with the authors of the projects.
- If MikroElektronika is expecting quality contents for LibStock, they should think about giving some incentives to their writers too. I liked their idea of “SELLING the libraries and projects over Libstock”. Some other options could be: organizing design contests on annual or semiannual basis, hiring people to write some good quality projects using their products, providing free samples of their products to writers, etc.
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Thank you very much for starting the discussion on your blog. Here are our answers:
1. Yes, we have thought of that like this: you will also be able to deliver your projects as ZIP packages or packages made with Package manager (http://www.mikroe.com/eng/products/view/591/package-manager/), which is even better, because you can put help files, MCU definition files, PCBs schematics and documents in the package and install it with a single click. On the other hand, you will also have a place where you can describe your project. It will be a specialized “Project Details” section, where you will be able to write blog, like you do for your current projects on this website.
2. All content will be free and available for all users. You won’t even have to be logged in to access it, but you will have to log-in to comment and share your opinions. And having the place to explain your work will enable you to express your skills as a writer and a lecturer. If you explain the project better, more people will come and download your code. Later on, when the website enables the sale of your code, this part might be a crucial when people decide whether to purchase your code, or someone else’s.
3. Search is going to be supported
4. This is not all going to be possible in the first version of the website, but your suggestions are great, and we will gradually introduce new functionalities, and expand the website.
5. There will be a “Project requests” section where people can talk about what would they like to see in the future. This can help you and other developers to know what they should be working on in order to meet community needs. We will have a Libstock section on our Forum, so you can also have the discussion there.
6. Well, LibStock definitely has a lot of potential, but some of your suggestions, like “organizing design contests on annual or semiannual basis” are probably best to be initiated on our Forum and main website. However, hiring people over LibStock is the third step in making this website, after introducing the ability to sell your code. We also though that, like in http://www.freelancer.com you can offer a job, and then have people bid on the project, and you can hire the one you think is the best for the job.