Collaboration tools and tips
As said on the Concepts page, we encourage you to propose short projects: 2 hours or so. Now, 2 hours is an awfully short amount of time for software development. Is it really enough for a project done by 2-4 persons? Won't you be spending more time fussing with task division and other collaboration overhead?
The site is young, and that's something we'll have to see. But we do propose a few tips:
- Really do keep the scope small!
- Propose ideas which lend themselves naturally to task division, with features rather independent of one another.
- Authors: try to think ahead of how you're going to divide the task, and document it in the project description.
- The more people you have on the team, the more features in your breakdown you'll be able to implement.
- Try to have a precise idea of what you're going to do before you start it, reaching that point through discussion on the project page. Use the project page comments to brainstorm.
- DON'T PANIC! :P This is about having fun while developing with new people.
Tool suggestions
We don't enforce the use of this or that tool. On the contrary, we think diversity and trying new stuff is the point of this site. Yet a list might be useful.
- Scheduling meetings: Doodle
- Code repository hosting (most also offer other collaboration features)
- Free for public/open source code
- Free and allows private source
- Chat while working on the project
- Good ol' IRC
- Sites with chat log and images: SignalFire (free), Campfire, echowaves
- Also take a look at EtherPad, mentioned bellow
- Meebo rooms, and most IMs have group chat features
- Sharing code snippets (for chat sessions): Gist, Pastie
- Documenting (sharing code, links, tips, etc. with the team):
- Design/application mockups: iPlotz, Balsamiq Aviary
- Sharing screenshots and screencaps: Jing
- Blogs (for project showcase): Wordpress, Blogger, LiveJournal, and so many others
- Coding: ah, well, now that's up to you :P
