Start
Tris
Milos Rancic
>
> OK so what's the plan to get started etc?!
So, here is the short plan:
* Please, open an account at SourceForge (http://sourceforge.net/). I
created project "weather-bot". Send to this list or to me privately
your usernames, so I may add you as developers/managers/whatever of
that project.
* I'll upload at SF's Subversion system bot's code. (Optionally, if
more of you prefer Git instead of Subversion, we'll use Git.) Until I
upload it, whoever doesn't have the code, let me know and I'll send it
to him/her. Note that the code is under GNU Affero General Public
License, while localization are under PD and its database under CC-BY.
(If anyone needs explanations for the licensing, please let me know.)
* SF provides MediaWiki, too. So, we may have examples (or even a full
set of weather data) on wiki. I think that we may keep localization
there, too.
* My code is not finished and there are a couple of needed changes:
** The full abstraction level of methods for getting data.
** Localization designed at the next levels:
*** Normalization: The names of the places are not always good enough
(for example, there are some bad names, like "Pozega Uzicka" for
"Užička Požega"; there are some abbreviations, like "U. Pozega" for
the same place; or the name is in a native language, like it may be
"Београд" for "Belgrade" at the [local] Hydro-meteorological Institute
of Serbia.) All of those names should be "normalized" into the proper
English names. Note, also, that we'll need to "normalize" other
things, like wind direction is: For example, wund.com is giving wind
direction data in the form "SE" or "NNW", but, also, "South", "East".
We need to normalize that into one form (I normalized that with "S",
"W" etc.).
*** Localization: It is logically a relatively simple task, but it'll
take a time for localization of different places. We may, optionally,
make a localization bot (but, I think that Tris mentioned to me that
he has a localization bot) and gather right names from Wikipedia.
Also, it would be good if we would keep all data on wiki, not inside
of the code, so we may update data from time to time.
*** Also, we should organize our localization work. The best idea
would be if we have it implemented at translatewiki.net, but we may do
that at SF's wiki, too. Note that we should make some auxiliary bot
which would generate localizations from wiki pages periodically.
** Data about places: We need to get latitude and longitude for every
place. Usually, Wikipedia has such data.
* I am using python module "ephem" [1] for finding is there a daylight
or night. This may produce much better daily pages: we may have not
just weather data, but, also, astronomical data (i.e. where is Jupiter
at the sky of that place for that day).
* Organization: I think that we should organize our bots in the next way:
** One bot owner should cover one country. In the cases of the bigger
countries, one bot owner should cover one or a couple of
states/regions. Such bot should update all Wikinews editions (of
course, all Wikinews editions which are willing to be updated in such
way and which localized messages) for that country/region. In other
words, for example, the first bot owner from France should cover
weather in France for English, French, Serbian etc. Wikinews. Note
that you'll need as many bot instances as Wikinews editions you are
covering. (In other words, if all Wikinews editions are willing to
have weather, you'll need to have ~20 bot instances.) Usually, bot
should be initiated as a cron job, which means that you should
periodically check does bot work.)
** There is the list of servers owned by Wikimedians somewhere at
Meta. Also, besides German Toolserver, there is Polish Toolserver,
too. We need as many servers as we are able to get because 20
instances for one server is not a lot, but 200 instances (so, 10
countries) is a lot.
** We need to gather the list of information about weather conditions:
clear, cloudy, fog, light rain etc. and to "normalize" them.
** We need more icons. Tango project icons (which I am using) are good
for the beginning because they are SVG. Please, keep new forms under
PD.
* Further development:
** Brian mentioned that we should generate maps (with temperatures and
pressure fronts). It is possible to make and we should work on that
issue.
* The next (immediate) steps are:
** Opening accounts at SourceForge and adding you as developers.
** Organizing logically on-wiki localization work (the wiki address is [2]).
** I am fixing the core of the code (I think I'll need one or two
weeks for that task). If someone is willing to work on that with me,
please let me know.
** Finding a person (someone of you?) who would gather information
about weather conditions.
** Finding a person (someone of you?) who would make icons.
* The second phase:
** Making localization for all languages (for now, English -- which
would be easy, Serbian and French).
* The third phase:
** Running bots.
** Development.
I think that this is all for now.
[1] - http://rhodesmill.org/pyephem/
[2] - https://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/weather-bot/
Tris
Sorry I don't have a localisation bot, don't know where that came from!
Sounds promising at the moment!
On Sat Jun 27 23:43 , Milos Rancic <mil...@gmail.com> sent:
>
>On Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 21:37, Tris...@waterhay.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> OK so what's the plan to get started etc?!
>
>So, here is the short plan:
>
>your usernames, so I may add you as developers/managers/whatever of
>that project.
>upload it, whoever doesn't have the code, let me know and I'll send it
>to him/her. Note that the code is under GNU Affero General Public
>License, while localization are under PD and its database under CC-BY.
>(If anyone needs explanations for the licensing, please let me know.)
>there, too.
>"Užička Požega"; there are some abbreviations, like "U. Pozega" for
>the same place; or the name is in a native language, like it may be
>"Београд" for "Belgrade" at the [local] Hydro-meteorological Institute
>of Serbia.) All of those names should be "normalized" into the proper
>English names. Note, also, that we'll need to "normalize" other
>things, like wind direction is: For example, wund.com is giving wind
>direction data in the form "SE" or "NNW", but, also, "South", "East".
>We need to normalize that into one form (I normalized that with "S",
>"W" etc.).
>make a localization bot (but, I think that Tris mentioned to me that
>he has a localization bot) and gather right names from Wikipedia.
>Also, it would be good if we would keep all data on wiki, not inside
>of the code, so we may update data from time to time.
>that at SF's wiki, too. Note that we should make some auxiliary bot
>which would generate localizations from wiki pages periodically.
>just weather data, but, also, astronomical data (i.e. where is Jupiter
>at the sky of that place for that day).
>states/regions. Such bot should update all Wikinews editions (of
>course, all Wikinews editions which are willing to be updated in such
>way and which localized messages) for that country/region. In other
>words, for example, the first bot owner from France should cover
>weather in France for English, French, Serbian etc. Wikinews. Note
>that you'll need as many bot instances as Wikinews editions you are
>covering. (In other words, if all Wikinews editions are willing to
>have weather, you'll need to have ~20 bot instances.) Usually, bot
>should be initiated as a cron job, which means that you should
>periodically check does bot work.)
>too. We need as many servers as we are able to get because 20
>instances for one server is not a lot, but 200 instances (so, 10
>countries) is a lot.
>PD.
>issue.
>
>please let me know.
>
iceflow900
that this looks like a very promising project. I'd be interested in
linking on with you as a developer (I have a Sourceforge a/c
registered as iceflow900).
Depending on how much you need doing, I note in the email that you
also want someone to work on some icons. Let me settle down with my
new laptop and I'll see what I can knock out when the time comes.
I'll be in every day from now on, and if you need to mail me
anything,
I think you can do that through Sourceforge. If not, let me know and
I'll pass on my email address to you.
Regards,
Thor
On Jun 28, 8:24 am, Tris <t...@waterhay.co.uk> wrote:
> OK I've made an account at SF with username Dottydotdot.
>
> Sorry I don't have a localisation bot, don't know where that came from!
>
> Sounds promising at the moment!
>
>
> - Show quoted text -
Milos Rancic
On Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 14:34, iceflow900<hammer....@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Depending on how much you need doing, I note in the email that you
> also want someone to work on some icons. Let me settle down with my
> new laptop and I'll see what I can knock out when the time comes.
Great! We have enough time to wait for you :)
I prepared the code for distribution even it is still in the early
development phase. It may be found at [1]
[1] - https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=267366&package_id=328742