Introducing the new Sourcefabric website
Here at Sourcefabric, we spend a lot of time working on our code. This means we occasionally overlook other things, like eating, sleeping and generally looking presentable.
Today we are making some overdue progress on that last point with culmination of a project we've been calling Sourcefabric Reloaded. As you've by now noticed, the Sourcefabric website has a new look and new architecture.
It also has renewed purpose to serve better the people who use, share and make Sourcefabric software.
The list of changes is too long to get into here (we created a flood of tickets in JIRA). But let me point out a couple top-line changes.
Open source means free speech
Those five words are shorthand for our mission to support quality, independent journalism. While we hope it's a catchy phrase, it's also deadly serious.
We honestly do believe that the best defense of a society is a free press. Thomas Jefferson said, 'Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.' We tend to agree.
Sourcefabric plays just a small, supporting role in the protection of press freedom. All we do is make software.
But we make it for journalists around the world who don't know if tomorrow will bring bankruptcy, blackouts or bombs to their newsrooms.
And while we can't protect those journalists (or the communities they serve) from these very real dangers, we can give them tools that make their work a little easier.
Case studies
From time to time, we salute a news organization who has helped us make our tools better and more useful for the global community of journalists. We are presenting our partners in a new way to better demonstrate their achievements. We will be adding new heroes to this list in the coming months.
Vision
We are pulling back the curtain a little to give you more insight to the thinking behind all the changelogs and bug fixes. When the coding gets tough, these vision statements remind us of the world we want to help build, and how we plan to get there.
Our software
We have added Citizen Desk and Superdesk to our stable of products. Both are still works in progress but we will be shipping them later this year. While Citizen Desk and Live Blog are both technically modules of Superdesk, they do have their own distinct benefits and uses, so we'd like you to get to know them a little better.
Among the other changes on the site are a few particularly designed to make your lives easier:
- Live support accessible from every page
- Swifter login for clients and community members
- Simpler software downloads
- Clearer demonstration of software benefits
- This new, simpler blog
Roll credits
The new Sourcefabric web site is powered by our very own Newscoop CMS and — more importantly — by a very large and very hardworking team. It would be easier to make a list of people not involved.
I personally want to thank:
Vladimir Stefanović, who provided the vision for the site -- not just design and UX, but critical thinking;
Kristin Trethewey and Anna Kozáková, who spent many hours patiently assembling the content for the site;
Maja Nukić and Ljuba Ranković, who move faster than light, and whose templating powers are beyond human understanding;
Aleksandar Jeličić and Darko Tomić, whose passion for design and attention to detail make the site look so damn good;
Eva Dangendorf, who kept the project on track;
Gideon Lehmann, who generously lent guidance and the support of the implementations team;
Sebastian Šimon, who was able to see the big picture and the fine details at the same time;
Sebastian Horn and Julian Sorge, who provided essential input regarding Live Blog and Booktype, respectively;
Veronika Divišová, who lent a critical eye and rock-steady support;
Adam Thomas, who set this whole enterprise in motion;
Fabienne Riener, Douglas Arellanes, Micz Flor and Sava Tatić, all whom provided support, encouragement and counsel;
And everyone else in Sourcefabric (and two very important people in my home), who have patiently tolerated my anxiety and occasional neglect as we entered the final stretch.