The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

So back in January I decided to take a stab at improving the woefully neglected Wikipedia articles on maemo and the tablets (particularly maemo), and didn't get much further than putting together a sorry looking software stack table for the maemo article and a bit of general cleanup on the tablet articles.

I gave up pretty quickly, hoping that my small edits might kick-start some miraculous flurry of improvements—but no dice. :D So I've come back 4 months later to find there's been practically no improvement to any of the articles. That's a shame.

Anyway, I've got a bit more drive this time around, and would really like to see some real improvements take place. So I figured I'd try and drum up some support with something of a wiki-improvement notes and requests thread.

To begin:

Content on the tablet articles isn't bad, but they're still in need of a bit of cleanup and unification. Style, structure, and term usage (ITOS2008, OS2008, OS 2008, Internet Tablet OS2008, etc.) and need to be consistent across all articles.

The maemo article is the worst of the bunch. It has basically zero content and half again the organization. I'm planning on splitting the article up like this:

1. Overview
2. Internet Tablet OS
   • OS2005
   • OS2006
   • OS2007
   • OS2008
3. maemo development platform

For now, my only requests are default-configuration screenshots (800x480, good quality) of OS2005-2008 (I have the equipment here, but not the willingness to nuke two devices ;)) (Edit: Got all of them. Thanks, Firebird8!) and some time investment in whatever way you see fit to any of the articles.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Word GA!
I appreciate your generosity and determination re NIT Wikipedia articles. I'm a devoted Wikipedian, and would be glad to help. I've got three devices running OS '06, '07 (770 HE), & '08. Not clear on screenshot needs - by configuration, do you mean the default Home View, or the sequence of pages when first configuring a device (or both)? Also, which screenshot app do you think would work best? I've rarely used any of them. If you want to reply off list, drop me a line on my Wikipedia talk page (UN = walshga).
Peace,
Jim

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Basically, I'm looking for a newly flashed device just booted to the desktop with only default applets. I'd like to put together a timeline and update the OS screenshot to OS2008.

Personally, I just use x11vnc (plus a sweet Quicksilver-hot-key invoked bash script that automagically crops, compresses, names, uploads, and sticks the URL into my clipboard :D), but osso-screenshot-tool should work fine, too.

Reading over some of the stuff I wrote last night, I see I should probably stick to editing when awake. Consistence and clarity seems to suffer a bit. :D

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Alright, the first thing I'm willing to call a first draft is up.

The ITOS section (and subsections) are now at a minimum content level. In particular, more discussion of the major API, package and feature changes is needed (a little more content for each ITOS release than the Hacker Edition subsection would be good, I think).

The SDK section still needs to be created, but I'm mildly under equipped (having never actually used it, lacking well-supported hardware ;)). I'd say three, maybe four, paragraphs should be the minimum for the final product (overview, technical/component details, usage).

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Another update.

Added some more screenshots and updated the article screenshot to OS2008. ;)

Few touch-ups here and there, added a stub for the SDK, still need lots more content.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Well, I can see meanwhile has contributed his unique brand of ******** to the maemo wiki page. :\

Edit: Wow, worse than I thought at first glance. The article has pretty much been completely screwed over. Several sections of steaming horseshit were added and there seem to be two intermingled (and overlapping) footnote numberings going on.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Evidently technical terms are now "buzzwords". . . .

Article is mostly cleaned up and back in some semblance of shape. :\

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Sniff sniff... that BS smells familiar.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

OK, I just went and read it and I think it would be better having left it as a stub, as now it is just an article about how insecure the NITs are, with no actual information apart from the ramblings of a demented *****.

It would be nice if he went and got another platform to 'support'. It is lucky noone believes anything they read on wikipedia, as this matches!

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

And someone should read his user page and the wikipedia guidelines...

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Yes: quoting Nokia's tech docs is completely insane. **Obviously**.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Well, he's officially lost it.

He's pulling a vandalism charge and threatening to have me banned from wikipedia.

This guy is a menace.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...es&redirect=no

meanwhile reverted my cleanup and is now accusing me of vandalism.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

**** it, General, I'm supporting you.

At least you aren't full of ****.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

You are saying that nokias tech docs go into rants about how insecure their operating system is against non-existant viruses, how trivial keyloggers are to write, and how they could be stopped by these super software firewalls that are indestructable somehow.
Indeed, I am also suprised they go into detail as to how insecure the system is compared to say, palms or pocketPCs who have a huge market share with the same securty models and no malware.

I am not trying to say security is brilliant, as it clearly isn't, but when dealing with a threat it is important to devote appropriate resources to a problem, and in your case you are putting a huge emphasis on a very hyperthetical case that while not impossible is so impractical it is not going to happen, while your examples of how to fix it would provide no extra safety and possibly reduce both functionality and security.

So you have edited that article to say that the only thing of significance about the nokia internet tablets is that they are security problem. Nothing else.
I don't understand why you have one if they are so completely useless?

Edit:

BTW, I didn't call you insane.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

I would like to know why you think a thread full of ******** which you started is a credible source:
http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...ad.php?t=19074

When the first ARM virus (because I don't think you know, that even if there was a Linux virus, it would have to be recompiled for OS2008) is made, that's when you will get your "virus checker"

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Go for it, have me banned, win your crazy little power play. Honestly, I could care less. Wikipedia will officially be a lost cause when **** like this is allowed to happen. :\

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Actually, I specifically said I wasn't reporting you - although I did warn you that persistent wiki vandalism is an offense, which is what I'm supposed to do as a wiki user, if I don't want to get heavy and take you to a Higher Authority. Vandalism being defined as deleting sourced relevant material without using the discussion page and civil, sourced, discussion.

You *might* be right to delete some or all the material - what I wrote might be factually incorrect. But you need to source and discuss and generally obey the rules that you signed up to when you opened a wiki account. Calling someone a "menace" in a forum follow of your friends because they are asking you to live up to standards you agreed to may make you feel better, but it isn't terribly helpful or mature.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

You know, you will get banned if you only them hear one side of the story.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

For what it's worth, I'll have it on record that I'm firmly on GA's side on this - if there's anything there that's got the smell of 'vandalism' about it it's mr. Meanwhile's article changes, as well as that rant on the discussion page. Sheesh.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

I know this defeats the point of wikipedia but why not make 2 seperate articles on your security views.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Honestly, I don't really have the interest or energy to fight nonsense like this.

Wikipedia is not your little soapbox. If you want to provide useful information to the subject at hand, fine, but you mostly just seem to want to rant on the "security" topic more than any other part of the article. Internet forums are specifically recommended against as "sources", especially using topics filled with your own assertions to back up your own assertions.

I'll also note that the "Future" section is utter nonsense, and Nokia has come out and stated that the Trolltech acquisition doesn't have a damn thing to do with maemo for the foreseeable future (aside from the possible bundling of Qt libraries sometime around the end of this year).

I'm too dumbfounded and disturbed at the moment to try and knock down your arguments point by point. Suffice to say, it's incredibly disheartening that a simple attempt to improve a wikipedia article could descend into being accused of vandalism and bribe taking (FULL DISCLOSURE!!! I'M ABOUT TO RECEIVE A FREE MAEMO T-SHIRT FOR MY WORK ON BUGZILLA!!!!!!).

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Or even link to a separate security article and use the maemo article to actually say something of use about the platform

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Well, there's the warning. I wonder if they actually bother to investigate vandalism claims or just go with whatever random people tell them.

I'm done, if anybody else wants to fight this out, feel free.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Well, if meanwhile doesn't reverse changes himself I'll volunteer to undo them again, and again, for as long as it takes, if noone else beats me to it. That'll let GA free to concentrate on adding useful contents, as he's been doing so far (unlike meanwhile). I'll check back on the wiki page after the weekend.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

If he tries banning you and succeedes , i'll take over.

I don't even contribute on wikipedia and I'm gonna change isp's soon so I don't really give 2 ****s if I get banned.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

I have reverted it again with a note to take this to the discussion page as well as a note in the vandalism section backing up GA's edits. Meanwhile made his edits in bad faith and this should be hashed out on the discussion page before being applied to the article.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Looks like GA is prevailing.

Any vandalism here was not done by GA, but by the other user who is pushing a myopic view of the maemo platform. He has already trolled the iTT forums and has decided to take out his anger on the maemo page. GA has been attempting a good faith cleanup of this page, nothing more. Brontide (talk) 16:21, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

I recognise when I make a wrong decision, i'll leave it as is. Sorry, CycloneNimrodtalk? 16:24, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, I will try and do an unbiased review of the diffs and see what NPOV materal can be salvaged Brontide (talk) 16:28, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

Either way the policy is very clear that this was not vandalism on either side, NPOV and nonsense edits maybe, but not vandalism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:VAND#NOT

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Proof that meanwhile is a knob.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

I've added my comments on the talk page. If I don't get any comments I'll go ahead and reapply the sections/text that I think are NPOV.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

The fact that wikipedia editors seem to respond to vandalism charges without any sort of review or verification is a bit disheartening and rather sours me on the whole project.

Well, one good thing came out of this mess. It seems to have gotten Quim involved a bit.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Meanwhile, I would like to bring it to your attention that your edition of the article is incomplete. For example, you are not mentioning that OS2008 has no sufficient protections from the Flying Spaghetti Monster attacks. Also, you have completely avoided the fact that a hit with an OS2008-based device properly directed at someone's head can leave the victim incapacitated for the rest of his or her life. Finally, you have failed to mention that consuming a shredded OS2008 printout mixed with tabasco sauce causes severe diarrhea in users.

My personal opinion is that unless you add these and other important facts to the article, your edits should be rejected for not completely reflecting the truth i.e. biased. But I am also sure you did not have in mind to be biased, so, please, continue working on the article, enriching it with these and other priceless factual tidbits.

I wish you success.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Well, after a night to cool down and thanks in no small part to Sr. brontide for his level-headedness my reason has returned to me and I've decided not to abandon the project and done some more edits today.

• Did a bit of cleanup on the NPOV stuff that was merged by brontide and fixed the references provided for that stuff.
• Improved the formating and consistency on the existing references.
• Fleshed out the OS200[58] subsections a little so they at least don't look completely stupid.
• Changed ITOS to OS per Quim's recommendation and fixed up consistency on that point a bit.
• Removed the software-stack table for the time being until it can be updated and simplified (any volunteers? :D Wikipedia's table formating is an epic PITA).

I've also added a stub for MicroB (if somebody wants to go through and make sure all mentions of MicroB or that Firefox/Gecko-based browser in the maemo-related articles point to the new article it would be much appreciated). There'll be more coming there later today.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Ok, I've made all plaintext Microb's link to MicroB wiki page in the Maemo page and I've added Microb in brackets to all Gecko references in n800 and n810. I plan on writing a extensions/plugin section in the Microb article. I did my edits on n800 so feel free to cleanup.

HTH

Edit, The Sword Project lists it is for maemo too, the other listed platforms have names of programs so I added Rapier in brackets for maemo. I'm a Muzza so I've never used rapier, can anyone confirm Rapier uses Sword? :)

Also, I don't seem to have upload permissions on wikipedia but maybe, if this is of any value, this screenshot is nice?

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Thanks! I went in and unified them with the text. No sense in parenthetically mentioning the name. :p

Also: me want plugin section NOA, qwerty12! :D

Did a little more MicroB cleanup and expansion. Quim popped up again to correct me (:D), so I integrated most of his recommended changes. Although I'm still not 100% how to rectify the naming issue (see the talk page). :\ The History, Architecture and Introduction sections have been created/expanded. I'll be adding more to the architecture section based on the the "Mozilla based browser for maemo" (:rolleyes:) whitepaper soon.

Did some more term unification on the rest of the articles. Still not all the way there, but closer.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

I have reintegrated the following sections with as much source material as I could find; Updating the OS, Security, and Future Releases. If people could try and flesh these out some more it would be appreciated. I will not stand for attacks on unix, native code, or mobile computing security in general as opposed to maemo specially.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Good stuff, brontide! Touched up and unified formating and term usage (I'm going to avoid using ITOS for the time being as it's unofficial and rather clunky). Expanded and clarified just a touch the future sections just a touch.

We still need somebody to flesh out the SDK section, though. :D

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Somebody added a company called "Imendio" under the developer line in the infobox. Personally, I've never heard of them before. According to the linked PDF, they've done a bit of development for the platform but should they really be included there? :\

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Well, according to their website, they claim to have written a large amount of it. If what they say is true it is reasonable for them to be there. I guess the only people who can say is people from inside nokia.
I hadn't heard of them.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

I suppose you could make that argument, but most developer infoboxes only contain a single developer, and that's the primary one (which is most certainly maemo/Nokia). See the GTK page, Debian page, Firefox page or many others. There are most certainly other developers who have contributed to these projects, but only the primary developer is listed.

Re: The maemo Wikipedia Improvement Project
 

Looked up Imendio and they may have been a contracted to work on some pieces, but to what extent is vague at best. Press releases back to 2005 and none of them are very specific.

Looks like the page is coming along. Still need a lot of meat in the SDK area, but otherwise it's refining nicely. Maybe GA made up this whole vandalism business to get us all worked up and working on the the page ;) :cool: