This is essentially a brainstorming document. I'm willing to put the time and effort into organizing all of this, but before I dive in, I would love to hear your thoughts, opinions, or constructive criticism.

The Problems:
• There is enormous global suffering: AIDS, Poverty, Starvation, Corruption, and more.
• Many people have never heard the gospel.
• Ministries that address such problems frequently use software that is years behind standard business offerings, decreasing their efficiency and effectiveness.
• Our churches often have experienced software developers in the congregation, but it is hard to walk into a ministry and immediately apply their skills.
• New Christian software developers spend years teaching themselves before getting into jobs that accelerate their learning, and it is difficult to find experienced developers to consistently and quickly answer their questions.
• Ministries frequently do not know what each other are working on. They do the best they can. Unfortunately, they frequently end up re-inventing things that other ministries have already created.
• Software developers are the only people with the skills to create tools that that can amplify ministries’ communication, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Most of those problems exist because we do not work together efficiently as a body. How can that change?

The people necessary:
• Project managers (Recruited from local congregations and by word of mouth)
• Mentors (Experienced developers similarly recruited)
• New developers (There certainly are plenty)
• Ministry Staff (Have to exist or there wouldn’t be much of a point to this)

A Solution:
Imagine a community that works together with ministry staff to create software that makes a difference. Project managers work with ministries to post projects in the community for mentors and new developers to work on together. Developers can choose their projects based on their passions, and mentors will volunteer based on their area of expertise. Mentors will coach new developers in various aspects of software engineering and leadership. Regular virtual meetings with the project manager and ministry staff teach distributed communication skills and assure that the project stays on track.

Benefits:
• New developers can use their gifts and accelerate learning by working on projects they are passionate about.
• Humanitarian projects look great on resumes.
• Mentors can pass their skills and knowledge on, but also to learn through teaching.
• Ministry tech staff get free help and training through the interaction.
• Instruction and code quality are assured through code reviews by multiple developers and mentors.
• Work on international projects increases multicultural awareness.
• Virtual or face-to-face meetings with ministry staff teach about communication with customers.
• Elimination of mentor and developer barriers to entry since project managers do the initial work with ministries and post project needs (with defined scopes, measurable goals, etc).
• As developers gain project experience, they can gain leadership experience through leading newer developers.
• The body of Christ gains a group of talented and knowledgeable developers with a solid foundation in software development and distributed project leadership.
• Christian managers in business and ministry have a great recruiting pool of developers with a highly visible work history.
• Organizations that are helping people and spreading the gospel get free, high-quality tools that increase their efficiency and effectiveness.
• The project index allows ministries to see what each other are working on, learn from each others’ experience, and avoid repeating similar efforts.
• The collaborative nature of such a community eliminates the need for ministries to find, train, or keep volunteers on programming-related projects.
• If projects express similar needs, a single solution can be designed to fit both of them, saving months of development time.

Necessary Technology:
• An online community with a framework for easily managing needs, projects, and communication.

Conclusion:
We're called to function as a body, equipping each other, teaching each other, and using our gifts to make a difference. Many of us already know people in roles that can make this happen. We can function as a body. Instead of burying our talent in our individual organizations, we can invest it in each other. All it takes is the passion to start.

Now that I think about it, the web framework and project managers would effectively serve as OO adapters, standardizing the interface for developers to work with different ministries. Nifty!

My background:
My undergrad was in psychology and I am most of the way through a masters in computer information systems. My focus areas are UI design, information visualization, usability, and knowledge management.

I recently started full-time as a developer with
http://www.lightsys.org

Right now, and for the foreseeable future, my goal is to make some variation of this idea a reality. No matter what it takes.

[This message has been edited by ls_adam (edited October 17, 2007).]

Most of the missionaries I know use technology and entertainment in a big way. So, software that caters to their needs would be good.

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New developers (There certainly are plenty)

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ME!

Graduating in December with my BS in CS. Not sure what my time situation will be after that, but I'd love to help start a community like you're talking about.

Sounds kinda like you'd need to take SourceForge, a Wiki, and a BB/Forum cram them all together into a nice clean Web interface and you'd be well on your way, as far as the technological infrastructure goes.

My email is drdevett -at- mtu.edu if you'd like to contact me directly.

I'll keep an eye on this thread for a while

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D[a]n

[This message has been edited by lghtngclp (edited October 14, 2007).]

lghtngclp: Your thoughts on combining sourceforge, a wiki, and forum, have been rattling around in my head as well. It involves coordinating both non-technical and technical folks on simple, single customer projects, as well as complex projects with a variety of stakeholders. We will have to do some serious brainstorming and workflow analysis to figure out the integration of new people, projects, and organizations. I would absolutely love your help!

One thing I realized this morning: At ICCM this June, one difficulty that multiple organizations expressed was finding, training, and keeping volunteers. Implemented correctly with a project manager serving to gather requirements and oversee things, the collaborative nature of such a community eliminates the need to find, or train, or keep volunteers on programming-related projects. Very cool.

[This message has been edited by ls_adam (edited October 14, 2007).]

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A Game to combine all Games A Game that grows upon itself But A Game that ultimately in the end makes and forces one to ask themselves "Why?"

quote:

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Originally posted by Valkyri:
Google Ubuntu Christian Edition; just a thought

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Valkyri, I'm not sure I follow you... Ubuntu CE for what?

I also think it's really cool that you're working with Tim and Greg at Lightsys! I first met them probably 5 or 6 years ago when I was a student at Taylor University -- I've always thought Lightsys would be a sweet group to work for, but I wound up going with HCJB instead.

Regarding a Sourceforge-like venue to host and coordinate this project, it seems as though your goals are very similar to that of Empty Crate. From their home page:

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Making a Project Request or Suggestion

Are you a member of a Christian organization, or an individual that sees a need? We want to provide a place where members of the church community can request or suggest that specific projects be created and provided. There is no reason why the Christian community of programmers cannot meet the needs of churches and missions organizations who cannot afford to buy expensive software or hire a full time programmer. So please, if you have a suggestion, TELL us. Or, create an account and post the suggestion to the wiki.

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So it sounds like they've already started on something very similar to what you're going for -- perhaps some synergy with them is possible? I've used them a little bit for a piece of Bible study software (that I still need to finish for the person that requested it), and found their services to be very nice.

Is that anything close to what you have in mind? I hope I'm not too far off the mark.

quote:

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Originally posted by ls_adam:
Valkyri, I'm not sure I follow you... Ubuntu CE for what?

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In Christ,
clint

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Psa 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

[VoHW] (Help needed) [Blog] (Contact) - Truedisciple (mp3)

quote:

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Originally posted by ls_adam:
Valkyri, I'm not sure I follow you... Ubuntu CE for what?

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Ubuntu Christian Edition would be the OS that the community tries to point people to. It's a free OS, specifically developed as a Christian Edition of Ubuntu. The more you can get ministries away from commercial OS's and applications, the less money they are pouring into an area that, should the community succeed, need not cost nearly so much.

The biggest need right now, as I can see it, would be what someone earlier mentioned already: a free, professional quality, multimedia suite. For example, I can record convert and upload AV with my digital camera, but I can't modify the quality of the video and save out the modified version. I have found no software that does that one simple task without costing way too close to a comma being in the price tag.

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Never Forget to Pray!

"...prayer itself is an art which only the Holy Ghost can teach us. He is the giver of all prayer. Pray for prayer---pray till you can pray; pray to be helped to pray, and give not up praying because you cannot pray, for it is when you think you cannot pray that you are most praying. Sometimes when you have no sort of comfort in your supplications, it is then that your heart---all broken and cast down---is really wrestling and truly prevailing with the Most High."
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, from the pamphlet, "Effective Prayer"

[This message has been edited by ls_adam (edited October 15, 2007).]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tallbill:
...I can record convert and upload AV with my digital camera, but I can't modify the quality of the video and save out the modified version. I have found *no* software that does that one simple task without costing way too close to a comma being in the price tag.

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--clint

[This message has been edited by HanClinto (edited October 15, 2007).]

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Matthew Langley
Lead Documentation Engineer
GarageGames

About every week, the pastors would want some sound or visual effect, or to display a certain scripture in the middle of their sermon. My answer was ususally "We can have that for you next time." Or they'd say in the middle of the sermon, "Can we show John 3:16," and the whole congregation is waiting around for it.

Eventually, we got all the stuff we needed and worked out all the kinks. It ended up taking an army of people and many different computer programs and equipment in order to do sound, video, and slideshows with scripture. This can all be incorporated into one program on one laptop for missionaries to use effectively.

quote:

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Originally posted by HanClinto:
I'm not an expert in the matter, but I've found VirtualDub to be very helpful to do some of the things you've mentioned here. It's Windows-only though -- is that prohibitive to you? Edit: Looks like Avidemux is the cross-platform counterpart to Virtualdub.

--clint

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I have downloaded and tried Avidemux, but I can't figure out how to, for example, brighten the video and then save the program out with the brightened video. It sure would help if there were useful help files contained with the application.

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Never Forget to Pray!

"...prayer itself is an art which only the Holy Ghost can teach us. He is the giver of all prayer. Pray for prayer---pray till you can pray; pray to be helped to pray, and give not up praying because you cannot pray, for it is when you think you cannot pray that you are most praying. Sometimes when you have no sort of comfort in your supplications, it is then that your heart---all broken and cast down---is really wrestling and truly prevailing with the Most High."
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, from the pamphlet, "Effective Prayer"

A couple things:

I'm going to call it MinBridge for the moment, since it needs a name, and it's effectively a bridge between software developers and ministries.

I'll look up the owner of empty crate too. Hopefully he's interested in collaborating, even if he doesn't have much time right now.

One huge difference between the two ideas is that MinBridge is designed to be a community learning environment that also assures project quality through code testing, usability testing, code review, documentation review, etc.

I've been working all day on getting some of this laid out a bit better.

First, a little background:
One project that LightSys helped start back in 2004-2005 is called the Christian Open Development Network (CODN for short. Snappy, eh?)

Unfortunately the folks working on it didn't have much time to devote to it, and it's been sitting there for a couple years. The idea was similar to empty crate, but went a lot further. MinBridge would be appropriate as a part of CODN.

MinBridge is complex enough that it needs a way to quickly grasp its different aspects. To facilitate that organization I've been looking at concept mapping software. The best I've found for collaborative mapping is http://cmap.ihmc.us/.

The software comes in two varieties. The first one is the personal copy. The second one is a server which allows for collaboration. The first one is free, and it is possible to get the second as a donation from the company that manages it. I just wrote them this morning to find out about getting a copy.

Here's the (extremely rough draft) MinBridge map I created: http://timegenesis.com/cmaps/CODN.html

[This message has been edited by ls_adam (edited October 16, 2007).]

I like the high emphasis on quality and doing things properly with MinBridge -- I really like the structure that you have in place.

I know you said your map was a rough draft, but it looks fantastic, and I just thought I'd make a couple of small suggestions. In addition to guidelines for information and layout, it might also be worth mentioning Project Requests having guidelines for interface behavior (though maybe you include that with layout -- but I didn't know if that was more with the presentation rather than the interaction). Also, Tools should include something about source control -- I view that tool as somewhat central to the whole operation.

That's really cool that you know Luke Ehresman! Small world.

Great job on the concept map -- really great stuff!

--clint

JeTSpice, what software are you using for presentations? I don't know what our church uses, but they are able to do live edits on the fly. Sometimes our pastor will ask the congregation to give some answers to a question and they are added right there on the screen as people say them. I assume we are probably using Powerpoint, but I am not sure. I can certainly find out.

Or are you saying something even more integrated where you type in something like "John 3:16" and the software places the words on the screen?

[This message has been edited by ssquared (edited October 17, 2007).]

I haven't yet seen a highly-intuitive GUI to access Scripture. With 66 books, and any number of chapters and verses, it's a difficult task to organize the information so you can access any scripture within a couple of seconds, and display it on a remote monitor/projector. A tree is a nice way to browse Scripture, but if you've ever tried to use one during service, you know it's a lesson in hand-eye coordination. Or the pastor has the verse wrong by one or ten (I've seen it alot with many different pastors) If it can be well-thought out and universally intuitive (even anticipating common human error), then that's less training the missionary has to do (both for him/herself and for new churches.)

In addition, it needs to be flexible enough to account for variances in different translations of the Bible. Russian, for example has one less Psalm by combining two of them-- their numbering is different. i.e., it can't be hard-coded or based on inflexible graphical layout.

Well, that's a rant. But all this to say, such a program doesn't exist.

Thanks The concept map was literally thrown together. It's missing a -lot- of detail.

All,

I just found out a couple of things.

1. The old CODN project lines up pretty well with these ideas, so we're going to use the name CODN instead of MinBridge. It'll will be located at CODN.net (which will undergo some changes in the near future as we look at technologies necessary to enable this).

2. I just found out there is an old mailing list with a number of people on it who were once interested in contributing to the CODN project, but without anyone driving it forward, it somewhat fizzled. Now that I'm in that role, we're going to re-activate that list. We'll move the discussion to a dedicated forum soon, but for the next few weeks we'll focus on the mailing list in order to get more people involved.

If y'all are interested in staying up to date on this project, or getting involved as a new developer, mentor, project manager, etc., send an email to christian-opensource-subscribe [at] lightsys.org.

I'll also plan on updating this thread with status updates from time to time . It looks like things are coming together better than I hoped! Woot!

Adam

[This message has been edited by ls_adam (edited October 18, 2007).]

[This message has been edited by ls_adam (edited October 19, 2007).]

quote:

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Code verification failed.

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The forums over there look really cool though -- I really like the chat box and stuff.

Or should I not bother with the forums, and just get on the e-mail mailing list?

BTW, I graduated in 2003.

--clint

[This message has been edited by ssquared (edited October 19, 2007).]

If anyone else has any trouble, please let me know.

Edit: I suppose I can tack another question on here. CODN seems to be focused on writing software to support ministries -- it doesn't seem as if there is much intersection there with "entertainment" software. In your mind, do you feel that Christian-based games would fit in well on CODN, or would you think it better if they used a different portal?

Thanks!

--clint

[This message has been edited by HanClinto (edited November 02, 2007).]

Entertainment needs to be coupled with human interaction to be effective-- an interpreter of the entertainment's message, or even just a friend who invites.

In the case of missionaries using entertainment, the language needs to be native to the audience (even if they understand English) because it's speaking to the heart, not the head.

All the videos I've sent overseas have been received well and helped to change lives, but they always needed an interpreter both of the language and the message. Video games would be no different in this aspect.

Video entertainment is used mostly to reach out to street kids and orphans (not so much adults). When I approached missionaries about video games, they were really excited to use it as a witnessing tool. A passionate missionary will use basically whatever they can get.

Most of those kids can't read, anyway, so it has to be really visually-oriented. It needs a high watchability, even if you are not playing the game. Plug-and-play and fit easily on a laptop and load quickly, cause missionaries are not always computer gurus. The controls need to be extremely simple, and universally intuitive. An orphan from a war-torn 3rd world country won't be able to master a bunch of controls. The game needs to submerse the player instantly and present them the gospel in visual form (No, not a picture of the Bible.) Cut scenes need to be interpreted in the native language, preferably audible, not text. But if text, very simple and staying on-screen long enough to be read to a group of kids. And the game needs to get to the message very quickly, not necessarily be a 60-hour epic where it's revealled in the end that Jesus is behind it all.

It's a very tricky thing to present the gospel visually without using words. Although words eventually need to be said, the initial foundation of visually communicating the gospel is that even without words, the player still gets the gospel message. If there's no gospel message, it's not going to help a missionary do his job anymore than bejewelled. The train of thought to make any game and let the fact that it's made by christians determine its morality is of no use in spreading the gospel on the mission field.

I'm having difficulty getting people from the CODN mailing list to accept using web boards.

For ongoing CODN discussion, please sign up on:

christian-opensource-subscribe@lightsys.org

quote:

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Originally posted by HanClinto:
Edit: I suppose I can tack another question on here. CODN seems to be focused on writing software to support ministries -- it doesn't seem as if there is much intersection there with "entertainment" software. In your mind, do you feel that Christian-based games would fit in well on CODN, or would you think it better if they used a different portal?

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Clint,

The question that has to be asked is "What impact is it having?" JetSpice makes a very good point that entertainment needs interpretation. The world is already really good at producing entertainment. If we don't build into our efforts a way of measuring whether we're making an impact, we don't know whether we're we're doing anything differently than the world would.

As software developers, we have the ability to visualize abstract concepts that many people can't. That's a gift, and one we should not take lightly. With 30,000 people a day dying of starvation, I want to make darn sure that any effort I undertake will create the greatest return possible on the gifts God entrusted to me.

For example, I'm undertaking a project management role in order to get CODN moving. I don't like project management, but I can do it with God's grace. I realize it's the most effective way that I can help ministries long-term. Once I get CODN moving, I can hopefully transition back to interface design, but I have to set aside my preferences to use the abilities I've been given as wisely as possible.

In ministry, we have plenty of good intentions. However, good intentions don't necessarily produce any good outcomes. If we cannot measure the impact that we're having by creating a game, we're only using our imaginations to justify our own desires. The game may have an impact, but it may not. If we don't build into the process a way of finding out how the game draws people to Christ, it may just be that we're deluding ourselves because we want to pursue our own desires over using our gifts wisely.

In the parable of the talents, Jesus based his responses on what the servants gave back to Him. If we don't measure the results from our investment of time and talent, we might spend years thinking we're doing something good, but in the end find that we accomplished nothing. I'm not willing to imagine the impact of my efforts, rest on my good intentions, and hand Jesus an empty sack.

That attitude is the same one evident in:

Mat 7:16-23 ESV You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (17) So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. (18) A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. (19) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (20) Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (21) "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22) On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' (23) And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

In essence, what I'm saying is that games very well could be a part of CODN. They could be an awesome tool for ministry, and in making them, the game's builders could even -be- that ministry.

However, if we truly want to serve God over our own desires, we have to acknowledge that we have a natural inclination to -not- glorify God. We need to keep that in check by by keeping ourselves accountable, and in software development, that means measuring the impact of our work.

If someone can't show me that they've thought through how their game is making an impact, and how it produces fruit, then I would have a very hard time seeing a difference between that game and the games the world makes. If we don't know if we're producing fruit, we have no basis on which to say that we should start doing something else. I personally would hold any software or entertainment efforts to that same standard. Not just games.

[This message has been edited by ls_adam (edited November 03, 2007).]

There is a piece of software designed by a YFC ministry that is basically an equivalent to second life. I don't want to give specifics, but in its home country, it now has over 40,000 users. In the last couple years, over 2000 of them have become Christians, and over 60% want to find out more about Christianity.

They do surveys. They get people together outside of the game for times of fellowship. They coordinate follow up with churches.

It's a huge multiplayer game they built from the ground up, and they have very disciplined ways of measuring their impact. If it didn't work, they would stop. That ministry rocks!

[This message has been edited by ls_adam (edited November 03, 2007).]

quote:

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Originally posted by ls_adam:

However, if we truly want to serve God over our own desires, we have to acknowledge that we have a natural inclination to -not- glorify God. We need to keep that in check by by keeping ourselves accountable, and in software development, that means measuring the impact of our work.

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I like this comment that we can follow our own desires.

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Psa 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

[VoHW] (Help needed) [Blog] (Contact) - Truedisciple (mp3)

I don't think I posted an update. I'm now working on this with YFC International. I'll be able to post more details soon, but for now, I just thought I'd share a link.

It appears we're keeping up with the Joneses.

http://code.google.com/opensource/ghop/2007-8/

I highly recommend taking part in Google's initiative if you can. They're trying to make it a good learning environment.