New here, no coding skills, how can I contribute?

In a society full of gbk’s, gods behind keyboards, it’s a wonder we function at all:-)

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To be fair to @Smag0, I think he meant it more as a survey than as a test. Most developers see the challenge not as educating users but as making the technology accessible to people who as functioning humans already know an awful lot, way more than can be coded. Apps can’t be made better than people are at negotiating, arguing, compromising, insisting, not to mention just walking around, and all the other things they do. There is a long way to go to align apps with the natural way people do things. Sometimes developers need to know more about how people do things and if the tools are making sense. This ecosystem isn’t ready yet but real-world end users with average tech skills can definitely help get it there.

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Appraisig an Elephant

Looks like I have some time before the sandwiches arrive, so…

  • what is a graph for you ?

Usually, something my eyes bounce off of.

  • do you know what is a triple ?

You’re not talking about a 3-cylinder motorcycle engine, I’m guessing.

~~~

Some of us came here in hopes of seeing progress toward that elusive next big thing in social media, the promise of “Web 3.0” et cetera, willing to help but unprepared for the incomprehensibility of y’all’s discussions. To non-coding non-developers, it’s all very confusing.

I see hints of things beginning to work, but something that works for someone comfortable with slinging code is probably far from being ready for the rest of us.

And that’s cool, take your time, we all appreciate your efforts. At some point though we do need to get together and bridge the divide.

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Well, thanks to everyone for the feedback. For me a graph is a visual representation of a series of numbers and in my part of the world a triple is a type of beer. I was hoping to get a pod, share some files, change a paradigm, maybe overthrow a government or a corporation, you know, the usual.
Just kidding of course. Keep up the good work, happy new year and perhaps I’ll speak to y’all later :slight_smile:

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@Rennek, I didn’t want to test or afraid you… just wanted to throw you some basics of what we are doing here…
Although everyone has certainely other approach (for example, “you are the owner of your data”…), the central point, I think, is data and links between those data .

With Solid, anyone can store data on his POD and link it to other’s data, and that’s why I personnaly be here.
For many reasons, I’m working on a mindmap-like app.

It is very similar to what is behind Solid and how data is stored :
When i create (as you can see in the video below) two nodes like “Smag0” & “Spoggy” and a link like “developper Of” to link them, I make a triple, and a group of triples can be seen as a graph :wink:

For the moment, I store my graph on my Solid POD in json format but i’m working on storing them in Turtle to be more close of Linkeddata spirit, because in it’s core, LinkedData is able to connect multiple knowledge base…

For example, in my graph, if I add another triple like “Smag0”, “lives in”, “Lyon” or “Smag0 locality Lyon”, I could easily connect other that have the same locality, or more I could say that the “Lyon” I use is the same as the one which is stored in another knowledge base like DBpedia and extend this way my graph with data from others graphs or knowledge bases.

Linkeddata and what is around is always confusing at the beginning because we used to think “sequential” or “data in a table”, but in my opinion, graphs offers new perspectives, where everyone can have his own point of view and add what he think is missing, explore data in his own way, following this or that link, where apps can use data from a source or another…

@filsmyth, is this graph https://spoggy.herokuapp.com/?source=https://smag0.solid.community/public/spoggy/Smag0%20%26%20Rennek.json bouncing your eyes too ?
(experimental & hosted on a free heroku server, so if nothing appears wait 15s & refresh to let the server awake)
If so, please guide me to what I can change so it’s more nice for you :wink:

You both can help me and other developpers, saying what I must change to my app Spoggy, what you’d like to see, what you don’t understand… I’m really sorry, but i think like a developper : I need a functionnality, so I put it there, and another, so I develop, but perharps this is not the good way, the good location, the good word…

→ “No coding skills” participants are here to drive the coders in the right way ! We are at the beginning of the userexperience, but lot of work have been made in the background…

Thxs for your help (I hope)

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Hey there! Great to meet you. I a non-coder too, but this does not prevent me from tinkering with solid. I am just playing around and then looking to translate my experience (and fascination with Linked data and the Semantic Web) into Plain English. e.g. I made this :slight_smile: with non-coding skills, just trying my way … https://teodora.solid.community/public/NotesfromTimBernersLeetalkatMozfest2018.htm I think coding is as important as coding our perception and making ourselves ready to make a difference (sorry to be referencing to another post of mine, but this is where I wrote about how I feel about Solid http://www.teodorapetkova.com/poiesis-of-relationships/the-project-solid-as-a-road-assembling-itself-on-the-go/)
Happy New Year btw :slight_smile: And I will see you around here. Also take a look at the Hello solid post, you will find other people who are “non-coders”

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I think it is fair to say that, yes, Solid, at this point, is mostly for people with tech skills who are ready to put some effort into understanding Solid. Even Inrupt recognizes this - on the “Get a POD” page (https://solid.inrupt.com/get-a-solid-pod) they have " The Solid POD providers below are currently designed for use by a highly technical audience of developers" (highlight by Inrupt!).

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Solid is nothing more than a concept for as long as non-coders are unable to use it or unable to follow the technical instructions required. As the internet speeds up, I would like to see a Solid POD Server in every household, with each member of the household owning their own POD on that server, and with the server left on 24/7 as naturally as we now leave on a fridge or a freezer.

For most non-coders, that means finalizing the Solid POD Server software, and then some bright spark creating a graphical user interface (GUI) to enable the Solid POD Server to easily installed on home hardware by non-coders.

Then the same thing needs to be done for the additional apps. They just need a GUI.

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At some point (maybe we are in the middle of it) there will be a Cambrian explosion of apps, hopefully many of them free and open source. I think using components can help. More on that here.

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Stardate: -303995.72269786906

Just a small hint: non-coders and applying coders are in the same boat.

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In reply to the original question. There is a way in which @Rennek can contribute right now. I would suggest getting two of you registered on one of the existing Solid POD Servers (yourself and a friend for example) and then trying out the growing number of apps, and then providing feedback to the app developer to tell them how you found the experience.

@pheyvaer has developed a chess app where all the content is contained only in your own POD, and the POD of your competitor. There are a growing number of apps and if two of you register you can allow your friend access to your public files (and vice versa) and try out some of those apps between you. Your feedback would help the developer.

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Hi richard, where can I find those apps?
Cheers, Lodda

One way is via Github https://github.com/topics/solid-app

@Lodda

User Interface utilities and building blocks.

Solid Apps . Most of the apps, such as the chess game , are already developed. One of the most interesting ones that is still in development is the Timeline app , a social networking app like Facebook, but where your own information is 100% under your own control and in your own POD.

Solid Panes display in part of the window. For example, you may have a pane that displays contact information , another pane for displaying videos , another for displaying a calendar , and another for arranging a meeting , etc.

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Hi @richard, I had a look at the Timeline app link to github. But I have no idea what I need to do in order to use and try it out. Is there an installation process for windows? What do I need to know when I want to use those new apps from the github place?
You see: I did not get yet the principle idea in which way I can activate any solid app to use it. Do I find it on my pod? Then how? Is the app running on my pod? Do I need to integrate it into my profile? Then how?
I just don’t know it yet.
When I try to log in I get “WebID-TLS authentication failed” :frowning:

It is a web app available here:

http://solid-social.github.io/timeline/

But unfortunately it seems to be a little outdated, like so many of the example apps…

@Lodda Yes, there are some ‘default’ test apps in a new pod. Just click on the green [ + ] to select one, otherwise you can drag a file from your computer onto the [ + ] to upload it into any pod folder.

Here is a Beginner’s Guide.

.

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@Lodda I mentioned the Timeline app as one that is still being developed (it’s not ready for use yet). Sorry if I misled you.

Most of the other apps are already developed and can be tried out, and you can actually do this from within your POD using the ‘Beginner’s Guide’ listed in the @dredd post.

That’s an excellent guide for non-coder end users, and if you log into your own POD and use that guide you will be testing out some of the available apps already built in.

Is it? Looks more like development stopped for some reason:

Latest commit 9bc2375 on 11 Jan 2016

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