[sword-devel] Remote Module Repository Wiki

[Nic Carter]

On 06/11/2010, at 1:35 AM, Troy A. Griffitts wrote:

> 2) The viral ability END USERS to share modules.
> 
> If I can, for example,
> 
> o	use the builtin installer of my SWORD software on my Android device to
> install my important modules
> o	then plug it into my friends computer and install modules FROM my
> android device WITHOUT ANY PREPARATION
> o	then from his computer right-click on the top module library folder
> and "Share as... 'SWORD Modules'",
> o	then go to any computer on the network and install modules from that
> "SWORD Modules" share,
> o	then install FileZilla on one of those computers and let anyone over
> the Internet install Bibles from that location,
> o	then point IIS or Apache to that location (http transport needs work
> but is on the way-- more talk below)
> 
> ... distribution of Bibles then becomes viral.  It is spontaneous.  No
> preparation.  I have my library of books I use regularly with me and if
> someone wants one of my books, then they can install straight from my
> library.

I don't think this should hold back usability in other ways.  I would rather that we provided some other functionality (or tool) to make this easy for end users to do, rather than make this mean that the final install of a module is a complete install source.  I love the concept, but I think that your example is something that 0.0001% of users would be interested in, given the nerdery required to know how to do that!  ;)
BUT
I liked the suggestion made in another post of having a "prepare for distribution" or "publish" menu item that would then automatically prepare a module (or selection of modules) for distribution.  :)  Use that menu item as step one, and then you can proceed through that list of examples that Troy has.  As an added extra bonus, you get to specify the location to which to "Save" the module/s ready for distribution.  That way a user doesn't even need to know where her/his modules are installed to, but instead can say "desktop" (yes, I'm using the LCD of a user who does everything on their desktop!) and then easily find that location & "share" that folder.  :)  (or it could be specified as a network drive, for easy access to everyone on the network, etc.)

Anyway, just some more thoughts.  Sorry they're coming so much later than when these were posted -- a fun consequence of living in Oz.  :)

ps:  I could easily be persuaded to add an "export" feature to PocketSword, which would work over WiFi or 3G (similar to the current way of manually installing a module from a ZIP file), so you could share modules on your device with friends.  Of course, this would need to be switched on manually, and wouldn't always be running in the background, so as to conserve battery!  But would be quite funky.  :)  But given you need to press a button to switch it on, at that point I could get PocketSword to "prep" the selected modules for distribution.  :)