Andrew Black

“Anyone to lazy to read the following blog post short story is the grass is not greener on the other side and I’m going to be using my N900 in connection with several devices now.”

I have been into mobile devices for a long time either laptops, tablets, mobile phones it doesn’t matter if its electronic and I can carry it with me I’m interested in it.  I’m owned more electronics then any one person ever really needs.  I am constantly looking for the one device that does everything I want it to do.  My dream device would have the openness of Maemo the amount of applications from iOS, the business connections from Blackberry, GPS from Garmin(with maps preloaded now web required), it would need a full keyboard, real wifi that can connect to just about any kind of wifi security, and 3G.

In the last three years I have burned through several devices looking for what I want, I’ve even tried to mix devices to find what I wanted.  A little over two years ago I found Maemo and my N810, I didn’t even care that I need to carry a second device for calls and mobile internet.  I fell in love with the maemo.org community and Internet Tablet Talk but I did grow tired of the lack of applications.  Over all it was a solid device that was just missing application support. 

When the iPhone 3GS came out the iPhone 3G dropped to $100 so I couldn’t resist getting in on all the Applications it provided.  The applications were great so many games and other things to kill my time.  I even learned to get used to the very slow on screen keyboard.  Then I wanted to customize it some but I was out of luck except for Jailbreaking.  It did take me long and I had it Jailbroken but what I ended up with was a very slow phone.  I soon grew tired of this and passed the iPhone down to my wife.  She likes it because it’s simple to use and works I have to admit that is one of the good things about iOS it works its simple but it works.

I was surprised last fall while taking to Qgil he said that he would send me a N900 for testing and devolving.  A few weeks later it came in the mail and I loved it (I had to learn how to use a another new keyboard again) over all it was what I wanted minus a few things like more Applications and of course since I’m on At&t I’m stuck on Edge with it.  This time I left Nokia not so much because of missing tons of apps but mainly because I wanted to try something new.  I had an option to get an Android phone for $40.  I also grew tired of Trolls and Idiots in the Maemo community.

When I got my Backflip I was really impressed It was more open the my iPhone but it has nearly as many applications as my old iPhone.  I soon fell back into some of the games I loved from iOS.  I soon learned to flip it open one handed(harder than you would think) and learned to use its keyboard.

Only thing that has downed all my phones in the past along with this one is my lack of connection for 9 hours a day at work.  Where I work I only have a strange wifi network that requires setting most phones don’t have and iden network.  This problem was solved a few weeks ago when my company bought me a Blackberry Curve.  That works on iden, once again a new keyboard and for my first time on a smart phone no touch screen but a little wheel which I found really very easy to use.  I soon found some of my needed applications but it seems like many things free other places cost on the Blackberry and I don’t me $1 but $5 and $6 a little much for 1 small application to me.

Overall I have been feeling the draw back into maemo.org.  I have started reading the forums again and visiting the IRC channels again.  There really is no other community like the Maemo community.  Sure there are Trolls and Idiots but it’s that way no matter where you go.  So if you’re wondering why device I’m looking for now.  It’s a new backpack to carry all my gear in.  I now find myself with 3 cells phones, Backflip that has my at&t sim card in it, Blackberry curve for work email and internet/phone at work.  N900 with no sim card that I use a as wifi tablet right now.  I soon will look into getting it tethered to the Backflip over Bluetooth  or wifi.  Also I since I never found a device that had GPs like a Garmin I just carry my Garmin with me.  I often also have my old 30GB iPod that I have the entire KNJV Audio Bible on, my PSP, DS, and tons of accessories.  So there is no ultimate device, no one size fits all.

I’m looking for 10 to 20 people who would like to beta test my Ovi Themes.  I would like people from beginner to Maemo experts.  You will be given early access to the themes and receive them for free once they are finished.  All I ask is that you install and test at least 50% of all the themes I release a month.  If you fail to test 50% a month you will be removed as a tester.  I will also request that you submit a small review of the app any bugs, color issues, or viewing issues.

If your interested please let me know by email or site contact form.  PS First theme is almost ready for testing.

I was looking over maemo.org today and noticed that my maemo-org theme has been downloaded 51,272 times as of me writting this.  With just over 7,000,000 downloads total for maemo5 that means the maemo-org theme makes up about 0.74% of total downloads from the repo.  That number might look small but if you consider that I’m talking about 1 application out of hundreds 0.74% is a big number.  Numbers like this is what makes a theme designer want to keep working.  To know that thousands of people have downloaded my work means alot to me.

While I’m here just me just put a heads up out to everyone on whats going on with me.  I’ve been working very hard on themes and looking into the Ovi Store.  Right now I am working on 3 themes that should be released within the next few weeks I am holding off until Pr1.2 for them since they will be going to the Ovi Store. 

First is my Star Trek theme.  I’m not going to call this a real Lcars theme since it ended up being very hard to make the lcars interface for the n900.  Instead I have used lcars colors and design for the buttons and many tool bars on the device.  I have also included some other star trek elements in the theme.  The theme will also come with a lcars wallpaper along with several other wallpaper packs that will be on my site for free downlaod.

Second I am alomst done with my Classic Batman Colors theme.  The theme is covered with the classic batman blue and grey.  Due to copywrites the wallpapers will be someone generic but some nice free batman wallpapers will be on my site.

Third is the first in my College Colors theme Series, I decided to do Alabama Crimson Tide as my first theme.  It will be covered in Crimson and Grey.  Once again due to copywrites I will not include the wallpapers with Alabamas logo on them but will release some free ones on my site. 

After these three themes are released I will start doing Variants of them for Differant school, and comic book stars.  Please feel free to suggest anything you would like.  I have also decided on a $1 price point for all my ovi themes.  I had been cosidering $2 but I feel that $1 is more then a fair price for my work and that way we are both getting a good deal.

Thanks for reading my blog and thanks for the support.

After 24 hours to think about my blog post yesterday and talking with several members of the community I have decided to write a follow up that many of you asked for.  I’m not changing much from what I said yesterday just clarifying some.

 Yesterday I posted links to several posts I have had several people tell me not to get upset about a few trolls well it seems on t.m.o there are more trolls now than ever.  I know I should not judge the entire community but as long as there are more posts like these then useful posts I find it hard not to.

 My purpose for this is more t.m.o moderation, the site has a few moderators for certain sections but we only have 1 global moderator that I know of and he has all but given up on t.m.o.  I really think that we should have an organized staff of volunteers at t.m.o.  The following are my thoughts on this.

 3 Tiers Moderation System for t.m.o

 1 Administer (Reggie of Course)

 4 Global Moderators – Talk, Software, OS/Platform, Devices
Would have the ability to moderate entire site but will be head moderator for one of the main sections of t.m.o. 
Global Moderators will be over the moderators of the subsections in their main section.

 20 Moderators
Some sections need more than 1 moderator (Community, General, Applications, ect.)
Some sections like old OS/Platforms would be covered by someone who has another section as well.

These moderators will have to be active and if they are not doing their job will be removed as moderators.  Also Global Moderators will make sure their Moderators don’t get out of hand.  They will be Moderating the Moderators.

 We also either need to start deleting posts that are attacks on other people or their work.  I also think that any post that is not constructive like one that basically said “Blank Application is stupid fix it” should either be deleted or moved to a new section on forums for this kind of post that are useless.  Then make that section not show up in newposts.

New Community Members

I want to address the new community members, first off I want to say that you are wanted here and at one time everyone was a new community member.  I want to remind you all that everyone in the community does their work for free.  We do not work for nokia and besides a device or discount here or their from them we don’t get anything from them for you buying their hardware. 

If their is something you want for your phone then by all means ask for it, but I promiss you that if you are willing to learn and even try to write the application your self you will see it happen faster.  I know many maemo devolpers who will time the time to help you with your applications and almost write them for you if you are willing to try first and post what you were able to get done alone. 

If you try an application that you think can be better or you just don’t like it then before you make a post saying.  “Your application sucks, fix it” take a few moments and think about how hard that person worked to get it where it is today.  Then write a detailed post on what is wrong and how you think they should fix it.  If it is a design thing then if you can make a mockup in GIMP, if its a code thing and you can help them with it or point them to some help then do it.

Alot of people like my themes but I did not walk into Maemo community knowing how to design themes.  When I first joined I know how to do a little graphic art in GIMP but I knew nothing about vector graphics.  I decided to learn to do themes as my way to payback the community for all the stuff they gave me.  My first theme sucks compared to my current one, but some of the other theme designers and community members kept helping me get better and better.  Now I help people when their themes.  This is how the community should work, if you are new you should be willing to learn how to help and then one day you should be the one helping. 

Closing

These are just a few ideas I have on improving the community.  If I feel like my ideas are going to be useful then I will post them later.  I just want to say thanks for the positive comments I have gotten from some of the Quality Community Members.  I am also still getting Private Messages on t.m.o for help with themes.  I don’t mind helping you but please contact me on my blog for any help you need.

I feel as if I have been somewhat of a leader in the community the past few years.  I have helped get some things done, like Theme and Design section of forums, and minimalist theme.  I have helped lots of people with theme issues.  I have helped with Mer and have gone to several Events to spread the word about Maemo.  I have release well over a dozen themes.  I have done all this for the community I have spent hundreds of hours working late into the night to produce quality work.  I have almost always felt like I my work was appreciated until now.  I feel that due to posts like these and more, Post 1, Post 2. 

 I also feel that the total community is going down hill and not just things aimed at me.  t.m.o is filled with junk posts that due nothing but fill up hard drive space and waste time.  There was a time when I used to read every post on t.m.o but now I find I only read the ones I start or moderate.  I know this feeling is felt but several other people t.m.o has lost many of the old users.  I have stayed around hoping it would get better, but it has not.  Below are some changes I will be making in the way I am involved in the maemo community.

Themes
As of today I am closing the source of all my work except for the maemo.org theme.  Maemo.org theme will remain free and open.  As for any other themes I have released or will release they will all be closed source, and most of them will now cost $1 per theme.  I will keep helping anyone who is willing to learn how to theme the right now.  If you have questions please email me or see me on irc. 

t.m.o
I will not be as active as I have been in the past.  I will still moderate the Theme and Design section for now.  If I find the community not improving I will resign that but for now I will keep doing that.  I will finish the current upgrade to the Minimalist Theme but after this release I will not update it anymore for the time being.  I will however post the source for it if anyone wants to take over the theme.

IRC and Mailing Lists
I will keep being active in IRC and in mailing lists as I have in the past I have not left the community I have just changes where I do my work.  This will now be the best way to contact me for help or comments.

I might be over reacting and I might just be getting burned out from all the work on the N900 I have been doing.  I have left the community before because of things similar to this and I returned.  I don’t know what tomorrow holds for me in the maemo community. 

I was to take just a second to thank everyone who has supported me in the past in my work I know I will miss some names but here are some of them.  Stskeeps, GeneralAntilles, Texrat, Quim, Fiferboy, Qole, timsamoff, lcuk, hopabeat, Den in the USA, Konttori, Khertan, Ian.  I am sure I missed some people but whenever you list people you always miss some.

Premium Themes

In the past I have always done open source themes because I feel it is my way of giving back to the community but with people starting to charge for Maemo software and theme I find it hard to just give away all my work.  Its kind of funny I have had several site in the last few years and not once received one donation for any of my work.  It seems people don’t like to donate, if something is free then they don’t want to pay for it.  If a theme or program cost then they don’t mind paying for it.  So in the next few weeks I will release my first Closed Source theme.  I have not decided how it will be released but it will most likly sold through my site and not the Ovi Store.  I know that once someone gets the deb they will be able to just pass it on to other people but I hope they wont.  I will either sell my themes one at a time for $1-$2, Subscription based where I will put out 1 new theme a month for $10 a year, or I will sell a one time fee download all the themes you want for around $15 I might do a mix of 1 theme for $1 or download all you want for $15 I’m not sure yet.  I will keep you updated as I decide.

I will still do lots of free themes so don’t worry

Theme Package Service

Second I have have some people either ask me to package themes for them and just some themes people asking anyone to package it for them.  I have and still help people all the time learn how to use MADDE to package their own themes but some people just don’t want to learn to do it them self.  So to help those people who don’t want to learn to do it I am going to offer a Theme Package Service.  I will take your source either in template form or already sliced images in a archive and package the theme for you in deb and or source package format.  The fee for this service will be $10 per package.  If theme needs to be repackagedbecause I did something wrong then I will do that free of charge.  The fee may be paid by the theme maker or anyone who wants to use the theme.  To donate to having a theme packaged just use Donate button on right.  Make sure to let me know which theme you are donating to.  If a theme gets more then $10 donated to it I will keep track and apply left over money to future repackaging of same theme. 

Any money not reported for being for a certain theme is considered a regular donation.  Thank you.

I have seen alot of suggestions for themes I am trying along with some other designers to meet them all but their have been alot the last week and right now I am working on three themes.  To make it easier for me and other people to know what themes people want I added a new page on my site that allow users to post a comment on what theme they want then people can vote on the idea if they like it.  When I finish working on a theme and get ready to start next I will look here for the theme suggestion with the highest votes and will work on that one first.  So get some suggestions in so I know what to work on.

Its time again for me to release another theme and here it is. The Picnic theme is based off of a winterboard theme I feel in love with a few years ago. Kids and woman will love it but even alot of guys will like it to. It uses very bright and loud colors, and every single part of the theme is customized. If you see any bugs like normal I ask you to let me know. In the next release it will have a full set of icons for alot of apps. Some screenshots below more on http://www.andrewblck.com

I’ve been working on a maemo-org for the n900 for a few weeks now and after a lot of hard work trying to get around the Theme Maker bugs I have learned how to make themes not use the Theme Maker. This is my first theme made in this way and I really wish I would have learned how to do this years ago.

My maemo-org theme uses the same colors as maemo-org so you if like the colors of the site then you will love this theme. I’ve also used some of the Buuf icons since I think they fit well with the colors. I would love any comments you have on theme or icons. Icons are subject to change if I come up with something better.

The theme is now in extras-testing ready to be tested. After you test it please vote or here. I need 10 thumbs up to move it into extras. I’m taking ideas for my next theme but please PM me and do not post theme ideas to this thread.

Extras-Devel Warning: Please read Site Disclaimer!!!!!

I love Midori on Mer and have used it on Diablo in the past but Midori for Fremantle is great. It has many of the missing features from Maemo Browser. Why wait for Nokia to add Portrait view when Midori has it already. Unlike how some of programs for the N900 do it the screen rotates when you rotate the the phone not just because you closed it. This is great because I often only keep my keyboard out when I’m actively typing and I might not want to be in portrait mode just because it is closed. The change from Landscape to Portrait is very fast taking only a second or so. Midori also has a basic build in dashboard that you can set favorites to. I would love to see something more like Tears where it keeps favorites, most viewed, and search on the dashboard in tabs, but any dashboard will good.

One thing that has really bugged me about Maemo Browser is the fact that i ave not been able to change my user agent yet so can view certain iPhone formatted websites. Sites like m.espn.com for the iPhone works great on the N900, and has a lot more features then the regular mobile version but require a iPhone user agent to view it. Midori lets you change your user agent in just a few clicks in the preferences menu. You have several user agents to choice from and it makes switching real easy.

Tabs are another thing we have yet to seen in Maemo Browser that are a great feature, the tabs are small but you really don’t want to wait to much space making them any bigger. There are check boxes under the menu that allow you to turn off images, scripts, and plugins with just 1 click. There is a press and hold menu that allow you to view source enter and exit full screen and many other features. Just reminder once in full screen only way back out is holding on for menu.

If your looking for a browser with more features then Maemo Browser then Midori is the way to go. I have don’t enough tests to compare speed but it feels a little faster but that could just be me hoping so. Screenshots below.