From b3f01a1fcfe40ec22c9ec8b85ed16b083a4a90dc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Regis Freyd Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2017 12:04:17 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] Reorder README --- readme.md | 222 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------------- 1 file changed, 126 insertions(+), 96 deletions(-) diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md index 2eb48d3987e..fedd3c6203d 100644 --- a/readme.md +++ b/readme.md @@ -10,11 +10,6 @@ * [Purpose](#purpose) * [Who is it for?](#who-is-it-for) * [What Monica isn't](#what-monica-isnt) -* [Vision, goals and strategy](#vision-goals-and-strategy) - * [Vision](#vision) - * [Goals](#goals) - * [Strategy](#strategy) - * [Why Open Source?](#why-open-source) * [Get started](#get-started) * [Update your server](#update-your-server) * [Importing vCards (CLI only)](#importing-vcards-cli-only) @@ -32,6 +27,13 @@ * [Statistics](#statistics) * [Contributing](#contributing) * [How the community can help](#how-the-community-can-help) +* [Vision, goals and strategy](#vision-goals-and-strategy) + * [Vision](#vision) + * [Goals](#goals) + * [Strategy](#strategy) + * [Monetization](#monetization) + * [The API](#the-api) + * [Why Open Source?](#why-open-source) * [License](#license) ## Introduction @@ -76,97 +78,6 @@ In fact, it's for your eyes only. Monica is also not a smart assistant - it won't guess what you want to do. In fact, it's pretty dumb: it will send you emails only for the things you asked to be reminded of. -## Vision, goals and strategy - -We want to use technology in a way that does not harm human relationships, like -big social networks can do. - -### Vision - -Monica's vision is to **help people have more meaningful relationships**. - -### Goals - -We want to provide a platform that is: - -* **really easy to use**: we value simplicity over anything else. -* **open-source**: we believe everyone should be able to contribute to this -tool, and see for themselves that nothing nasty is done behind the scenes that -would go against the best interests of the users. We also want to leverage the -community to build attractive features and do things that would not be possible -otherwise. -* **easy to contribute to**: we want to keep the codebase as simple as possible. -This has two big advantages: anyone can contribute, and it's easily maintainable -on the long run. -* **available everywhere**: Monica should be able to run on any desktop OS -or mobile phone easily. This will be made possible by making sure the tool is -easily installable by anyone who wants to either contribute or host the platform -themselves. -* **robust API**: the platform will have a robust API so it can communicate both -ways to other systems. - -### Strategy - -To reach this ambitious vision, we'll use technology in a way that does not harm -human relationships, like big social networks can do. - -We think Monica has to become a platform more than an application, so people can -build on it. - -Here what we should do in order to realize our vision: -* Build an API in order to create an ecosystem. The ecosystem is what will make -Monica a successful platform. -* Build importers and exporters of data. We don't want to have any vendor -lock-ins. Data is the property of the users and they should be able to do -whatever they want with it. -* Create mobile apps. -* Build great reports so people can have interesting insights. -* Create a smart recommendation system for gifts. For instance, if my nephew is -soon 6 years old in a month, I will be able to receive an email with a list of -5 potential gifts I can offer to a 6 year old boy. -* Add more ways of being reminded: Telegram, SMS,... -* Create Chrome extensions to load Monica's data in a sidebar when viewing a -contact on Facebook, letting us take additional notes as we see them on Facebook. -* Add modules that can be activated on demand. One would be for instance, for -the people who wants to use Monica for dating purposes (yes, we've received this -kind of feedback already). -* Add functional and unit tests so the main features are tested. Stability is -key. - -### Why Open Source? - -Why is Monica open source? Is it risky? Will someone steal my code and do a -for-profit business that will kill my own business? Why reveal my strategy to -the world? This is the kind of questions we've received by email already. - -The answer to these questions is simple: yes, you can fork the project and do a -competing project, make money out of it (even if the license is not super -friendly to achieve that) and I'll never know. But it's ok, I don't mind. - -I wanted to open source this project for several reasons: - -* I believe, perhaps naively, that this project can really change people's -lives. While I aim to make money out of it, I also want everyone to benefit -from it. Open sourcing a project like this will help Monica become much bigger -than what I imagine myself. While I strongly believe that the project has to -follow the vision I have for it, I need to be humble enough to know that ideas -come from everywhere, and people have much better ideas than what I can have. -* You can't do something great alone. While Monica could become a company and -hire a bunch of super smart people to work on it, you can't beat the manpower of -an entire community. Open sourcing the product means bugs will be fixed faster, -features will be developed faster, and more importantly, developers will be able -to contribute to the project that changes either their own lives, or other -people's lives. -* Doing things in a transparent manner, like it's the case when you open source -something, lead to formidable things. People respect the project more. You can't -hide nasty piece of code. You can't do things behind the back of your users. -It's a major driving force that motivates you to keep doing what's right. -* I believe that once you have created a community of passionate developers -around your project, you've won - because developers are very powerful -influencers. Developers will create apps around your product, talk about it on -forums, and tell about the project to their friends. Cherish the developers - -users will follow. - ## Get started There are multiple ways of getting started with Monica. @@ -416,6 +327,125 @@ as much as you can. * Finally, and most importantly, we are looking for people willing to write tests for the existing features. +## Vision, goals and strategy + +We want to use technology in a way that does not harm human relationships, like +big social networks can do. + +### Vision + +Monica's vision is to **help people have more meaningful relationships**. + +### Goals + +We want to provide a platform that is: + +* **really easy to use**: we value simplicity over anything else. +* **open-source**: we believe everyone should be able to contribute to this +tool, and see for themselves that nothing nasty is done behind the scenes that +would go against the best interests of the users. We also want to leverage the +community to build attractive features and do things that would not be possible +otherwise. +* **easy to contribute to**: we want to keep the codebase as simple as possible. +This has two big advantages: anyone can contribute, and it's easily maintainable +on the long run. +* **available everywhere**: Monica should be able to run on any desktop OS +or mobile phone easily. This will be made possible by making sure the tool is +easily installable by anyone who wants to either contribute or host the platform +themselves. +* **robust API**: the platform will have a robust API so it can communicate both +ways to other systems. + +### Strategy + +To reach this ambitious vision, we'll use technology in a way that does not harm +human relationships, like big social networks can do. + +We think Monica has to become a platform more than an application, so people can +build on it. + +Here what we should do in order to realize our vision: +* Build an API in order to create an ecosystem. The ecosystem is what will make +Monica a successful platform. +* Build importers and exporters of data. We don't want to have any vendor +lock-ins. Data is the property of the users and they should be able to do +whatever they want with it. +* Create mobile apps. +* Build great reports so people can have interesting insights. +* Create a smart recommendation system for gifts. For instance, if my nephew is +soon 6 years old in a month, I will be able to receive an email with a list of +5 potential gifts I can offer to a 6 year old boy. +* Add more ways of being reminded: Telegram, SMS,... +* Create Chrome extensions to load Monica's data in a sidebar when viewing a +contact on Facebook, letting us take additional notes as we see them on Facebook. +* Add modules that can be activated on demand. One would be for instance, for +the people who wants to use Monica for dating purposes (yes, we've received this +kind of feedback already). +* Add functional and unit tests so the main features are tested. Stability is +key. + +### Monetization + +The big topic. Yes, we plan to make money out of this tool to sustain it on the +long run. We are a big fan of [Sentry](https://sentry.io), Wordpress and GitLab +and we believe this kind of business model is inspiring, where everyone wins. + +* On https://monicahq.com, Monica will be offered in two versions: + * a free plan (called **Joe**): + * No limits of contacts + * Importers/exporters + * Email reminders + * a paid plan (called **Chandler**): + * Advanced features +* You can also **run it yourself**. This is the **Ross** version. This is +sometimes also called on-premise. Download the code, run it on Heroku, with +Docker. The choice is yours. + * The downloadable version will always be the most complete version - the same + offered on the paid plan on `.com`. + * This version will be completely free with no strings attached and you will + be in complete control. +* There will be a Patreon account for those who still want to support the tool. +Keep in mind that the best way to support it is to actually talk about it around +you. + +#### The API + +The API will be opened to everyone, for both on `.com` and on-premises. + +### Why Open Source? + +Why is Monica open source? Is it risky? Will someone steal my code and do a +for-profit business that will kill my own business? Why reveal my strategy to +the world? This is the kind of questions we've received by email already. + +The answer to these questions is simple: yes, you can fork the project and do a +competing project, make money out of it (even if the license is not super +friendly to achieve that) and I'll never know. But it's ok, I don't mind. + +I wanted to open source this project for several reasons: + +* I believe, perhaps naively, that this project can really change people's +lives. While I aim to make money out of it, I also want everyone to benefit +from it. Open sourcing a project like this will help Monica become much bigger +than what I imagine myself. While I strongly believe that the project has to +follow the vision I have for it, I need to be humble enough to know that ideas +come from everywhere, and people have much better ideas than what I can have. +* You can't do something great alone. While Monica could become a company and +hire a bunch of super smart people to work on it, you can't beat the manpower of +an entire community. Open sourcing the product means bugs will be fixed faster, +features will be developed faster, and more importantly, developers will be able +to contribute to the project that changes either their own lives, or other +people's lives. +* Doing things in a transparent manner, like it's the case when you open source +something, lead to formidable things. People respect the project more. You can't +hide nasty piece of code. You can't do things behind the back of your users. +It's a major driving force that motivates you to keep doing what's right. +* I believe that once you have created a community of passionate developers +around your project, you've won - because developers are very powerful +influencers. Developers will create apps around your product, talk about it on +forums, and tell about the project to their friends. Cherish the developers - +users will follow. + ## License Copyright (c) 2016-2017 Regis Freyd