User:Zag: Difference between revisions
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Hi I'm Zag and I've been interested in HTPC apps for many years. | |||
'''HTPC Apps''' | |||
The first ever HTPC app released was something called MYHTPC which emerged from a thread on http://www.avsforum.com/. This quickly turned into a commercial product called Meedio, which then went opensource when they were bought by Yahoo. I was just a simple user back then but ended up running the project and its website over the next 10 years. Eventually I moved over to XBMC after Microsoft dropped support for their WPF technologies and have not looked back since. I use XBMC in 2 different rooms with an iPad as a controller. My real interest in joining the XBMC team was to help with Multiple Library Nodes and expanding XBMC to work with more Media. I was also very interested in promoting Add-Ons in a better way. | |||
'''User metadata sites''' | |||
I've had a hand in many of the sites you use today for covers, fanart and information, and plugins. I really see the power in crowdsourced data in the HTPC world. Over the years I have helped build a TV banner site which turned into TheTVDB.com, Movie-XML which was eventually superseded by http://www.themoviedb.org/ and http://www.TheAudiodb.com which is my latest project. I also contributed and maintained the MeediOS plugin repository front end http://www.meedios.com/OpenMAIDOS/ which was a fully functioning app-store before Apple and Google even thought of the name! Lately I've been working on http://www.thelogodb.com to supply TV Channel logos, and next up is a recipe and cocktail databases hopefully. | |||
'''Contributions''' | |||
* Create Movie-XML.com website for movie metadata (2007) | |||
* Create TheAudioDB.com (2012) | |||
* New icons for every Add-on missing in official XBMC repository (2012) | |||
* New XBMC website template (2013) | |||
* New Add-on Front-end website (2014) | |||
* Complete re-write of the Add-on Developer Wiki (2014) | |||
* Test Video Node functionality and write Wiki guide (2014) | |||
* Test Audio Node functionality and write Wiki guide (2014) | |||
* Hello World Add-on guide (2015) | |||
* Create TheSportsDB website to provide sports metadata (2014) | |||
* Create TheLogoDB website to provide tv channel logos (2015) | |||
* Python Add-on developers walk through in guides section | |||
'''Ideas''' | |||
I have a couple of ideas in general for open source software: | |||
* Always write simple to follow documentation | |||
* Never over complicate things, "Think as a user" first | |||
* Create supporting services that satisfy a need | |||
* Create feedback loops, let users contribute if they want features | |||
* Keep everything open and free, forever! | |||
'''Real life''' | |||
By trade, I'm a Microsoft server technician, so know a little bit about building and running web services. If its got a database, is virtualized or needs some heavy bandwidth then I'm your man :) | |||
''"Power through Simplicity"'' |
Latest revision as of 09:32, 28 July 2015
Hi I'm Zag and I've been interested in HTPC apps for many years.
HTPC Apps
The first ever HTPC app released was something called MYHTPC which emerged from a thread on http://www.avsforum.com/. This quickly turned into a commercial product called Meedio, which then went opensource when they were bought by Yahoo. I was just a simple user back then but ended up running the project and its website over the next 10 years. Eventually I moved over to XBMC after Microsoft dropped support for their WPF technologies and have not looked back since. I use XBMC in 2 different rooms with an iPad as a controller. My real interest in joining the XBMC team was to help with Multiple Library Nodes and expanding XBMC to work with more Media. I was also very interested in promoting Add-Ons in a better way.
User metadata sites
I've had a hand in many of the sites you use today for covers, fanart and information, and plugins. I really see the power in crowdsourced data in the HTPC world. Over the years I have helped build a TV banner site which turned into TheTVDB.com, Movie-XML which was eventually superseded by http://www.themoviedb.org/ and http://www.TheAudiodb.com which is my latest project. I also contributed and maintained the MeediOS plugin repository front end http://www.meedios.com/OpenMAIDOS/ which was a fully functioning app-store before Apple and Google even thought of the name! Lately I've been working on http://www.thelogodb.com to supply TV Channel logos, and next up is a recipe and cocktail databases hopefully.
Contributions
- Create Movie-XML.com website for movie metadata (2007)
- Create TheAudioDB.com (2012)
- New icons for every Add-on missing in official XBMC repository (2012)
- New XBMC website template (2013)
- New Add-on Front-end website (2014)
- Complete re-write of the Add-on Developer Wiki (2014)
- Test Video Node functionality and write Wiki guide (2014)
- Test Audio Node functionality and write Wiki guide (2014)
- Hello World Add-on guide (2015)
- Create TheSportsDB website to provide sports metadata (2014)
- Create TheLogoDB website to provide tv channel logos (2015)
- Python Add-on developers walk through in guides section
Ideas
I have a couple of ideas in general for open source software:
- Always write simple to follow documentation
- Never over complicate things, "Think as a user" first
- Create supporting services that satisfy a need
- Create feedback loops, let users contribute if they want features
- Keep everything open and free, forever!
Real life
By trade, I'm a Microsoft server technician, so know a little bit about building and running web services. If its got a database, is virtualized or needs some heavy bandwidth then I'm your man :)
"Power through Simplicity"