[aprssig] APRS Foundation Inc. - Opportunities

[Erik Beck]

Just a few quick observations on the points below:

https certificates are easily done with Let's Encrypt.  The fairly new
webserver caddy integrates https and Let's Encrypt out of the box.
Apache and nginx webservers use Let's Encrypt with a 'plug-in'.

There is a complete RST (like Markdown) translation of the aprs101.pdf
at my github site (https://github.com/N7FYO/ge0rg-aprs101) which is
cloned from the original by Georg Lukas
(https://github.com/ge0rg/aprs101).

I am also working on a more expressive (in terms of formatting) version
of the APRS spec in LaTeX
(https://github.com/N7FYO/N7FYO-APRS_spec_101.Refactor). This is slowly
ongoing, and any assistance is appreciated.

Regards,

Erik

N7FYO.


On Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:17:59 -0400
Jeff Hochberg <jeffh at aprsfoundation.org> wrote:

> Great! Now What?
> 
> The APRS Foundation intends to build a solid foundation for APRS to
> build upon - no pun intended. You have to admit…that was a little
> “punny.” I couldn’t resist! :-)
> 
> We can head in countless directions, but much cleanup must be done to
> establish a baseline.
> 
> A mix of technical and non-technical work needs to be done. Some
> won’t be fun, but it’s a necessity and will be rewarding! It’s long
> and daunting, but please read through the opportunities to find a
> place where your skills can help.
> Define Use Cases
> 
> In line with last week’s comment about asking ten ham radio operators
> what APRS is… We live and breathe APRS. We’re amongst the best suited
> to put together a list of use cases. Ensuring the entire ham
> community is on the same page is essential. The last thing we should
> get is hesitation when someone hears, “What is APRS?”
> 
> Hopefully, this will be the most straightforward task of all!
> 
> Opportunity - Start APRS Use Cases Thread
> 
> If someone wants to start a thread here on aprssig titled “APRS Use
> Cases,” we can start to gather this information immediately! That
> way, we collect everyone’s ideas in one thread.
> Rebranding
> 
> How many would like to see a new logo for APRS? The current logo is
> dated at best. We are confident that some hams out there also have an
> artistic side. If anyone has ideas on rebranding APRS to give it a
> fresh look, we would love to see it!
> 
> Opportunities - Rebranding
> 
> If you or someone you know is skilled at brand management, brand
> awareness, graphic design, and/or typeface design, please email
> info at aprsfoundation.org with “Rebranding” in the subject line.
> Website
> 
> The APRS.org website needs a COMPLETE overhaul! It’s a mess, and the
> site looks like it was created in the early/mid-90s.
> 
> Hams need an authoritative location to get information on APRS. We can
> think of no better place than aprs.org.
> 
> According to Steve Dimse, the web server hosting aprs.org has over 5
> GB of files stored on it. Part of me can’t help but think the server
> became a place for Bob to store stuff, most of which likely never
> made it onto the website.
> 
> When I first spoke with Steve, he expressed interest in turning the
> website to the Foundation. We hope that is still the case.
> 
> Opportunities - Web Design & Content Review (Multiple opportunities)
> 
> We need folks who can review the existing aprs.org website and define
> the structure for the new website. It’s kind of all over the place
> right now, and there’s a ton of content.
> 
> Users have expectations of what an authoritative resource should look
> like, and suffice it to say that what it is today doesn’t fit their
> expectations.
> 
> If you have good organizational skills and are up for a challenge,
> please email info at aprsfoundation.org with “Web Design & Content
> Review” in the subject line.
> Webmaster
> 
> We would love to have at least one webmaster who is well-versed in web
> design and several others to help review and organize the content.
> With that much data sitting on the server, there’s bound to be much
> to go through. It doesn’t all need to be done in one fail swoop.
> 
> We need to pick a place to start. The most logical place to start is
> building a new site parallel to the existing one. We can start by
> deciding what to keep/eliminate, then cleaning, organizing, and
> migrating the most relevant content to the new site.
> 
> Once the new site is established, we can continue to build upon it.
> 
> We assure you there will be an SSL certificate on the new website.
> Practically, the entire Internet has embraced the “HTTPS Everywhere”
> movement. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is right—HTTPS is
> Actually Everywhere—just not on http://www.aprs.org. That will change!
> 
> The new URL will be https://www.aprs.org whenever we switch the
> domain to point to the new website (assuming TAPR allows us to take
> it over). Don’t click this link yet - it won’t work due to the lack
> of a certificate right now). Continue to use http://www.aprs.org for
> the time being. Opportunities - Webmaster (1 to 2 opportunities
> available)
> 
> This is THE prime opportunity to build THE authoritative source of
> information on APRS!
> 
> If you have basic web development skills and are familiar with the
> fundamentals of web development, Markdown
> <https://www.markdownguide.org/>, MkDocs <https://www.mkdocs.org/>,
> and GitHub <https://github.com/>, please email
> info at aprsfoundation.org. Please ensure “Webmaster” is in the subject
> line.
> 
> Oh, and if you know Markdown, you’re 90% of the way to understanding
> MkDocs! It’s awesome!
> Documentation
> 
> John L. and Lynn began a project to convert the APRS 101 spec from
> PDF/Word to Markdown format. The ultimate goal is to utilize GitHub
> as the documentation repository.
> 
> GitHub is an excellent application that provides version control and
> distributed development, allowing multiple contributors to work on
> the same projects.
> 
> This effort will also include consolidating enhancements/extensions
> to APRS 101 that were never merged into the official specification.
> 
> This will allow the Foundation to update the documentation and
> provide a facility for others to submit and contribute through Git
> and GitHub.
> 
> We already have an application that automatically detects changes to
> the repository and publishes the content to the web in a gorgeous
> format! We will share the publicly accessible link soon!
> Opportunities - Documentation Editor (4 to 6 positions available)
> 
> This project is almost complete. However, there are some elements
> that we could still use help with. If you know Markdown, please email
> info at aprsfoundation.org with “Documentation Editor” in the subject
> line. Project Management
> 
> To anyone who wants to help but doesn’t feel they have enough
> experience with APRS, we still need you! You don’t need to be that
> savvy with APRS to support our efforts, but Project Management is a
> skill we’ll need.
> 
> Case in point - I’m passionate about APRS but am not even remotely as
> well-versed as I would like. My talents include business, leadership,
> information technology, and security. I’ve held my ticket since 2015
> and still consider myself new to ham radio.
> Opportunities - Project Manager (# based on demand)
> 
> We want some assistance from folks with managing deliverables and
> milestones. We need to make sure we deliver on what we decide to do.
> It’s one thing to say you will do something, and it’s something else
> entirely to deliver. That cannot be accomplished without even the
> most basic project management skills.
> 
> We also need people who are good with tracking those interested in
> helping the Foundation and their interests.
> 
> And you don’t even need to be great with Project Management! If you
> can maintain a list of deliverables and a timeline and feel you can
> help keep folks on task, you’re hired!
> 
> Please email info at aprsfoundation.org if you are interested in helping
> manage the aforementioned projects and/or any future projects.
> Volunteer Work - Not Employment
> 
> While APRS Foundation Inc. is a non-profit organization, please do not
> perceive these opportunities as an offer of employment. John, Lynn,
> John, Jason, and I are board members, but we do so on a voluntary
> basis and are not compensated in any way.
> 
> The work we are requesting assistance with is on a volunteer basis
> only.
> 
> Keep in mind that we are all working towards Ensuring the Future of
> APRS! There is no better way to give back to the global amateur radio
> community than through work of this nature! It’s extremely important,
> and the rewards are that you get to say you worked on it!
> A Lot To Do
> 
> As you can see, there’s a lot to do. We're looking for a few good
> hams!!! We are just getting started! But we cannot do this without
> YOU!
> 
> To make this point abundantly clear, our door is open to any licensed
> amateur radio operator worldwide interested in contributing to the
> effort! If one of the areas above strikes a chord with you, please
> join the conversation and come along for the ride!
> 
> Please be patient—we may take a week or two to reply, but I assure
> you we will!
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this message. We look forward to
> working with you!
> 
> Best Regards and 73,
> 
> Jeff Hochberg - W4JEW
> 
> President
> 
> APRS Foundation, Inc.
> 
> Ensuring the Future of APRS
> 
> P.S. Discord Invite
> 
> We’ve also set up an APRS Foundation Discord server for those who
> prefer more chatty-type communications.   Join us at
> https://discord.gg/5SqCJQAU and say hello!
>