Social Desktop

Behind the Social Desktop ( in German: social Desktop ) is the idea of ​​interaction with online communities and web collaboration by conventional computer desktops allow. Further, the basic idea of ​​the Social Desktop to enable communication between individual members of the online community. Other ingredients include user generated content such as programs, illustrations, a community- maintained database of events and knowledge databases.

Especially in open source environments such as KDE or GNOME is actively working on an integration. The KDE 4.3 released in July 2009, has for the first time to integrate a social desktop plasmoid. The Social Desktop presented Frank Karlitschek first time in 2008 during the KDE developers conference aKademy.

Back

As the backend of the Social Desktop, Open Collaboration Services API, a REST-based API that has been developed by openDesktop.org and defined as freedesktop.org standard serving.

Components of the Social Desktop

News

Highly personalized messages for the user from his circle of friends with selected data and news

People and Groups

Group features allow users to find other users with the same interests to get to know this and to meet with them. In addition, discussions within the groups are possible, the Community sharing of knowledge and data is also possible.

Activities

Notifies the user about what is happening in his circle of friends, for example if a friend wrote a new blog entry or is looking for a new job.

Events

The event database provides information on open source conferences or Linux user meeting in the vicinity of the user. Each user can organize their own events and submit to participate in and comment on others.

Knowledge Base

Questions and answers relating to specific programs can be asked and answered. Furthermore, the writing of tips and tricks on the part of the user or owner of the project is possible.

Implementation

All of the components described are visible and usable already on the site openDesktop.org. A first implementation of the idea in the form of a plasmoid, a small desktop applet for the KDE desktop is already available. The version 4.3 of the KDE desktop will have this integrated.

In addition, the official KDE Community Forum to a conversion or integration of the Open Collaboration Services API for the platform works.