source: project/gazette/README.txt @ 36667

                    --== The Chicken Gazette ==--
                     --== Guide for Authors ==--


Thank you for volunteering to produce an issue of the Chicken Gazette!

This guide aims to explain how it's done.

0) Check out the Gazette:

   svn checkout https://code.call-cc.org/svn/chicken-eggs/gazette

1) Create a new issue in src/issues. Take the largest number in there,
add one, and stick ".wiki" on the end of the name. It's probably a
good idea to copy the previous issue file, so you have the right
template to start with.

2) Update the (date . <number>) header, perhaps by adding 604800 (the
number of seconds in a week) to it.

3) Write thrilling content. To find out the past week's egg and core
commits, visit:

   http://bugs.call-cc.org/timeline?daysback=10&changeset=on

   http://bugs.call-cc.org/log/release/4/egg-locations

   http://code.call-cc.org/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi?p=chicken-core.git;a=heads

The latest Salmonella report can be viewed at:

    http://tests.call-cc.org/current/salmonella-report/

But to link to it, please form a permalink to the archive for that
day, like so:

     http://tests.call-cc.org/2010/09/10/salmonella-report/

Check out the list archives at:

     http://www.mail-archive.com/chicken-users@nongnu.org
     http://www.mail-archive.com/chicken-hackers@nongnu.org/

     http://lists.nongnu.org/archive/html/chicken-users/
     http://lists.nongnu.org/archive/html/chicken-hackers/

...and link directly to messages there.

You can also use the scripts on the gazette wiki page to help you decide what to
write about:

     http://wiki.call-cc.org/gazette#the-crazy-gazette-automation-plan

When you mention people's names, link to their wiki page if they have
one. The list is at:

     http://wiki.call-cc.org/users

Another source of information is our IRC bot vandusen in the #chicken
channel on freenode. Channel regulars try to record interesting bits
in the course of a week for the next Gazette. To get a list of what
has been recorded, just say "vandusen: gazette" in the channel and
you'll be sent the information by vandusen.

Recording information works through the "gazette" command, as well. To
create a reference to interesting commits (like tags), call it like
"vandusen: gazette r123" or optionally with an additional note:
"vandusen: gazette r123 Joe Schmoe tagged super-duper-sql 1.2, introducing magic auto-quoting!". 
However, you don't have to reference a commit to record a note.

4) Commit whenever you want. The contents of SVN aren't made live
automatically, so feel free to commit your drafts. You may need to ask
Mario to give you commit access to
https://code.call-cc.org/svn/chicken-eggs/gazette if it doesn't work
at first.

5) Preview your work by installing hyde and running "hyde serve" from
the top-level gazette directory, then visiting
http://localhost:8080/. Your new episode should appear on the front
page by default; if it doesn't, make sure you've set the date header
on the page correctly!

6) Prepare a plain text version by running issue2mail.scm. The result
will need some manual work to make it look right. Removing links is
often a good step. The way to run issue2mail.scm is:

      csi -script issue2mail.scm src/issues/<number>.wiki > issue.txt

7) When you think it's ready, commit it and announce in #chicken on
Freenode so that the experts can proofread it and suggest any improvements.

8) When it's REALLY ready, tell DerGuteMoritz in IRC / Moritz Heidkamp to
roll it out to the site, and email the plain text version to
chicken-users@nongnu.org

If Moritz is unavailable and you have a user account on call-cc.org,
you can checkout https://code.call-cc.org/svn/chicken-eggs/gazette and
just run these commands:

  umask u=rw,g=rw,o=r
  /usr/local/chickens/chicken-gazette/bin/hyde -e live

The Gazette should then be published on gazette.call-cc.org!

9) Thanks!