ARTICLE

Kicking Off The Ubuntu Advocacy Developer Kit

by | Wed 12 Dec 2012

A [little while back](https://archivedblog.jonobacon.com/2012/11/08/ubuntu-advocacy-development-kit/) I posted about an idea I was discussing with the rest of the community team about a downloadable advocacy kit that, similar to an SDK for software, provides everything you need to get started spreading the word about Ubuntu. Dubbed the *Advocacy Developer Kit* (ADK), the idea is that a single `.zip` file (or package) would contain everything you need to get started, including:

* Well written, simple, and detailed documentation for joining, creating, and running LoCo Teams, as well as general advocacy, tips, and tricks.
* A selection of high-quality posters, banners and other materials.
* Resources for creating new materials.
* Presentations that can be used for giving an Ubuntu demo / Charm School etc.

This content would make it easier for advocates to get going, instead of navigating the wealth of unorganized content on the wiki and variety of promotional materials. The ADK provides a set of curated content that gets someone up and running quickly.

We will include some resources in the ADK such as banners, posters, presentations, templates and more. The idea is to only pick a few of each category (e.g. just a few posters) for inclusion in the ADK but provide a link to further content on [SpreadUbuntu](https://spreadubuntu.org/). The analogy here is similar to Ubuntu; in Ubuntu we provide a single high-quality text editor, but we provide simple access to alternatives in the *Ubuntu Software Center*. We can then decide on the best content in the ADK based on criteria such as general quality, brand guidelines etc.

One of the motivations behind the ADK is to provide a *project* that our advocacy community can collaborate around. Our theory is that having a branch that people can contribute to will feel worthwhile as a participant, and we can more easily track issues in the ADK with bug tracking, and also support translations of the content (we can provide localized ADKs). We are using the same technical foundation that has gone into the [Ubuntu Packaging Guide](https://developer.ubuntu.com/packaging/html/).

To kick this off I asked *Daniel Holbach* to create a branch that we can work from, and I spent some time tonight populating it with some initial content. We have lots of awesome content on the wiki, so I started moving it over to the ADK.

## Getting The ADK


Very early start to the ADK.

Currently the ADK lives in a Launchpad branch. You will need `python-sphinx` to build it. To get it run:

bzr branch ubuntu-adk

When you have checked the code out simple run:

make

Now load `_build/html/C/adk/index.html` in your web browser and you will see what we have so far.

Importantly, although you need to build the ADK here, this would not be the case with each release of the ADK. Normal users won’t download this branch; this will only be the branch contributors use. We will then run `make` to generate a bunch of .zip files for each translated ADK and distribute those .zip files as part of each ADK release.

Each zip file will have a base-level `index.html` that makes it simple to get started. In the future it could be awesome to have the guide packaged and in the *Ubuntu Software Center*, and make it accessible in the dash with an icon that loads it in your web-browser. We would also like to auto-generate a PDF of the ADK so users can load it on their tablets/phones/e-book readers.

You can see the [Launchpad project here](https://launchpad.net/ubuntu-adk).

## Volunteers Needed!

We have a stunning advocacy community, and together we can make the ADK something that is fun, informative, and useful to our global set of teams. As such we are looking for volunteers!

We are primarily looking for folks to help with documentation and bringing the best wiki content over to the ADK. We are also looking for some folks to help bring the best promotional materials and presentations over to it.

Documentation in the ADK is written using [reStructured Text](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReStructuredText) which provides a simple way of adding markup to content (it is similar to Markdown). Included in the ADK is a page that explains how to contribute documentation to the ADK – simply click the *How To Help* link on the front page.

To kick things off we are going to have a meeting on **Thursday 13th Dec 2012** at **3pm UTC** in `#ubuntu-community-team` to discuss the next steps in the project. Hope to see you there!

An invitation-only accelerator that develops industry-leading community engagement and growth via personalized training, coaching, and accountability...all tailored to your company's needs.

Want to read some more?

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays

Just a quick note to wish all of you a happy, restful, and peaceful holidays, however and whoever you spend it with. Take care, folks, and I look forward to seeing you in 2015!

The Impact of One Person

The Impact of One Person

I am 35 years old and *people* never cease to surprise me. My trip home from Los Angeles today was a good example of this. It was a tortuous affair that should have been a quick hop from LA to Oakland, popping on BArt, and then getting home for a cup of tea and an...

Feedback Requested: Great Examples of Community

Feedback Requested: Great Examples of Community

Folks, I need to ask for some help. Like many, I have some go-to examples of great communities. This includes Wikipedia, OpenStreetmap, Ubuntu, Debian, Linux, and others. Many of these are software related, many of them are Open Source. I would like to ask your...

Ubuntu Governance Reboot: Five Proposals

Ubuntu Governance Reboot: Five Proposals

Sorry, this is *long*, but hang in there. A little while back I wrote [a blog post](https://archivedblog.jonobacon.com/2014/11/14/ubuntu-governance-reboot/) that seemed to inspire some people and ruffle the feathers of some others. It was designed as a...

Ubuntu Governance: Reboot?

Ubuntu Governance: Reboot?

For many years Ubuntu has had a comprehensive governance structure. At the top of the tree are the Community Council (community policy) and the Technical Board (technical policy). Below those boards are sub-councils such as the IRC, Forum, and LoCo councils, and...

Dealing With Disrespect: The Video

Dealing With Disrespect: The Video

A while back I wrote and released a free e-book called [Dealing With Disrespect](https://www.dealingwithdisrespect.com/). It is a book that provides a short, simple to read, free guide for handling personalized, mean-spirited, disrespectful, and in some cases,...