Java User Groups International Map: Change Management

Basically, we are giving multiple people developer permissions for the sv-web-jug.dev.java.net project. These people can then make SVN updates to the KML map file. To request developer permissions, you need to go here:

https://sv-web-jug.dev.java.net/servlets/ProjectMemberList

Please send an email to van_riper@dev.java.net in parallel to doing this. Please include your java.net alias, your real name, the JUG you are affiliated with, and the primary continent you are volunteering to support in that email. The dev.java.net aliases for folks do not necessarily make it obvious to me who is requesting these permissions. Please add your dev.java.net alias, your real name and the continent you are primarily volunteering to help manage to the table of volunteers in the next section.

JUG Map Volunteers

In case anyone is wondering about Oceania, the map folder structure is based upon the Wikipedia list of countries by continent. If someone has a more definitive online reference, then we need to know about that. For now, the Wikipedia list will be used. Australasia is a proper subset of Oceania.

Processing Map Updates

Map update requests are to be sent to the main JUG Leaders mailing list with the prefix [MAP] in the subject of the message. If you want to volunteer to make an update, you simply reply to that message also on the main list for all to see. That way, we can all see who has taken ownership to make each map update. The use of the [MAP] prefix as a convention will also allow for filtering these messages into a separate folder.

When making updates, please preserve the existing indentation of XML elements when adding new Placemarks. Please do not use an editor that inserts TAB characters. The current format has the tab spacing set to 4 and space characters rather than TABs are used to indent the file. Ideally, you would use an editor that does XML validation as well to ensure that no malformed XML creeps into the file. The KML file is located within the project CVS repository in this relative location:

   /www/kml/jug-leaders.kml

The person submitting new data should load the KML file into Google Maps and confirm that it still loads properly. In addition, the submitter should verify the location of new Placemarks on the map are correct and that any links included in the submission are working properly too. A good sanity check is to confirm that the Placemark is positioned correctly on the world map. On more than one occasion, the coordinates were submitted in the wrong order. This will usually be immediately obvious when you double check new Placemarks that you are adding to the map.

Other Map Discussions

Any volunteer team discussions regarding the evolution of the map can be done on the main list by following this same convention with the [MAP] prefix for those discussions.