We have a great thing in Linux, but the question I have is, how do we as a community introduce the real newcomers to programming to the joys of the operating system?
It can even be a problem to try to figure out which platform is going to be the best to start developing for Linux.
I see it every day on the news feeds and the articles here on LDN and other sites: the latest and greatest in techniques and tools to develop for cloud computing, or high availability servers. or embedded devices, or... well, you get the idea.
Somewhere in all of these "exotic" platforms is the plain ol' "ordinary" field of desktop development. Except in reality, that's not so ordinary. You can develop applications, widgets, distribution utilities, desktop tools... this list gets pretty long, too.
Of course, the reality is there's no one "right" platform to develop for... each aspect has its own merits and challenges seperate from the others. But as a community advocate, it has become increasingly difficult--if not impossible--to steer new Linux developers towards a platform that needs the most help or is the up and coming technological powerhouse.
It doesn't really qualify as a huge problem, since most incoming developers know exactly what they want to code. Where there's an itch, it'll get scratched.
Where I see the hurdle is in the education of really new developers--people who are just learning development, either through osmosis or formal training. What tools and learning channels exist for them to not only pick up the skills they need to code in Linux, but also to choose which development path they want to take.
The Linux community is very good as a large body of information, but sometimes it can break down in disseminating detailed information to those who need it. Then there is the ever-present problem of some of the smaller communities behaving in an exclusive, rather than inclusive, manner.
This is the very problem LDN exists to solve. By creating a neutral platform for all development information to be distributed, all Linux projects have an equal shot at training talent and getting talent.
That's the goal of LDN, and in the days ahead we will be adding significantly to the content of the site as we leave beta mode and get in the business of educating developers on all aspects of Linux development.
