MDN Content Kits

MDN Content Kits are a set of technical content to support local developer communities, to be used as a focal point for developer meetups and education. Each "kit" contains a collection of resources about a particular topic related to web development or web app development, such as Web APIs, useful libraries, or developer tools. A current list of MDN Content Kits is maintained on MDN.

The goal of MDN Content Kits is to provide community members the information they need, in one place, on specific technologies of interest to other developers in their communities. The kits will provide a base for community members to host ongoing developer meetups and/or present to other developers on these topics. By doing so, we hope to grow developer engagement with Mozilla at a local level, and increase standards-based web development globally. Kits will initially feature technologies appropriate for intermediate and advanced-level developers, although as the program matures there will be opportunity to expand to more beginner-level kits.

Goals

• 3 new kits per quarter
• 2 meetups in Q1 2015, then increasing each quarter afterwards (goal is 10 globally in Q4)

• Project Evaluation document

What's in a Content Kit?

A content kit is a set of resources that lets a presenter or teacher talk about an API, tool, or technique of interest to Web developers and of strategic value to Mozilla. (If you change this list, you also need to update the MDN Content Kit Template on github that content kit creators use or it will have no affect!) Elements of a kit can include:

• Educational materials for the presenter
  • Presentation notes of points to be covered in presenting the topic
  • A video or live demo showing the API/tool/technique
  • A video recording of the presentation materials being used
  • An instructional video of how to give the presentation or demo
  • Difficult questions the presenter might get along with answers
• Supporting materials for the presentation, class or meetup might include:
  • Presentation materials
  • A script for demoing the project
  • Questions or points for further discussion
  • Activities for engaging with the topic (e.g., “Change the demo project so it does X. How do you handle Y?”)
  • Video of the demo that can be used offline
• Reference materials
  • Link to the code project that can be used to demo the API/tool/technique
  • Link to a Hacks post on this topic
  • Links to relevant MDN articles

Examples:

• See the Template for MDN Content Kit project on Github for a prototype structure for content kits.
• Existing content kits are listed on MDN and currently include:
  • Beginning Programming Content Kit
  • Valence Content Kit
  • node-firefox Content Kit
  • HTML5 Captions & Subtitles Content Kit
  • l10n.js Content Kit
• See the Thing Content Kit another prototype structure for content kits
• WebMaker Literacy Basics a landing page for Web Literacy learning materials.

Request and Development Process

Content Kits are currently being prototyped. Once a final set of required kit elements and templates are developed, the request and prioritization process will be fully implemented. This process will be formalized in March & April of 2015.

Proposing a Topic

Topics can be requested or proposed by the broader the Mozilla community, including volunteers, meetup hosts, technical evangelists, engineering, and others. Potential topics for content kits are currently tracked and discussed in this etherpad as well as on the mdn mailing list.

Topics will prioritized based on inclusion in product releases, standards recommendation, specific marketing or community goal, and volume of requests for the topic. If you'd like to implement a content kit on a particular topic, please bring it up on the mailing list before starting, to avoid duplication with other efforts, and so you can get advice on implementing a kit (since the format is still being prototyped).

Once a topic has been discussed and there is general consensus that it should be implemented as a kit, it is moved to a Google Spreadsheet that is reviewed monthly in the MDN/Technical evangelism weekly meeting. Beginning in April 2015, we will hold monthly, open meetings to discuss which kits to prioritize.

Priorities

Who Can Build a Kit

Kits can be built by anyone, and we encourage people to suggest and build kits.

To build a kit, please see visit the Template MDN Content Kit on Github.

Submitted kits will be reviewed by subject matter experts to make sure they are technologically correct, contain all the required elements, and use the correct templates and repositories. All Content Kits must be built to facilitate localization, which will further enable local communities to use the kits to engage with developers. Specifically, please use text-based file formats such as HTML and SVG, and enable subtitles on videos, to support localization.

In addition to community-built kits, Mozilla paid staff will build and release at least 1 kit per month, based on the priorities decided in the meetings.

Using Content Kits

See the list of MDN Content Kits and directions on MDN.