Community Development site goes live!!

Today we are launching our community development site.  This is the site specifically focused on supporting the collaborative development of the .NET Micro Framework.  This is in addition to our continued presence at Microsoft.com and MSDN.  As announced when we originally launched the open source version (4.0) we intend to continue development on a core implementation of the .NET Micro Framework here at Microsoft in conjunction with the larger NETMF community. Here is how we want to see it work. 

  • A Core Tech Team of volunteers from inside and outside Microsoft has been identified.  This group will work in specific areas to refine and direct project proposals and get them developed and accepted into the core code base.  There is a discussion group on the web site for proposing and discussing projects.  Let's start the ideas rolling - what did you always want to see in the product?  Who can you enlist to get it in? 
  • Besides the features that are destined to be incorporated into the core codebase, there are other extensions and add-ons to the platform that people have made and will continue to make.  Some of these are free and some are for sale.  The web site includes a Showcase that allows the creators of all these extensions as well as services to be listed by their creators and found by users.  If you have an extension, you can list it yourself on the site.
  • Finally, as we saw in the Dare to Dream Different contest, there are lots of great individual projects that people have created with the .NET Micro Framework.  There is a Academic/Hobbyis discussion group where people can discuss their cool projects. 

This site is designed to be 'open' just like our product is.  There are lot's of ways that you can use this site directly.  I am hoping that this becomes the focus of a lively community interchange on the platform so give it a try at www.netmf.com.  As always, your ideas and suggestions on how we can make the site more useful to you are appreciated.