## page was renamed from SoftwareCenter/UserContributedPackageMetadata
We want anyone with an account (Ubuntu Single Sign-On? Launchpad?) to be able to suggest improved description, category/subcategory, or search keywords

- Who can accept the changes?
  - Anyone who can upload the package.


== Don't need to change actual package ==
 * If we just change the metadata for package descriptions then we don't need to force a redownload of the package

== Issues ==

=== Translations ===

  * Currently, whenever an English paragraph is updated, its translations are discarded.  This could result in a regression for some users.
  * If we make it much easier to update a description/translation, the problem may solve itself
  * One possibility is to maintain localized descriptions independently (like localized Wikipedia articles)
   * but sometimes descriptions have updateable sections that don't need localizing (e.g. list of supported file formats)

 * Maybe translate current package descriptions *into* (plain) English?
  * Current control file description could remain a technical one, and then the user-facing tools like Software Center could show the plain English description
    * Could even have different tools show different options (eg apt-cache would show the technical description in debian/control, while software center would show the plain english description)
  * Drawback: would require language teams to independently decide how to convert into plain language, *as well as* translating
  * we want an interface simpler than translations (e.g. make keywords, categories editable on the same page)
  * would be difficult to find your way to the Launchpad page for translating the description
  * but existing Ubuntu translation teams are the best people to decide whether a particular localized description is appropriate
  * if English description was separate from control file description, it could add 

 * What happens when the package maintainer gets stormed with 300 separate suggestions?
  * batch notifications?
  * if this was done from within the Ubuntu Software Center, it would be hard to see other people's suggestions
  * maybe approve/disapprove of other people's suggestions in Launchpad

Maybe rank packages by their popularity, for priority in improving descriptions

Files that contain package descriptions are currently updated only when you update the package
 * it is difficult for Launchpad to change that
 * if we specified a new file, it would be easier for Launchpad to change it
  * could specify a non-plain-text file format (eg Markdown, HTML, database)
  * could save time for Launchpad publishing too

== How would the Ubuntu Software Center behave? ==

 * Look for nice localize description, then technical localized description, then fall back to technical English description?
 * Download both translations files for the locale

== How would changes get back to Debian? ==

Debian Policy Manual: "The description field needs to make sense to anyone, even people who have no idea about any of the things the package deals with."

Debian Smith Review Project - http://wiki.debian.org/I18n/SmithReviewProject
Debian Package Tracking System - http://packages.qa.debian.org/common/
 * We worry about spamming debian maintainer with 300 package description update suggestions
   * the "control file = technical description, translation file = plain english description" approach prevents this

== TODO / Roadmap ==

 * This is not critical for Lucid, and can happen outside of the Lucid cycle
  * Ubuntu Software Center integration required is small:
    * presence or absence of a menu item for going to the LP metadata improvement page for this package
    * use the new plain translations file
 * Launchpad team are focused for the next six months on other things (Ubuntu-upstream collaboration)
  * this doesn't really fall into that category
 * Launchpad Registry team needs a design for the page
   * TODO: design the web page (mpt?)
 * TODO: design an approach that doesn't involve Launchpad development work

== Screenshots ==
 * screenshots.ubuntu.com (proxy to screenshots.debian.net) -- fairly straightforward, but user has to find the website.
 * screenshots.debian.net are willing to implement Ubuntu-specific theming for people visiting from Ubuntu
 * out of scope for Lucid