npm weekly #34: easy README’s, improved readability, new human, free socks

the ABC’s of nvc at npm

Surely you’ve noticed that non-violent communication is a big deal at npm — and it is particularly useful in our support program. Writes support human Stephanie:

We get feedback from users in a variety of different emotional states. We know npm can be tricky, especially when you’re a new user, but luckily we’re here to help. nvc actually is a great list of what we need to help you fully.

From 30,000 feet, nvc’s core tenets are these:

Observation: the facts. What’s in the npm-debug.log?
Feelings: emotions or sensations. You’re forgiven for feeling pretty frustrated; we would be, too.
Needs: universal human needs. What are you trying to accomplish here? Knowing the context helps us think creatively about pointing you to the right resources, fixes, and workarounds.
Request: a request for a specific action. Specifying what you want us to do about an issue is helpful, and the more detailed your request, the better — but it’s okay to write in just to say “I don’t know; please fix it.”

Regardless of the error you’re experiencing, npm’s here for you, your feelings are valid, and we’ll do our very best to help, every time. Don’t be shy.

README’s PDQ

Today in totally rad things in our inbox, @noffle writes to remind us:

npm view is pretty darn cool, but not a lot of folks know about it. I wrote a short and sweet blog post about it.

And so he did. Get this:

The view subcommand of npm is pretty cool. It will happily print any property of the package to standard output.

Like a project’s README! Combine this with a lightweight Markdown viewer and you can easily skim a project’s docs without having to go search the Web.

Give it a read, and share your tips, too.

SYS in SOMA

Are you a Windows developer based in the Bay Area? Save the date!

Put Monday, November 9th on your calendar: Microsoft will be hosting npm at Folsom Reactor, a new space dedicated to the developer and startup community in the heart of San Francisco. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m., with speakers from both npm and Microsoft.

The topic: “Node and npm: Tools, Tips, and Tricks for the Windows Developer.”

NJC in HAV

Last month, our own Nick C asked for your help curating a thumb-drive’s-worth of open source apps and resources for the CS department at the University of Havana.

Nick’s returned from his trip. The bad news is that not all of the thumb drives made it into the country; the good news is that some of them did, and

I can report without a doubt: Cuba is such an exciting and vibrant country on the verge of a(nother) revolution in their connections with the greater world. I’m really excited to see what the next decade brings for the empowered youth and how they process the change that’s about to wash upon their shores.

Head to our blog for Nick’s notes & photos, socio.

FYI: improving the accessibility of `pre` blocks

Joe8Bit recently did some pairing with a coworker with low visual acuity, and observed

pre blocks (while very important) were very difficult to distinguish from the surrounding text

Thanks to his help and his code, we landed high-contrast styling to our code blocks — so now our docs are more accessible to everyone.

If you see something, patch something, and don’t forget…

ICYMI: socks for docs

…if you submit a PR to npm or our docs, you earn the eternal gratitude of the wombatariat, but just as compellingly, free socks.

Unlike our npm shirts, stickers, and phone chargers, which any old yokel can find in the shop, submitting a PR is the only way — short of being or dating/marrying an npm human — to get these beauts.

Hop to it.

another new human (ZOMG!)

Jonathan Barronville joins npm to work on the website, send Beyoncé GIFs on Slack, and, assuming he has the time, help improve search! He’s based in Boston, where he cofounded Runway Technologies, a Harvard i-lab startup that built smarter search fashion shopping.

LOL, laundrybat

Whisky Yogi on Twitter: "looks like npm can now do your laundry! cc @rockbot @npmWombat https://t.co/oPlMmpFn5i"

$ npm pack
$ curl -F package=missingsocks.tgz http://washmyclothes.io

h/t @LewisCowper

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