Hyperledger Labs is the innovation pipeline for our ecosystem. Contributors can bring ideas for collaboration and code bases to the labs without the formality of forming a project. The labs provide a home for both code and community development as well as a legal framework that eases the transition to becoming a named project if that is the right next step. Hyperledger Labs is not directly controlled by the Technical Oversight Committee (TOC). Labs are proposed and run by the community. They can be created by a simple request (done by submitting a Pull Request) to the Labs Stewards.
We definitely encourage submitters to promote and market their lab. After all, the more people know about a lab, the greater chance it has at attracting contributors and possibly becoming an official Hyperledger project. However, promotion and marketing must be done in a balanced manner where it is obvious that the lab is not yet an official Hyperledger project but the code base is part of the foundation’s ecosystem. Below are guidelines to keep in mind while promoting or marketing a Hyperledger lab:
To be successful as a lab requires growing the community so it becomes larger than your company/contributions. Marketing efforts should encompass
- Why the lab was created
- What problem it solves
- Key or planned functionality
- Details for how to get involved
We do ask that you remember that, as a lab, the code base is now part of the Hyperledger ecosystem. We encourage you to communicate why you and/or your organizations opted to develop or contribute this code as a Hyperledger lab. However, updates about the code should be made as community members rather than as updates from your company team.
Content: blogs and press releases
Hyperledger Labs is the innovation pipeline for our ecosystem. We encourage a broad range of lab submissions and will support the development and community building efforts of them all. This includes publishing posts for the Hyperledger Foundation blog introducing labs that are contributed by member companies and/or support graduated projects.
While it is not appropriate for Hyperledger Foundation to issue a press release on a specific lab, members may ask us to provide a quote for any announcement (press release or blog post) they may wish to make about their code contribution and development leadership for the lab. We would recommend such a release be paired with a post on the Hyperledger Foundation blog introducing the lab to the broader community.
The post introducing the lab should speak to three main things:
- Why the lab was created
- What problem it solves
- What is its future; how will it mature
A good example of a blog on a lab can be found here. Once the blog is published, submitters are encouraged to share it across their various social handles and tag Hyperledger Foundation and @Hyperledger.
When writing content about a lab please just keep in mind that the code is now part of the Hyperledger ecosystem and shouldn't be promoted as a product or offering from your company or organization. It should also be referred to as a lab and not a project. Please see the branding guidelines below for more guidance.
Hyperledger Foundation will also publish periodic lab update posts that will highlight labs that don’t qualify for dedicated blog posts. To have your lab included, please submit a 3-5 sentence summary of the new lab to PR@hyperledgerorg.
Lab Wrap-up posts will include:
- Announcements of any new labs
- Pointers to active labs
- Highlights from existing labs, especially if they have a change in status
- Link to resources for those looking
- to start a lab
- to contribute to a lab
- to get involved in the community
Social Media
Please promote the lab on social media and tag any of the official Hyperledger channels. We will share and promote your posts as well.
An example of a post could look like:
We're excited to announce XX was accepted as a @Hyperledger Lab! It'll help solve X, Y, Z. Learn more: https://github.com/hyperledger-labs
Webinar
Hyperledger Foundation Members (Premier and General) may request a :60 min Project or Lab How-To webinar or hands-on demonstration. (Max two/year + unlimited offline recordings)
Fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/VUFe6riTNxxkPYyR9.
When and How?
The webinars will take place every first and third Wednesday at 3pm GMT/7am PST. We are using zoom with up to 500 attendees. Afterwards we will place the recording in our webinar library.
Meetups
Any lab contributor, regardless of membership status, may tap a Hyperledger meetup to present. Many are virtual. Here is list.
General Hyperledger Brand Guidelines
As you write your blog, create your social media content, or plan your webinar, please do keep in mind our general Hyperledger brand guidelines.
Also, please do not
- create webpages, websites or social media channel on the lab
- create new logos for a lab
- mix your own company logo with Hyperledger for promotion
- refer to your lab as "Hyperledger <lab name>"
All labs should be listed as "<lab name>, a Hyperledger Lab"
Final Approval
Please send all blogs, or content mentioning Hyperledger Foundation or a Hyperledger project or lab to pr@hyperledger.org for final approval. It usually only takes 24-48 hours for us to review.