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diff --git a/docs/intro.md b/docs/intro.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bcf78ff --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/intro.md @@ -0,0 +1,47 @@ +# Welcome to Dat Docs! + +Dat is the distributed data tool. + +Dat's open source applications offer a new experience in advanced file syncing and publishing. Wherever your data goes, Dat uses innovative *in place archiving* to link files from many locations together. Share data with anyone over a distributed network using encrypted connections. Dat brings a new ease to public data management with automatic version history, persistent links, and dynamic storage. + +Use Dat to distribute scientific data, browse remote files on demand, or run continuous file archiving. Integrate into your existing work flow with flexible storage options and http publishing. Dat connects existing web infrastructure with a modern technological foundation. Built on a decentralized network, Dat creates new opportunities for existing data publishing tools. Put data preservation at your finger tips, like never before, with user-first applications. **Secure**, **distributed**, **fast**. + +<a href="https://datproject.org/install#desktop" target="_blank" title="Install Dat Desktop"><img src="/assets/install_desktop.png" alt="Install Dat Desktop" style="width:250px;"/></a> +<a href="https://datproject.org/install#terminal" target="_blank" title="Install dat command line"><img src="/assets/install_cli.png" alt="Install dat command line" style="width:250px;"/></a> + +**Built for the Public Good** + +Dat's distributed team builds Dat openly and compassionately. All software is open source and freely available to use. The [Dat project](http://datproject.org) is led by [Code for Science & Society](http://codeforscience.org) (CSS), a U.S. nonprofit. The mission of CSS is to work with public institutions to produce open source infrastructure for researchers, civic hackers, and journalists. We want to improve data access and long-term preservation. We actively welcome outside contributors and use cases beyond our mission. + +Code for Science & Society hosts other open science initiatives including [Science Fair](https://github.com/codeforscience/sciencefair/), a desktop science library like nothing before, and [Stencila](https://github.com/stencila), the office suite for reproducible research. Science Fair uses Dat to distribute scientific literature. In the future, Stencila will use Dat for reproducible data analysis. + +**Get in touch:** + +* [github.com/datproject](http://github.com/datproject) +* [@dat_project](http://twitter.com/dat_project) +* Chat in [#dat on IRC](http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=dat) or via [gitter](https://gitter.im/datproject/discussions) + +## Getting Started + +If you are new to Dat, welcome! You can learn more about Dat concepts in [the overview](overview). Becoming familiar with core Dat concepts will help you when using Dat and reading our documentation. + +If you are ready to get started, pick a Dat client and install! + +## Features + +* **Secure** - Dat encrypts data transfers and verifies content on arrival. Dat prevents third-party access to metadata and content. [Learn more](faq#security-and-privacy) about security & privacy. +* **Distributed** - Connect directly to other users sharing or downloading common datasets. Any device can share files without need for centralized servers. [Read more](terms#distributed-web) about the distributed web. +* **Fast** - Share files instantly with in-place archiving. Download only the files you want. Quickly sync updates by only downloading new data, saving time and bandwidth. +* **Transparent** - A complete version history improves transparency and auditability. Changes are written in append-only logs and uniformly shared throughout the network. +* **Future-proof** - Persistent links identify and verify content. These unique ids allow users to host copies, boosting long-term availability without sacrificing provenance. + +## Installation + + View the [installation guide](http://datproject.org/install) or pick your favorite client application: + +<a href="https://datproject.org/install#desktop" target="_blank" title="Install Dat Desktop"><img src="/assets/install_desktop.png" alt="Install Dat Desktop" style="width:250px;"/></a> +<a href="https://datproject.org/install#terminal" target="_blank" title="Install dat command line"><img src="/assets/install_cli.png" alt="Install dat command line" style="width:250px;"/></a> + +* [Beaker Browser](http://beakerbrowser.com) - An experimental p2p browser with built-in support for the Dat protocol. +* [Dat Protocol](https://www.datprotocol.com) - Build your own application on the Decentralized Archive Transport (Dat) protocol. +* [require('dat')](http://github.com/datproject/dat-node) - Node.js library for downloading and sharing Dat archives. |