1. Explain what are the different membership levels and options?

There are two levels of membership, as follows:

To post to our forums, you need to register as a Community Member. No registration is required to read forum content. This type of membership does not expire.
If you wish to distribute applications, you need to become a full member of the HP webOS Developer Program. This level includes Community Membership and lasts for one year. When you sign up for the Developer Program, there is a special option for open source developers which gives you the full benefits of the Developer Program and avoids the annual fees (though this is currently waived).

2. What is webOS?

WebOS also known as LG webOS, Open webOS or HP webOS, is a Linux kernel-based operating system for smart TVs, and formerly a mobile operating system. Initially developed by Palm, which was acquired by Hewlett-Packard, HP made the platform open source, and it became Open WebOS. The operating system was later sold to LG Electronics.