Answer from Brendan

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Brendan regards himself/herself as:

1. What are the objectives of an IFHOSP site?

1.1 build a better mousetrap
1.2 distribute a better mousetrap
1.3 maintain a better mousetrap
1.4 support and enhance a better mousetrap
1.5 share the pain and the gain
1.6 get someone to write documentation ;->
1.7 build an audience of folks who will share the load of software development and support
1.8 in our research case, like yours, to understand how folks work in a voluntary framework

2. What tools can be employed on an IFHOSP site and what are the important features and usability factors for each of them?

Tool 1: mirror   

2.1 Brief Description

ancient but effective way to share the load by allowing duplicate sites to share the downloads

2.1.2 What are the important features of this tools?

No Response!

2.1.3 What are the important usability factors of this tools?

No Response!

Tool 2: rsync   

2.2 Brief Description

a better solution than mirror

2.2.2 What are the important features of this tools?

No Response!

2.2.3 What are the important usability factors of this tools?

No Response!

Tool 3: ftp   

2.3 Brief Description

in any incarnation. the tool of choice for downloads

2.3.2 What are the important features of this tools?

No Response!

2.3.3 What are the important usability factors of this tools?

No Response!

Tool 4: cvs   

2.4 Brief Description

helps track changes to projects

2.4.2 What are the important features of this tools?

No Response!

2.4.3 What are the important usability factors of this tools?

No Response!

Tool 5: www server - apache and others   

2.5 Brief Description

can't live without it

2.5.2 What are the important features of this tools?

No Response!

2.5.3 What are the important usability factors of this tools?

No Response!

Tool 6: php and mysql   

2.6 Brief Description

provide database support and access

2.6.2 What are the important features of this tools?

No Response!

2.6.3 What are the important usability factors of this tools?

No Response!

3. What work practices and culture should be promoted?

3.1 cooperation
3.2 sharing the load
3.3 openness as to skills and time commitments
3.4 tolerance toward others particularly across languages and cultures
3.5 patience but firmness
3.6 fulfilling contracts

clarification: doing what you say that you will do and expecting others to do what they say they will do
3.7 avoid force
3.8 critique for the sake of the task

clarification: (previous answer: critique for the same of the task) mistyping on my part. should be critique for the sake of the task. that is being constructively critical of products, procedures and people including task leaders
3.9 jane jacob's systems of survival's commercial moral syndrome

4. What are factors that movitate users to use an IFHOSP site?

4.1 free stuff
4.2 fast access
4.3 easy access
4.4 good documentation
4.5 reliable stuff
4.6 latest stuff
4.7 ease of use

5. What are barriers that prevent users from using an IFHOSP site?

5.1 cluelessness
5.2 low geek level
5.3 poor access tools
5.4 poor publicity
5.5 poor documentation
5.6 the odd urge to pay for software rather than help build it yourself

6. What are the positive results for users in using an IFHOSP site?

6.1 great software
6.2 great community
6.3 self-reliance

clarification: realizing that you can do things yourself (see R W Emerson, American philosopher
6.4 autonomy

clarification: acting on one's own in a completely independent way
6.5 flexibility

clarification: being able to select from many ways of doing things

7. What are the negative results for users in using an IFHOSP site?

7.1 possible confusion
7.2 having to rely on one's self

clarification: now you're self-reliant. some times that's not good. it's so much more fun to blame say microsoft or ibm or dell. now you've got yourself to blame too

8. What are factors that motivate adminstrators to setup or maintain an IFHOSP site?

8.1 desire to be involved in the community
8.2 desire to have co-conspirators on projects
8.3 need to be loved and respected
8.4 altruism (seriously)
8.5 desire for decent working flexible code

9. What are barriers that prevent adminstrators from setting up or maintaining an IFHOSP site?

9.1 good ones eat your bandwidth alive
9.2 cranky developers think they are gods to be served
9.3 hardware restraints - disk, processing power etc

10. What are the positive results for adminstrators in setting up or maintaining an IFHOSP site?

10.1 status
10.2 good code
10.3 good documenatation
10.4 good friends
10.5 good support
10.6 free t-shirts

11. What are the negative results for adminstrators in setting up or maintaining an IFHOSP site?

11.1 swamped by involvement
11.2 grumpy boss wants bandwidth back
11.3 grumpy programmers want all the credit
11.4 grumpy users want you to do their job for them

12. What are other important issues in IFHOSP?

12.1 No Comment.


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Generated On: 27 Sep 2002