Answer from Luke

Summary Hidden

Show Summary

Go to List of Participants

Luke regards himself/herself as:

1. What are the objectives of an IFHOSP site?

1.1 To provide tools needed for open source projects to be started and managed with as little overhead as possible. Thereby leaving as much time as possible to actual development.
1.2 To generate communities of contributors and projects so that developers can find interesting projects and tasks to work on and to potentially help combine efforts.
1.3 Provide a location where users can keep track of projects/applications that are of interest to them. This should also allow the users to watch the workings of such projects in hopes that they would then find opportunities to become contributors.

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: CVS   

2.1 Brief Description

A code repository with support for versions

2.1.2 What are the important features of this tools?

2.1.2.1 Version control
2.1.2.2 Branching of code base
2.1.2.3 Security and rollback features
2.1.2.4 Tagging of various points in development

2.1.3 What are the important usability factors of this tools?

2.1.3.1 Efficiency : The users can achieve a level of high productivity when using the site

Tool 2: Tracking System   

2.2 Brief Description

A system that allows tracking of bugs, feature request and support request, tasks, or any other type of data that needs to be tracked and assigned to developers.

2.2.2 What are the important features of this tools?

2.2.2.1 Ability for admin to have it set to allow anyone to add items to a tracker, or to only allow team members to do so.
2.2.2.2 Ability to maintain history of the items with notes tagged by date, time and who made the notes.
2.2.2.3 Allow items to be assigned and re-assigned to team members
2.2.2.4 All items to be dependant on other items (ie some other task) being completed

2.2.3 What are the important usability factors of this tools?

2.2.3.1 Coherence : The information is presented logically and without contradiction
2.2.3.2 Ease of Navigation : The information is in a structure that is easy to navigate
2.2.3.3 Simple and natural dialogue : Interaction between computer and users is as simple as possible and information in the interaction is presented in natural and logical fashion
2.2.3.4 Searchable : The content within the site can be accessed by a search mechanism on site

Tool 3: Mailing list   

2.3 Brief Description

Mailing lists and the management tools to maintain them

2.3.2 What are the important features of this tools?

2.3.2.1 Simple subscribe/unsubscribe interface

2.3.3 What are the important usability factors of this tools?

2.3.3.1 Few Errors : There are very few number of operational errors on site
2.3.3.2 Searchable : The content within the site can be accessed by a search mechanism on site

3. What work practices and culture should be promoted?

3.1 Inviting environment: This means that the tools must be easy to use, not take too much time away from actual develpoment and allow for easy addition to becoming a project member.
3.2 Flexibility: Open Source projects are dynamic and can be very fast moving and have the potential to break new ground. The tools must then be flexible and allow the project admins as much control over the tools as possible.
3.3 Credit: There must be a kudo system to credit active contributors

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

4.1 The desire to remove the burden of maintaining all the tools themselves, and to be able to spent more time on development of the project.
4.2 To be part of the community and attract more contributors.
4.3 Competition with other projects, so long as the IFHOSP maintains activity reports and rankings

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

5.1 Fear of losing control of their project.
5.2 Not having all the tools they need to maintain the project on the given IFHOSP site.
5.3 Fear that the IFHOSP will shut down and disrupt the project

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

6.1 More time to spend on the project itself, instead of wasteful management overhead.
6.2 More community awareness which can result in more contributors
6.3 Additional sense of being part of a community
6.4 Greater possibility for community kudos

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

7.1 Sometimes the tools on the IFHOSP are missing features that are needed by a given project, and when using an IFHOSP there is less likelyhood that they will implement better tools because there is hope that one day the IFHOSP will add the features. This could leave the project without needed tools indefinitly.
7.2 Being at the mercy of the IFHOSP's changes, downtimes and bugs.

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

8.1 Kudos/goodwill from the community
8.2 Possible banner ad revenue hopes.
8.3 Greater awareness of the admins other buisness services

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

9.1 Expense in bandwidth and development effort
9.2 Lack of revenue sources
9.3 Maintance effort

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

10.1 Goodwill/Kudos from the community.
10.2 Greater awareness of the admins other money making services

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

11.1 Great expense in maintaining and improving the site
11.2 Stress of having the responsibility to the users, and the knowledge that not being able to keep the site up will have a very negative result.

12. What are other important issues in IFHOSP?

12.1 Anyone wanting to setup an IFHOSP needs to be aware of the responsibility involved. They must be open and honest with their users so that if a problem is growing, that the users are not blindsided.
12.2 Users must be aware that an IFHOSP is taking on a great burden and that they must give them all the credit possible.


Show Summary

Go to List of Participants


Generated On: 27 Sep 2002