Answer from Luke

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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.
To provide a productive and consistent user interface with minimum management overhead
To provide tools needed to achieve the objectives of IFHOSP
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.
To allow potential developers to contribute to projects
To build a sense of community of between developers for a project
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.
To provide a centralised location for Free Software/Open Source project(s)
To allow potential developers to contribute to projects
To enable developers to keep track of projects that are of interest to them

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   Source Code Repository

2.1 Brief Description

A code repository with support for versions
CVS (Concurrent Versions System)
Maintains a centralised repository of current and previous versions of source code, documentation, etc.

2.1.2 What are the important features of this tools?

2.1.2.1 Version control
Version control
2.1.2.2 Branching of code base
Handling of branching of code
2.1.2.3 Security and rollback features
Rollback
Security features, e.g. usernames and passwords protection, access via ssh encryption
2.1.2.4 Tagging of various points in development
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
Efficiency

Tool 2: Tracking System   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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
Coherence
2.2.3.2 Ease of Navigation : The information is in a structure that is easy to navigate
Ease of Navigation
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
Simple and natural dialogue
2.2.3.4 Searchable : The content within the site can be accessed by a search mechanism on site
Searchable

Tool 3: Mailing list   Mailing List

2.3 Brief Description

Mailing lists and the management tools to maintain them
Mailing list management system

2.3.2 What are the important features of this tools?

2.3.2.1 Simple subscribe/unsubscribe interface
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
Few Errors
2.3.3.2 Searchable : The content within the site can be accessed by a search mechanism on site
Searchable

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.
Cooperation and collaboration, encourage involvement of developers to share the load of development
Easy to use, high usability
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.
Flexibility in tools for rapid project administration
3.3 Credit: There must be a kudo system to credit active contributors
A system to attribute credit

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.
The tools provided are effective and productive
Convenience - provides resources are difficult for an individual to maintain (e.g. web site)
4.2 To be part of the community and attract more contributors.
To be part of the community
To attract more contributors
4.3 Competition with other projects, so long as the IFHOSP maintains activity reports and rankings
To compete with other projects

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

5.1 Fear of losing control of their project.
Wanting to have more control and not wanting to develop software in an Open Source/Free Software style
5.2 Not having all the tools they need to maintain the project on the given IFHOSP site.
Not providing the tools or the features needed
5.3 Fear that the IFHOSP will shut down and disrupt the project
Unreliable
Not trusting the host of the IFHOSP

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.
Decrease time in administration of an IFHOSP site individually
6.2 More community awareness which can result in more contributors
Getting people to contribute to the development from all over world
Building or joining a community and increase sense of belonging
6.3 Additional sense of being part of a community
Building or joining a community and increase sense of belonging
6.4 Greater possibility for community kudos
Greater possibility for getting community credit

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.
Users may hope an IFHSOP to implement new features and not to program them themselves. These features may never get implemented.
7.2 Being at the mercy of the IFHOSP's changes, downtimes and bugs.
Lossing control over hosting uptimes and downtimes
Loss control of the changes, quality and disappearing of toolset hosted

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

8.1 Kudos/goodwill from the community
To get credit and/or respect from the community
8.2 Possible banner ad revenue hopes.
Hoping to get revenue
8.3 Greater awareness of the admins other buisness services
To get publicity for other services of a company by hosting an IFHOSP site

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

9.1 Expense in bandwidth and development effort
Network/Bandwidth limitation
Lack of revenue sources
Too much effort on administration, development and maintenance of server(s)
9.2 Lack of revenue sources
Lack of revenue sources
9.3 Maintance effort
Too much effort on administration, development and maintenance of server(s)

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

10.1 Goodwill/Kudos from the community.
Get credit or status in Open Source/Free Software communities
10.2 Greater awareness of the admins other money making services
To get publicity for other services of a company by hosting an IFHOSP site

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
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.
Too much effort and stress in maintaining and improving the site to the expectation

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.
Anyone wanting to setup an IFHOSP needs to be aware of the responsibility involved
An IFHOSP should be run in an open fashion and users should be well informed
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.
Giving hosts of IFHOSP sites every credit that they deserve


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Generated On: 27 Sep 2002