Permaculture Database

[Paul Cereghino <paul.cereghino@comcast.net>]

Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote:

> Is this project still on and is anyone still interested in working on it?
>
>  
Sounds like there is a grant in place, it sounds like Rich Morris is the 
project manager and directly responsible for a deliverable?  I don't 
know anything about the scope/schedule/budget of that grant, or how Rich 
wants to tap our enthusiasm, or how this shift towards product 
development relates to any previous discussion.

If I were playing project manager I would think up a stepwise work plan:

1. DEFINE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES - who is the user and what does it do for 
them, we need a finite set
2. DEFINE KEY CONCEPTS within these objective statements .. for example, 
the word "guild" is still a pretty fuzzy pile of concepts - so we and 
others know what the hell we're talking about... this is the beginnings 
of a data dictionary for structured data...
3. Play through scenarios of how users will interact with the 
application to CATALOG THE FUNCTIONS we want to achieve through the 
application even if it is a Wiki -- what kind of conventions guide wiki 
development... do PFAF fields allow for the queries we are talking about?
4. IDENTIFY SOFTWARE ALTERNATIVES -- how can we build our set of 
applications with different existing or created software... feasible?!
5. EVALUATE AND SELECT ALTERNATIVE
6. DEVELOP PROTOTYPE - incl test data acquisition, testing,

If we are running a project via an advisory group, I will help where I 
can as long as we can work off of a stepwise workplan, and consciously 
and communicatively modify and document that work plan over time.  To 
the extent that we start wandering in the weeds without communication I 
for one, will loose interest.

Rich... I'd say it looks like the balls in your court... I'm at your 
service and want to hear the plan.

Paul Cereghino