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  • From: Chad Knepp <pyg@galatea.org>
  • To: pcplantdb@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [pcplantdb] [re][synthesis]
  • Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 06:10:44 -0500

Stephanie Gerson writes:

> Howdy everybody,
>
> First of all, thank you Chad, Rich, and John for sending me your project =
>
> plan information. I will create a project plan this weekend, and send it=
> =
>
> out when I=E2=80=99m finished. A few miscellaneous comments:
>
> -Chad wrote, =E2=80=9CThe only way that my vision differs much the above =
> is that =
>
> you seem to specify that a GBI is an optimal way to represent/understand/=
>
> create guilds and I don't know that I agree with that.=E2=80=9D I also d=
> on=E2=80=99t =
>
> know if I think that a GBI is the optimal way =E2=80=93 it was simply the=
> only =
>
> thing I knew of when I wrote the grant proposal. But essential to this =
>
> project is the development of a user-interface which allows users to =
>
> understand plant relationships in a systemic and relationship-oriented =
>
> manner =E2=80=93 likely involving a web-like appearance. Like I said, GB=
> Is were =
>
> the only interfaces I knew of that achieved this - but if there are =
>
> others that are more effective, wonderful! I would like to stress, =
>
> though, that developing an interface which presents information =
>
> systemically is integral here.
>
> -Lawrence wrote, =E2=80=9CIsn't a GBI interface icing on the cake which c=
> ould be =
>
> added later.=E2=80=9D The interface can be added later, of course, but I=
> don=E2=80=99t =
>
> consider it icing on the cake. As emphasized above, the interfaces is =
>
> integral to this project =E2=80=93 and part of what we were funded for (a=
> nd =
>
> something I stressed in the grant proposal) was to create a tool for =
>
> systemic education. The visual interface is therefore very important!
>
> -Following, please check out the new version of Thinkmap (simply for =
>
> inspiration!) at http://www.thinkmap.com/v.2.5.jsp. I=E2=80=99d be curio=
> us to =
>
> know what you techies think. I=E2=80=99ve also forwarded the article fro=
> m them =
>
> below.

I think that any sort of search result is a relationship oriented set
of data with the parameters of the search defining the relationship.
Representing this visually is not that helpful to me personally.
Regardless of my personal likes/dislikes, I am prefectly happy
implementing the needs of others in this project. The more tools the
better...

> -Rich wrote, =E2=80=9Cso not sure how much time to devote to pcplantdb, p=
> robably =
>
> like chad this will be in burst mode with intensive weeks on project.=E2=
> =80=9D =
>
> Hmmm, this makes project management a lot more difficult for me. Can we =
>
> please set a few milestones, at least? I know I will be submitting a =
>
> grant proposal in September to the Whole Systems Foundation, and
> I=E2=80=99=
> d Love =
>
> to have something to show them, if possible=E2=80=A6 What is feasible?

Not to horn in on Rich's fun, but if you are too busy right now or in
the future Rich, I would be just tickled to do client end stuff as
well. I'm putting this out as an offer, not a request.

I can commit to having 1 and 2 of my plan done and some to all of 3 by
the first of Sept if I get a clear go ahead by Aug 1st.

> -John asked if he could be the admin for the Ibiblios site. Is everyone =
>
> ok with this? What does being admin involve? And should we perhaps =
>
> designate Lawrence as admin, considering he has experience with this and =
>
> has a relationship with the folks at Ibiblios? (Lawrence, would you be =
>
> willing?) Just want to make this decision together (hey, I lived in co-
> ops for a while, what can I say=E2=80=A6)
>
> Sorry if I sound authoritative in any way =E2=80=93 I kinda ended up with=
> the =
>
> blegh job of project management, which means I gotta be somewhat =
>
> managerial. And I want our collaborative efforts to be effective, so I =
>
> am trying to guide the process accordingly. But if anyone has any =
>
> suggestions, criticisms, etc. about how I am doing so, please let me =
>
> know. I swear, I=E2=80=99m just a nice lady who likes holy guacamole.
>
> Allrighty, I=E2=80=99ll be sending out a project plan within the next few=
> days...

I think you are doing just fine. I do have some criticisms of our
group process thought, esp. in regards to making consensus decisions.
For me, the two issues are: Who all is part of the decision making
group? I think it's Steph, John, Rich, Lawrence, and myself, but what
about Paula, John Howe, and other members of the list? The other
thing is that in consensus process, when someone makes a proposal it's
an invitiation to respond. This doesn't translate well to internet
culture because when you are neutral or agree the norm is to not
respond. I've brought up the issue about what license(s) we are going
to use twice and I didn't get much of a response except from Richard.
I suspect it's because people either agree or trust my judement but I
can't be sure. Anyway, in the future I think it would be good to
point out that you NEED everyone to respond in order for a decision to
be reached.

--
Chad Knepp
python -c 'import base64;print base64.decodestring("cHlnQGdhbGF0ZWEub3Jn")'




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