pcplantdb

[Stephanie Gerson <sgerson@stanfordalumni.org>]

Good morning everyone (or afternoon or evening or whenever you may be…)

I have revised the project tasks, and they are pasted below.  Everybody has
tasks, including Scott and Lawrence, so please check them.  There are also 2
questions below the task list that I would appreciate responses to pronto.  As
for other issues:

-IBIBLIO/ZOPE – 
John S. wrote a lot.  “I don't support you spending your time raising money
to buy a server to give to someone else.  And, if you choose to do so, you
will do so.”  Hey brother, that’s why we’re having this discussion –
because no one is choosing anything individually, this is a group process.

He also wrote, “It is our issue/bug tracking system. I chose it because it
is one of the more used and more mature such systems available in the open
source realm. Whether or not we can use it from a user directory install on
ibiblio is still being researched.”  Once again, if running Bugzilla with
Ibiblio is not possible and we end up going with Ibiblio, is there another
issue/bug tracking system you would be willing to use?

I previously asked if not having root privileges be a concern of ours.  John
S. responded that this “will depend on what we need to have control of to
host this project in the best way possible.  We will not get a virtual machine
to ourselves on existing ibiblio setups (using MySQL, PHP, etc.). We get a
user login to a home directory where we can do certain things but not others.
What we can and can't do I don't know, since afaik we don't even have an
account there yet, and it would be John H. or Chad with their sysadmin
experience who would best understand the particulars of our account privileges
and restrictions.”  John H. and Chad?  Any comments on this?

John S. asked if getting an ibiblio account for the project was on anyone's
task list.  I’m not sure if this needs to be done until we are certain that
we are going with Ibiblio, correct?  Nevertheless, I added it to your task
list Chad, is that ok?

John S.: “I doubt we will get a virtual machine to ourselves even if we buy
them a server for zope, because of course it will be their server and they
will let us use it but also lots of other people will use it. How they will
configure and administer it I don't know. That is another piece of basic and
essential host services information that we have not been provided with. Y'all
*really* want to give them a $6K server without any idea what services we'll
get from it once it's theirs?!?”  Welllll, we should ask!  Chad, since you
have been the liaison with Ibiblio, will you ask them about this?  I also
added this to your task list…apologies, tell me if I’m overloading you
with too much.  

John S.: “All I know about ibiblio is that Lawrence has said over and over
and over and over and over and over and over and over that ibiblio is our only
option and he has provided no proof that that is the case.  Why aren't you
asking *him* to substantiate *his* claims?” The reason I am not asking
Lawrence to substantiate his claims is because I have read about Ibiblio
myself, they offered us a matching grant (which is a definite reason to stay
with them!), and because Lawrence has taken the time to tell me about them
over the phone.  However.  Even if Lawrence wasn’t substantiating his
claims, that should not exempt you from substantiating yours.

Thanks for your comments, Rich A.  (Damn, now we have two Johns and two Richs,
I might just start using last names soon if that’s ok…)  Archer wrote,
“It's the code and the database content that is the asset of this
project,and as long as it's backed up properly there is no reason why it can't
be hosted on any server that offers the required infrastructure.”  I
completely agree.  Let’s all consider – what is the “required
infrastructure”?  What are the necessary hosting services for our project? 
That might help us make the decision…  (Sorry if I sound like I am wavering,
at one moment supporting Ibiblio and at another pursuing other options – it
is quintessentially Libran to consider the potential benefits of all
possibilities…)

Archer: “I'm sure there are several people on this list who would donate
either machine space or funding to rent a "virtual linux server" for the
purposes of developing this code.”  Very true.  Perhaps now it is time to
send a message to the PC lists, at least about this?


-PROJECT PLAN –
Check below.

And John S., please try not to be “oblivious” about the day of week, and
get your status report in on Sundays.  But of course, I would be glad to send
reminders if that will help.


-MISCELLANEOUS –
à Let’s not get too involved with the workings of OPP for now, we have too
much on our plate at this point! 

à I appreciate the discussion about attributes, thanks for initiating it Chad
(and reminding us what this project is all about!).  Nice source of
inspirational fuel.  I’d Love to contribute to it, and eventually will, but
sticking to logistics for now…

à Should we have only one liaison with Ibiblio?  (Perhaps Chad?)  Might they
be getting annoyed with us (or are they used to this type of thing)?  

à Checked out FreeMind briefly, and a related is software MindJet
http://www.mindjet.com/us/.  Free[your]mind was an order, right Chad? 
Consider that part of everyone’s tasks for the week ;)

I’m out
*s

…………………….
Latest tasks

·       Everyone
1.      relax.  breathe.  smile.  Love hg.
2.      Read this project plan
3.      Final verdict on platform issue
4.      Update me on your status regarding your tasks
5.      Send me any ideas you have for potential funders (i.e. Lawrence 
recommended
the Noble Foundation and Rich sent me a list – these suggestions are super
helpful for me)
6.      Respond to the questions below

·       John S.
1.      create interim Bugzilla set-up on Arashi (or, make sure that it is 
set up)
2.      look into customization options with John H.
3.      Create user account at https://www.arashi.com/bugzilla/
4.      once we are ready, set up more permanent issue tracking system and 
whatever
data/parameters/customizations are necessary to start using it on our project
5.      prepare and posts FAQs and other documentation on use of issue 
tracker and
general software test/QA procedures and guidelines – due late the week of
August 30
6.      post this info on the shared web workspace (whether wiki or 
otherwise) for
feedback 
7.      organize for user test of first “build” (to start happening weekly in
1-3 weeks?)
8.      research free/cheap and satisfactory hosting services other than 
Ibiblio,
report to group ASAP
9.      resolve ZOPE/Ibiblio/Bugzilla issue (whatever you  have been asking 
Ibiblio
about)


·       Chad and Rich 
1.      discuss task distribution with each other!
2.      create an Ibiblio account?
3.      ask Ibiblio what services we’d be entitled to if we donated a server 
to
them
4.      Finish demo accounting/budgeting app. in ZODB w/CLI
5.      keep on reading and learning about ZOPE
6.      continue developing CLI and add more “Zope stuff” for report 
generation
in the future
7.      create a working database (with no real data) with php connection and
simple front end (basically just checking that the different bits can work
together)
8.      issue tracker working, cvs working, zope working
9.      Get it running somewhere/somehow
10.     Rich – start doing whatever needs to be done in order to get the 
latest
version of PFAF that is under the CC-BY-NC-SA (2 weeks to complete)


·       John Howe
1.      Get your “box” set up to start the project
2.      Review changes in the configuration of Zope 2.7.2 for releasing it to
development access
3.      Get zope deployment platform setup for Chad (sometime in the next 3-4
weeks)
4.      Back-end Q/A assistance (throughout process)

·       Scott 
1.      Can we pay PI to take care of our bookkeeping?  (I promise we’ll be
easier to work with…!)
2.      Ask PCU about loan for server

·       Lawrence
1.      Create new and improved wiki, or other form of shared work webspace

·       Stephanie 
1.      write first draft of email describing project to PC lists, sends to 
team
for feedback (on hold for now)
2.      write up description user interface/experience, send to list
3.      re-connect with Paula
4.      Accrue necessary funds for Ibiblio’s server, if we decide to pursue 
that
plan
5.      make new list of possible funders, including suggestions from 
Lawrence,
Rich, and others

Questions
1.      So uh….whatever happened to that wiki?  Would we like to continue 
using
it?  And is our un-use of it a testament to the wiki’s failure as a
collaborative decision-making tool, or a testament to our own laziness for
using something other than this listserv?

2.      Do we all agree on the final verdict for project name?:

i.      URL = www.permaculture.info
ii.     Hg = Permaculture Information Web
iii.    Umbrella collaborative = Open Permaculture Project

3.      What would be the “required infrastructure” from a host?  What are the
necessary hosting services for our project?  Please be specific.  

4.      Archer: “I'm sure there are several people on this list who would 
donate
either machine space or funding to rent a "virtual linux server" for the
purposes of developing this code.”  Should I send a message to the PC lists,
at least about this?


+++++++++++++++
Stephanie Gerson
sgerson@stanfordalumni.org
(c) 415.871.5683


____________________________________________________________________