pcplantdb

[John Schinnerer <john@eco-living.net>]

Aloha,

Comments on the threshold-project-plan document:

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Stage 1 - Design, 1 month
A1) Detailed technical spec to be drawn up.  Inc: database schema, 
mockup of user interface, selection of software environment.
B1) Format for information on plants to be agreed.
C1) Contacting partner organizations.  Research into third party datasets.
For the above, we would like to have a 1 week physical meeting (ideally 
at a Permaculture conference, in order to simultaneously collect 
information, solicit participation from interested parties, and make 
contacts with partner organizations).
-------------------

A1) we have not even done yet, except for most selection of software 
environment.
That is, we have no formal specs for anything whatsoever that I am aware of.

B1) is also not done - some ideas have been floated however

C1) I don't know what all has been done...I gather some but nothing real 
solid besides that we're starting with PFAF dataset.

------------------
Stage 2 - implementation, 3 months
A2) Implementation of software. Core database engine and user interface.
B2) Collecting and inputting plant and guild data.  Once this web 
resource is available for input, this task will continue perpetually, 
carried out by the resource’s users.  For purposes of devising a 
timeline, the initial ‘prototype’ of the web resource will occur in 
Stage 2.
C2) Incorporating comments from partners.

Stage 3 - First working version, Testing, 1 month
A3) Importation of plant data to main database.  Initial
evaluation of database and user interface.  Testing.
B3) Iteration of A3).  More data collection.  Editorial review of data.
C3) Incorporating third party datasets.
--------------------

A2) is sorta in progress but we have no formal structure, no specs, no 
docs, no requirements defs etc. etc.

B2) Not implemented yet...we're working with PFAF dataset for now afaik.

A3-B3) Testing interweaves with development. We won't have three months 
of dev before testing on this project.
Exactly what constitutes a "release" and of what element (data engine, 
initial web interface, etc.) remains to be formally determined.

B3) editorial review of data is sort of happening as we try and sort out 
how to deal with embedded references in PFAF text, etc. etc.
Not sure what all is meant by "editorial review of data" overall.

C3) I think this is post-phase-1 at this point.

Beyond this point in the doc, well, we're not even near there yet so I 
haven't got any comments on the rest.

We need to get serious about requirement defs and specs and so on is my 
final comment.  So far, in reflection and not at all to diminish 
anyone's efforts, we've been dabbling but we haven't launched a formal 
project.

cheers,
John S.

--

John Schinnerer - MA, Whole Systems Design
------------------------------------------
- Eco-Living -
Whole Systems Design Services
People - Place - Learning - Integration
john@eco-living.net
http://eco-living.net