[Zope-dev] (SHOUT) NOTIFICATION!!!!

Trevor Toenjes zope@toenjes.com
Fri, 30 Nov 2001 14:58:20 -0500


I am hardly qualified to participate in zope-dev issues, but feel compelled
to comment on the "tools thread".  I find it amusing with the wealth of IT
experience involved that the group doesnt just take existing Zope code and
polish off an uber-Product to handle everything.  Somebody with project
management experience needs to step up to the admin role to make it easier
on those that want to just develop and improve the core. ZC typically tries
to fill this role.  Can the community step-up to manage some processes?

Now for the fishfood.
Email is the best for Notification, but a GUI can better organize task
related threads for proposals and grow-Zope-10x projects.

Combine the best features of:
*_Wiki -- (great for full proposals, collaborative editing, the WikiForNow
management, and  WikiMail)
*_Squishdot -- (great for the BB feel, sound-off/venting discussions
indirectly related to projects, category organization, emailing the original
Poster of replies, option to moderate)
*_Talkback -- (great for controlling contextual commenting localized to
paragraphs, as opposed to Wiki's free-love groping)
* and CMF (great for CMF)
* _SourceForge -- (dont flinch, many Zope Products are moving to
SourceForge)

I simplified and forgot some requirements, but I dont think you will have
complaints if a great collaborative product is released as a result from
addressing the "fishbowl" issue.

The above products are simple enough to dissect and merge in short order.
Then use this well polished out-of-the-box Zope product to get PR to help
Zope's reputation compete with the likes of PHP-Nuke, UBB, and other
OS-Products.

""" Better products, not just a better Zope, will achieve 10x. """
Out-of-the-box products that dont require much thought to install is the
bait to grow the community.  Success breeds success.  Quality breeds
quality.

I am motivated by aggressive goals like "10x".  This will only happen if
leaders in the community buy-in and share that goal.  Post the goal on top
of dev.zope.org if you are serious.

How about a system that segregated development of:
 ___"Explorations"___ (ideas and theories in search of a proposal)
 ___"Proposals"___ (approved, and committed to be built with time-lines and
delegation for shared development, kicks out stalled proposals back down to
explorations or archives)
 ___"Projects"___ (manages development with targeted release dates, CVS,
kicks out a project if it languishes)

Everyone should easily locate and access posts and comment where deemed
appropriate for each task.  And build in some self-cleaning workflow.  If a
proposal doesnt get comments or sits idle after a specified time, bring it
back up again for one last gasp for breath before being relegated to an
archive.
Ask the community what they think in the form of single-click surveys.
Minimum brain-cells invested to get feedback.  Not feedback just for
development...Feedback to build community and support.  RAH-RAH.  Ask about
priorities, what sucks, what's great? etc..

Great developers seldom make great project coordinators and v.v.
Get someone with "usability" expertise to assist with GUI's, not necessarily
designers.
Have I described some things that exist now? so have a group hug and polish
things off so they are used more effectively.

Now for me to get back to the sidelines.   ...head down...shuffle...shuffle
Cheers,
Trevor