Project Definition Brainstorming

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TZM Redesign-The Phoenix ProjectProject AdminstrationCurrent StatusProject Personnel TableBrainstormingFinal technical specifics (edit)


Brainstorming Repository

Project Brainstorming-Idea and requirements Repository

Ideas have come from many places, and so far have been entered in many places. They will start moving here to be contained as a summary. However, not everything will be removed from their original locations. The information will be retained for a while in both places for convenience. This location will continue to accept presentations and ideas, which can be added at the bottom of the document. If you are unfamiliar and don't have time to learn the use of the wiki, you may use the Google Doc Use this doc for brainstorming and ideas. That "Brainstorming" page was created for use in the meeting, and for general convenience.

All information needs to be here, eventually, so you are welcome to add it to this page here directly, in the appropriate section.

The analysis that distills and will distill down to the System Definition, takes place in the compilation section of the Phoenix Project, You can view comments and discussion here> Compilation Master and discussion


Preliminary Analysis

A summary of said analysis and definition, will be posted presented in this section, for user conveninece, but details will be found in the Compilation Master and Discussion.

A review of requirements and suggestions presented in the brainstorming document, and a variety of other sources from users, Chapter coordinators, team coordinators, and members of the global community, gives rise to a system definition as follows:

An all encompassing web site, with which will allow maximum free flow of information, easy to find, with features to accommodate a wide variety of projects and activities. Technically, it points to the use of one or more platforms, with the ability to converged on the same web pages. Drupal and CMS are amongst the underlying systems. Open Atrium is but a small portion taking advantage of the Drupal facilities. Further analysis will flesh out more precise elements.


Concepts and Approach

The killer application has yet to be built. No web site or system starts out perfect; all starts from NOW, where we are and what we have, and it is improved upon it with time and new technology. There is a notion that is probably motivated by developers falling in love with certain systems, to the exclusion of all the rest. I'm guessing that is a vestige of commercial programming, where a company will always want to cover all basis, and present an application which is to top all others.

As a group of rag tag developers and philosophers and dreamers, we do not operate as a commercial operation, and can't work under traditional commercial structure. At the same time, we've got a huge global job, and can't afford to make decisions about other's experience and skills, nor leave them out because what we like is 'better."

Therefore, we need to establish a better working style and approach. There are many applications, and there are many languages, and there are many platforms. We have lots of people, each of whom has an area of expertise, and preference. We not only do NOT want to exclude anyone, but we have to work out a way to make sure everyone can exercise his area of expertise, and skills, and still contribute to the global motion.

In order to attain that, we must review some things which have taken place in the past and learn from their success. I will present the famous server software, Apache, which name was formed from the nature of the software itself, which was built up from patches on patches, and patched up together to become one of the most used server softwares around.

Why? My take is that the system was started by a few people, but soon thereafter other wanted to contribute; nobody was excluded, and participants used their area of expertise to add to the whole.

This is not the only possible example. There is a lot of open source software and application that has been build that way, and lots of contributors of add-ons, and extensions, and plug ins, and so on.

So we can't really choose one application over another, one platform over another, and so on. We need to be able to utilize the skills of all participants and apply it to the area where it can best serve the overall result.

This may involve highly compatible server platform that is able to embrace everything that is put on top of it, and where more can be designed to ensure the server system will embrace future possibilities. Then, we would have to make sure we are able to put the various next layer applications, and extensions, and so on. On top of that, when the user's needs are considered, we can choose from a series of possible systems to create the specific user need.

O.K. This is a preliminary view of an approach. More can be said that details out a way where different languages can be embraced, and used for specific applications, plug-ins, modules, and so on.

The development team may want to consider an approach in this direction, and ways in which it can be implemented.

More later. --Boldhawk 07:44, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Interpretation of "Needs"

The purpose of gathering information about needs, is the eventual translation of those needs in specific programmable bite size applications, modules, scripts, etc. People with some technical, developer, or programming background, can easily give technical answers to explain their needs.

In an attempt to be helpful, not technical personnel attempt to give technical renditions of what they have in mind, and present ideas which aren't feasible, because of the method of expression.

Those in charge of gathering information will need to guide these contributors into providing information on what they want to accomplish, rather than attempt to give solutions. Here are some questions that may help:

What do you want to be able to do? What would the result of what you want, look like? What information do you want to see as a result of what you are suggesting? What are you NOT able to do now, that you wish you could do?

Instructions

Anyone is free to supply suggestions for the TZM Redesign here. Please try to follow these guidelines:

  1. To avoid needless repetition, read through the current list of suggestions and make sure yours is not already there.
  2. If yours is a minor or subordinate idea to another already listed idea, annex it to that idea.
  3. Add your suggestion to the bottom of the list. To improve readability, use the following format:#This is my suggestion --~~~~
  4. A good suggestion might include
    1. What is your favorite part of the current site
    2. What is your least favorite part of the current site, and
    3. What is the one thing you would want to see added to the new site.
  5. If possible please refrain from commenting on what others have said as this is a collection of suggestions and not a forum of discussion. If you feel you must comment, please use the following format:
    #: This is my comment --~~~~
    The last bit (--~~~~) adds your signature so that we can see who made the comment.
  6. If you have the time, please help us in keeping the wiki clean by making sure suggestions stick to the format and by removing any repeated suggestions.

Example

This code:

#My suggestion --~~~~
#: My comment --~~~~
# Another suggestion --~~~~

Will produce this:

  1. My suggestion --4v4l0n42 08:14, 26 June 2011 (UTC)
    My comment --4v4l0n42 08:14, 26 June 2011 (UTC)
  2. Another suggestion --4v4l0n42 08:14, 26 June 2011 (UTC)

Brainstorming for project definition and requirements

This section will continue to be the repository for new ideas. The "Compilations Activity" is in the process of segregating the ideas, and compartmenting them into categories, from which a more integrated group of ideas will be presented, that can be broken into modules, and other programmable units.


  1. Define the different types of publics that will want to use the site, such as new people, chapter coordinators, chapter members from elsewhere, team activities, and so on.
  2. Convey the positive atmosphere of the RBE by incorporating the peaceful unification of humanity into the artwork. Example - lovearth http://www.zeitgeistmovement-kiel.de/lovearth-wave_presentation_link.jpg - Jan, with Marius
  3. Obviously, we will want to emphasize modularity by separating presentation (look & feel) from function (“back-end”). This should probably be the first and most basic division of work? -James
    We could use a MVC approach, works great. [Konrad]
  4. Create a getting involved list which lists all relevant projects within the movement. This is something the CND project is currently working on. First we must gather a list of the projects, then we need to create a dynamic layout on the main Zeitgeist website for them. This is vital for helping new members get involved! - Contact ZeitgeistTom@gmail.com for more information.
  5. Massive Email Call: Why not send an email to ALL ZM members (500,000) calling them to this project ? or just the contributor on the wiki page? - jonathan.dorleans@gmail.com
  6. Design and simplicity: decide what should be on the front page, reduce the the bare minimum, decide the menu structure, keep the same - Federico
  7. A calendar might be helpful on the frontpage, so people can see directly whats going on, whether its about “real”-world happenings or TS-meetings etc. Calendar should allow for user setting, converting meeting times on TS to local time. Notices of new events, should allow entering the information in local time zone, but on ‘save’ it should calculate GMT/UTC, from where to calculate any one's local time.
  8. There should be a way for people in one chapter or team to be able to reach people in another chapter or team in a secure way so they can reach out and connect and collaborate with others in the movement without having to go through a global, country or state coordinator only. -Danette@thezeitgeistmovement.com
  9. Include a page on the structure of TZM listing the names of the people in specific posts. So everybody is aware of who does what. Brian Gravediggers@talktalk.net
  10. Should contain a link to other organisations with similar aims. Brian Gravediggers@talktalk.net
  11. To include a Coordinators Support Network which can be accessed by those seeking advice on starting up and establishing a chapter. Brian Gravediggers@talktalk.net
  12. We could also stop registering random domains for every new website, instead having sub-domains based on the main domain. That would be a lot easier to remember. -Konrad (Jon: please see 25 too)
  13. CMS/PMS front and center on the homepage (content management system/project management system) [Jettatore]
  14. CMS/PMS already has capability to give each project it’s own tools and communication, etc. eventually, wiith enough projects, we will need a way to filter through various groups, chapters, and projects, much like you are able to filter items when you are shopping online. [Jettatore]
  15. Any project that requires functionality that a current CMS/PMS system doesn’t yet offer, should still be listed and findable in the CMS/PMS/project list which will just re-direct to any external, specialized tools. For example, Pootle is specifically designed for language translation, and Github specially for large coding projects. That doesn’t mean that these sites shouldn’t be just as easy to find as any chapter, group or project on the main Portal. and the links shouldn’t be buried. If need be, just re-direct from the first link, don’t use a ton of sub-linkings. [Jettatore]
  16. Also capable via current in progress CMS/PMS would be a well implemented project proposals system. So that new ideas can be proposed and catalogued. Any similar ideas would be merged with existing ones, and once each has enough production going it would be moved as an active project in the CMS/PMS. [Jettatore]
  17. One username and password to rule them all. There are conversion tools out there to convert various user databases to other formats for cross-compatibility and we have programmers that could help accomplish this where no tools exist. This pass would allow you access everywhere where TZM registration would be required. [Jettatore]
  18. Forums eventually being entirely replaced by the CMS/PMS collaboration and communication tools [Jettatore] See 21. below.
  19. Here are my ideas for the site, post 42 in the Redesign thread. Should I write it here as well? yes My ideas for the site [thomas911], thomas911@gmail.com
  20. The new website should make the chapters less dependent on the global coordinators. For instance, every country chapter coordinator could have a username to have access to specific tools, like sending emails to their local members, posting news and events etc. -Konrad
  21. Most of what is being presented here has been developed already on open atrium! here>>http://www.chapters.zeitgeistaustralia.org/ and here>> http://atrium.zmdev.net/ Move to a cloud server, no central authority -Axiom (pklc2003@hotmail.com)
  22. Android Application for get informed about your local chapter, the global movement, and all related with The Zeitgeist Movement ~ Danny
  23. Access layers, beginners, on through trusted people. Keeps Trolls down, and filters out gamers, and scamers, and infiltrators, and hackers... god forbid a hacker gets access to the heart of the system. | Yes I like this, very easy to implement with a “UserClass” field in the our users table in the DB, and same variable in the session, have done something similar myself [James]
  24. Different team websites should be included on the global site such as Zeit News, Zeit Studios, Zeitgeist Newsletter website, etc. Danette@thezeitgeistmovement.com
  25. We should decide if we use Atrium or another technology/language to recreate the main website! We should define some time to brainstorms too. [Jonathan | Jon-br]
  26. What I called a “Resource bank” which I described here: http://wiki.zmlingteam.org/w/RBE_NOW which needs to be read to understand the value of such activity. It registers resources, people and things; it also registers projects, and prioritizes projects based on resources, feasibility, SM, to help match resources to projects. I used “bank” as an ‘alert’ that will eventually become the key management system for the RBE. Managers of this system will actively match project and resources (in addition to user’s own research). It can also become the Transition bank (Boldhawk)...
    It's possible that ZeroExchange project can potentially fit to many of requirements from this page. It is the community projects management system that enables people to achieve their goals through a mutually beneficial cooperation. Written on Java using Wicket, Spring and Hibernate frameworks. Currently application is in the development stage, so anyone can discuss ideas with author as well as contribute. -- Korobokbarabok 16:22, 30 June 2011 (UTC)
  27. We should have a specific page/session to get people involved!Some questions like: What can you do, how to help, who to contact, find your team, how to start right now! ... ? [Jonathan | Jon-br] http://www.zm.com/some_language/GETTING_STARTED
  28. We need a section devoted to self education about the Zeitgeist understanding and solutions easily accessible to someone totally unfamiliar with the movement. The vast majority of people who access the website will probably have very slight familiarity with the movement and be oblivious to many of the key concepts. (Gary Kent)
  29. Future cloud or peer-to-peer for security, and other reasons. There is “bit coin” that uses a system that can’t even be tracked by unauthorized entity (Nick)
  30. Incorporate a world map of the members to show mass- google map for example http://zeitgeistmovingforward.com/zmap (Marius)
    Could be something like this: http://www.wiserearth.org/content/proximity_map [Konrad]
  31. This is something which is more of an administrative function, but some software facilities will be necessary: We need to gather allied groups and get them to work together with us. This maybe even splinters off the original TZM, or any organization whose goals parallel or match ours, so some level of coordination and resource sharing can take place. [This overlaps with my suggestion 10. Brian]
  32. When people create a user account on the global site there should be a list of communication options that they can check off, for example, it’ll read something like this: Do you want to be contacted for the following events: local chapter events, regional events, global events, etc. That way as a coordinator of an event, you will be able to reach all the people who opted in to be notified about events in a certain local area, region etc . And you will have direct access to those people, because they opted in rather than having to go to each and every coordinator and having to wait for them to send an email to their groups. That takes time and it’s inefficient because it’s not as targeted. Danette@thezeitgeistmovement.com
  33. The home page needs to have clear call to actions. In other words, buttons that say “CLICK HERE TO DO THIS AND THAT.” Joe Park
  34. Eventually we may want to find a team member who is very familiar with hacking techniques, to test the security of various areas of the site? Maybe also consult during development? -James
  35. We should have a detailed profile of each ZM member. It means we could manager these worth information, for example: to know who has some specific knowledge or who is interested in some kind of work and then could help at a project, etc. - Jon-br
  36. Why not create an UML model and a DB model of this new website ? Every one could get this information and understand it! And I could help in that too ^~ [Jon]
  37. What TZM really needs is a (transition) Decission Discovery Engine, tDDE. Something like an Open Source Forum which can be customsed to bubble up ideas & decissions through multi layered disciplinary Group Sections, using readilly available Polls to promote ideas to the next highest level within the disciplinary group for further analysis, using karma points to bubble people up and down layers. Kind of a Technocratic Direct Democracy for Decission arrival/making. [Grant]
  38. To find or create some website to work better. I don't know yet, but if we get for example: launchpad.com, brainstorm.ubuntu.com, askubuntu.com... These sites are specifics to some task. It's better to work like this. We can keep divide so many goals for each one. It's not a good way to keep this topic for suggest ideas, for example: We can't manage it, control duplicate ideas, etc. So, I'm suggesting we find others services(sites) which have a specific goal, for example, to report bug, suggest ideas, etc.
    Boldhawk 07:36, 28 May 2011 (UTC): That is what we are trying to do in the global dev team! It can only be done in a well organized wiki, like this one, or another collaborative software that has the same facilities as wiki does.
  39. Integrate ZM Data Base. I don't know how ZM sites were made, but I think It's really important to have some way to inscribe users into ALL ZM websites automatically! Like, ZM users from Brazil should be inscribe in ZM.com and other ZM sites like ZM-News or some another which have a important/relevant service for end-users. The goal here is to get a common user profile for we (dev guys) provide best services!!!
    Another user's comments: Forget the database of all members i suggest 389 directory server(LDAP) | Fedora Project
    --Boldhawk 07:36, 28 May 2011 (UTC): I think the Fedora LDAP is a good solution/idea for mailing list. There are other consideration that need to be made, as to data storage, which will be open for discussion, whenever the first person wants to discuss it, and I will put the topic in the scope of work, under the "server side." Such other solutions are
    • "cloud" database, and data storage;
    • peer-to-peer systems, like Skype, where each user is a piece of the database, and very specific search features find the exact data quickly, by just scanning the peers in a given region
    • A system similar to Boinc, that also shares members' or user's computers to do the work
    • A system like Bitcoin uses, which appears to be one of the most secure methods of preserving the network, no matter what. A single computer can be brought down, or a hundred; but not several thousands, and the network will always be up. --Boldhawk 07:36, 28 May 2011 (UTC)
  40. We should have redirect from this http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=439&Itemid=953 to this http://wiki.zmlingteam.org/w/Global_Developers_Team
    Another user's comments to Idea 3: On May 27, 10:18 pm, Jon-br <jonathan...@gmail.com> wrote:
    Hi guys,We should have redirect from this http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_conte...
    --Boldhawk 07:36, 28 May 2011 (UTC)—I don't understand what this "redirect" will accomplish, or how to implement it... But it could be useful if, for example, any posting will be transfered to the right location in the wiki.
  41. May be we should close this group... I don't know what is the objective of this gg. Does it something like chat or broadcast emails?
    "--Boldhawk 07:36, 28 May 2011 (UTC)—The reason this group exists here as a GG, is because most people are reticent of using the appropriate collaborative space which already exists. People don't seem to have the patience to read a wiki, and help organize it. So people are invited here to get a sense of community, and also learn about the wiki, and little by little learn how to work there. It also exists because it's a handy mailing list, when you respond to a post, it is sent to all the members of the group.
    As soon as the adequate mail handling systems are in, we'll let the GG's have their soft landing...--Boldhawk 13:31, 25 June 2011 (UTC)
  42. Classify Projects by Languages. If http://projects.zmdev.net/projects is a official mean to lead projects, so... We could split/classify projects by languages like: PHP, Java, C/C++, Python ... I think we all have no time to learn a lot of other technologies. It would be cool to have something like:
    • Java Projects:
      • Android
      • GWT
      • J2EE
    • PHP Projects
      • Joomla
      • Drupal
    • C/C++
    • Python
    Another user's comments: Re: -=ZM Dev Team=- Ideas - Zeitgeist Movement
    I don't necessarily think the "projects" should be grouped by programming language but the "teams" makes sense. Although, since we have very few projects that doesn't matter much at the moment. As I mentioned in theGG, there is already a direction for categorizing and grouping in the scope of work. If you don't see a category that should be there, put it in the right location, or let me know, and I'll do it. Having said that, I think a cross-reference system would would also exists that would provide people a way to view things in different ways. For example, if somebody wants to see a table by languages use, he can get that; if somebody wants to see by type of project, he should also be able to do so. This will depend on the search system created, or whatever method can provide different view, which are parametered by the user.---Boldhawk 07:36, 28 May 2011 (UTC)
  43. Space to discourse new projects or objectives. We could have some space to talk about what the movement really need! It's not useful to propose so many stuffs (programs, websites, services...) that neither community will use nor it's priority. I'm not discourage new ideas, but we should have a space to lead the creation of new projects. Now, we have forums, it's important to have it, but it's still so confuse. If we could create a space in http://projects.zmdev.net/projects to propose new projects or objectives, it would be the better way.
    I think the better place for this is a new thread for each project here in this Google group or, even better, on the forum: http://forum.zmdev.net/
    --Boldhawk 07:36, 28 May 2011 (UTC)—This wiki, or whatever results from the discussion on "Collaborative software" (also in the GG and here, in the wiki) is the current and workable "Collaborative Space" wiki. It's installed, and running. How long can we wait for the perfect system, who cares, because if we plan it right, we can change things in short order, and expand user's abilities to work.
  44. Open Atrium and other possible alternative are being discussed, and may end up being the leading collaborative work space. At any rate, there is a page where Open Atrium is discussed.
    1. The need: I feel a problem with the current site is how little influence we as members have over it. In order to avoid a site where only a select few have any say in what shows up on the front page I suggest a highly dynamic and individually customizable website. The front page would be the digital face of the movement and as such it should change according to the members' activity and preferences.
    2. My suggestion: One way to accomplish this would be to have a couple of "widgets" on the front page. These would function similarly to how it works on iGoogle. A widget could contain a feed with the latest activity on the forum or a collection of news-updates from prominent members. It could also be a calendar that shows important upcoming events or a map with information on all the chapters. A widget could be created by anyone with some basic knowledge of html/javascript. All widgets could be rated by the members and sorted based on rating or usage. The most popular widgets would be used as defaults for anyone who is not logged in. -Kamikasi 17:55, 23 June 2011 (UTC)
    This sounds like "customizing" one's own front page. like when you go to Google, or Yahoo, or MSN, etc. you get to make your own front page with the stuff organized as you want it... and you wouldn't put things on the front page that you didn't want. Is that what it is? --Boldhawk 13:36, 25 June 2011 (UTC)
  45. Coming from Peter Joseph: ZDrive and ZBank are also important projects ideas which can have a huge effect on public perception of the movement, should be integrated in the news site. --4v4l0n42 07:07, 27 June 2011 (UTC)

TZM Redesign-The Phoenix ProjectProject AdminstrationCurrent StatusProject Personnel TableBrainstormingFinal technical specifics (edit)

Global Developers TeamAbout the Dev Team | GDT Environment Foundation | TZM 2.0/Phoenix Project | Projects Documentation | Contributors | Resources | Meetings| Wiki Use Help (edit)