[webdev] Re: webdev meeting

["Jonathan Hall" <flimzy@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> > We might then report on our findings at the following Monday's
> > meeting, solicit further comments, help, etc.
>
> Definately a good idea.

I would like to caution against "soliciting further comments", as this seems
to result in a lot of "waiting for nothing."  ACLUG elected you to be our
Web Development Committee so that you will do web development for us.  I
understand the desire to get feedback from the group at large, but I think
if anything has been demonstrated at all, it is that the group at large
either does not have an opinion, or does not have enough technical knowledge
to form one.

If any decisions are to be brought back to the whole group (whether at this
month's meeting, or on mailing lists, or in any other way), they should be
_after_ the developmnet framework has been decided.

I think Tom's list of objectives for the web meeting are good, and I don't
want to superceede them in any way.  What I think ABSOLUTELY NEEDS to be
determined at this web meeting is as follows:

1) What development platform will be used?  What web environment
(PostNuke?), and what operating system.

2) Based on the answer to #1, what software requirements must be met?
Specifically, is root access needed?  If not, which package(s) must be
installed on the host machine?  (PostNuke, CVS, Bugzilla, mysql, etc?)

3) If root access is needed, or even simply desired, then what hardware
requirements must be met?  And what Internet connection requirements must be
met?

With these three questions answered, we _can_ come to the group as a whole,
if appropriate, and ask for hardware donations and/or Internet connectivity.

The rest of the details I think are secondary.  I'd rather see a "doomed"
web site put up than none at all... because then at least there's something
to suffer the doom.  As things stand now, our project is already doomed by
too much planning, IMO.

NOTE: It might be to our advantage to request hardware donations from
members, simply to raise awareness of the situation, and to increase the
involvement from members.  Hardware donating is something many members are
capable of doing, and would even like to do.  On the other hand, I think if
we're going to solicit hardware donations (even on a loan basis), we should
be commited to having a live web site up and running within a reasonable
amount of time, so that donating members will feel their donation went to
use.