User:Neatnate/ri-tech/plan

=Timeline: Summer Tech Development=

This is a list of short- and mid-term features that I think are important. Feel free to add on and move stuff around. I think we should decide on a rough list over the next few days, and set a target deadline for completing the first spiral. Let's keep the list below simple so it's easy to read; details can go in a section designated for a particular feature.

[About editing: If you don't already have a Wikipedia account, I recommend that you get one anyway, although you don't need one to edit this page. Once you have an account, you can add your username/timestamp by typing four tildes ( ~ ). The rest of the syntax is fairly simple; see How to edit a page for pointers.] neatnate 1 July 2005 10:21 (UTC)

Sprial 1

 * Users and Sessions
 * Registration
 * Login
 * User Database (profiles with contact info, policy interests, ...)
 * User Groups
 * Permissions System
 * Mailing lists
 * Content Management System
 * Design: Structure for public pages (site hierarchy, etc.). May require a fair amount of consultation with non-tech people. I think the public site needs to be very policy-centric.
 * Content: Start deciding what content goes on the public pages (About Us, Join RI, etc.)

Spiral 2

 * User stuff (continued)
 * Content Management (continued)
 * Chapters (basic structure)
 * Identify leaders, members; determine who can access what information about other members
 * List of policy centers that leaders can edit and members can join
 * Design: Layout/Appearance for public pages&mdash;CSS and graphics
 * Content (continued)

Spiral 3

 * Chapters: add tools and features
 * Mailing lists for members to subscribe to
 * Public page(s) for chapters
 * Private page(s) accessible only by chapter members
 * Chapter "blog" where leaders can post updates for members
 * Calendar with events; reminders when chapter member logs in
 * Personal messages between fellow chapter members?
 * Public site: Integrate content with design, fine-tune appearance

Mid-term projects

 * Policy database
 * System for uploading and tracking files (can be used for collaboration, Best Practices database)
 * Search (of public site, at least)
 * Content Management: Support for creating forms?

Long-term projects

 * Collaborative policymaking system

=Feature Details= Use this section to discuss in depth details on specific features.

User Database
A user database that lets us keep track of who is involved in Roosevelt; the basis for any website that lets different users access different things. It can be expanded to a political phonebook of who-knows-what-best at the national, chapter, or center level as needed, but at its core, its a list of people and their various attributes. What attributes we ask for (name, gender) and what attributes we assign (chapter assignment, national-level positions) are up for debate. --Joseph
 * As I see it, each user's profile would include at least the following information: contact info; policy interests; chapter membership (i.e. which one); roles/policy centers in chapter; national-level positions; contributions to any research in the policy database; membership on any mailing lists; permissions information. What else? neatnate 1 July 2005 10:29 (UTC)