[Imc-alternatives] Brief summary and detailed notes from today's IRC meetup

[Danyl Strype]

Kia ora koutou

We had a highly encouraging irc chat session today. You will find a  
brief summary, and more detailed notes below.

My apologies for forgetting to send out a reminder for it this week.  
IRC meetups for Alt-IMC are currently happening every week at:
UTC - 2am, Tuesday
US (Philly) - 10pm, Monday
Oceania (NZ + Oz) - 2pm Tuesday

To participate, point your IRC client at irc.indymedia.org, or your  
web browser at chat.indymedia.org, and join the #alternatives channel.

If you need help using IRC, please ask on the list or email me. If  
you'd like to be part of these chats, but can't make this timeslice,  
please let us know, and we'll try to find a more inclusive time.

RnB
Strypes


Nutshell Summary of Today's Chat

We reiterated the need for a tech list where the geeks can get down to  
digital brass tacks, while this list can be used to discuss editorial  
issues and general project management. We talked about how to get more  
Drupal geeks to help finish our test site (http://www.domain23.info),  
and agreed that a more organized, and detailed ToDo list would help.  
This will be first priority for our next CodeSprint, time to be  
decided. We also talked about the need for development roadmap, so  
that the tech team, the ed team, and potential contributers and  
readers, can harmonize our efforts towards an official launch in the  
near future!


More Detailed Notes on Today's Chat

1) Some Thoughts on Project Management

Alt-IMC project lost momentum while we waited for new-CMS process.  
Unfortunately, as it stands, it seems unlikely that process will  
produce anything usable in the forseeable future. Fortunately we  
decided to get on with the Drupal test site in the meantime  
(http://www.domain23.info). Now we need to press on and get a usable  
Drupal site up and running, so that all the careful thought, planning,  
and work that's gone into the project so far can finally start bearing  
fruit.

2) Separation of list - content/ tech

Jay emailed listwork about setting up a tech list for us some months  
ago. No word yet. Jay filled out newlist form today. If no response  
within a week, Strypey suggests setting up a tech list using our  
CoActivate space.

2) Getting more Drupal geeks involved

Dave confirms that we can have the final site hosted on Axxs. He only  
skims lists, but can be contacted by direct email with tech questions  
or requests to help with specific tasks:
dave at netaxxs.com.au

Help from other Indy geeks may be found by joining these channels on  
irc.indymedia.org or chat.indymedia.org:
#cms
#drupal-dev

3) Next CodeSprint

Strypey has emailed Nick, asking him to propose dates/ times for  
codesprints through July/ Aug to this list. Realistic goal for next  
session, organize the CoActivate tasklist:
http://www.coactivate.org/projects/imc-alternatives/tasks/tasklist/show/691

The aim will be to have a clear, detailed, well-organized list
of really specific tasks that coders can jump in and help with,  
without necessarily needing to follow the email lists, or understand  
the scope of the whole project.

4) Roadmap

Would be good to have a development roadmap that both tech and ed  
teams can work to. This would allow people joining (or rejoining) the  
project to see at a glance where we are, and what we are aiming for. A  
rough summary of the things that need doing:

Tech

- get tech list working
- get task list organized
- invite any Drupal geeks we know to join the list, or monitor the  
task list and jump in when they have spare time.
- get basic functions working (anti-spam, newsire, features, user  
accounts etc)
- get knowledge-base working
- get activist networking functions working (profiles? messaging?  
chat? anything else)

Content

- get an ed team assembled
- finish editorial policy
- finalize static texts on site
- subedit opening feature

Outreach/ Promotion

- now: invite Drupal geeks to help get the site working
- soon: invite people who might be keen to be editors of regular  
contributors to join the list, comment on ed policy etc
- soon after: mass outreach effort to inform people likely to be  
interested in contributing/ reading about the site, and invite them to  
get involved

New IMC Process

- when tech and content processes are all go, and we are working  
towards a realistic launch date, we can look at initiating the new-IMC  
process, to become an 'official' IMC

-- 
"A free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular."
- Adlai E. Stevenson Jr

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and
those who matter don't mind."
- Dr Suess

http://strypey.orconhosting.net.nz/contacts.html