[Ict] web site development strategies for the 2010 USSF

[Alfredo Lopez]

Daniel Kahn Gillmor wrote:
> hey folks--
> 
> congratulations on all the work to get http://ussf2010.org/ and
> https://community.ussf2010.org/ up and running and to get the mailings out!
> 
> I have a few technical nits to pick that i'd like to help fix up, but i
> don't want to step on any toes to do it, so hopefully folks can point me
> in the right direction here.
> 
> A few things i've noticed:
> 
>  * both of the two sites we've set up do not meet W3C standards
> compliance for HTML.  While we many never be able to to fully meet the
> standards, i think there's cleanup that would be useful (e.g. an alt
> attribute for the "USSocialForum2010" banner at the top of the page),
> and using styles instead of some more archaic elements.
> 
>  http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http%3A//ussf2010.org/
>  http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=https%3A//community.ussf2010.org/
> 
>  * http://www.ussf2010.org/ appears to show the same site as
> http://ussf2010.org/, but there is no 302 redirection to canonicalize
> the choice of host name presented in the user's browser.  This is
> important for things with same-origin policies, such as cookies and
> javascript, as well as presenting a consistent URL to users who might
> want to copy/paste (or write on a napkin, etc) the info in their address
> bar.
> 
> I'd like to help fix those things (i believe that the first would be
> addressed in the theme, and the second would be addressed in the apache
> config), but none of these files seem to be under any sort of revision
> control, which makes them difficult to collaborate on.  And i certainly
> don't want to mix up the folks who have done so much work on them
> already by mixing my edits in with theirs without coordinating clearly.
> 
> I'm also reluctant to experiment (particularly when trying to fix the
> validation errors) on the live site, especially if people are actively
> visiting either site while i'm noodling around.
> 
> So: do we have any development/deployment strategy for working on the
> site?  Do folks have a revision control preference, or any particular
> plans for how to test new versions or variants of the site?   in 2007,
> we used svn with a range of dev sites (one per developer); this
> arrangement had its upsides and its downsides.
> 
> Any thoughts on how i (and others) can help out without stepping on toes?
> 
> 	--dkg
> 
> 

Thanks, Daniel.

I have a great affection for revision-based site development and use 
Subversion (as you know). But I'm wondering if it would be an impetus or 
a block for most people. I guess the real problem is that we don't have 
a strategy/policy about who should work on the websites.

Say a person wants to work on something. Who do they go to? Where? And 
how is "permission" (for want of a better word) given? I would love to 
have an open site development policy but my hunch is that it would cause 
more problems than positives.

A revision set-up would also help bridge the work of ICT and web 
workgroups which has worked nicely up to now thanks to the "joint 
members" but it would be good to have structures that make sure it stays 
smooth. :-)

What do people think? Are all familiar with "revision" systems like 
Subversion or should we explain?

Alfredo

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-- 
Alfredo Lopez, Co-Director
May First/People Link
Growing Networks to Build a Just World!
http://www.mayfirst.org
718-303-3204 -- (ext. 106)
Members Local 1180, Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO
Public Key: http://www.alfredolopez.net/alfredopublickey