[Ussf-tech] notes and welcome

[Jamie McClelland]

Hi al - here are the notes (for those of you not on the radical-techies list).

Also - just check my voicemail. Josue called while we were talking to confirm
that he is now the chair of the communications committee. Yipes. Lot's of work
to do very quickly. As soon as we can after Josue returns I think we should
schedule a meeting!
jamie

----- Forwarded message from Brian Young <bri.why at gmail.com> -----

Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2006 20:28:43 -0400
From: Brian Young <bri.why at gmail.com>
To: Radical-techies at lists.mayfirst.org
Subject: [Radical-techies] US Social Forum tech brainstorm

   Hi,

   'Twas a fine brunch we had yesterday - thanks again Jonathan for being
   such a gracious host. 

   A number of us met today at ABC No Rio to brainstorm on what sort of
   technical support we want to provide for the US Social Forum.  Here are
   the notes of that session.  We broke the effort down into three stages:
   the period leading up to the event, the event itself, and the period after
   the event. 

   If you're interested in helping out with this effort, or if you have ideas
   of your own that you'd like to pursue, or if you see any glaring omissions
   in my notes, please speak up!

   Jamie is going to create a mailing list for USSF-related discussions, so
   if you'd like to be on that list, then let it be known. 

   Best,
   Brian

   ussf - brainstorm - tech needs - 10/15/06

   LEADING UP
   - a way for attendees to register online
      - deploy a calendar/scheduling system whereby attendees can post their
        schedules publicly

   - a way for attendees to propose fora
      - a place for groups to develop forum proposals
       - allow forum organizers and/or attendees
         to upload documents in advance, and collaborate on document
   production
       - allow groups to endorse various forum proposals

   - provide a housing board, a la lightningbug

   - provide a ride shares board, a la lightningbug

   - provide technical support for regional organizers
          - example: nebraska organizers would like a tiny corner of the ussf
   web site
          - how to quickly and easily provide a drupal install for these
   people
             -  basically we need to be able to easily and quickly hand out
   the resources and
                web tools that the nebraska organizers can use to develop
   their tiny corner of
                the ussf site. this would require some sort of monitoring for
   security reasons, so that
                some malicious requestor can't take down a bunch of other
   sites.
                however the best way is to start with everything open, and
   develop a plan
                to  restrict priviledges on an as-needed basis. basically the
   best way to find out
                if you can trust someone is to trust them.

   - how many languages do we need to support? 

   - web functionality to facilitate hooking visitors into what's happening
   locally
             - provide online maps of Atlanta, using open GIS software

   - possible non-web-related projects
           - something akin to "I am New York City" i.e. a print newspaper
   containing
             interviews with local organizers, explaining what they are up
   to. 
           - organizing local trips to places outside of Atlanta ( e.g.
   places damaged by
             hurricanes Katrina and Rita)
           - a print map project, similar to the RNC map efforts which were
   very fruitful.
           - radical ref. : ready reference kit similar to RNC

   DURING

   - place in which forum organizers can post notes (maybe on a wiki?) during
   the event

   - a place to post video of each forum

   - place to discuss what was talked about at each forum, thread style

   - txtmob installation for forum support
        - organizers should be able to txt directions, reminders to attendees
        - possibly build a system of reminders into txtmob
        - create various event-wide alert lists
        - perhaps allow conference organizers to export their group's data to
   a text document?     

   - allow people to create easily printable forum schedules
        - we probably should use pdf
        - concern: pdf format not open enough. 

   - set up a ussf hotline
         - so that i as an attendee can get somebody on the line who speaks
   my language and knows the
           answer to my forum-related question
       - there should be one phone no. which can take multiple lines
       - it should be multi-lingual (IVR: spanish - press 1, esperanto -
   press 2,...)
       - you should be able to hear a recording of all the locations, events,
   times...
       - maybe listen to sessions live?   allow people to call in to
   different fora?
         this is going to be limited by the number of phone lines we'll have
   available
       - speakeasy is the software we want to consider using for this
   project.

   - pick half doz. sessions to put on live feed on the internet

   - video conferencing?  be careful with this one... everyone will want it,
   and that's problematic
      because it is very resource-intensive.  we should maybe investigate the
      existence of youtube-style resources that aren't for-profit?

   - on the ground computer infrastructure
        - what tech do we want to make available at forum locations (e.g.
   printers, projectors)
        - also, we should put the existing capabilities of each location on a
   map (related to web
           mapping tool noted above)
        - connect with atlanta tech folks?  here we need people to call
   somebody who knows
           somebody who knows somebody...)

   - usb straws - flavored vodka. 

   AFTER

   - mechanism or coalition or agreement to provide tech support for
   attendees who want
      to continue to maintain the site that was created for their forum.

   - listserves for various fora

   - allow attendees to post feedback after the event
          - break it down into content areas(?)

   - continue the calendar afterwards
          - place to post big future events

   -  a place for the results of each forum to persist, regardless of whether
   or not the organizers
        - are interested in continuing to maintain their forum's site.

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