October
7, 2002
To: intercommons-list
From: Bruce Damer on What is a Commons? and How to Structure
a Commons
Code
of the Commons database project
The
following is a basic outline of how we propose the data structures
and how they will interrelate. The
database would be initially developed for test case of The Digital
Space Commons.
So the
main purpose of the Digital Space Commons database is to allow
us to represent what is going on in the company (ie: the Commons)
and allow members of the Commons to take action based on the
opportunities that the information presents. Initially there
will be approximately two dozen members of the commons, all
individuals, who would represent themselves or a small company
that they use to do paying work.
Login
and member management
The
login system would be a simple sesson-cookie acces via PHP to
the MySQL back end. When any of the below records are created
an email should be sent out to all our members so an initial
important thing is that the login has to contain the following:
Basic
Login Record
Last, First name
Preferred nickname (must be unique, up to 16 chars) this would
be used as the basic key to the user's account and Member
record later on
email address
personal web address
When
a person fills in their basic account above, they will have
to accept an agreement, and then their login details plus the
text of that agreement will be emailed to them right after they
complete the basic login.
What
anyone logging in sees
Anyone
logging in would see a basic five column layout with the basic
sorting of the five categories laid out as follows:
Members(n1)
Opportunities(n2) Projects(n3) Tools (n4) Clients(n5)
where
(n#) is the number of records in each category.
Clicking
on any one of the categories will bring out a linear list below
this top heading for the records in that category, sorted in
a default sort order we identify for each below.
How
people become Members of the Commons database
So..
on to the first category there are.. Members! A person can complete
the basic login but still not be listed as a Member. Only an
existing Member can create and begin to fill out a new Member
record. Once that is done and the Nominating Member creates
a Member record with the same Nickname that the person used
in their basic login record, they then that new member is welcomed
into the Commons and obtain permission to change part of their
Member record and to manipulate the rest of the database. More
on this in another discusson.
Members
Here is my basic data structure proposal for this category.
Member's
Personal Identity
First, Last Name
Nickname [a unique 16 char textual handle]
Email address
Alternative Email address
Commons home page address
Personal home page address
Postal and telephone/mobile/fax address
Member Since (date)
Nominating person's name
Nominating person's recommendation for membership [text buffer
for several paragraphs]
Member's own reasons for seeking membership:
What I want to get out of my involvement with the Commons
[text buffer]
What I am prepared to offer the Commons in return [text buffer]
A statement of personal philosophy [text buffer]
Address of Web page detailing my past and current work
Member's
Commons Activity
Members I have established a relationship to [list]
Opportunities I have sought to support [list]
Projects I have worked on [list]
Tools I have contributed or helped build or support [list]
Member's reputation in the Commons
Number or symbol ranking (stars etc)
Number of feedback records
List of feedback records from Commons Members and/or outside
people
Sorting
The Members category should be sortable by lastname, firstname
for now, we can sort on different categories later. With 18
initial members this list will not be hard to manage.
Opportunities
The next category is that of opportunities, records containing
incoming proposals from the "outside world" or other
Commons members
Identity
of Opportunity
Short title of the opportunity [64 chars]
Nickname of opportunity [a unique 16 char textual handle]
Date and age of submission [submission date, how long ago
this was]
Date by which proposal must be engaged as a project or it
will be marked as lapsed
Date by which submitter is hoping for completion of the work
Identity
of Submitter
Submitter name, First, Last
Submitter organization/individual's name if not another Commons
member:
Submitter organization/individual's email contact, telephone
and postal address
Submitter organization/individual's main website address
Submitter organization/individual's website address relating
to the submitted opportunity
If Submitter is another Commons Member:
Link to Member's record in the Commons database
Describing
the Opportunity
Category of submitted opportunity: content development
for web, 3D worlds, database work, programming work, etc or
other [user defined]
End user served by proposed opportunity
Category of proposed license and title: Commons community
source, open source, work product owned by submitter, mixture
of these by negotiation
If any, Proposed budget offered in support of submitted Opportunity
or
Proposed renumeration by other means (royalties, work-trade
etc)
Long textual description of the proposed Opportunity and/or
web address of page describing submission
How the Opportunity relates to the Commons
Proposed Tools (if any) both inside and outside the Commons
that could be used in the realization of proposal as a Project
Proposed Members (if any) both inside and outside the Commons
who might be engaged to work on the Project
Sorting
Opportunities should be sorted on the most recent submitted
records to the least.
Projects
The next category is Projects, which is what happens when
a group of People organize around an Opportunity and employ
Tools to fulfill the proposal contained within the opportunity.
Identity
of Project
Short title of the Project [64 chars]
Nickname of Project [a unique 16 char textual handle]
More detailed description of project [text buffer]
Link to original submitted Opportunity or Opportunities from
which this Project was derived
Project
Customer
Link to Commons Project Client record or to Commons Member
record if Client is a Member
How
the Project relates to the Commons
Commons Members being engaged to work on the Project [links
to Member records]
People and organizations outside the Commons being engaged
for the Project
Commons Tools being used or created in the realization of
the Project [links to Tool records]
Tools outside the Commons being utilized
Work
status of the Project
Requested completion date, time to completion [days] or
overrun [days]
Phase of the Project: proposal, design and prototyping, specification,
first 1/4, first 1/2, third 1/4, final 1/4, test, revision,
review, signed off, delivered, in use.
Financial status of the Project
Provided budget, budget spent, percentage of total, or
cost overruns
Title
status of the Project
This project is being delivered under one or more of:
Commons community source, open source, proprietary work product
owned by customer
Feeback
on Project
Number or symbol ranking (stars etc)
Number of feedback records
List of feedback records from Commons Members and/or outside
people (anonymous or identified)
Sorting
Projects should be sorted on Nickname, alphabetically.
Other sorting criteria may arise later.
Tools
The next category is Tools, the technology and intellectual
property (including pieces of content too) that are created
out of the necessities of fulfilling projects.
Identity
of Tool
Short title of the Tool [64 chars]
Nickname of Tool [a unique 16 char textual handle]
Detailed description of Tool [text buffer] and/or web address
for pages supporting tool
Instructions on how to obtain tool (web address or otherwise)
How
the Tool relates to the Commons
Commons Members who have been or are currently engaged
to work on the Tool [links to Member records]
People and organizations outside the Commons being engaged
for work on the Tool
Commons Projects utilizing the Tool [links to Projects records]
Projects outside the Commons utilizing the Tool
Commons Opportunities for which this tool has been promoted
for use [links to Opportunities records]
Work
status of the Tool
Requested completion date, time to completion [days] or
overrun [days]
Phase of the building of the Tool: proposal, design and prototyping,
specification, first 1/4, first 1/2, third 1/4, final 1/4,
test, revision, review, signed off, delivered, in use.
Financial status of the Tool
Provided budget, budget spent, percentage of total, cost
overruns, pro bono support
Title
status of the Project
This Tool is covered under one or more of: Commons community
source, open source, proprietary work product owned by customer
Feeback
on Tool
Number or symbol ranking (stars etc)
Number of feedback records
List of feedback records from Commons Members and/or outside
people (anonymous or identified)
Sorting
Tools should be sorted on Nickname, alphabetically. Other
sorting criteria may arise later.
Clients
The next and final category is Clients, the end users of
Commons Projects and Tools.
Identity
of Client
Short title of the Client [64 chars]
Nickname of Client [a unique 16 char textual handle]
Client identity record
Client organization/individual's email contact, telephone
and postal address
Client organization/individual's main website address
Client organization/individual's website address relating
to the submitted opportunity
Or if Client is another Commons Member:
Link to Member's personal record in the Commons database
How
the Client relates to the Commons
Commons Members who have been or are currently engaged
to work with the Client [links to Member records]
Commons Opportunities associated with the Client [links to
Opportunities records]
Commons Projects for which the Client is being served [links
to Projects records]
Commons Tools which the Client is utilizing [links to Tools
records]
Feedback the Client has submitted to the Commons [links to
all feedback records]
Financial status of the Client
In good standing, late on payments etc.
Feeback
on Client
Number or symbol ranking (stars etc)
Number of feedback records
List of feedback records from Commons Members and/or outside
people (anonymous or identified)
Sorting
Clients should be sorted on Nickname, alphabetically.
Other sorting criteria may arise later.
******
end.
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