I vote for a more incremental development process. Let's build the
prototype now, with XOOPS. Let's do it incrementally. Let's not build a fake
model and then build a semi-real prototype and then build a real thing - let's
incrementally build the real thing.
>>I agree that building the prototype in XOOPS incrementally is
the way to go. However you may be missing the point of storyboarding
out the site and how it fits into an incremental process. We have
decided not to do this on paper as the project team does not respond well to
paperwork nor can they visualise (as you have pointed out yourself) how we can
move forward.
For example both
Susan and Ian are non technical (although very valuable) resources on the
project. Thus far they have provided input on the sites content,
vocabulary and information architecture in context. The storyboard has
accommodated their suggestions instantly. The phoenix newsgroup postings
indicate that on some level the sites content is poorly
written, storyboarding provides them the opportunity to improve the
content. There are no static pages in this storyboard - instead the
information is being assembled on the fly and in context. We are not simply
migrating existing pages as we know the information design of these pages is
failing.
Denis on the other hand has to model out
the behaviour of this information in a new tool. This will require lots of
experimenting and customisation on his part. He needs a good picture of how
information should behave in the new eclipse.org. And how he can meet the
functional requirements of the content
publishers/managers.
For example, we could start
with a section of the existing website and use that for a real-life prototype
- we could link from the existing site to the prototype and back and
forth. We could start with the Technology PMC pages or the Platform PMC
pages or the about us/legal pages or almost any subset of the existing
site.
>>I think we would be wise to focus on general or rather
universal eclipse foundation content for now. The projects will require some
specialised information design for their sites and thus far discussions
of project sites have only blurred the objectives of the project. Once the
foundation storyboard has been drafted we can draft one or two project site
storyboards.
