TDWG Infrastructure Project (TIP)

Web InfrastructureRicardo Pereira

TDWG Executive Meeting

June 1-2, 2006 - Madrid, Spain

Web Infrastructure:Initial Survey

• Process started with a broad survey:– Stan’s 1999 article on process revision– Interview of members & subgroup conveners

– Current TDWG practice– Best current practice in other organizations– System requirements

Web Infrastructure:Survey Results & Actions

– Standards are the most important assets:• Action: create a standards repository for proper management and

presention of TDWG ratified standards

– Subgroups are the means to produce standards:• Action: gather and control basic subgroup information (charter)

– Need to improve standards development process:• Action: deploy more formal processes and guidelines for group

operation and standards review• Action: provide better tools for subgroup operation

– Need to increase involvement of members (in reviews):• Action: Establish reviews as part of the process (and support it)

These became our guiding principles

Web Infrastructure:Proposed Solution

• Main Services:– Typo3 CMS: Website, Content, Comm,

Processes– TWiki: Flexible Collaboration

Environment– Mailing Lists: Standard Communication

• Other Services:– Schema repository (http://res.tdwg.org)– Version control system (Subversion)– Issue tracking (Bugzilla?)

Why not TDWG CMS?

• Why not develop a custom CMS for TDWG?– Complex requirements:

• Separation of presentation and content• Search engine optimization• Flexible content and image handling• Browser compatibility• Web standards compliance• Internationalization• Persisten and friendly URLs• Onsite search• Caching, and more...

– It would take years to converge– Lack of support– TDWG requirements are actually very general

Typo3 CMS

• Shared Maintenance of Content• Improved Communication• Professional Looking Web Designs• Web Application Platform: Extensions• Rich Web Client (very uncommon)• Really Intuitive (compared to other CMS)

• Two pilots under evaluation:– TDWG main site: http://www.tdwg.gbif.org/– TDWG 2006 Annual Meeting: http://www.tdwg.gbif.org/tdwg2006

Standards Repository

Standards Repository

• Standards are described by cover pages:– Highly structured (i.e., database records)– Basic unit of review within the standards track

• Written and then submitted by subgroup convener• Reviewed by TDWG TAG, Editor, and Executive

• Cover pages are used for presentation:– Standard way of presenting specs (usability)– Persistent URLs

Subgroup Charters

Subgroup Charters

• Basic information about subgroups (charter)– Highly structured (i.e., database record)– Basic unit of review within the std track

• Charters are written and then submitted by conveners• Changes and progress are reviewed by TDWG TAG

and the Executive

• Cover pages are used for presentation:– Uniform way of presenting subgroup information– Link-out to additional information on the wiki– Persistent URLs

Typo3 Pilot

TDWG 2006 Annual Meeting

TWiki

Support for Subgroup Operation

Subgroup Operation

• Supported by TDWG TWiki (wiki.tdwg.org)

• Much easier to use than any CMS• Maximizes flow and productivity• Type 3 (informative) documentation• Subgroup operations guidance:

– Guidelines – Automated Templates:

• For reviews and specs, for example

• Less professional or formal look

Standards Track

A custom Typo3 extension

Standards Track

• Volunteer time is scarse (and very valuable)– Especially on the Executive, TAG, Secretary– High return on investiment in automation

• Standards Track Extension– Highly usable web application based on Typo3– Shows only what each user needs to see– Notifies users when attention is required– Very flexible to support different workflows– Roles defined by Typo3 groups– Automated voting frees secretary for other tasks– Automatically publishes track information

Standards Track

Web Infrastructure:Obstacles & Solutions

• Obstacles– Learning curve of new tools– Wikifobia– Long-term support– Lack of feedback and involvement

• Solutions– Technical support:

• active and available (e-mail, phone, skype)– Documentation:

• how-tos, FAQ, task-oriented tutorials, video tutorials– Training:

• at annual meetings and other gatherings– Recruit tech support and sys admin volunteers

Web Infrastructure:Next Steps

• Full Deployment of Typo3 Websites– New content (Tech Writer + TIP)– New web design (interim)– Finish implementation:

• Standards Repository and Subgroup Charters• Standards Track Extension

– Will require more involvement of Secretary– Must deal with lack of feedback

• TWiki is already in production– Need to add documentation and templates

• Move mailing lists to TDWG servers

• Resource repository already operational (http://res.tdwg.org/)

• Research on other services (Bugzilla + SVN)

Requiring ExecutiveApproval