Development Progression
From ENHLDWiki
This is the basic order of progression of the development. Some tasks can be done asynchronously, and some can be done in an assembly line staging style.
Setup and Organization
- A method for handling the intra-group communications and data will need to be setup. A wiki will probably do the job nicely.
- Status: Setup complete. Currently under maintenance.
- Grants will need to be applied for. Butte CPR's stewardship will need to be formalized.
- Status: Under the management of the Grant Administrator.
- Domains will need to be registered. Final scope decisions will need to be made.
- Status: Domains have been acquired.
- A Bugzilla may need to be set up.
- Status: Waiting for funding
Issues
- What will the final scope be?
- Should we open the internal wiki on completion?
Dependencies
Everything except perhaps research relies on this step.
Research and Data collection
- Research will need to be done for the content of the website; for Butte’s NHLD and others
- Status: Under the management of the Historians.
Dependencies
This step can be done independently of the others but some data will be needed to test the site and data model during its construction and the content production step will depend on this data.
Build Website Front End
- The end user website will need to be conceived, designed, prototyped, solidified and finalized.
- Status: Waiting for funding; Accepting Ideas
Issues
To consider are overall look and feel, navigation, usability, accessibility, SEO, and portability to Google Earth.
Dependencies
- The design will need to be completed and probably prototyped before the formatting for Google Earth can be built.
- Testing the architecture will require a functional front end. A dummy architecture will need to exist for proper testing and construction.
- The front end will need to be complete before additional SEO, PR, Google Earth solicitation occurs
Website Architecture and Data Model
The guts of the website that perform the data storage, formatting, and retrieval will need to be designed and built. Special functions required are the ability to format entries for Wikipedia and KMZ/KML.
- Status: Waiting for funding. Experiments remain.
Issues
If the website becomes popular it may suffer some scalability issues. It will be important to consider those during its construction.
Dependencies
The back and front ends will not function without the data model. Their construction relies on at least a dummy data model.
Build website back end
The user interface for the inputting of content and the management of that content will need to be constructed. The back end will also be the source of alternative output such as Wikipedia text.
Issues
What framework should be used if any? Should it be AJAXy?
Dependencies
The architecture and data model will need to function before the backend is completed. A dummy architecture will need to exist during construction. Without the backend content can’t be easily entered into the website.
Build Google Earth Display Format
The look of the Google Earth entries needs to be designed.
- Status: Accepting Ideas
Issues
- How much should it look like the website front end?
- How much integration with the website? Full information, or partial detail?
- What other kinds of geo-information such as paths and overlays?
Dependencies
The display format will need to be tested prior to the construction of content and the finalization of some elements of the architecture.
Generate Content
Content needs to be generated from the data gathered during research.
- Status: Under the management of the writers
Issues
Types of content: text, videos, images, audio? SEO
Dependencies
The site can’t be launched without content. Some dummy content will need to be added early to the data model for testing of the front and backend.
Input data into site
Once proper content has been produced it needs to be imputed into the backend. Hopefully this will be a simple enough process that the content produces can do it as their final step.
- Status: Waiting for content
Dependencies
The backend will need to be made before the bulk of the content can be added.
Copy Data From Site to Wikipedia
The architecture will produce a wiki formatting of the content through the backend. This will need to be copied to Wikipedia. By doing so we increase our exposure and ensure inclusion into Google Earth
- Status: Waiting for backend and Content
Issues
What other “featured” content portals should be looked at? Should the content be identical for Wikipedia?
Dependencies
The content needs to be in the website before it can be generated for Wikipedia.
Get Included into Google Earth
Some data is included with your download of Google Earth, including Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and Antweb.org . This gives the best exposure. We’ll need to find out how we can be included as well.
- Status: Waiting for kml layer
Dependencies
The site will need to be near complete.
Open project to other contributors
It would be best if other local historians, preservation groups, history teachers/classes did the heavy lifting for their own regions.
- Status: Waiting for project backend
Issues
Some NHLDs are so small that we may have to do the research and content generation for them. A vetting and submission curation system and will need to be established. Other issues of scope?
Dependencies
It might be necessary to get the larger NHLDs moving early so that their portions are sufficient to impress the Google Earth people enough to include our data.
Additional SEO and PR
Beyond the project some additional SEO and Public relations should probably be done to drive traffic to the site.
- Status: Waiting for Front End; Need to generate some SEO guides for the writers.
Dependencies
The site will need to be completed and well populated before we drive the casual public to it.
Build 3D building models
Buildings will need to be photographed and measured. Models will need to be created with Google SketchUp. Models will need to be uploaded to the website and 3D Warehouse. While 3D models aren’t necessary they are the eye-candy which will drive interest in the project and the site.
Issues
This is the most time consuming task. 3D molding can be tricky. We will likely find ourselves needing to hire assistance handle the majority of the burden.
Dependencies
Buildings can be modeled fairly independently of the other tasks. Since it will be the most time consuming of tasks it would be best to start early.
