new complications to solve

I have added new things to my previous list of questions to consider after consulting with Programming Pros:

Some more specific issue to consider (they are not new)

1. maintainence staff
2. cost
3. program to use

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See below for details

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Platforms to try out (to further discuss with David Soliday)

• OWU Wikis
• Blog
• Web page from scratch

A model: http://www.mindat.org, http://www.wordpress.org

>Determine a host committee, organization or office in OWU who will maintain the database. Two consequences of this may be:

• the database’s virtual address
• program to use for creating the database

(David Soliday has offered to help resolve the matter. His expertise is in Microsoft Access (which, according to him, “wouldn’t be the best for a web interface”). However, he has kindly offered to help find other expert help to create and maintain the database.)

>Determine software for database:

• Dr. Sean McCullogh of the Computer Science Department, upon consultation, recommends that we think about “the question is whether it’s more important to let it be easily editable” or have all the functionalities we need.
  • “A database might be a better long-term solution, but since it would probably be pretty big and complicated to do all of the stuff that… [is] more important (“searchable/robust/have permissions/whatever”) …[but we will] need someone to create and maintain it.”
  • [A] wiki might be a good starting point, since you can get something that looks nice (even if it’s incomplete) faster (and “easily editable”).  [A] wiki would be the better bet to get something at least partially usable by the end of the semester.
  • Since the aim of this project is to come up with something for the long-term, a true database is more desirable than a wiki. With this resolution in mind, there are the following issues to consider:
    • Database software
      • Cost – possible sources of funding: Academic Affaris, Student Affairs, Residential Life, Library and Information Services, Provost, Admissions, University Communications, etc.
      • Personnel or Student to program and maintain the database
      • Features of different programming environments/languages
        • Recall previous list of features
  • Database quality control and monitoring
    • Faculty and/or staff and/or student representatives with expertise in subject matter uploaded
    • These people only scan to make sure there are no questionable uploads
    • The time taken should be minimal since only a scan is necessary (up to a minute or two per typical upload), and the target population for uploads is limited to Ohio Wesleyan University (we are expecting less than a dozen uploads a month to begin with).
  • Database maintainence
    • Current LIS/Infosys personnel
      • Pro: possible existing expertise
      • Con: time constraint/ budget constraint
      • Ask Infosys and Library representatives for opinions
      • Student StAP position or Student worker
        • Pro: marketable skills
        • Con: may require training or self-study
        • Ask Geography, Math-CS, Infosys, Student Affairs (StAP budget?), Sustainability Task Force for opinions
      • New personnel
        • Pro: definite expertise and commitment to maintain database, in addition to other duties (if necessary)
        • Con: Only if there are other duties, and cost constraints
        • Ask Infosys, Student Affairs, Sustainability Task Force for opinions

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