1. Informal openness evaluation of Study Bar

With Study Bar Southampton ECS aim to build an application to replace the TechDis Toolbar and to supplement other tools like those provided by Google and Firefox. To help staff and students irrespective of their skills and abilities when they are interacting with information environments. StudyBar is implemented as Cross browser set of tools and services which may have much wider potential as an open development project (already some interest).

This informal analysis of openness follows that used in A 2007 overview of JISC projects in terms of openness.

1.1. Governance and leadership

Single institution or team - Sebastian Skuse is the only developer with some input from EA and other ECS team members.

1.2. Visibility

No website or wiki use in Google Code.

Shared Google group. The group is closed
Shared blog Blog post
Project page

1.3. Deliverables

Software that supports accessibility and e-Learning

Semi-open (aims to produce open source software but not quite there).

A google code project accessibility-toolkits has been created and is shared with other projects for from group. Currently only SVN is used. Internally the project use a private ticket system.

1.4. Standards

Web: HTML etc, DOM

1.5. Relationship between projects

Uses on Client: * Firefox * GreaseMonkey

Use on Server: * PHP * Festival text To Speech

1.6. Recommendations

Need to make it easier for users and developers to quickly evaluate the project and decide if they want to engage.

Create Web site or use Google Code Wiki.
Create a release process and provide release tarballs for developers (e.g this process for codegoo )
Open up the Google group.
Provide developer set-up instructions (e.g These notes from Maavis)
Improve links between sources of info: LSL page, Google Code and Google Group
Improve separation of projects on Google Code
Use tickets (open up currently private system or export existing tickets to Google Code)
Start using the mail list (group) and/or tickets to capture design decisions. Talk to yourself.

Improve community management

Decide on Governance model - Perhaps start with meritocratic with only one member
Install a CLA to manage contributions
Discuss IP questions with Rowan

Minimise demand on the developer - make it easy for self service

Web site / wiki
Capturing decisions on list/tickets
Governance model
CLAs