[ckan-discuss] [ckan-dev] Docs status

[David Read]

Anna,

(Moving to ckan-discuss list) It's great to see this 2-page CKAN info
document almost ready and including lots of the ideas from OKCon. Here
are a few of my ideas to ponder. Others, please pitch in and help us
improve it further.

> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u18fIfdJOQqk9PxUl1SnucRGR8w4axmrglCL05bM2Rg/edit?hl=en_US

I think the diagram could be iterated further. The annotations are in
strong boxes with arrows, which confuses them with the software blocks
which have the same arrows. I suggest the annotations have different
arrows and their coloured blocks have no outlines.

I'd also rearrange the core CKAN block to have the "database of
datasets" as the standard cylinder shape (indicating database) and
maybe change the text to "details of datasets" with the Web front-end
and API above it. it should be "catalogue of datasets" rather than
"database of datasets" in the diagram, to match the text.

We should make it clear that the data can either be stored in the CKAN
data storage (should we call it CKAN Web Store? or is that separate?)

"social integration with Facebook and Twitter" - I don't think we have
that (yet). Is this something we're planning? Or reference to our
community extension with Apps and Ideas like data.gov.uk?

"Excel data importer" -> "Catalogue Import from Excel"

"You can choose to share your public data with other CKAN sites, so
your data is automatically integrated into standard CKAN search and
API systems, " how about something about "plugged in to the existing
worldwide network of data consumers and app developers" rather than
the technical details?

David

On 18 July 2011 14:09, Anna Powell-Smith <annapowellsmith at okfn.org> wrote:
> Hi all
>
> I've now integrated all the OKCon suggestions and the suggestions
> above into the doc.
>
> Here's the 2nd draft:
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u18fIfdJOQqk9PxUl1SnucRGR8w4axmrglCL05bM2Rg/edit?hl=en_US
>
> Feedback please :)
>
> Once you're happy with it, we'll add the text to ckan.org and hand the
> doc to a graphic designer who can make it look nice.
>
> best wishes
> Anna
>
> On 4 July 2011 12:06, Anna Powell-Smith <annapowellsmith at okfn.org> wrote:
>> Hi David
>>
>> Excellent quote, thanks!
>>
>> Yes, I think perhaps I was confused between data and metadata too.
>> Shouldn't be too hard to explain.
>>
>> The suggested ideas from OKCon are very useful too (copied below for
>> the benefit of the list).
>>
>> I'll integrate these and circulate a 2nd draft.
>>
>> cheers
>> Anna
>>
>> ------
>>
>> 2 pages about CKAN
>> =================
>> Audience: non-techies
>> Comparison: Socrata, Microsoft
>>
>> - Benefits, features
>> - Why open software?
>>  - avoid long-term lock-in
>>  - not dependent on any company
>>  - all customers contribute to feature set - in collaboration
>> - List of users / references, quotes from them
>> - History of product
>> - CKAN developers are long-term, full-time, paid (i.e. not a transient
>> squabbling band of hackers on the internet)
>> - Support options, SLAs
>>  - OKF working with established partners who can provide these
>> things, to scale as necessary
>> - Benefit of netweork effect, joining CKANs together
>>  - harvesting packages, standard CKAN API, federated search
>> - RDF features (although Robert isn't interested in this, others may well be)
>> - Storage of data option
>>
>> On 4 July 2011 11:53, David Read <david.read at okfn.org> wrote:
>>> Anna,
>>>
>>> Super - looks like a good document already.
>>>
>>> People usually get confused about the distinction of data and metadata
>>> (and also what these terms mean), and so it might be worth being
>>> clearer about this in your text and diagram. CKAN is focussed on
>>> metadata, but has a new (beta?) extension that can store the data -
>>> Rufus knows more about this.
>>>
>>> I've sent you some ideas sourced last week, so hopefully these can
>>> expand on some of the points on the second page. I think the quantity
>>> of the text is about right, but maybe we can tighten up some of the
>>> language to include some of these points.
>>>
>>> Also, here's a good quote from OKCon which may help. Andrew Stott was
>>> the UK Government's Director of Transparency & Digital Engagement and
>>> was responsible for the launch of data.gov.uk:
>>> "Using Open Source was the best decision we ever made. A big thumbs up
>>> to the Open Knowledge Foundation and CKAN."
>>>
>>> David
>>>
>>> On 4 July 2011 10:24, Anna Powell-Smith <annapowellsmith at okfn.org> wrote:
>>>> Hi all,
>>>>
>>>> Just a quick update on docs.
>>>>
>>>> Currently, things are on hold, as I'm at the point of documenting
>>>> common CKAN admin tasks, using paster etc, in the Admin Manual. I
>>>> started writing questions into a Google doc, but quickly found that I
>>>> had so many I couldn't continue without talking to someone from CKAN!
>>>> So I'm planning to meet James in London on 12th May to go through
>>>> these. Anyone is welcome to join us.
>>>>
>>>> In the meantime:
>>>>
>>>> 1. I've written a draft two-page overview of CKAN - the glossy,
>>>> printed, two-page document we give to potential users. The graphic
>>>> design is draft, more important at this stage is the content. Comments
>>>> welcome: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u18fIfdJOQqk9PxUl1SnucRGR8w4axmrglCL05bM2Rg/edit?hl=en_US
>>>>
>>>> 2. I've hopefully left ckan.org in a tidy/correct state before I
>>>> continue work, but let me know if I should update anything.
>>>>
>>>> best wishes
>>>> Anna
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
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>>
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