[VirtualCrisisCamp] Re: CC: Ushahidi low band initiative

[Sara Farmer]

Hi Alan,   It's no so important for you to allocate Aptivate effort to HDP - I think I'll be able to resource it okay through the two camps and the VirtualCrisisCamp this weekend - it's more important that, since we have at least 3 low-bandwidth projects going on at the moment, it makes sense for us to all share hints and tips on how to do it.     Sj. --- On Fri, 23/4/10, Alan McNeil Jackson <al...@aptivate.org> wrote: From: Alan McNeil Jackson <al...@aptivate.org> Subject: Re: CC: Ushahidi low band initiative To: "Sara Farmer" <sara....@btinternet.com> Cc: "Antonio Lettieri" <alet...@gmail.com>, "Jim Cory" <jco...@charter.net>, "Thomas Mckenzie" <thomas....@tufts.edu>, virtualc...@googlegroups.com, "Kate Chapman" <k8ch...@gmail.com>, ccl_...@tenbus.co.uk, den...@crisismappers.net, "Martin Burchell" <mar...@aptivate.org> Date: Friday, 23 April, 2010, 10:35 Hi Sara, I don't want to over-commit the team during "work" hours. We will (and do) help out on HDP at the next camp - although that's a few weeks away. I will bear HDP in mind and if we have spare capacity over and above what we're committing to for Ushahidi then I'll get back to you. Cheers, Alan Sara Farmer wrote: > Hi Alan, > > If you have spare effort around, then HDP could do with some > low-bandwidth help too... > > > Sj. > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan McNeil Jackson" > <al...@aptivate.org> > To: "Antonio Lettieri" <alet...@gmail.com> > Cc: "Jim Cory" <jco...@charter.net>; "Thomas Mckenzie" > <thomas....@tufts.edu>; "Sara Farmer" <sara....@btinternet.com>; > <virtualc...@googlegroups.com>; "Kate Chapman" > <k8ch...@gmail.com>; <ccl_...@tenbus.co.uk>; <den...@crisismappers.net> > Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 8:51 PM > Subject: Re: CC: Ushahidi low band initiative > > >> Hi Jim and Antonio, >> >> Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I've been completely snowed >> under this week so far. I didn't have the time I was hoping to have this >> week to engage properly with this. >> >> Catching up on this thread, Jim, it looks like you're doing great stuff >> that is being appreciated! I certainly don't want to get in the way of >> that or over-complicate things. >> >> At Aptivate we do have a team of developers who have PHP, MySQL, CSS, >> HTML and general web development experience. It looks like some of the >> team will have some free time next week. How can we best help? >> >> (we've also written some guidelines on bandwidth friendly web design >> which you might find useful: >> http://www.aptivate.org/webguidelines/Home.html) >> >> Jim, what time zone are you in? We could do some pair working with you >> if you like. >> >> Antonio, by "client" I meant who would we be reviewing our work and >> providing or clarifying requirements? Would that be you? >> >> Cheers, >> >> Alan >> >> >> Antonio Lettieri wrote: >>> Hi Jim, >>> >>> Great approach. We may be able to help with the limitation your >>> facing. We can work on adding multiple category filtering to the feed as >>> well as including lat&lon coordinates. >>> >>> I don't think the map will be necessary for the moment either and should >>> be something to consider "Version 2". We may be able to work with >>> approximate lat & lon coordinates, then have the feed or api return >>> incidents within the range of the coordintes. >>> >>> How did you envision to go about the post filter? >>> >>> Thanks again, Jim. >>> >>> -Antonio >>> >>> On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 9:56 AM, Jim Cory <jco...@charter.net >>> <mailto:jco...@charter.net>> wrote: >>> >>>     Hi Thomas, Antonio, >>> >>>     Thanks, guys, for the support. As I say I am just learning these >>>     tools, so better ways may exist than the path I am taking. I am >>>     focusing on the lowest common denomenator:  low end mobile browser, >>>     without much scripting power built in. I am not thinking map >>>     currently, though some way to select by named area as a lat/long >>>     rectangle (eg. central Port-au-Prince, east P-au-P). One limitation >>>     of the query api may be the same limitation of the feed aproach: >>>     inability to include multiple values/"tasks" in one query (eg, >>>     several categories; a category and a location). Some of this could >>>     be handled as a post filter in the script before presenting the >>> page. >>> >>> >>>     --     Jim Cory >>>     Horizon Mapping >>>     http://www.horizonmapping.net <http://www.horizonmapping.net/> >>>     jco...@charter.net <mailto:jco...@charter.net> >>> >>> >>>     Thomas Mckenzie wrote: >>> >>>         I second that! >>> >>>         Thomas McKenzie >>>         Tufts University, Class of 2011 >>>         thomas....@tufts.edu <mailto:thomas....@tufts.edu> >>>         <mailto:thomas....@tufts.edu >>>         <mailto:thomas....@tufts.edu>> >>> >>> >>>         On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 7:04 PM, Antonio Lettieri >>>         <alet...@gmail.com <mailto:alet...@gmail.com> >>>         <mailto:alet...@gmail.com <mailto:alet...@gmail.com>>> >>> wrote: >>> >>>            Hi Jim, >>> >>>            That sounds great. Let us know if you need any information or >>>            additions on the Ushahidi platform side. >>>            Thanks for your help on this. >>> >>>            You're awesome dude! >>> >>>            -Antonio >>> >>>            On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 5:51 PM, Jim Cory >>>         <jco...@charter.net <mailto:jco...@charter.net> >>>            <mailto:jco...@charter.net <mailto:jco...@charter.net>>> >>> wrote: >>> >>>                Hello Thomas, >>> >>>                I connected with the Aptivate folks but did not hear back >>>                about tasks. I decided to build something on my own >>> just to >>>                see what it would take. I am looking at using the >>> query api >>>                built into Ushahidi as a way to slim down the initial >>> results >>>                and then formating reports in a simple list page. Queries >>>                could be built with a multiple choice form and >>> submitted to >>>                the query tool. Not a big deal if the Aptivate people >>> have >>>                something else in mind - I am learning about the tools >>>         which I >>>                need to anyway. I may have something up by weeks end for >>>         folks >>>                to look at. >>> >>>                --         Jim Cory >>>                Horizon Mapping >>>                http://www.horizonmapping.net >>>         <http://www.horizonmapping.net/> >>>                jco...@charter.net <mailto:jco...@charter.net> >>>         <mailto:jco...@charter.net <mailto:jco...@charter.net>> >>> >>> >>> >>>                Thomas Mckenzie wrote: >>> >>>                    Hi Everyone, >>> >>>                    Would it be possible to get a/ very brief /update by >>>                    Sunday or Monday? I'm curious about things like: did >>>                    Aptiva take the lead? Is Jim Cory still involved? >>>         Have you >>>                    run into any snags I can help with? Etc.  I just >>> want to >>>                    track progress, that's all. >>> >>>                    Thomas McKenzie >>>                    Tufts University, Class of 2011 >>>                    thomas....@tufts.edu >>>         <mailto:thomas....@tufts.edu> >>>                    <mailto:thomas....@tufts.edu >>>         <mailto:thomas....@tufts.edu>> >>>                    <mailto:thomas....@tufts.edu >>>         <mailto:thomas....@tufts.edu> >>>                    <mailto:thomas....@tufts.edu >>>         <mailto:thomas....@tufts.edu>>> >>> >>> >>> >>>                    On Sun, Apr 18, 2010 at 2:22 PM, Antonio Lettieri >>>                    <alet...@gmail.com <mailto:alet...@gmail.com> >>>         <mailto:alet...@gmail.com <mailto:alet...@gmail.com>> >>>                    <mailto:alet...@gmail.com >>>         <mailto:alet...@gmail.com> <mailto:alet...@gmail.com >>>         <mailto:alet...@gmail.com>>>> >>> >>>                    wrote: >>> >>>                       Hi All, >>> >>>                       Sorry about the confusion on the project. I >>> will try >>>                    and fill you >>>                       in best as possible. >>> >>>                       >From my understanding, the "client" would be any >>>                    response team >>>                       (be it humanitarian, military, government, etc.) >>>         utilizing >>>                       Ushahidi's incident reports during or post >>> emergency. >>>                       Really the goal of the project is pretty simple. >>>                       The Form will contain three specific filters: >>> >>>                               * *Starting Date* (reports since) >>>                               * *Latitude* and *Longitude* Coordinates >>>                               * *Categories* (one or more categories to >>>                    filter by) >>>                                     o Categories will be filtered by ID. >>>                                     o Design some convention that >>> allows the >>>                    Ushahidi >>> >>>                                       platform to consume and filter by >>>                    multiple ids >>>                                       (comma separated perhaps). >>>                                     o We need to coordinate the ids >>> with the >>>                    Ushahidi >>> >>>                                       Platform. >>>                               * Results can be viewed as: >>>                                     o RSS formatted (feed) >>>                                     o KML,( which may not be >>> necessary for >>>                    this phase). >>> >>> >>>                       The form simply needs to be intuitive and of >>> course >>>                    accessible in >>>                       low bandwidth locations, with the potential of >>>         being mobile >>>                       accessible as well. >>> >>>                       At the time we were going to use the feed >>>         functionality >>>                    of the >>>                       Ushahidi platform. >>>                       It was the fastest way we came up with at the >>> time for >>>                    gathering >>>                       some form of reports without having to make too >>> many >>>                       changes/additions to the platform. >>> >>>                       The form was intended to post to the Ushahidi >>> platform >>>                    with query >>>                       string parameters that will return filtered >>> incident >>>                    results: >>> >>>                       *http://haiti.ushahidi.com/feed/?c=[id >>>                    <http://haiti.ushahidi.com/feed/?c=%5Bid> >>>                       <http://haiti.ushahidi.com/feed/?c=%5Bid> or >>> >>> >>> ids]&lat=[latitude]&lon=[longitude]&date=[date_range]* >>> >>>                       The javascript portion is simply for >>>                    progressive-enhancement (help >>>                       with the intuitive portion), if you don't deem it >>>                    necessary, feel >>>                       free to leave it out. >>> >>>                       Your team can decide whether you want to simply >>> start >>>                    the project >>>                       over or go with what is on GitHub. >>> >>>                       Please let me know if I need to elaborate a little >>>         more >>>                    on the >>>                       specifics of the project, I'm not sure how much >>> you've >>>                    been filled >>>                       in on. >>> >>>                       You can also contact me via skype: *alettieri* >>> >>>                       TJ, please chime in if I have missed anything. >>> >>>                       Hope this help move things along and thank you >>> very >>>                    much for your >>>                       contribution guys! >>> >>>                       -Antonio >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>     --     Jim Cory >>>     Horizon Mapping >>>     http://www.horizonmapping.net <http://www.horizonmapping.net/> >>>     jco...@charter.net <mailto:jco...@charter.net> >>> >>> >> >> -- >> Alan McNeil Jackson | (al...@aptivate.org) >> Skype: alan.mcneil.jackson >> Mobile: +44 7985 399022 >> Phone:  +44 1223 760887 >> >> Aptivate | (http://www.aptivate.org) >> The Humanitarian Centre, Fenner's, Gresham Road, Cambridge CB1 2ES >> >> Aptivate is a not-for-profit company registered in England and Wales, >> company number 04980791. > -- Alan McNeil Jackson | (al...@aptivate.org) Skype: alan.mcneil.jackson Mobile: +44 7985 399022 Phone:  +44 1223 760887 Aptivate | (http://www.aptivate.org) The Humanitarian Centre, Fenner's, Gresham Road, Cambridge CB1 2ES Aptivate is a not-for-profit company registered in England and Wales, company number 04980791.