Clepy Finally Sprints

We finally did it! This past Saturday we actually sprinted. Our goal is to build an open source equivalent of Meetup.com — affectionately known as Shindig. This software is a replacement for the overly complicated Plone instance I have running clepy.org.

Even though we didn’t a whole lot of progress we learned some useful lessons. We had some minor technical difficulties like not everyone having a working wireless connection. Those issues are easy to overcome. The lessons I took to heart were more about timeliness and preparation. I was guilty of being an hour late and many people didn’t have the necessary stuff installed. No big deal, we’ll get better.

All in all I had fun. Drinking beer and writing code with my peers. The miscellaneous conversations about technology didn’t hurt.

We’ll talk more about the sprint at the next meeting, but I think we’ll keep having them. It seems that the best time will be the first or second Saturday after each meeting. Also it seems that starting a little later may be a good idea.

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April 16, 2007 | Filed Under python, clepy, shindig 

Comments

  • dstanek
    > This basically means your Shindig just digitizes the very problem it aims to solve: people can’t find people because they are in different places.

    Shindig for me serves two purposes:
    1. Create a website where I can organize information for the Clepy group.
    2. Replace the existing system - which is a drain on my server.

    As for the open information...I absolutely agree. Since we have no financial interest I don't care if information is public. On the other hand users should have a say in what personal information is publicly available.

    If you look at what Clepy currently has you can see that things are relatively open. You can get a list of members, see info on meetings and lots of other stuff. The project aim at making the information more accessible and easeir to maintain.
  • I don't mean to rain the parade, but I simply can't like this idea. Why? Because its a segmentation of something that benefits most greatly from the lack of such a segmentation. It is the same problem we see across web forums on a thousand websites for the same topic: you can't find people because they are spread out all over the place. This basically means your Shindig just digitizes the very problem it aims to solve: people can't find people because they are in different places.

    Now, this in no way means I don't support the general idea you are trying to promote, and I have my problems with Meetup.com, as well. However, Does an open solution even count as open if the information is just as closed? Basically, what we need in something like Shindig are feeds for all the information it organizes. Feeds for people, their interests, microformat feeds for events and RSVPs, etc. In this way, you both give people an option away from Meetup.com and also allow others to do the same, without segmenting the population of people looking for people. When your Shindig grows, and more people implement the same things, pooling the feeds from all the competing and cooperating websites, Meetup.com eventually can't survive without joining the party.
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