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Update the research documentation on open source team communication tools in Meta
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Description

In the 2017's Google Code-in, students researched open source team communication and collaboration tools, documented them and recommended their use for Wikimedia's outreach activities, events, and team communication: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research_on_open_source_team_communication_tools. Since the last couple of years, tools listed in the documentation have received new updates and features. There are also a few tools like Gitter (that was previously not open source but has recently become), Discourse, and others that are missing from the page. This task is about updating the documentation for existing tools (including screenshots), researching new tools, and adding them to the page.

Note: Please do not make direct changes to the page on meta-wiki. Create a Sandbox page as a subpage of your user page in meta-wiki (something like https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:SSethi_(WMF)/Sandbox, mine is currently empty though :-/)

See also:

Event Timeline

srishakatux triaged this task as Medium priority.Nov 7 2017, 9:50 PM

@srishakatux: Could you clarify the requirements? Is a single student supposed to somehow retest (install?) all 5 tools listed on that wiki page plus the two that you mentioned? As I doubt that's doable in just a few hours.

@Aklapper I've added some more information to the task description now based on your comment.

I am also willing to mentor this task for Google-Code-in-2017

Aklapper updated the task description. (Show Details)

@Aklapper Yes, this could be a Google-Code-in-2018 task. The task description explains what could be improved further and it was re-written for last year's GCI. From what I remember, we didn't get any students for this task, so, this is still valid for this year!

so, this is still valid for this year!

@srishakatux: All tools on https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research_on_open_source_team_communication_tools are already covered (if they are not, what is missing?). I do not see what's still valid here. Could you elaborate?

@Aklapper From the task description:

Since last year, tools listed in the documentation have received new updates and features. There are also a few tools like Gitter (that was previously not open source but has recently become), Discourse and others that are missing from the page. This task is about updating the documentation for existing tools, add documentation for new tools, and modify the conclusion section.

I'm down to mentor this, currently mentoring one more task though. Is anyone up to import this to GCI for 2019?

@srishakatux: Would you co-mentor in GCI with @Apap04 (if this task still makes sense these days)? Which specific tools are missing that a GCI student should take a look at? You mentioned Gitter at https://gitter.im/ in T179989#4692340 ? Regarding Discourse there are some pages like https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Discourse and https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Discourse but that's likely not what you have in mind? :)

@Aklapper I'm willing to co-mentor this task with @Apap04! I think this task can be about updating documentation on existing tools on that page, and researching for new tools and adding their information as well. I think we can remove the conclusion part from the task as different tools serve different purpose, so asking to suggest one tool may not make sense. I can help import the task on the GCI site!

@srishakatux: Feel free to update / edit the description here (as it could also be helpful after Google-Code-in-2019). And to import, of course. :) TIA!

I've imported the task here https://codein.withgoogle.com/dashboard/tasks/6467446190374912/. @Aklapper Please help publish!
@Apap04 Feel free to add yourself as a mentor to the task.

@srishakatux: Thanks, however do you really want one student to have to update all tools plus cover new tools? That sounds like quite some work to me.

@Aklapper Good point! I've added in the note that it is totally up to the student how many tools they want to add (new tools) or provide an update (existing ones) for in the documentation :)

@srishakatux: Thanks! I added instructions to create a user account, removed the "Sandbox" metaphor which took me years to understand, and added a link to https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Editing . It is still implicit what people should do on their sandbox page though but I hope that's okay. Published. Good luck! :P

srishakatux assigned this task to JeremyNguyenGCI.

Thank you so much to @JeremyNguyenGCI for working on this task and adding useful information in here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research_on_open_source_team_communication_tools

Hi!
At the moment there is a bit of discussion on the mailing list
https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2020-October/095811.html
but based on words used I am not convinced it will move beyond usual chicken-and-egg discussion of software adoption :-/

I feel there is a need to update and bring this research and experience to the wider user base or at least mark what was the state of affairs when research was made *(half of the page is created in 2017 and half is fresh).
@srishakatux would this be an option?

@Zblace: This task is/was specifically about updating https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research_on_open_source_team_communication_tools . If that wiki page was outdated, then it could be edited. I don't know what "this research and experience" refers to exactly, or how that mailing list thread is related to this very task...

Oups sorry for not answering this before as I just saw it now...

I realized that, but it was not made in the way to link bi-directionally, so I moved it now to also apear in that way to all.

If that wiki page was outdated, then it could be edited.

Obviously...but it looks like a bit bigger task to update research on multiple tools across multiple versions and client mobile apps, than just casually type in something into Meta in-between other work.

I don't know what "this research and experience" refers to exactly,

See above. @srishakatux might know how to plan this into future plans?

or how that mailing list thread is related to this very task...

It is somewhat related to artificial push for Telegram App to be the standard for Movement Strategy process communication, while there are other and better options elsewhere. No need to create dependencies to commercial products, but hopefully go for standards.

I am not aware of future plans. This task was a time-limited Google Code-in project a while ago; it is unrelated to any Movement Strategy communication.