GCD Board Votes - 2004

Note: Not really a vote, but a copy on an agenda from February 2004 that was quoted in an email in July 2006. (note: This needs some major formatting... it looks ok in edit mode though!)

Tentative GCD Board Agenda (Old)
I. Subcommittee Review 
    A. The Board should consider taking over the Glossary & FAQ stuff to
       get those items finished. The Board should, perhaps, officially disband the
       Incorporation Subcommittee. 
            1. Incorporation - Need status, and if not active, dissolve and reform. 
                * Look at case studies of other volunteer projects such as
                  Open Source Software, Linux, IMDB, etc. 
                2. FAQ - Need status 
                3. Format revision - Need status 
                4. Tutorial updates - Need status 
                5. Technical Steering Committee - Need status/membership. 
II. Workflow/Updates 
    A. Mirror Site 
    B. Creaton of an automated flat file export for download via FTP (or HTTP) 
    C. sort out "publisher/imprint chaos" 
    D. proposal of format change (PubHouse/PubDetails) 
    E. revising index format 
    F. regular GCD Board Updates (perhaps via posting to GCD Message Board system) 
    G. On-Line Index 
            1. faster backend 
            2. link between database and cover/issue matrixes which will update
               both after revisions (title/year changes, etc.) 
            3. review of list of members with editor status 
            4. set-up automation for reservations of ongoing titles 
            5. better search options for indexers (display/sorting mechanism for
               OI lists which have more than 50 results) 
            6. support for multiple images, dust covers, wraparounds etc. 
            7. creator checklist to look up names etc. 
            8. easier route to unreserved works (i.e. more search options) 
            9. more data validation routines 
            10. automated import of text files 
            11. more admin tools to help keep things organized (sorting out
                messed up matrixes, etc.) 
            12. cover delete function for admin + editors 
            13. review of OI Phase II by mid-2003 
            14. implementation of linking information (reprints, etc) 
            15. add delete function of reservations and cover scans to admin level 
            16. implement reservation for edits function 
            17. implement "on hold" function for pending indexes which need editing 
            18. Approval restriction for indexes with keydates missing 
            19. "copy of data function" when entering data 
            20. crediting of scan uploader 
            21. automatic deafult setting for Feature for all sequences when
                filling out Sequence 0 
            22. deleting a cover scan in editor status 
        H. Providing Backups for key people and resources. Should have fall-back
           people for... 
            * Web Administrator 
            * Data Coordinator(s)/Database Administrator(s) 
            * New & Prospective Member Contact 
            * Reservation Coordinator 
            * E-Mail Lists Administrator 
        I. Development of a 3-5 Year Long Range Plan for the Project

        J. Creation of a Development Coordinator (someone to coordinate
           front-end/back-end software for the project)? 
        K. Operational Workflow/Overview - Originally, this concerned the
           division of labor, especially vis-?-vis the Data Coordinator.
           The idea was to help divide up the load of work. Some of which has
           handled by the Online Index. However, other areas might be handled
           with more than one person as Coordinator, especially with respect
           to Editor work flow, now that we have Online indexing (Approval &
           Error Correction). 
            1. Data Coordinator Succession 
                * Addition of flat files originally sent to Lionel 
                2. Excel/Flat file submission time-table needs to be established. 
                3. Possible migration to Open Source solution for backend
                   (MySQL as opposed to Lasso) 
                4. Verify status of International Coordinators. 
                5. Query Jon on his "To Do" list timetable.  If he is missing
                   anything that we think needs to be on it (archiving email,
                   glossary, FAQ, Tutorial, Flat & relational files for
                   downloading, et al).  Also, if he has a time-table for it
                   and if he needs help on any of it. 
                6. Error list - what can be done to help this process? 
                7. Editor Workflow 
                8. Make the database schema public 
        L. Web site updates 
            1. Howard Keltner's index 
            2. Subscribing & Unsubscribing 
            3. @comics.org address for Board Members/Official representatives.
               This way we don't have to update the documentation if an official
               or e-mail address changes. 
            4. Verify web pages for our International lists are up to date. 
            5. Address & telephone contact for Board/Coordinators on web site,
               but accessible only to Board/Coordinators.  Probably, an additional
               tab/link on the On-line indexing page. 
            6. Committee Updates on web pages (see item 1 above). 
            7. updating GCD main page on website 
            8. complete revamp of website structure 
            9. regular (weekly?) updates (new/revised indexes) to main page 
            10. updating copyrights on all pages to current year

        M. Promotional Projects 
            1. Publish articles written by members in both on-line and print press 
            2. Requests for information 
            3. 10th Anniversary (March 2004) special event 
III. Usage Policy - Need Status 
    A. This is the "official" GCD policy concerning the use of GCD data/cover
       scans by other parties. We should compose a blanket statement requesting
       the user of data/cover scans to credit the GCD and the individual indexers
       as source of the data. Need to discuss what we would do if someone used
       our data and claimed it as their own. Check with Incorporation Sub Committee.
IV. Email lists 
    A. Archive needs to be setup and made accessible by the membership. 
    B. Board Member Subscriptions 
            1. All Board members should be subscribed (this can be done
               automatically) to all mailing lists. These lists are... 
                * GCD 
                * GCD-Chat 
                * GCD-Tech 
                * GCD-Beta 
                * GCD-Intercom 
                * GCD-France 
                * GCD-Norway 
                * GCD-Sweden 
                * GCD-Italy 
                * GCD-Germany 
                * GCD Board 


<From Matthew Head>
I took it upon myself to try desperately to prioritize some of our tasks.  
This is just my take on it and meant to help us start tackling things.  I
had to often guess on priority/difficulty anyway.  Again, this is just a
*potential* tool to help manage The Agenda.  The first section is organized
by difficulty only.

Again, just to help; might be more confusing, but I think that it's clear
that there are some fairly easy things that we can do while we wait on the
OI.

ITEMS INDEPENDENT OF JON/OI AVAILABILITY
----------------------------------------

Low Difficulty
--------------
1.  Assign Task of GCD Board Email Updates.
2.  Update Board Member List Subscriptions.
3.  Obtain Jon's To-Do List.
4.  Get Status of Committees.
5.  Get Status of International Coordinators.
6.  Elect Data Coordinators.
7.  Obtain List of Editors.
8.  Develop Flat-File Submission Time Table.

Medium Difficulty
-----------------
1.  Call for Backups for Positions.
2.  Call for Volunteers for Incorporation Committee.
3.  Develop Usage Policy Statement.
4.  Sort out Publisher/Imprint Issue.
5.  Initiate/Review PubHouse/PubDetails Format Change.

High Difficulty
---------------
1.  Discuss Error List Improvement Options.
2.  Discuss and Plan 10th Anniversary Special Event.
3.  Discuss and Develop a Long-Term Plan for the Project.
4.  Discuss Revision of Indexing Format.


ITEMS DEPENDENT ON JON/OI AVAILABILITY
--------------------------------------

High Priority - Low Difficulty
------------------------------
1.  Add Ability for Others to Update GCD Main Page (or establish schedule).

High Priority - Medium Difficulty
---------------------------------
2.  Add Cover Delete Function for Editors.

High Priority -  High Difficulty
--------------------------------
1.  Establish Mirror Site.
2.  Develop the Role of Development Coordinator and Call for Volunteers.

Medium Priority - Low Difficulty
--------------------------------
1.  Update Copyright Year on Pages.
2.  Review and Update International Websites.

Medium Priority - Medium Difficulty
-----------------------------------
1.  Integrate Howard Keltner's Index.
2.  Add Reservation Delete Function.
3.  Add Cover Scan Uploader Credits.
4.  Add Multiple Cover Support.
5.  Review OI Phase II.
6.  Make Public Database Documentation.
7.  Mandate Keydates.
8.  Automate Ongoing Reservations.
9.  Link Cover/Issue Updates.
10.  Post Board-Viewable Board/Coordinator Contact List.
11.  Establish Flat-File FTP Site.
12.  Publish Articles on the GCD.
13.  Request Information through Promotion.

Medium Priority - High Difficulty
---------------------------------
1.  Switch to a Faster Backend for the Database.
2.  Create a Creator Checklist.
3.  Establish More Data Validation Routines.
4.  Develop More Administration Tools.
5.  Improve Search Options.
6.  Develop Feature-Linking for Reprints.
7.  Implement a Copy-Previous Function for Data Entry.
8.  Establish an Email Archive.
9.  Establish Default Settings for Sequences.
10.  Move Backend to Open Source Software (see #1).
11.  Revise Website Structure.

Low Priority - Low Difficulty
-----------------------------
1.  Establish Email Accounts for Board Members/Coordinators

Low Priority - Medium Difficulty
--------------------------------
1.  Add Reservation for Edits Function
2.  Update Website: Subscribing/Unsubscribing Functions
3.  Implement Web-Based Committee Updates
4.  Add On-Hold Function.

Low Priority - High Difficulty
------------------------------
1.  Enable Automated Text Imports.
2.  Establish New Routes to Unreserved Works.


If you've made it this far, my apologies.  ;)
Let's take this thing apart and build us a better, stronger, faster agenda
the BIONIC agenda!