00:06:12 <camm> #startmeeting
00:06:12 <zodbot> Meeting started Tue Sep 29 00:06:12 2015 UTC.  The chair is camm. Information about MeetBot at http://wiki.debian.org/MeetBot.
00:06:12 <zodbot> Useful Commands: #action #agreed #halp #info #idea #link #topic.
00:06:38 <camm> This is out first Stage 3 meeting for the Ushahidi group
00:06:46 <camm> ugh, typo in the first message
00:07:01 <camm> So let's do a roll call
00:07:08 <camm> Cam Macdonell - MacEwan University
00:07:23 <JDehlinger> Josh Dehlinger - Towson University
00:07:29 <docrea> Alan Rea - Western Michigan University
00:07:33 <lorip> Lori Postner - Nassau Community College
00:08:08 <camm> Hi Robert
00:08:27 <camm> just in time for roll call, let's do that one more time
00:08:28 <rcduvall_duke> Hello all
00:08:33 <camm> Cam Macdonell - MacEwan University
00:08:47 <rcduvall_duke> Robert Duvall - Duke University
00:09:05 <lorip> Lori Postner - Nassau Community College
00:09:28 <docrea> Alan Rea - Western Michigan University
00:09:37 <JDehlinger> Josh Dehlinger - Towson University
00:09:55 <camm> awesome, thanks everybody
00:10:28 <camm> #topic Courses we're thinking of using Ushahidi for
00:11:02 <camm> So, I use Ushahidi in Software Engineering, a junior/300 course
00:11:29 <rcduvall_duke> I am thinking of using it for a senior level capstone course
00:11:34 <docrea> I plan on using it next Spring in my Mobile Commerce Development. It's a senior course for Android Development.
00:11:40 <lorip> I am hoping to use the Ushahidi apis in my Mobile App Development class/sophomore year/200 level
00:12:31 <JDehlinger> i am currently using it as a part of an independent study class with 2 students to adapt into one of our existing citizen science projects
00:12:41 <camm> great
00:13:07 <JDehlinger> and, planning on using a small assignment in a software design/architecture in a graduate-level software engineering class later this semester
00:13:10 <lorip> JDehlinger: what is an existing citizen science project?
00:13:15 <camm> JDehlinger: since you're the (only) one currently using it, can I ask you to elaborate a bit
00:13:50 <JDehlinger> sure
00:14:50 <JDehlinger> we have a sponsored project that developed ios/android apps as client to enable citizen scientists in maryland and virginia to report and map an invasive grass species - wayvleaf basketgrass
00:15:16 <docrea> Nice
00:15:22 <JDehlinger> we spent most of the effort over the last 8 months on the mobile apps and only a bit on the display/visualization side
00:16:01 <JDehlinger> the current, rough site - http://heron.towson.edu/wavyleaf/home/ - used CakePHP but was pretty terrible
00:16:12 <camm> were you aware of Ushahidi before starting the project?
00:16:34 <JDehlinger> unfortunately not
00:16:58 <JDehlinger> but, we are now making progress migrating over to Ushahidi v2
00:17:19 <camm> great
00:17:28 <lorip> why did you choose Ushahidi v2 instead of v3?
00:17:57 <JDehlinger> based on talking with Cam at the workshop and it seemed to provide more of the mapping/visualization stuff
00:18:43 <camm> Ya, I would go with v2 if I wanted something to work shortly
00:18:54 <camm> and/or work with mobile apps
00:19:06 <camm> V3 is still rather bleeding edge
00:19:39 <camm> and I don't think there is working mobile client for iOS/Android yet
00:19:48 <docrea> Indeed. I've been playing with both and I'm favoring v2 right now even for next semester. So unless v3 makes some major strides...
00:20:05 <JDehlinger> we already had php scripts on a sever for our mobile apps to connect to a database that we dont want to redo...so our students are looking at what we can do to keep what we have and use v2
00:20:08 <docrea> Of perhaps my class will want to write some of the mobile code for v3. I'm open to either.
00:20:42 <camm> I think v3 can be interesting for people interested in coding
00:20:56 <camm> for those interested in building a useful tool, v2 will be much more stable
00:22:06 <camm> that's great Josh, anything else to add?
00:22:37 <JDehlinger> not now...we hope something is up in the next 2-3 weeks
00:23:15 <lorip> shameless plug here - if you are developing course materials that are you piloting, please consider giving the foss2serve team a proposal for funding
00:23:31 <lorip> I'd be happy to help with the process and/or answer questions :)
00:23:33 <camm> there are Ushahidi v2 apps in both App Store and Google Play that users will be able to download and connect to your servers
00:23:58 <camm> yes, yes, take advantage of your citizenship and apply for funding :)
00:24:02 <rcduvall_duke> I assume if we are mostly interested in fixing bugs/making patches then v3 would be the better one to use.  Perhaps some easy issues could be saved until the Spring for students to work on?
00:24:03 <docrea> Thanks Lori. I was thinking about doing that.
00:24:19 <lorip> great!
00:24:44 <camm> rcduvall_duke: yes, if you have students who want to hack, then I would go with v3 since there will be lots to do
00:25:44 <camm> particularly on mobile since they could possibly be cutting new ground (not right for every student obviously)
00:26:17 <camm> welcome robert
00:26:20 <docrea> I have some advanced students who I might consider offering an ind. study to do tht.
00:26:29 <rsjodin> I had problems getting in.
00:26:46 <camm> no sweat, can you quickly introduce yourself
00:27:03 <rsjodin> Regis University
00:27:08 <rsjodin> Anything else?
00:27:12 <camm> name :)
00:27:20 <rsjodin> Details … Rob Sjodin
00:27:40 <camm> perfect, we also have Lori, Josh, Robert Duvall, Alan and me :)
00:27:48 <rsjodin> Great
00:28:18 <camm> We are just discussing courses we are targetting Ushahidi for
00:28:30 <camm> rsjodin: what course might you use Ushahidi in?
00:29:13 <rsjodin> Software Engineering, taught in the Fall (now), but I may be able to do something this Spring.
00:29:33 <camm> are you trying to incorporate Ushahidi this term?
00:29:38 <rsjodin> In an Mobile Phone course.
00:30:07 <rsjodin> No, not this term.  I’m actually doing something for Colorado Young Leaders.
00:30:14 <camm> right, I remember that
00:30:32 <rsjodin> Developing a Learn Management System for them in the SW Eng Course.
00:31:36 <rsjodin> But there’s a Mobile course this Spring, that perhaps we could target Ushahidi there.
00:32:17 <camm> Ok, so we have 3 people looking at Mobile Courses (Lori, Alan and Robert)
00:33:14 <camm> any other comments/questions related to courses?  I think that was a good initial discussion so far
00:33:46 <lorip> not at the moment, but I'm guessing I will in the next few weeks
00:34:13 <docrea> None right now, but I know I will have them.
00:34:33 <camm> yes, just keep in mind that there are other people working and I think it would be great
00:34:39 <lorip> at the moment I can get data from the Ushahidi api but am having trouble using it - need to play around more (and read more) before asking any questions
00:34:44 <camm> if those with overlapping interests ping eachother regularly
00:35:07 <camm> sure thing lorip
00:35:48 <camm> #topic my plan for the next 3 weeks regarding Ushahidi
00:36:08 <docrea> I'm definitely willing to have ideas/challenges bounced off me as long as they reciprocate.
00:36:31 <camm> awesome
00:36:33 <docrea> Even if they don't it's OK ;}
00:36:48 <lorip> my plan is to: figure out how to display lat/long info pulled from a map into an android app
00:37:45 <camm> are you trying to centre a map on a particular location, or plot long/lat points on a map?
00:38:13 <JDehlinger> my plan: develop a small assignment in software engineering to ask students look through U v3 design documentation and reflect/write about the architecture decisions
00:38:34 <lorip> that will be my second task - right now I need to figure out JSON - (Rob, your slides have been very helpful!)
00:39:04 <camm> lorip: ah, so you need to fetch the long/lat from the Ushahidi API?
00:39:12 <lorip> yes, that is my goal
00:39:21 <rsjodin> Normally I charge a lot of $$$$ for that, but for you guys is FREE  :)
00:39:30 <lorip> THANK YOU!
00:39:57 <camm> lorip: have you installed the Android version of Ushahidi?
00:40:21 <rcduvall_duke> My students will try to replicate our install experience and get something basic up and running.
00:40:27 <lorip> no (worried about sounding crazy), do I need to?
00:41:25 <docrea> Only if you want to pull up the results on a phone instead of a Web browser.
00:41:49 <docrea> I set it up in an AVD. It wasn't too much of a challenge.
00:42:02 <camm> lorip: you don't need to, you can use the API without it, but by trying out the Ushahidi android app it will show you what is possible
00:42:24 <lorip> ok, that makes sense
00:42:36 <camm> and it will have a map in it, so then you can look at the code and see how it does it
00:42:40 <lorip> docrea: any chance you have install instructions you'd be willing to share?
00:43:08 <camm> docrea: what is AVD?
00:43:15 <docrea> I can try to replicate what I did, but I don't have anything right now.
00:43:21 <docrea> Android Virtual Device
00:43:52 <lorip> docrea: was there something on the Ushahidi site that was helpful?
00:43:57 <docrea> You can run it from the Android Studio to emulate a phone instead of pushing it to an actual phone
00:44:05 <rsjodin> The AVD allows you to run the app in an emulator, along side the IDE.
00:44:09 <camm> lorip: do you have an Android phone?
00:44:33 <lorip> yes, all my students have Android tablet which we use as deployment devices instead of using an AVD
00:44:56 <camm> ok, so you can simply install Ushahidi from the Google Play store to play around with it as a first step
00:44:58 <docrea> There are some basic instructions on the Ushahidi site. I had to pull the code down from GitHub and do some tweaking so it's not plug and play unfortunately.
00:45:32 <camm> step 2 would be to build it from source off of github.com in Android Studio
00:45:36 <docrea> Having a device is even better. You would still need the Ushahidi app though.
00:45:48 <docrea> What Cam said.
00:45:50 <lorip> that's good to know - I'll try the app first
00:46:15 <camm> Ya, you will need to *point it* at a V2 installation to fetch data from
00:46:16 <docrea> lorip: Feel free to ping me with questions.
00:46:32 <lorip> docrea: that is appreciated, thank you
00:48:05 <camm> here is a task for everyone: please join one of the Ushahidi community channels
00:48:24 <camm> they all "cross post" so it doesn't matter which you use
00:48:43 <camm> there is a gitter channel, IRC and others
00:48:55 <JDehlinger> will do
00:49:00 <rsjodin> yep
00:49:15 <camm> not Skype, that's a dead-end
00:49:34 <docrea> Can do.
00:49:46 <lorip> ok
00:49:50 <camm> Ok, time to wrap up - shall we meet 3 weeks from now?
00:49:57 <JDehlinger> works for me
00:49:57 <rsjodin> Yes
00:50:25 <camm> Ok, October 19th at 8pm EST
00:50:45 <rsjodin> Sounds good.
00:50:49 <docrea> Works for me.
00:50:59 <camm> great.
00:51:18 <camm> Any last questions?
00:51:34 <rcduvall_duke> I can do that
00:51:52 <lorip> I have a meeting that night - need to double check the time
00:52:21 <docrea> None from me. Thanks for leading us along Cam.
00:52:24 <lorip> it goes 'til 8:30 supposedly - I'll try to jump on late
00:52:43 <lorip> I'm good - thanks Cam
00:53:18 <docrea> Later all.
00:53:21 <camm> Ok, thanks for taking the time everybody, we will see you on October 19th at 8pm Eastern
00:53:23 <JDehlinger> night all
00:53:37 <rsjodin> Later
00:53:40 <lorip> bye
00:53:48 <rcduvall_duke> Thanks all
00:53:51 <camm> #endmeeting