14:34:52 <camm> #startmeeting
14:34:52 <zodbot> Meeting started Thu Jul 25 14:34:52 2013 UTC.  The chair is camm. Information about MeetBot at http://wiki.debian.org/MeetBot.
14:34:52 <zodbot> Useful Commands: #action #agreed #halp #info #idea #link #topic.
14:35:09 <camm> Good morning everyone
14:35:15 <monisha> hi all
14:35:19 <kwurst> I'm here.
14:35:21 <rebelsky> Good morning everyone.
14:35:36 <camm> #topic updates
14:35:58 <rebelsky> I've been busy, so I've mostly been relying on my students to get things done.
14:36:06 <kwurst> I'm embarrassed to say: None for me.
14:36:17 <camm> please, don't be embarrassed
14:36:22 <rebelsky> They have a draft of a simplified API ready.  They say "We've finished the API", but I have pages of critiques for them to deal with.
14:37:07 <camm> for students: first draft == done
14:37:09 <rebelsky> #link https://github.com/Grinnell-CSC207/textbook/tree/master/Ushahidi%20API Early release of the API
14:37:26 <monisha> my plan is to work on the specific assignments in the 2nd week of August
14:37:29 <rebelsky> The code will be moving.
14:37:33 <kwurst> rebelsky:
14:37:39 <kwurst> rebelsky: Cool!
14:37:47 <camm> rebelsky: have you got any feedback from the Ushahidi community?
14:38:03 <rebelsky> camm: That would require that I be more public with the Ushahidi community, and I haven't been.  (Time issues.)
14:38:20 <rebelsky> But that's a good recommendation.
14:38:51 <rebelsky> We were also able to snag a machine to host our local Ushahidi installations (including the ones the students are going to build in class) and get it a static IP address.
14:39:04 <kwurst> camm: I haven't lurked in any more Ushahidi meetings since that first one. Have there been more? How do I find out about when they will be?
14:39:30 <rebelsky> I didn't even lurk in the first one.  I'd appreciate hearing answers to KWurst's question, too.
14:39:30 <monisha> I've been lurking on the Ushahdi Skype community. I'm getting a clearer idea of what I want my students to do.
14:39:40 <camm> kwurst: send Heather (hleson@ushahidi.com) an email and she'll get you added to the email notification list
14:39:53 <rebelsky> Monisha: How did you set up to lurk on the Ushahidi Skype community?  (Sorry, I'm clueless about this stuff.)
14:40:02 <rebelsky> Do you just keep Skype open to a particular channel?
14:40:26 <monisha> Camm introduced me to Heather who added me to the Skype community
14:40:43 <kwurst> camm: OK. They only notifications I've gotten since then have been from Meetup. And the only one I saw there was a face-to-face meetup.
14:40:55 <rebelsky> Ok, emailing Heather needs to be on my to do soon list.
14:41:01 <monisha> when I log into Skype the Ushahidi chat automatically shows up - if it's on
14:41:07 <camm> rebelsky: once you're added, Skype will stay connected to the channel/conversation/whatever-skype-calls-it
14:41:26 <camm> it also logs what you've missed while disconnected
14:41:43 <monisha> that log is useful for catching up
14:42:05 <kwurst> I think Heather must have added me to have lurked in that first meeting, right? So, I should just be able to get on the Skype channel.
14:42:26 <monisha> I think so
14:42:49 <kwurst> I'm just not used to using Skype. It's not one of my usual apps. I rarely use it.
14:42:57 <camm> there's 3 chats: dev, user and mobile
14:43:17 <rebelsky> I'm in the same place as Karl.
14:43:29 <camm> other than chatting with long distance relatives, Ushahidi is my only skype usage
14:43:38 * kwurst checks to see if he even has Skype installed on his office computer...
14:43:56 <monisha> I typically use Skype for meetings and don't always have it on - I'm getting into the habit of opening it when I log onto my machine
14:44:07 * kwurst …and the answer is no...
14:44:21 * kwurst starts up a download of Skype..
14:45:10 <kwurst> monisha: Yeah, I guess I need to get into that habit.
14:45:30 <camm> monisha, rebelsky: when are your courses running that may use Ushahidi?
14:45:39 <rebelsky> Mine starts late August.
14:45:44 <kwurst> It may be familiarity, but I still prefer IRC to Skype.
14:45:55 <monisha> In Fall 2013 - classes start Aug 27
14:46:07 <rebelsky> So Monisha and I are about on the same timetable.
14:46:28 <rebelsky> I have draft assignments, but not in a form I want other people to see.  (They also depend on the API.)
14:46:30 <monisha> Oh cool. Then I can ask yo tons of questions as they come up :-)
14:46:38 <kwurst> And camm and I are both teaching with Ushahidi in Spring.
14:46:54 <rebelsky> And I'm trying to figure out if our Information Technology Services department has just undermined my ability to have the students to the "consulting project" that I envisioned.
14:47:19 <rebelsky> (We just got a draft policy that says, in essence, "No building Web sites for external clients.")
14:47:22 <monisha> My class runs every semester so hopefully I will be able to do this again in the Spring - learning from the fall experience
14:47:28 * kwurst is installing Skype...
14:47:51 <rebelsky> And again, I'm in the same place as Monisha.  Let's hope that this weekly chat will provide us with an opportunity to share ideas.  We may also want to use a mailing list.
14:48:51 <monisha> Mailing list is a good idea
14:49:26 <rebelsky> Or a shared 'blog :-)
14:50:33 <rebelsky> We've gotten quiet.  Do we want to set goals for next week?  Report on other things from this week?
14:50:36 * camm thinks about what's the best way...
14:50:44 <monisha> Blog sounds good too though I'm not so good with updating ...
14:51:07 <monisha> Also mailing list is "push" while wiki / blog are "pull"
14:51:31 <rebelsky> Blog with RSS is "push"
14:51:39 <rebelsky> (or can be push)
14:51:46 <rebelsky> But I agree with you that mailing list is probably better.
14:52:00 <rebelsky> So we can probably just use the group that Camm has been using.
14:52:05 <camm> My task for next week will be to come up with a plan of where to aggreate our work
14:53:01 <rebelsky> #info rebelsky task 1: Get on to Ushahidi dev list (and get one of my research students on the list)
14:53:09 <kwurst> I can make a mailing list for us on my personal domain if we don't have any other professional options. I don't think I have mailing lists set up on one of our servers yet.
14:53:35 <kwurst> Or, we can do a Google Group, I guess...
14:53:36 <rebelsky> #info rebelsky task 2: Revise the API and publicize to the list.
14:53:54 <camm> I'll chat with Ushahidi, *maybe* they'll let use their wiki, then people outside of OpenFE/POSSE might stumble across it
14:53:55 <monisha> I dislike Google sites
14:54:09 <monisha> I have not tried their groups in much detail
14:54:30 <kwurst> camm and monisha: I'm on Skype now. How do I see the Ushahidi channels?
14:54:35 <rebelsky> We're already using the foss2serve wiki, and I'd prefer to keep our stuff there.  (It's also probably better for the grant if we do that.)
14:55:26 <monisha> kwurst: I don't see the Ushahidi channel on Skype right now so probably Heather is not logged in
14:55:59 <camm> monisha, it should be there regardless
14:55:59 <kwurst> Oh, so it's tied specifically to a person. Not like in IRC where the channel exists all the time?
14:56:09 <camm> no, it's not tied to a specific person
14:56:23 <monisha> Hmm - then why do I not see it - I saw it earlier today
14:56:32 <camm> have a look under your "contacts"
14:56:57 * camm opens skype
14:57:16 <monisha> I found it under my "History" - it looks like it's inactive right now which is probably why it didn't pop up
14:57:40 <rebelsky> So it normally pops up automatically?  I'll guess that means we have to be enrolled.
14:57:46 <kwurst> All I see under contacts are camm, monisha, and heather. (And other people I've Skyped with before.) No channels...
14:58:03 <camm> kwurst: you were added to that single chat, not the general channel
14:58:29 <kwurst> Ok, so I need to contact Heather again.
14:58:39 <rebelsky> kwurst: There are a surprising number of Karl Wurst's on Skype.  Which one are you?
14:58:49 <kwurst> She asked if I wanted to be added, but I guess she forgot.
14:59:07 <kwurst> rebelsky: I'm karl.r.wurst
14:59:41 <rebelsky> kwurst: I'm srebelsky (although I think I may have another account, too).
15:00:10 <monisha> I saw a button to add contacts to the group - so I just did that - hope I didn't step on any toes ...
15:00:29 <kwurst> An Ushahidi channel just popped up for me...
15:00:39 <monisha> so it worked :-)
15:01:26 <rebelsky> Monisha: Did you add me, too?  I didn't see anything.  But I'm clueless on Skype.
15:01:37 <monisha> Not yet
15:01:47 <camm> kwurst: ya, you're not in the channel
15:03:38 <monisha> rebelsky: I just added you
15:03:41 <rebelsky> Wow!  The chat is up, with people chatting.  Cool.  Thanks!
15:03:53 <kwurst> OK, I see the Ushahidi Community General Chat, but it's showing old messages. I think it's populating this new install on my office machine with info from my account.
15:03:53 <monisha> BTW this is the General community chat not the dev list
15:05:17 <rebelsky> Mine seems to have messages starting about July 4 through now.  Latest was yesterday, plus two messages about Monisha adding us to the group.
15:05:20 <rebelsky> That seems way too easy.
15:05:20 <camm> kwurst: sometimes skype has a lag
15:05:39 <camm> skype is user-friendly, but it lags some of the other tools like meetbot
15:05:40 <monisha> rebelsky: that's what I see too
15:05:47 <kwurst> monisha: I see the same thing.
15:06:26 <rebelsky> So, is there a Skype API that we can use to write chatbots?  (Or, more precisely, that pnutzh4x0r can use to write chatbos?)
15:06:37 <monisha> I believe there is an open source conference that some of the folks are going to (- is that this week?)
15:06:55 <kwurst> So, what do we need to do to get on the other channels? Email Heather? Or can monisha add us to those too...
15:07:31 <monisha> I'm not on the others (wanted to get my feet wet first) so I guess we'll need to contact Heather.
15:08:10 <camm> kwurst: yes, heather can do that
15:08:31 <camm> I think I could add you, but my DNS is currently weird because I have a VPN to my University to access IRC
15:08:46 <camm> and skype doesn't seem to like it
15:09:13 <camm> #topic moving forward
15:09:32 <kwurst> camm: OK, I'll contact Heather about it. Although, I may do like monisha and just hang out here for a little while until I start actually playing with the code3.
15:09:35 <camm> I'd like to help Karl and Monisha get ready for the courses since there's are before mine
15:09:58 <camm> kwurst: lurking is totally cool
15:10:36 <monisha> camm: That would be great. I'm out of town next week but as soon as I get back I plan to start working on my assignments
15:10:39 <rebelsky> Camm: When is your course?
15:10:55 <rebelsky> It sounds like Monisha and I are both unavailable next week, so should our next meeting be in two weeks?
15:11:12 <camm> rebelsky: January-April 2014
15:11:41 <camm> Aug 8?
15:11:47 <monisha> August 8 works for me
15:11:51 <kwurst> I'll be away next week too. I can meet if we want to, but probably won't have anything to report.
15:12:00 <rebelsky> I may need to skip out on another meeting, but I'll do my best to be there.
15:12:05 * kwurst is checking calendar...
15:12:08 <rebelsky> Afteroon on the 8th would be better for me.
15:12:13 <monisha> day is currently open so let me know what time works for everyone
15:12:15 <camm> Afternoon is ok with me
15:12:15 <rebelsky> Whoops ... afternoon
15:12:57 <rebelsky> 3pm EDT, 2pm CDT, 1pm Mountain?
15:13:14 <monisha> Aug 8, 3 pm EDT works for me
15:13:17 <kwurst> I can't do the 8th, since I'll be at week-long Big Data introductory workshop.
15:13:29 <rebelsky> kwurst: That sounds fun.
15:14:03 <kwurst> rebelsky: Hopefully. It's being run by EMC, which is just a couple of towns away from here.
15:14:04 <rebelsky> So, rebelsky, camm, and monisha will meet on the 8th at 3pm EDT.  We'll try to get an email summary to kwurst.  Does that work for everyone?
15:14:18 <monisha> sounds good to me
15:14:32 <monisha> by then i hope to have some actual stuff to report / discuss
15:14:45 <rebelsky> Me too.  I'll also try to get some stuff out via email.
15:15:00 <camm> no worries, it's Summer after all
15:15:16 <rebelsky> Summer is often the only time to get real class prep work done.
15:15:34 <camm> especially new curriculum
15:15:53 <monisha> True - I've been busy with a couple of other research projects - one is wrapping up tomorrow
15:17:02 <camm> ok, shall I end the meeting, we'll meet again on Aug 8?
15:17:02 <rebelsky> I've been balancing two big class redesigns (this one and one for our intro course) with other research and with too much administrative stuff (a workshop on policy studies this week, a summer computing camp for middle school students next week, a workshop on portfolio assessment the following week).
15:17:11 <rebelsky> camm: ok with me.  Goodbye everyone.
15:17:17 <monisha> sounds good to me
15:17:23 <monisha> bye all
15:17:24 <camm> #endmeeting