h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is Mrs Zen.

Last Tuesday (the 20th) Robbie and I finally agreed that what I do is called "Operations" so I created this account.



This is a MAJOR step forward; a lot of what was holding the team back was not having a place on h2g2 as a hub for what we are doing. It seems a bit pathetic to say that, but it became difficult to draft help pages, recruit volunteers and get things under way. And it was the same day that Mala's smiley was launched, and what better smiley could this Account use?

After I wrote the U-Page, I created a page on Thursday (the 22nd) to host the organisaton charts I've been working on off and on forever. These are here: A87730833. You'd be amazed how many versions they've been through already. The first incarnations were the family-tree style thing in Power Point, but that didn't really explain who did what, it was impossible to read (teeny-tiny writing). Besides which, PowerPoint isn't really a diagramming too. It wasn't until I put the columns in that the diagrams started to work, and it wasn't until I split them in two that they became usable. And then I had to track down a tool to create them in. They're blissfully easy to update though. Me likes.

Then Christmas. Rellies. Pressies. Wellies. Messes.

These past three days I've been working on

a way of making the <./>feedback</.> pages saner (comments from the other volunteers are due later in January on that one, there'll be an Announcement when anything actually changes)

guidance, help pages and how-tos for community discussions (another massive chunk of work, but hopefully worth putting in the effort now to get it right for the long run).

the timing and details of the Announcement for this account and the Org Charts help page (do we Announce it now when everyone is a way but I've got the time to do the work, or do I hold off working till I'm back at my day job in January?)



(Tea is very important to the Operations team....)



Mu Beta seems to be willing to join Milla and me as part of the Operations team, so the other thing I've been doing is thinking about how we should share the work-load and work as a team.

So there you are, the first week's work from the newest Italics account.

Kewl!

I seemed to be willing as well.

Though I think you'll find that I drink and ..

*still snailing along on the features and enhancements list*

Well, today I've set up a google group for the Operations Team so we can actually talk to each other.

Woot Woot!

I've also spent a long time (an hour or so?) composing an email about the mechanics of how the Community will be represented on the Board of Not Panicking Ltd and the HHGG Foundation, listing what's already agreed and which details still need to be discussed and finalised. SO MANY bloody details - the is welcome to them. Bastard.

I've also been chasing up some @h2g2.com email addresses and I am still Thinking about the To Do list for the Ops Team. Should it be a spreadsheet? Should it be on Google Docs?

Spreadsheet on google docs is with me!

I had better put it up then.

Does cleaning the Zennery count as doing things for h2g2? Presumably not! Oh well.

In the meantime, I have checked all the @h2g2.com email addresses and created a tracking sheet so hopefully none will go astray in the future. Not a big task, but the first week of October was insane, if you remember, so no surprise we didn't do a tracking sheet then. It turns out there are fewer than I thought, which is probably a good thing. We are waiting for Brian to come back from his incredibly well-earned break to make some updates.

I've been thinking about a way to improve qotd. It's one of those improvements that makes no visible difference but might make some folks' lives a bit easier each week.

I've also been thinking about checklists for adding and removing Senior Volunteers. However, these sort of checklists and processes are fairly low down the To Do list; most of them are common sense, after all.

I am still putting my pennyworth into the work on the mechanics of representing the community on Not Panicking Ltd and the Foundation. It's something we've been asked about already, so of course there will be a full set of help pages when the ducks are in a row, and that's the bit I am working on.

So the next thing for me to do today is to drag out my To Do List, tidy it up, and get it over onto Google Docs so Milla, Mu Beta, Z and I can look at it, say ooohhhhhh my goooooodnessss, and start running. Or nurring.

Then back to work tomorrow. Meh.



Ben

Hah! Tuesday is Core Team Meeting Night, but Z and I were in darkness. The 19thC is a cosy place to spend an evening, but it didn't have the Internet.

Wednesday we were late because the power didn't come back on until well into the evening. When it did, I spent catching up in the Skype transcript of the Core Team call, sending some emails and making some works-in-progress available to reviewers on Google Docs.

I'm trying to work out how best to manage the final sanity-checking of the drafts of the <./>Feedback</.> pages; should I send them out to a group of people or should I send them out to individuals...?

Tonight did another round of summarising the Core Team and Senior Volunteers' discussions so far on the mechanics of how the Community will be represented on the Board of Not Panicking Ltd and the HHGG Foundation. We're a gabby lot, and it's important we identify what we agree on and make sure it's legal as well as workable. This one will run and run. Or possibly nur and nur.

Hopefully that's me hootoo'd until next week now. I am aiming at no more than three nights per week and no more than one day per weekend on hootie-volunteering.

Ben

Note to self: email mod tool designs to team leader.

Email sent.

Did nothing online for h2g2 on Saturday, but Z and I wouldn't be human if it had not been a topic of conversation during our trip to Newcastle and back. It was good to get away from the PCs and actually spend time together.

This evening I am doing some prep for the Core Team call on Tuesday.

Skype?

Monday -

wrote weekly report for Core Team call
prepared the Ops Teams terms of reference / job description for the Core Team
discussed what he's working on with Mu Beta

Tuesday -

Core Team call
Sent a couple of emails

My memory's fading, I can't remember what I did when this week.

Wednesday was my night off. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday have been rather bitty; working on improvements to a number of behind-the-scenes processes, putting documents on Google Docs for other volunteers to comment on, sending and receiving emails, that sort of thing. But Z and I also made sure we got time to ourselves and time with friends.

Mrs Zen

The previous post is dated "Last Week" so I am not sure which day it was posted.

I am still working on

the processes for the Feedback pages
the processes for the volunteer teams working with the community
information for publishing elsewhere about h2g2's unique and rather cool structure

Z and I are both working on

the structures of the community's not for profit company

Mu Beta's working on

market research
volunteer processes

Milla's working on

the wish-list for the next code release

Milla is gearing up to have a chat with some other people about the wish list And wondering if they are all happy to do that...

PS is a bit updated, some pieces removed.
And FRL is Incorporated! Next phase starts!
Milla

Updated the page again.
Geggs has been with us for a couple of months running the QOTD, but it's now as a regular part of the page, and not an update.
Happy Nerd - Communications is now part of the Operations team, and as a separate team.

Milla

And *not* as a separate Communications team...

Page update:
Sad news, Happy Nerd has left her volunteer roles.
Good news, Mr603 is handling the social media accounts, making sure h2g2 is well visible.

Milla