2. This Semester I am collaborating with a small non-profit called PEOPLink I will be: Assisting in bringing the catalog generator portion of their OpenEntry e-commerce platform open source Contributing to the project, at this point in time mostly by building more professional looking templates for use
3. Why Open Source? The previous version of their catalog generator, CatGen, was actually open source Easier to get volunteers involved with the software Allows others to multiply the potential social benefit by forking the code for their own uses
4. PEOPLink PEOPLink seeks to use e-commerce as a poverty-reducing tool by: Linking fair trade SMEs (Small to Medium Sized Enterprises) to buyers Increasing fair trade profits that go to producers by cutting out middlemen Offices in Maryland and Nepal Dan Salcedo, CEO, runs the non-profit out of his home in Maryland The developers are based in Nepal, at a PEOPLink office with a manager
5. OpenEntry Two parts: Catalog generator Builds simple, template-based online catalogs The user end relatively easy to use Network markets Aggregators of OpenEntry catalogs Serves to provide greater validation for consumer trust Example: http://wftomarket.com/ (WFTO)
6. Calendar February (now) through end of April/Beginning of May Split semester into 6 two-week cycles Full semester schedule will come when the group agrees to my proposal
7. Cycle 1 Sunday 1/30/11 – Saturday 2/12/11 Tasks: Meeting with PEOPLink team to discuss project (Done) Code review for the catalog generator Work on learning the technologies (mainly GoogleAppsEngine) Specific Deliverables Due: Written proposal for PEOPLink Recommendations on code reorganization to cleanly split CG and NM code Project management utilities Open Source Licenses Blog posts explaining some of the details of PEOPLink’s goals as they relate to my recommendations
8. Cycle 1 Bonus tasks: Templates The group feels that although they have a lot of good functionality, the catalog templates are amateur looking and need some work I will be looking into creating some better templates This task is ongoing and will not come to fruition until later cycles Project Wiki This may not come to fruition until after the proposal is written Will have semester milestones, along with general information on the project
9. Thanks Professor Moorthy, for letting me make up last semester’s project this Spring David Doria, for constructive criticism Observatory Team, as Observatory looks amazing Sean O’Sullivan, for his support of the program
