Search interface on IUN.edu

I read this interesting article this morning. Very informative and commendable. We all have the ideas in our head but to read it in a well laid out process is invaluable.  Here is the link:

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/the-3-steps-for-success-in-a-multidevice-search-world

Some of the approaches discussed is not new to me. Check out the homepage of IUN.edu. However over the search box on the right.

Featured is an ajax inspired search box that allows users to search within the IUN domain, the IU Domain or do a people search with images.

Within Higher Education and information security issues, some of these implementation can be difficult to do.

Share your comments on the article from Seomoz’s input.

Source: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/tools-to-coding-online/

Source and inspiration:http://techpresident.com/news/wegov/23261/despite-some-glitches-ghanas-introduction-biometric-voting-system-widely-viewed-success

Following the successful implementation of the Bio metric Voting System in Ghana (2012 election),
a question and proposal for a what if scenario discussion at an IT conference set me thinking.

If a developing  country has been able to achieve a level of success with this technology, does that mean that this is ready for prime time and can be used for all user types and environments?

The obvious challenges are:

• Secrecy – so people can’t find out how you voted
• Privacy – so people can’t stand over your shoulder at the ballot box and coerce you
• Accountability – so votes can be verified
• Authenticity – so that the voting services can verify you are who you say you are
• Uniqueness – so people can only vote once
• Accuracy – so votes are recorded correctly
• Reliable – so that it works the same from one place to another
• Flexible – so that the voting system can be applied to small and large elections and different geographies such as dense cities and rural towns
• Convenient – so people can vote at different times
• Cost-effective – so it is affordable
  source:

What is the Tech Challenge to this proposal?

As it is said, this is a process who’s time has come. How this is implemented on an Association, Nation or even Planetary level remains to be seen.

Comments and feeback welcome

The quick facts:

Project commencement and kick off: November 21, 2011

Project Scope  and goals:

1. Modern compatible website ( browser, OS, mobile)
2. Meets Web 2.0 standards
3. Utilize Cascade Server efficiently
4. Utilize social media presence
5. Standardize and simplify content as appropriate
6. Eliminate duplication of content
7. Efficiently incorporates images and videos
8. Easy to change and update regularly, utilizing change management such as approvals, workflows and sun setting of content
9. Authorization handled by CAS with granular access rights that allow for accountability
10. Use data in decision process, including monthly tracking of web usage and trends
11. Develop and effective support and training process
12. Streamline web help desk functions by implementing a Lead Content Manager and Content Manager Model for Medium to large websites.

Achievements:

124 major websites migrated into new and improved template

32 websites in secure sites

Total output in 1.5 years = 156 websites

Team member numbers:  3 fulltime, 9 partime.

Total Man hours ( estimated): 7,776

Number of Project meetings: every Wednesday during  summer and every other Wednesday during winter.

FY13 Budget Process Summary- Chancellor William Lowe – “The campus web site is an essential tool for the achievement of any of IU Northwest’s academic or strategic priorities. We will commit $100,000 of cash in FY13″.

Notable Sites:

• Boxed Content for information and organization – http://www.iun.edu/library/

• Metro style, focus on student activities and portal for all things student:http://www.iun.edu/student-affairs/

• Neat and effective Back-end Architecture

Source:http://www.usertesting.com/blog/

1.Break down the silos – Reach out to your colleagues in the other disciplines — developers, marketers, product managers, content creators and strategists, even QA — bring them into the product conception process. You’d be amazed at how much insight your colleagues can provide on a variety of topics.

2. Sketch. A lot. Together – Ideas are useless when they live only in your head. As a designer you’re used to having your ideas visually articulated. Extend this tool to the rest of your team. Get their ideas, hopes and dreams for the product out of their heads and on to paper or a whiteboard.

3. Focus on outcomes, not outputs – Give your team a feature to implement and you tap their execution skills. Give them a problem to solve — with clearly stated success metrics — and you tap their creative and innovation skills. Teams that feel trusted to come up with their own solution are far more motivated to create successful products

4. Conduct research together, as a team (yes, even the developers) – Ever played a game of telephone? When the last couple of people get the phrase whispered in their ear it’s usually a ridiculous far cry from where it began (“I love you” becomes “elephant shoe” and so on). When a team outsources its research (even to an internal research team) a game of telephone ensues.The researchers speak with customers. They then write up their findings along with their own biases (regardless of whether appropriate or not for them to do). Their report is read by the UX team who then translates it for the rest of the product team. By the time the rest of the team hears the results of the testing the core messages have been watered-down, embellished, and editorialized.

5. Build, maintain and use a (live) style guide – Running quick experiments to find the best solution to your business problem requires a ready-made set of building blocks that enable the team to approximate new experiences and workflows quickly. Style guides provide just this. If it’s made of pixels it goes into the style guide. Define every element of your interface that currently exists — down to the drop-down menus and button corner radius. Get this done and out of the way. Create a repository of design and code assets available (and up to date) to anyone on the team. Have the team use these assets to create prototypes that can then be quickly tested.

Comment from Tony G:

See my notes from Book Report on Applied Project Management, Andrew Stellman & Jennifer Greene (Oreilly) on similarities of the themes exposed in the above. To summarize, the authors  write the following concerning managing teams:

1. Tell everyone the truth all the time
2. Trust your Team

3.Review everything, Test Everything

4.*All Software Engineers are created Equal

5.Doing the Project Right Most Efficiently and Effectively.