Blogmeister Update: Notes for tonight's meeting

Hi all,
In an effort to consolidate my own free-floating OCD, here are the current projects I have underway:

1. Short term projects:
a. Automatize basic spreadsheet for immediate transference to the secretary. (75% finished)
b. Automate natural secretary points calculation (i.e., our monthly 2-point deductions) (25% finished)
c. Complete "Manual Override document (90%) and system (0%)
d. Complete "Monthly Non-Use" document (90%) and system (0%)
e. Add "Last minute cancellation" to the basic form.
f. Package "how to" documentation for the next secretary (video tutorial, pdfs, screen-shots, but more importantly, work-flow.)
g. Strategize about Blogmeister responsibilities moving forward - how to add and subtract new members, how to get the, oh, let's call it, meta-system sharable somehow (0%).

2. Longer term projects:
a. Completion of Beta complex spreadsheet and form (60%?)
b. Re-skin blog w/ 3-col format? Would lose my widgets!
c. Discussion Point: Ultimately, I think I will be able to get an "on-going" total of everyone's balances. This would enable us, if we like, of being able to base eligibility a bit differently than we usually do. Further down the road, it reduces yet another secretary task.
d. Need volunteers to work on documentation of all sorts. We need to figure out what would go here in our core rules section. Also if someone could put on their visionary thinking caps and think of the things we need that I'm not thinking of, that would be not only super for me, but would be safer and smarter for everyone.

3. Way Down The Yellow Brick Road:
a. Integrate all Google docs, forms and spreadsheets into a single application. Users would have accounts. Need coder/programmer, but not an expert one.
b. Auto-reminders to file sit reports and follow-ups.
c. Get really tight data validation.
d. Troubleshoot devices/phones.

Notes:
1. There's no point in having a system if no one ever wants a sit... come on, request people! I hope the technology hasn't been holding you back. I can always schedule the sit, just shoot me (or the future secretary) an email.
2. Need feedback, please.
3. How's the video library working out for you? I can see that seven people have seen the screencast about how to schedule a sit. Only a few have looked at anything else.
4. Schedule: No one's discussed a schedule, which is great, because while I'm motivated and happy to continue tinkering on this thing as long as necessary, I'm also grateful that I'm not working under a deadline. That said, I'm going to slow down work on it during summer, so I'd like to get the main bulk of my issues finished by June. Fingers crossed!

Beta new sit log, temp post

Do not be alarmed, this is all fake data. I'm testing. For real current point standings, look here.

Point Standings, March 2, 2010

Hello all,
I've done both versions of the accounting this month, the highly gratifying 5-minute online version, and the highly unsatisfying 90 minute paper version, and, happily, everything is the same both ways. Here are your current point standings:

Karen: -7
Jen: -9
Kevin: 5
Laura: -4
Celia: 3
Eric: 1
Bank: 23

You can look at the "deep math" here at the Sit Log. The form of the sit log will change slightly as I refine the sit report form and incorporate your feedback, but the basic idea is there. Note that Jen incurred a two point loss for non-use and that Celia and I still haven't paid ourselves from the bank for our bonus points.

Again, thank you for your patience over the last month - it seems like we are ironing out the final wrinkles, at least from the sitters' end. I hope to make the secretaryship stuff easier in the month ahead, but it would be great if you you guys could make sure that you've tried to schedule a sit. We haven't, as a group, identified who should be the correct person/s to submit a sit report, but it's kinda fun to try it (Celia's given it a whirl and it changed her life.) And please, if you have any suggestions or complaints, bring them to the meeting on Monday the 15th of March.

If anyone knows a programmer guru who would be willing to advise me for an hour, please send him or her my way!

Anyone find any fresh meat? We still need more members!!!