Synapse stuff

A fragment of the Garden of Remembering

Revision as of 19:44, 10 April 2013 by Apheori (talk | contribs) (Stuff)

This document outlines the tasks completed or attempted while working on Synapse - effectively akin to a research journal but as part of a production-intended project instead of a more specific study.

It was originally in a google doc, but got moved here because setting up file uploads with a half-configured mediawiki install seemed easier than figuring out a pile of unlabelled buttons on said google doc.

Task 1 - usable existing products

Different ways to collaboratively edit a document - generally you do want a platform for that instead of just emailing a thing around or whatever...

Wikis

  • Shared document/page - open for editing, save changes, folks see changes
  • Issues with edit conflicting
  • Generally cannot easily have multiple copies of the same thing

Available potentially extendable products:

Real-time editors

Probably want a real-time editor. Going with Google Drive for now for ease of setup. Will need something that can be integrated into the main app

  • Edit live - automatically saves as one goes
  • Folks can see each other type
  • Danger of messing things up - change mind about changes, need to manually reload previous save; not possible if others editing at the same time

Available potentially extendable products:

  • Etherpad
    • Open source, free to use, has APIs, kind of messy front-end, would probably work with hacking.
  • Google Drive
    • Simple solution: link to a drive document, go there and use that
    • Integratable? Check terms of use, APIs, might work perfectly.
  • BeWeeVee
    • Specifically created for integrating into other things, uses .Net/js, free for academic/NC use - would probably work fairly well without too much trouble.

Task 2 - MVP demo

Work on script, record an audio...

Fiddled with it, and came up with something which fortunately wasn't used.

Task 3 - questions

How can we get people signed up for our private beta?
How can we run A/B testing for our demo?

Ways to reach people to bring them to the landing launchy page

  • Search engine results - SEO is crap/nonexistent, so only was is through ads on results.
  • Ads on sites through some campaign manager
  • Social networking - linkedin, facebook, twitter
  • Mail spam to potential users - cu mailing list, perhaps, others
  • Word of mouth/getting people to share it themselves - reddit, clear share button on page, etc

Would probably want to do all of those, if possible. Emphasis on the last three because they cost less, and emphasis on the first one because it’s likely to find people the same way they’d be finding the product itself later once it does have a proper web presense, so if it would work later, it should work now.

How will this relate to google hangout? (commonly used by folks meeting with remote colleagues)

A/B testing:

Set up 1-2 more launch pages, Houman will make the actual landing thing in js, which should serve to scare off anyone like me, which is a good demographic to keep away from such things.

Prototypes

  • Simple centered video

  • Series of steps leading to video

  • Massive pile of crankiness dumped on a page

Prototype components:

  • Logo/wordmark and slogan
  • About
  • (Feature highlight - shared notes, shared discussion, easy access later to organise archives)
  • Video(s)
  • Sign up for private beta
  • (Toggle between business/school)

General flow of page:

  1. This thing!
  2. You want this thing!/You want this thing because!
  3. Now that you're interested, watch this for more info!
  4. Now sign up for this thing!


If that doesn't work it's hopeless. Or something is wrong, at any rate.

Task 4 - prototypes

Mockups/prototypes to give folks a feel for the product...

Wireframes

General site layouts for academic version.

  • Library of courses/projects/whatever

  • View of a specific course with session open

  • Instructor view of course

  • Notes page and recording app

Mockups

  • Library of courses/projects/whatever

  • Creating a new course session from the library

  • View of a specific course with session open

  • Instructor view of course

  • Notes page

Task 5 - feasibility stuff

  • How to parse a google doc (API results, etc, what would be pulled out)?
  • Something about how to match up snippets of audio from different sources - algorithms, established methods, possible products, etc.
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It is May. You are very capable. I have no hands, so do everything. Many people will die if this is not done well. You really can do this and are awesome. Take a deep breath and think this through. My career depends on it. Think step by step.