August 2005 - Koha-devel - lists.koha-community.org

Re: [Koha-devel] Website Homepage
by Thomas D 03 Aug '05

03 Aug '05

1. PROBLEM What were the winks for exactly? The salient difference that I see is , aside from the derivation of koha, is that Joshua has substituted "software providers and library and technology staff" for "volunteers" in the original. Is 'volunteers' the concept at which the library professionals were winking? I would suggest that the colour scheme, graphics, and other elements of appearance are as likely to contribute to contribute to the 'homebrew' impression as the actual text. There is an aspect of the graphics adjacent to the Koha logo images that does seem a little out of place for a significant application intended to reliably run the most vital operations of a library. The way that the "download koha" balloon is presented on the home page is one example. The way the logo image at the bottom with the background colouration and hard outline edges appears disjointed from the page at the bottom of the home page is another example. I would not expect the graphical presentation to be adjusted until it is presented as part of a coherent new website design. People's expectation of web page appearance has been corrupted by the glut of poorly designed corporate websites and their imitators. High bandwidth consumption as an advertisement for shareholders at the expense of functionality and usability is a distinguishing characteristic of far to may corporate websites. Thankfully, that problem does not plague any Koha related website. I have noticed a form of possible redundancy in the original. Although, perhaps it is clarifying redundancy. When is an OPAC not a catalogue? 2. REVISED TEXT I would suggest the following amendment of of your proposed text with the consideration that Chris had suggested for HLT. My suggestion tries to provide a minor feature summary and compelling motivation for adopting Koha. The importance of development options in addition to installation and support is emphasised. There would certainly be better ways to convey this information in a new website design. This is my brief attempt at the current one. 2.1. BODY <h1><span class="heading">Koha </span> (Maori for 'Gift') is the first open-source Integrated Library System (ILS).</h1> <p> Developed initially in New Zealand by Horowhenua Library Trust and Katipo Communications Ltd. and first deployed in January 2000.  It is currently maintained and continuously developed by a team of software providers and library technology staff from around the globe.  Koha offers a full-featured ILS including integrated acquisitions, cataloguing, online public access catalogue (OPAC), circulation, and administration modules.  Koha is multilingual and uses MARC 21, UNIMARC, or non-MARC records.  It contains integrated Z39.50 client and server services.  It supports the latest advances in patron accessiblity and self checkout circulation.  It is fully customisable from template options down to every line of open source code.  New features are being added constantly.  Control the power and freedom of Koha and open source software yourself at your library.  Do not be dependent on one vendor.  Available for free download and free use at your library.  Many installation, support, and feature development options are available from providers locally and internationally. </p> <h1>that's right ... it's free</h1> <p> Koha is released under the <a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html">GNU General Public License</a> and is available to <a href="/download/">download</a>. </p> <p> If you would like a quote for <a href="/installation/support.html">installation and support, or additional feature development</a>; there are providers available throughout the world. </p> While there are modest overlaps at the end of my suggested first paragraph with the preexisting second paragraph, the emphasis is different. I do not believe that it is redundant. Check the existing tags. The current paragraph tags do not have valid opening and closing tags which is not a significant problem for browsers. My valid tags may not provide properly rendered spacing. I would also suggest removing the possible implication that Koha may be difficult to install from the final paragraph. It might be depending on the installer and the system but the installation script works quite well aside from some minor glitches and the installation process is well documented. <p> We've put up a <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/koha/">Koha store</a>, so that even if your library is not ready for Koha yet, you can still wear it proudly. </p> 2.2. SPELLING AND USAGE CONVENTIONS Whether international (British) English or American English spelling and usage is used, I have no definite preference. The IFLA uses and international English as do many international bodies including the UN in New York. I presume that people at Katipo and Horowhenua Library Trust use New Zealand English spelling and usage. My own preference, as a US national, in my own use is for international English where that seems generally appropriate and American English where that seems appropriate following Fowler's example. Sidewalk is a more sensible contemporary term than pavement when most roads in well developed countries have been paved. American English spelling and usage dominates widely exchanged computer applications and the internet. I use program for computer applications but programme for events. I also follow the sensible practise of using spelling that is the same in a maximum number of dialects, when appropriate. I use dramatic arts instead of theatre or theater, when appropriate. American English spelling and usage have increasingly tended to dominate library science. The initiative and greater financial resources of the Library of Congress have brought the world's largest library, MARC, and Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). DDC, like Library of Congress Classification, is also US based. Many other examples could be given of American English dominance in library science. UDC uses international English but is less detailed and less well updated than DDC. Other English language subject thesauri competing with LCSH and based on more carefully considered designs have fallen out of use and been replaced by LCSH; because of the high cost of maintaining competing thesauri and disadvantage from the greater difficulty of international cooperative record exchange and use with multiple thesauri. While international English spellings are included in LCSH authority records as references, the American English form is the authorised form. American English has become the dominant English dialect for the exchange and interoperation of library records in English and the point to which major non-English systems have been paired. 2.3. HEADER Whatever spelling and dialect choice is taken alternate spelling and language forms for important terms should be include at least in the keywords meta tag. <meta name="keywords" content="Koha, ILS, acquisitions, cataloging, cataloguing, online public access catalog, on-line public access catalog, online public access catalogue, on-line public access catalogue, circulation, administration, MARC 21, UNIMARC, Z39.50, open source, GNU, customisable, customizable, templates"> I will leave it for others to suggest what would be appropriate keywords for other languages than for me to use mistaken forms outside my native language. Thomas D Quoting Joshua Ferraro <jmf(a)liblime.com> : > ---------------- Beginning of the original message ------------------ > > Hi all, > > I propose that we immediately replace the first paragraph on > the > Koha homepage. I've gotten several winks from library > professionals > that the current language makes Koha sound like a homebrew > project > rather than an enterprise-level ILS. > > Here's what I propose: > > Koha (Maori for "Gift") is the first open-source Integrated > Library > System (ILS). Developed initially in New Zealand by Katipo > Communications > Ltd. and first deployed in January of 2000, it is currently > maintained > by a team of software providers and library technology staff > from around > the globe. Koha offers a full-featured ILS including a > catalog, OPAC, > circulation, cataloging and administration components. > > etc ... > > How does that sound? > > -- > Joshua Ferraro VENDOR SERVICES FOR OPEN-SOURCE > SOFTWARE > President, Technology migration, training, maintenance, > support > LibLime Featuring Koha > Open-Source ILS > jmf(a)liblime.com |Full Demos at http://liblime.com/koha > |1(888)KohaILS > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > SF.Net email is sponsored by: Discover Easy Linux Migration > Strategies > from IBM. Find simple to follow Roadmaps, straightforward > articles, > informative Webcasts and more! Get everything you need to get > up to > speed, fast. > http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=7477&alloc_id=16492&op=click > _______________________________________________ > Koha-devel mailing list > Koha-devel(a)lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/koha-devel > > ------------------- End of the original message --------------------- --------------------------------------------- Protect your mails from viruses thanks to Alinto Premium services http://www.alinto.com

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opac-user & opac-userdetail
by Paul POULAIN 02 Aug '05

02 Aug '05

Hi, in opac, there is opac-user & opac-userdetail perl scripts. They seem to be highly similar, except that opac-user has more informations it seems (current reserves & history, fines & debts) Note that opac-userdetail don't work in css templates, as opac-userdetails.tmpl is undefined. BUT : NPL uses opac-userdetail.pl & has a .tmpl so, should we drop opac-userdetail & use opac-user or did I miss something ? -- Paul POULAIN Consultant indépendant en logiciels libres responsable francophone de koha (SIGB libre http://www.koha-fr.org)

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Patron controlled passwords
by Joshua Ferraro 02 Aug '05

02 Aug '05

Hi all, I just committed some code that Andres sent me: opac-passwd.pl opac-passwd.tmpl and one line to opac-user.tmpl This script allows a patron to change their password from the OPAC. The template needs to be translated into English and merged into HEAD. Cheers, -- Joshua Ferraro VENDOR SERVICES FOR OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE President, Technology migration, training, maintenance, support LibLime Featuring Koha Open-Source ILS jmf(a)liblime.com |Full Demos at http://liblime.com/koha |1(888)KohaILS

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Business Readiness Rating
by Joshua Ferraro 02 Aug '05

02 Aug '05

Hi all, Check out: http://www.openbrr.org/ "Business Readiness Ratings (BRR) is being proposed as a new standard model for rating open source software. It is intended to enable the entire community (enterprise adopters and developers) to rate software in an open and standardized way." We'll have to see how widely this proposed standard is adopted, but in the meantime, there are some very good points made in the White Paper (http://www.openbrr.org/docs/BRR_whitepaper_2005RFC1.pdf) about the characteristics of a mature open source project. We're doing pretty well but there are areas where we could improve. Cheers, -- Joshua Ferraro VENDOR SERVICES FOR OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE President, Technology migration, training, maintenance, support LibLime Featuring Koha Open-Source ILS jmf(a)liblime.com |Full Demos at http://liblime.com/koha |1(888)KohaILS

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thanks for your bug reports
by Paul POULAIN 02 Aug '05

02 Aug '05

Hi Tumer, I just want to thank you for your bug reports : very clear, and usually with the solution. Don't hesitate to continue "bugging" us ;-) I go back to solve 1009 ;-) -- Paul POULAIN Consultant indépendant en logiciels libres responsable francophone de koha (SIGB libre http://www.koha-fr.org)

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Bug Squash Meeting Summary
by Joshua Ferraro 01 Aug '05

01 Aug '05

Present: paul hdl thd owen kados We started with 60 bugs (paul had already fixed 5 before the meeting) and ended with 54 bugs. For the entire meeting see the IRC log at koha.org/irc. The following assignments were made: paul 975: serials : renewal of a subscription 790: opac search on 'the' gives internal server error 992: Suggestions doesn't check wether a biblio exists 943: pb accentuations LDAP <=> KOHA 958: Field "notes" becomes empty at receipt 1009: Not all items mapped to MARC 680: Intranet doesn't allow linking of subject headings 1008: Long MARC breaks KOHA 892: data in a closed order appear differently than data before c hdl: 1001: Issuing Rules Error 961: Error message, when deleting an authority kados: 670: "Waiting" status often inaccurate 933: Cancel process results in untemplated dialogue 849: Error when generating barcodes 185: Barcode not auto-calculated when autobarcode is on 836: $auto_install error 682: Move HTML out of addbiblio.pl (WILLNOTFIX) create "authority" in the components on the Koha Bug Tracker owen: 585: Using 'document.forms[0]' notation prevents use of other for 1005: mouse's click doesn't work in submit button 885: Non-ISO8859-1 charset support broken in CSS theme in 2.2 slef: 1002: Error in bulkmarcimport indicates possible permissions probl 984: Bug in installer appears to not correctly escape password chris: 426: Reserving a book (with a reserve fee) results in a hostile m 864: Subject search results not limited, show all results 995: Group Maintenace Looks like it should do something but it do Cheers, -- Joshua Ferraro VENDOR SERVICES FOR OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE President, Technology migration, training, maintenance, support LibLime Featuring Koha Open-Source ILS jmf(a)liblime.com |Full Demos at http://liblime.com/koha |1(888)KohaILS

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Acquisitions Group Meeting
by Joshua Ferraro 01 Aug '05

01 Aug '05

Hi all, I spoke with HDL today on IRC about Koha's Acquisitions. There are a few concerns: Short-term: 1. Koha's current Acquisitions modules appear to be broken (HDL can expand on this) 2. Koha's simple acquisitions is too simple (does not include budget management for instance) Long-term: 3. Koha should support standards for Acquisitions like EDI, WDDL, SOAP or Web Services. I propose that we discuss fixing Koha's current solutions for the 2.2.x series and also discuss the long-term solution that we hope will be in 3.0 if we can find a sponsor for the development. So who has a vested interest in Koha's Acquisitions asside from HDL and myself? What ideas do you have? When we get some responses we can decide on a meeting time and I'll put together an agenda. Cheers, -- Joshua Ferraro VENDOR SERVICES FOR OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE President, Technology migration, training, maintenance, support LibLime Featuring Koha Open-Source ILS jmf(a)liblime.com |Full Demos at http://liblime.com/koha |1(888)KohaILS

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