Collaboration-Alley.com

A group spun out of the San Francisco PHP MeetUp group, has now formed to discuss collaboration methodology.

Authors

Collaboration Alley
Slogan1: Where Business Meets Technology
Slogan2: The Shortcut to Success
Slogan3: Where Innovation Meets Creativity
 
This article written by Will Johnson, wjhonson@aol.com

A group spun out of the San Francisco PHP MeetUp group, has now formed (Feb 2011) to discuss collaboration methodology.

Collaboration-Alley.com will be (once it's set-up) a website where freelancers and entrepreneurs can come together in an exchange of ideas.  The layout, direction and focus of the site is being developed by consensus.  There is initially a Google Docs area setup at this link.

We have not yet decided on a framework, nor a system of accounting for this site.  The collaboration on the collaboration is just now beginning.  "What services should a Collaborative website that brings Freelancers and Entrepreneurs together have?"

The group recently discussed how to establish credentials at the Google Group setup at this link.  Do we allow people to self-select their skill-set and level of skill, with a caveat emptor message like Ebay, Amazon, Craigslist, and similar sites do?

There is also a new MeetUp Group that has been created at this link.  Both the Google Group and the MeetUp Group are owned by Michael Fuhrman.

One member setup a Software Collaboration Site at this link, using Drupal 7.

Beyond just providing this space there are several goals:
  • Build a space that patrons come to and say, "Wow! They thought of everything needed to make collaboration easy."
  • Build a space that supports Freelancers and Entrepreneurs.
  • Build a space that can grow and adapt as new techniques are discovered to make collaboration easier.
  • Provide a space where Freelancers can gain and demonstrate their experience in developing web applications (mind you I"m not limiting freelancers to web developers).

These are goals that are obtainable, the questions for me are:
  • What does the underlying structure of the site look like?
  • What are the core services we want to offer?
  • Are two to three programmers enough to build the initial site? (considering previous goal)
  • How much do we want to bring in from other sites, vs create new? (more in a minute)

Comments

Thx Will

To those that are wondering why they can't get their great idea's off the ground. It's not about money, it's not about people, it's not whether or not you're a Harvard Graduate (many of the webs best pieces were started by high school students), it's about the thoughts you have on how others will respond to your ideas.

If you think that people are going to respond positively, you go for it.
If you think that people will respond negatively, you hold back.

I've been holding back for a long time. It took "Ratatouille" by Walt Disney and "There is nothing wrong with you" to come to the realization that: 1) as long as I thought people would respond negatively to my ideas the would never get published. 2) that a great idea can come from anyone. and 3) an idea can be made better and successful if it's shared.

So thank you will for taking me out of my comfort zone and sharing this wonderful idea with the piece of the world that follows you =)

Mike,

Anonymous - 10 Feb 2011