IT...

This document outline our current IT setup from an internal perspective, identifies core functions we require and explores alternatives.

We currently use:

  • Confluence (Using the open source license (free.) https://yunity.atlassian.net)
    • Good: Richly featured, pages (images + tables + bells & whistles) and hides complexity,
    • Bad: Proprietary, bigger than needed, handles white-space terribly,
  • Git (Used on various laptops.)
    • Good: OS, very-light, version-tracking
    • Bad: Local install, steep initial learning-curve for people unfamiliar with terminal
  • Github (Organization 'kanthaus'. https://github.com/kanthaus)
    • Good: Huge user base, nice UI/X, in-browser editing
    • Bad: Proprietary, must pay for private repos
  • Nextcloud (Shared folder and calendar, hosted by Matthias. https://nc.matthias-larisch.de/login)
    • Good: OS, simple, does plain-text, 'rich-text', calendar, contacts and task editing in-browser, different lin-permissions, simple 'syncing'
    • Bad: Self-hosted,
  • Slack (Mainly #wupphouse-wurzen. Using the Complimentary Nonprofit Standard plan (free.) https://yunity.slack.com)
    • Good: Richly featured, public and private channels, lots of nice yunity people already use it.
    • Bad: Proprietary, bigger than needed,
  • Etherpad (Temporary pads mostly through instances hosted by https://pad.riseup.net/ or https://pad.disroot.org/)
    • Good: OS, simple plain-text collaboration
    • Bad: Can't comment, no-linking between pads (loads of different links)
  • Google docs (Occasionally some forms, spreadsheets and presentations. Rarely word documents.)
    • Good: Richly-featured, plays well with other google docs, fine-grained permissions
    • Bad: Proprietary,
  • Foodsaving.world https://karrot.world/#/group/26
    • Good: Everything!
    • Bad: Nothing! Well, if you find something bad write a bug report/feature request/DIY.

Things we need:

  • To collectively access/edit/create plain text files
    • "I want to be able to quickly find the current version of the Constitution"
    • "I want to take notes for this meeting and store them where others can find"
  • To be able to chat simply without SMS/telephone
    • "Can you send me a link to that site you were telling me about?"
    • "Hi all, meeting notes from this morning can be found here: <URL>"

Things we want:

  • To collectively access/edit/create calendar events, contact entries, geo-data, spreadsheets and rich text.
  • To see version history of documents (e.g. the Constitution and Collective Agreements)
  • To have a semi-public chat-point and not alienate all the nice people on yunity Slack.
  • To have a

Aspects that should be optimized:

  • ease-of-use (e.g. should be non-nerd friendly, avoid the terminal, nice UX, etc,)
  • fewest separate applications,
  • OS (i.e. Libre and Open-source,)
  • Open-protocol (e.g. email, OStatus, XMPP, etc,)
  • free (i.e. $$$,)
  • Linux-friendly,
  • integrates well with (the) other applications,
  • hosted

Applications to consider:

  • Gitter.im https://gitter.im/
    • Quite easy to use, OS, Linux-friendly, integrates-well
    • Free: "Limited to 25 users per private room" https://billing.gitter.im/
    • Requires GitHub or Twitter account to log in right now, however "We ... will improve this by adding the ability to login with your GitLab.com account." (GitLab blog, 2017/03/15)
  • GitLab (Community Edition, self-hosted) https://about.gitlab.com/products/
    • Quite easy to use, OS, Linux-friendly, integrates-well
    • Free: "Ideal for personal projects or small teams with minimal user management and workflow control needs."
    • Can also easily host static pages: https://about.gitlab.com/features/pages/
    • Matthias notes: Pretty bad experience with Foodsharing code, want to get off it asap. Problems with servers and software probably due to lack of $$$. Self-hosting takes a lot of resources.
  • GitLab.com (Free Plan, hosted) https://about.gitlab.com/gitlab-com/
    • Quite easy to use, OS, Linux-friendly, integrates-well
    • Free: "Unlimited private projects and collaborators"
    • Matthias notes: Pretty bad experience with Foodsharing code, want to get off it asap. Problems with servers and software probably due to lack of $$$. Self-hosting takes a lot of resources.
  • Gitbook.com (Open Source,  https://www.gitbook.com/
    • Free: "Unlimited public books, Unlimited visits and updates, 5 collaborators, 0 private books, Custom domains, Community Support" (n.b. a user it a Gitbook user, not a connected repo...)
  • Mattermost (Team Edition, self-hosted) https://about.mattermost.com/pricing/
  • Hubzilla
  • Mastodon

Proposed maxims:

  • If it can be written in plain-text, write it in plain-text. (p.s. incompatible with Confluence.)

Options:

  • Conservative
    • Stay with Slack.
    • Fully adopt Confluence: move files on Nextcloud and GitHub to Confuence and assign relevant viewing permissions.
  • Transitionary
    • Swap Slack for:
      • Mattermost, or
      • Gitter
    • Swap Confluence for:
      • GitHub (+ Gitbook) (public) and Nextcloud (private,) or
      • GitLab (public and private) + static page(s))


To the extent possible under law, the yunity wiki contributors have waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to the content of the yunity wiki. More information...


You have an account but can't edit or create pages? Write us in the open chatroom or in our yunity Slack!