[BioPython] The biopython.org web site

[Jeffrey Chang]

Yep, I remember it!  Thanks very much!  :)

I'm definitely in favor of doing this and will be willing to help out in
whatever way necessary.  Although I have not worked with Zope before, I
have heard that it allows easy sharing of maintenance responsibilities,
which is a very good thing.  Plus, the ZWiki object may be useful for
maintaining documentation.

Before we go ahead with the change, however, let's run this by Chris
Dagdigian.  Specifically, I want to make sure that 1) it's ok to run Zope,
since he may be administering it, and 2) there are no plans for the
projects' web sites, e.g. moving everything over to sourceforge code.

Chris, what do you think?  Would it be possible to use Zope for the
biopython site?  Are there any plans for unifying the design of sites?  If
so, perhaps the stuff we do can benefit the web sites for the other
projects as well.

Thanks,
Jeff




On Mon, 28 Aug 2000, Johann Visagie wrote:

> I vaguely remember that Gary and I volunteered to look into re-inventing the
> biopython.org site during the Biopython BoF at BOSC.  We must've been under
> the influence of severe jetlag at the time.  :-)
> 
> At the time my poorly enunciated idea was that we should look into using Zope
> for such a site.  My ideas around this are still not fully formed, but here
> are some of the reasoning behind it:
> 
> - Zope and Python have a lot to offer each other - in the great bit world Out
>   There, Zope is considered to be Python's killer app.  And then some.
> 
> - I know a bit of Zope mojo (though I'm not a guru by any means) and I think
>   it's a really, really cool thing.  :-)
> 
> - Zope makes it simple for multiple people to maintain a site - multiple
>   hierarchical levels of access are supported.
> 
> - We'll be able to add "member" areas to the site where (similar to zope.org)
>   individual Biopython users / developers can do their own thing unimpeded.
>   E.g. if the ZWiki Zope product is installed on the server, a site member
>   will be able to "drop" as many Wiki objects as he wants into his own pages,
>   thereby creating Wiki discussion forums.  Ditto for the Squishdot product
>   (a Slashdot clone), etc.  From recent discussion it seems that even the
>   Mailman MLM might become a Zope product at some future date.  Imagine if a
>   user can create a mailing list by simply creating an instance of a Mailman
>   object on one of his pages.  ZCatalog can be deployed over the entire site
>   as search engine, or members can implement individual ZCatalog instances to
>   index (parts of) their member areas according to their own parameters.
>   Etc., etc., for all the myriad Zope products already available.  In
>   summary, Zope is shaping up to become the ulimate online collaboration
>   meta-tool, though it might not always be for the feint of heart (yet).
> 
> And here's the kicker:
> 
> - Existing Python modules can be imported into Zope's namespace and be
>   exposed to the Web.  With a little bit of wrapping, it may eventually be
>   possible to build a set of reusable "web widgets" to wrap Biopython
>   objects.  This is still a very vaguely formed idea, but it is where I think
>   I would like to work towards, eventually.  It would mean that the site
>   could actually contribute towards the Biopython project in a more concrete
>   manner than just providing PR.
> 
> Now firstly...  do we have the go-ahead to start spending some time on this?
> Jeff?  :-)
> 
> And secondly, any further ideas, comments, etc. would be much appreciated.
> As I said above, many of my ideas are still vague and could use some
> formative discussion.  Any other features anyone thinks would be cool?
> Anyone think we're bounding off in the wrong direction and would rather
> volunteer in our stead?  :-)
> 
> It'll probably be about a week before Gary and I have time to put our heads
> together on this... so... fire away.  I'd like to have a concrete plan in
> mind when (if?) I start working.
> 
> Gary is, I believe, already working on an organisational site map and some
> designs in his spare time.
> 
> Yours in jetlaggedness,
> -- Johann
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