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Collaboration Stack

The collaboration stack is a set of tools and default methods we use for collaboration.

Requirements

First, let's have a look at some requirements connected to the toolbelt:

  • A low barrier set of main channels and tools should be in place, so that we know where to put important infos.
  • Communication should be possible as needed, we want to allow asynchroneous and synchroneous comm
  • We want to support private, protected, grid-public and public communication
  • We value transparency and so need to offer Grid-wide broadcasting channels besides group channels
  • We support special needs for special purposes (e.g. special tools for code collaborations)
  • All what the GRID is doing needs to be scalable related to international roll-out, meaning, we want to be accessible for individuals all over the globe
  • Synching on events needs to be possible per subgrid, and in general. So we need to provide calendars which can be accessed by gridsters
  • We need to find tools, which are in best case available for different devices or client systems
  • We want to keep costs as low as possible, in best case tools and accounts can be served without any costs
  • Administration needs to be possible for most cases, so that we can fine-tune the tools to our purposes

Purposes we want to cover

The stack of today conists of tools to support various purposes:

  • File sharing
  • Video chat or screensharing
  • Chatting / Exchange of infos in the Grid
  • Public channel
  • Collection of ideas, agenda collaboration, ticketing / todo lists
  • Project planning & management
  • Blogging / Promotion / Public comm
  • Time-planning / Calendar sharing
  • Decision-making / Consensus / Voting / Surveying / Polling
  • Code collaboration
  • Funding / Budgeting / Compliance
  • A lot of helper for this and that

All tools

  • Slack (general interaction)
  • Whatsapp (but also Signal or Threema are possible)
  • Skype (video, calling)
  • appear.in (video)
  • hubl.in (video)
  • Google tools, incl. GDrive (File sharing)
  • Dropbox & Dropbox paper (File and Text sharing)
  • Notejoy (sharing notes, thoughts etc.)
  • Loomio (discussion, voting, etc.)
  • Trello (collection of items, ticketing, planning)
  • github (code collaboration)
  • gitlab (code collaboration)
  • bitbucket (code collaboration)
  • teamup (calendar)
  • gitter (public channel / comm)
  • wordpress (blogging)
  • wizeline (roadmapping)
  • spotify (shared playlists)
  • (in evaluation) OpenCollective
  • (in evaluation) CoBudget
  • (in evaluation) developerhub.io
  • (not used, but in place) Asana

Of course, each individual toolbelt is legit in addition, but not administered by the GRID.

Minimal equipment

  • Slack - via invite
  • Skype - own account, invite to groups
  • Most probably: Trello - via invite to board or team
  • Recommended: configuring one of the relevant calendars (ical) within a tool of choice to have the ability to join relevant meetings

ALL other tools are not mandatory in general. If you want to contribute to techGRID collaboration, then of course the techGRID has own tools in use, e.g. to collaborate via git.

Important to mention: Tools are not the collaboration. But to offer an environment for potentially global and decentral collaboration, we have to use them. No one has to feel determined by tools and it is important to help people who are not familiar with tools. Therefore the toolbelt experience shall not overwhelm people. It is the duty of all mentors, all gridCore members to support new gridsters in finding the right individual dose of tooling options.

How to propose new tools?

If new needs evolve or if a tool becomes limiting, then of course we need to stay flexible.

Ideas or needs can be easily proposed to the gridCORE.

For the subgrids it is sufficient if new needs are clarified together with the mentor of each subgrid.

Which tools, channels etc. are Grid Standard?

First, the minimal equipment is to consider here.

Then a list of the main channels gives further orientation.

Collaboration

As mentioned before, collaboration is not tools! More important than tools are the attitudes and approaches connected to collaboration.