DEFINITION - Scope Creep: occurs when features and functionalities (project scope) are added without addressing the effects on time, costs, and resources, or without customer approval. ( Hollywood Secrets of Project Management Success, Chapter 10 "Stick to the Script")
Ok, so today I received another comment about threading - which we seem to be incapable of given our limited electronic messaging resources (at the moment).
It may help to know why this format (Blogger) was chosen to begin with. I have used blogger successfully for years as a place to "document" classroom/workshop discussions as well as to post follow-up Q&A responses. I have also used blogger successfully to host Books 24x7 "reading clubs" as I would post a single link and ask members to post comments under the book title or chapter ect.
It has become quasi-protocol with other customers, to utilize their Intranet (Sharepoint, ect.) to host Preparation Programs, Communities of Practice. When we were presented by the governorship of your Intranet with a bolder of a roadblock in using your Internal Network (Sharepoint) to host THIS conversation. I thought up this niffy idea as a possible solution and suggested that we just expand authorship licenses HERE and use this Blogger as our vehicle. And there is the rub - a little personality trait of mine "go with what you know" combined with my lack of research and pow! ill-equipped electronic messaging resources and tools - I have limited the conversation, BAH!
HINDSIGHT - Lesson Learned when you add LOTS of authors and lots of posting is occurring there is another functionality that is desperately needed - ah threading...
DEFINITION - Threading: in electronic discussion which the software aids the user by visually grouping messages. Messages are usually grouped visually in a hierarchy by topic. (Wikipedia Entry, January 30, 2010)
SO there you have it, we have a need for a change control process to properly control of evloving requirements. Because, apparently there is not an easy way thread topics via blogger.com as messages are grouped by posting time, date ect.
BUT fear not, I have found another tool to use to this end Google Groups. (COST = $0)
What does the community have to say about my new itch to setup shop on google groups?
There is that pesky other line on our triangle to consider namely, TIME. How will this change affect your time-line? I am anticipating that the transfer would be fairly smooth given the fact that we are now all card carrying members of the legions of Google - (since we already have our Google Accounts and passwords). The process looks simple enough. I copy and paste your emails (from our settings page to our new home) then you click to activate your group membership.
Please post Yeah or Nay in your comments to this post - as your Stakeholder vote on whether to move the conversation to Google Groups - then let us all know how you feel about this scope creep.
Do we need/want to employ the more robust electronic messaging tools that Google Groups will allow?
Are we adverse to "Switching horses mid stream"?
Saturday, January 30, 2010
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You have a 'Yeah' from me. The capability of using 'threads' is very useful when trying to follow a particular discussion.
ReplyDeleteRegarding 'scope creep' - it's a fact of life for Project Managers - the real issue is how you deal with and manage scope creep to minimize impacts - it is very difficult to avoid (unless someone have developed a methed of defining the "perfect system").