How should we organize our website? Quite simply, in a way that maximizes the ease users of our website (both community members and the public) have in accomplishing the goals of our community.

Kinds of Categories

Note: The categories currently in place can be viewed on the Categories page. Technical information is available on how categories are created and used.

Right now, there are two kinds of categories:

Category

The "Category" category is a controled vocabulary; terms are added and arranged heirarchically by the webmaster from the descisions we make here. It currently allows multiple heirarchy, meaning a term may have multiple parents (for example "New User" may be found under both "Online/Website" and the root of the categories).

Tag

The "Tag" category is different in that users can make up any term that makes sense to them (as well as add existing terms as suggested to them as they type). It doesn't have to be flat (in category listings anyway, it would still look flat while tagging), but any heirarchy would have to be defined by the webmaster (really?).

Currently, category listings are recursive. Viewing a category lists not only items tagged with that specific category, but also any items tagged with any of that categories children.

Descission Process

There are many ways to start… For now, let's just discuss on this page and see what materializes.

I (Dave) envision us watching the "Tag" vocabulary for terms that are often used that we might consider for inclusion in the "Category" vocabulary.

Categories

Here are some of the ideas behind the categories in place.

Home Owner's Association

Possible future sub-categories might include: Board, Meetings, Records

Location

Anything to do with a physical place. Current sub-categories include Lobby and Social Room. This category allows for the contruction of more complex queries, like:

• Images in the Lobby
• Events in the Social Room
• Repairs on the Swimming Pool
• Rules governing the Garage
• Anything to do with the Storage Room

Online

The details of the online incarnation of our real-world concerns.

Roles

How we will devide permissions amongst users online. This will probably mostly be website issue (maybe it should be filed there?) but more generic now to cover other roles as well (like email lists).

Technology

Technology details most people will have little interest in, including running a web server, CMS, domains, email, etc.

Website

Anything to do with the website from a non-technical standpoint. Like, what we want it to do, how we want it to look, how it should be managed.

Sensitive

Anything under this category cannot be seen by anonymous users or registered users not part of the "trusted" role. In the future this may have additional specificity.

Social

Fun time! Might in the future include events, clubs, etc.

I (Dave) see that the "New User" tag sprung up. Perhaps it should be moved into the Category?