The overall goal is the development of Sigala, but this is unconventional, so as a stepping stone attention is being given to more mainstream projects that can generate start-up capital.

MakeStaticSiteWeb

The first of these is to implement MakeStaticSite as an easy-to-use service hosted on the Web.

How you can help

One of the first tasks is to draft a business plan. At this early stage, each contributor needs to be self-financed, until we secure financial backing. The immediate focus is on MakeStaticSiteWeb, which is envisaged as a kind of financial bootstrap. For the longer term, I have expressed some thoughts on economic viability (on the Sigala research site).

We’ll need to form a team. There are many roles for an initiative like Sigala, especially once the project gains momentum and the software development is put on a more formal footing. Some which will be crucial are:

• community liaison — I wish to target early versions at children, so as to make the design inherently safe. I would like the liaison to work with existing organisations such as the Jubilee Centre to develop in conjunction with schools, but also work through community elders, perhaps through bodies such as councils of faith.
• researchers — the project’s research is ongoing and needs to be strengthened by relevant expertise in many fields. This can involve both formal and informal collaboration.
• software development
  • requirements analyst — this technical role, working closely with the community liaison, will translate the requirements from communities into software requirements. Particular attention should be given to safety requirements.
  • systems architect — what software services do we need, how are the components related to each other? Particular attention is to be given to security, which is a role in itself.
  • lead developer — in the early stages of prototyping, this role will be pivotal. Once the project starts progressing beyond that, they will need to build their own team of developers, including testers.
  • usability specialist — a role intrinsic to the design and development process, with particular attention to accessibility.
• legal — obligations and best practice covering accessibility, privacy, intellectual property rights, etc.
• communications — to keep everyone, internally and externally, informed of project progress.

Scope

In the following areas, I indicate the areas that I cover followed by relevant experience, both as an employee and a consultant. I have delivered consultancy projects for public sector organisations, mainly in higher education, in addition to my staff roles at these organisations. Links are provided to projects from my portfolio.

Web publishing lifecycle

I have authored both original (and sometimes idiosyncratic) Web applications and set up and developed content management systems, especially WordPress multisite installations at the Museum of the History of Science and the International Association for Religious Freedom. I have also been involved in every stage of the implementation of a centralised IT system (the WebLearn Virtual Learning Environment at Oxford University), from initial needs analysis, through procurement to operational management,

In the course of all this development, I have covered the full lifecycle, and have become familiar with key issues that affect long-term organisational and system sustainability. I generally seek the whole picture in order to properly identify gaps in in-house technical capacity and organisational processes, with particular sensitivity to how they impact staff roles.

Digital assets and Collections Management

In working for several years for fairly small- to medium-sized cultural institutions, I have experience of formulating policy – such as preservation and data protection – as well as the digital systems to fulfil these policies, from requirements, implementation (including ingestion), to documentation and training. I have worked on projects that integrate collections management and digital asset management systems, seeking the optimal exposure of information for internal and external audiences.

E-Learning

Rooted in a whole person view of online learning, I can advise on systems and platforms for teaching curricula at different levels, particularly for independent learning aided by lightweight (handheld) solutions.

What I don’t cover and where I particularly welcome collaboration:

• graphic design — I am happy to work with artists, typographers and web design specialists, as I have only rudimentary skills in these areas.
• usability analysis — whilst I value and have a solid grounding in usability and accessibility, I am not a specialist in this area and welcome collaboration to ensure that everyone finds using the site straightforward.
• marketing — this is another area where I lack knowledge, though I expect any approach to strongly support measures for privacy and data protection.

Research Projects

In addition to software development projects, I have also provided a range of advice, theoretical and research-oriented advice, to specific challenges. I highlight here one particular project involving final year business undergraduates in Japan. For other work, please refer to the main e-learning page.

E-learning mathematics for business studies undergraduates

Client: Faculty of Economics, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
Date: March-July 2011
URL (blog posts): https://paultrafford.blogspot.com/search/label/Gakushuin
Papers:
Trafford, P. & Shirota, Y., 2011. An introduction to virtual learning environments. Gakushuin University Economic Review, 48(3), pp. 143-151.
https://www.gakushuin.ac.jp/univ/eco/gakkai/pdf_files/keizai_ronsyuu/contents/contents2006/4803/4803paul/4803paul.pdf
Trafford P. and Shirota Y. 2011. Ubiquitous e-Learning: Designing Web Systems for Economics and Business Mathematics, Gakushuin Economic papers, Vol.48, No.2, pp. 111-128. It is available in HTML and PDF formats.

I worked with Prof. Yukari Shirota on strategic aspects in using e-learning to enhance the teaching of mathematics to business studies undergraduates at the university, ranging from the general promotion of learning management systems to consideration of mobility in the design of personal learning environments. I co-authored three papers, two of which were published externally, one only internally. The consultancy culminated in a week-long research visit to Gakushuin University in July 2011, where a series of discussions were held and I gave a seminar on Game Theory to an undergraduate group.
https://paultrafford.blogspot.com/2011/07/class-in-game-theory-for-management.html

On this site you can discover the rationale and approach, with links to various publications, together with timely updates. I take a broad historical perspective in addressing major issues in society, rooted in a unique Buddhist cultural and research background. Many of the signal ideas are contained in Buddhism and Computing: How to Flourish in the Age of Algorithms, which was published by Mud Pie books in April 2021.

For examples of software development work, please see the portfolio. Further information is available from my profiles on LinkedIn and Academia.

Interested? Then please get in touch.