Re: [Debconf-discuss] [penta] Evaluating new conference software: Zookeepr
Basic info
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Software name: Zookeepr
URL: http://zookeepr.org/ - code at https://github.com/zookeepr/zookeepr
License: GPLv2
Last sign of upstream activity: last Git commit 7 days ago, many recent ones, fast response on IRC today
Programming language: Python, in the Pyramid webapp framework built on Pylons.
Supported database backends: "usually" PostgreSQL (often SQLite for development)
Supported authentication backends: AuthKit, an older but now-unmaintained library. Supports various methods
DebConf requirements:
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Ability to manage attendee data:
Plenty, from important stuff to silly stuff. It's used and written by Linux.conf.au.
Talk submission workflow:
LCA uses this extensively and it works for them.
Talk rating workflow:
LCA uses this extensively and it works for them.
Talk feedback workflow:
? (might exist, haven't found info)
Reporting ability:
A long list of admin reports. Examples:
- Who needs to be reminded that they haven't paid yet?
- Who has signed up/been approved to be a volunteer?
- Who has signed up for the partners programme?
- How are our attendee registrations per state/country?
Since I haven't gotten it running yet, these are borrowed from a 2011
presentation about Zookeepr, linked below.
Internationalization capability:
It doesn't seem like they've thought about this, BUT their UI does use a
templating engine (Mako), so it's probably possible.
Ability to extend in a maintainable way:
Parts of it are relatively generic, and it use lots of third-party extensible
components. They are interested in genericizing their app further.
Any other DebConf features already supported:
Some degree of funding management / partners management
Have you ever successfully installed or hacked it? Was it hard?
I've gotten most of the way from scratch to running it locally within the last
90 minutes, though I still need some more assistance from #zookeepr to finish
the job. The docs are outdated, but it's relatively easy and most of the
dependencies are already in Debian.
Overall summary
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Most important strengths:
- At least one DD already hacks on it (François Marier)
- Works well for a somewhat similar conference (LCA)
- Written in a language that lots of DebConf volunteers know
- Several ways in which it can usefully be extended
- Upstream is active and reachable for help
- Debian and Ubuntu are the platforms they pay attention to
- Has logic to handle volunteers, badges, payment, etc.
- More listed at this 2011 Zookeepr presentation:
http://www.slideshare.net/pfctdayelise/zookeepr-homegrown-conference-management-software
Most important weaknesses:
- Many LCA-specific bits but they're eager to change this
- Documentation is out of date and scanty
- Doesn't yet support travel sponsorship ratings
Would you recommend we use it, and why?
Making it meet our needs seems relatively feasible and worthwile. It should be
in our "top tier" category of systems to test in a more in-depth way. If we
don't have anything else in that tier, we should go with it.
- Jimmy Kaplowitz
jimmy@debian.org
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