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This document has been archived. The SOSASA modified kanban approach was an integral part of the early days of the Lollipop project, and we leave it here as a resource for future projects and organizations looking for a contribution management system that's less developer oriented. As always, if you're interested in contributing to the Lollipop project and are not technically oriented, you can always reach out to us in the method most comfortable for you. We keep the contact page on our website up to date for such purposes.
The Lollipop Cloud Project's Issue Reporting and Feature Requesting Process
Definitions
(or skip to the Introduction below.)
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Kanban: A kanban board (link) is a means of visualizing the workflow of a project or organization. It is presented as a set of lists arranged horizontally by status, with each status containing vertical lists of cards (or items).
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SOSASA: "Structuring your project for the purposes Of Social Activism and Accessibility," or SOSASA/sosasa, is a kanban-based methodology for tracking issues and feature requests, and described in detail by creator hoodie aida kitten in this SOSASA methodology Medium article (link).
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Issue: An issue is a vague word to describe anything you'd like to change about a project. This could be any problem, such as an error message or an unexpected behavior (a "bug"), an unmet accessibility need, inadequate documentation, a request to improve an existing feature, or a request for a new feature.
Introduction
The Lollipop Cloud project has adopted the SOSASA methodology for tracking issues and feature requests. SOSASA functions through a system of phases, which we have tailored and outlined in the Phases section below.
The Lollipop Cloud project has a sample kanban board here (link).
How to request a feature or report an issue
You will need to create an account and login (link) to the Lollipop Cloud project's kanban page (link).
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For documentation issues, go to the kanban board for documentation (link).
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For code-related issues, go to the kanban board for code (link)
Click the + sign at the top of the brainstorming column. (Any + button will work, just ensure the drop down menu in the middle of the popup window has Brainstorming selected from all the Phases in the list.)
Provide as many details as possible to describe the issue or new feature. Attaching screenshots or links to examples are very helpful.
Please note: You do not need to be an expert in the technology to contribute. Your best effort to describe an issue or new feature in your own words is enough, and we are grateful!
Phases
Phase 1: Brainstorming
During brainstorming, the issue (bug) or feature request is defined. An issue will be created in the Lollipop Cloud project's kanban page (link), and its status can be tracked here at any given time. At this time we use two separate boards: documentation (link) and code (link).
Phase 2: Mock-ups or visual design
This is where the details are described or visualized. Details can involve physical appearance such as user interface (UI) or wireframes, or can be an outline of actions, such as desired feature behaviors.
Phase 3: Polling or appeals
Once a mock-up is created, participants can vote in favor or against the mock-up, and provide feedback. Polls can be formal (using a tallied voting tool) or informal (providing feedback in favor/against), and feedback can be anything, including suggestions for clarification or improvement. If changes are needed, the item goes back to the mock-ups/visual design phase for reworking. If no changes are needed, the item proceeds to the next phase.
Phase 4: Development or implementation
Contributors (coders, writers, artists, etc) attempt to put the mockup or design into practice. If problems arise, the issue goes back to the mockups and design phase for discussion. Once the item is implemented, it proceeds to the next phase.
Phase 5: Review
At this phase, the implementation is evaluated to determine if it meets the goal that was defined during the brainstorming phase. If the goal was not met, the item moves back to an appropriate phase for reworking. If the goal was met, the item proceeds to the next phase.
Phase 6: Archival
Completed items are archived so they may be revisited for bug tracking and continuous improvement.
Conclusion
We hope this will provide the greatest transparency for the Lollipop Cloud Project, and lower the barrier for participation and contribution.
If you have questions or feedback about the Lollipop Cloud Project's adaptation of SOSASA methodology, please contact us (link). If you have questions about SOSASA, please contact the methodology's creator, hoodie aida kitten (link).