Until the Trac wiki is back up (hint hint, Jeff ;-) ) we'll use this
Google Group for the Shelby_Center Roadmap. What are the needs? Here
is a list of suggestions from yours truly:
Small Groups Enhancements
------------------------------------------
Currently you can only publish a single Organization. The requests:
- a method to *selectively* publish as many orgs as necessary
- track attendance (almost unanimously requested)
- sports teams -- this would require scores (probably an external table
or some hack around the attendance tables to include scores for any
particular date)
Online Calendar Integration
---------------------------------------
Largely complete.
- an idea would be to publish a link (http://website.tld/eventname)
inside the calendar to direct interested parties to the registration
area or ministry area.
Perhaps the Memo area of the event within the Shelby Resource Calendar
would be the spot for this kind of metadata. (Perhaps recent versions
of Shelby have a proper field for this?)
Online contributions
-----------------------------
In progress. Jeff's demo left little to be desired...
- Standardized using Authorize.net credit card gateway (available
everywhere)
- Recurring gifts? (I believe this is planned)
- Members ability to look up contribution history
CASS Certification Upon Address Entry
---------------------------------------------------------
Could be use on both Staff- and Membership-facing sides, but a method
to improve address correctness by using an online address CASS engine.
This would improve name matching, address quality, etc... etc... all
the normal geeky goodness that comes with data quality schemes.
Event Registrations
----------------------------
Appears complete based on current code base. Uses authorize.net for CC
gateway.
Requires a bit of documentation:
- in order to get event displayed online, add metadata '[online]'
(without quotes) to event. The rails code will filter appropriately..
- in order to get notifications of registrants, add metadata
'[em...@addr.ess]' (without quotes) to event.
"Tagging" engine
------------------------
Tags are all the rage. Look at Gmail, YouTube, Del.ic.io.us, and now
even Slashdot. An easy way to 'tag' people for quick and appropriate
lists would be excellent.
Shelby offers a decent foundation -- Profile Codes. What it lacks is a
dead-easy way to use them. We should not stray from their model, so
that the information is useful in Shelby and outside of Shelby as well.
I imagine a merge of the Gmail method for adding profile codes to
people. I look forward to the day our super-volunteers can manage
their own lists easily.
Profile Codes Enhancement
----------------------------------------
Enhance Shelby-Center to follow Shelby's profile code security rules.
This means using their encryption scheme and limiting view to those who
have the authority.
- This would require a method to permit volunteers to see secured codes
without having a Shelby login. Perhaps a bit of metadata attached to
'control'-Profile Code, which is inturn attached to volunteers' names.
Servant Online
---------------------
Perhaps the best Shelby application noone uses... due to the relatively
large commitment of time and effort on the part of staff.... a great
deal fo the effort is done if it's placed in reach of the membership.
Contact Management
-------------------------------
This is a new module available from Shelby... have not seen it yet but
it shows great promise. True to Shelby_Center form -- it will require
few clicks and bring a huge impact for our ministries.
Education tracking
---------------------------
At Shepherd we are looking at Educational institutions teaching
coursework on campus to raise up future leaders of our church and
future church plants.
I was all alone requesting this one. Jeff mentioned avoiding the
pitfalls of obviously disparate data silos being merged -- is there
good reason to store this data in Shelby? For us, it makes a certain
amount of sense because the bulk of our students are anticipated to be
from our membership base.
Shopping cart for *simple* stores
------------------------------------------------
Since much of the money-collecting architecture can be used from
Registrations and Contributions, a Rails-based shopping cart could be
integrated for simpler online stores.
In our case, our bookstore has no interest in competing with Amazon.
However, targeted and prudent sales are easily accomplished here...
Mostly for materials and gear that go along with the groups
(curriculum), sports (uniforms), books talked about from the pulpit
(what the pastors are reading), extras that go along with online
registrations (VBS, camps, etc.)
Phonetree / Asterisk Integration
----------------------------------------------
Rumor is this is forthcoming... after programmed for Planning_Center it
may be rolled into Shelby_Center. Sweet! This will give Phonetree
users an easy interface and very cheap phone calls. Spend your
ministry money on something other than your phone bill!
If I understood correctly, the first order of business was the Groups
enhancements listed above. Jeff, let us know what it requires.
Everyone else -- chime in. Speak now or speak later... just make sure
you speak!
Blessings,
-jeremy h.
