Wikimedia Discovery/Meetings/Maps retrospective 2016-03-22

Discovery Maps (and Graphs) ("Interactive Team") Retrospective

2016-03-22

What has happened

Covering whatever has happened related to the team since the last retro (2016-02-22)

• Lila left; Katherine interim ED

• Julien joined the team

• Quarterly/annual planning

• Huge support for Maps from other teams

• Hardware is still on hold

• Wikivoyage
  • Significant feedback from Wikivoyage

• Dynamic graphs
  • Some minor Graphs feedback

Review previous action items

• Chris: Follow up to Yuri’s idea on status updates for Discovery (ala Wikidata - https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Status_updates
  • DONE! - https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Discovery/Status_updates

• Yuri: Request for Yuri to create a phab ticket about maps UI needs
  • https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T127844
  • https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/tag/kartographer/ - VE column

• Dan will schedule a conversation about long-term maps plans

• • Tomasz will take this off his plate

• Chris: could be another blog post here (graphing pageviews)

• • Not done; see action items below

What went well?

• Kartogarpher on Wikivoyage
  • Tons of feedback; positive and requests [NEED LINK HERE]
  • Mostly non-English
    • https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk:Maps#Discussion_from_WikiVoyage_NL - as an example of the feedback

• Getting stuff done, a lot of it
  • Lean structure; few distractions
  • Bazaar rather than cathedral; moved quickly; incremental and test-based

• Lots of support from other teams
  • Reading and Editing have been giving huge support; expressing great interest
  • Reading has been more of an expression of support so far
  • Volker said he would coordinate his work with Julien; Yuri's not aware of current status

• Max has been able to focus on maps (almost no portal work for last few months)

What could we improve?

• Hardware
  • Still waiting for decisions
  • Lack of visibility
  • Currently blocked on finance for resolution of strategic budget
  • Possibly would help to explain (again) that other teams are interested (it's already in the plan)

• UI dev on a more permanent assignment to our team
  • Full time person would be ideal
  • Tons of work in graphs (e.g. internationalization, click-to-navigate)
  • Tons of work in maps (e.g. zooming/scrolling, multiple layers, push-pins)

What else should be noted?

• UI help was requested for a long time; now filled by Julien (on a potentially temporary basis)

• Guillaume hasn't really been involved with maps yet

• Should goals for Maps for Q4 be added here: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Engineering/2015-16_Q4_Goals#Maps_.26_Geo
  • Hardware will determine goals
  • Should probably write 2 scenarios, one w/hardware and one without

Action Items

• Tomasz will schedule a long-term maps meeting

• Chris will follow up with Yuri about a blog post regarding graphing pageviews (Victor Grigas wants to do a video)

• Yuri will check with Volker/Julien; will report back (esp. to Tomasz)

• Yuri will write up 2 goal scenarios