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Protocol for the Standing Committee on Web Infrastructure (ISC)

Brief

The Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations (ADHO) created a Standing Committee on Web Infrastructure (ISC). The overall brief of the committee is the creation and maintenance of a web infrastructure that can be shared by all ADHO COs, with a particular focus on stability, affordability, and sustainability across shared as well as distributed services.  It is expected that day-to-day maintenance of systems as well as content will involve paid employment.

Duties

Against this background the committee is charged with the following duties:

(1)    To  oversee the development and maintenance of ADHO web infrastructure,

(2)    To receive and advise the Steering Committee on requests for access to ADHO infrastructure;

(3)    To oversee the maintenance and development of the ADHO website.

(4)    To report back on the feasibility and cost of any new technical functionality that is requested by the SC and to implement that functionality should the SC decide that it is desirable to do so.

Activities

During its initial term of service (2012/2013 cycle) the committee is expected to engage inter alia in the following activities:

Immediate (implementation by end September 2012)

  • Draft and present to the SC a short-term action plan in order to facilitate the migration of services currently hosted on the Joyent server (which will be terminated by end of September 2012) to a robust server environment.
  • On approval, implement the plan.

Medium term (by July 2013)

  • Conduct a survey on what COs would want from a common infrastructure and evaluate whether it will be practical or desirable to provide the relevant services.
  • Analyse whether this infrastructure can include a facility to support the preparation of Books of Abstracts from Conftool  through a template based submission system.
  • Explore whether it is feasible and desirable to set up a payment system for conference registrations / a web shop facility.

Long term (as of August 2013)

  • Explore whether ADHO’s web infrastructure should support the various ADHO-related summer school and training programs.
  • Explore whether ADHO’s web infrastructure might support the implementation of MLMC activities.

Activities during subsequent terms of service will be determined according to an annual progress review.

Membership

The ISC will consist of

  • Committee Chair (appointed by ADHO SC)
  • ex officio appointments:
    • Chair, Publications Committee
    • Communications officer
    • Membership officer
    • Chair, Conference Coordinating Committee
  • a maximum of  two additional members who will be co-opted by the committee at its own discretion

Annual cycle

  1. The annual cycle of the ISC is considered to run from the end of one annual ADHO conference to the end of the next.
  2. The ISC will meet at the annual ADHO conference to set the agenda for the upcoming year. If possible this will be after the Steering Committee meeting, in order that directions from the Steering Committee can be taken into account when planning. If there is a change in Chair, this meeting will include both the past Chair and the new one if both can attend.
  3. The ISC will conduct its business during the year by eMail and, if necessary, by conference call.
  4. Each year the Steering Committee will review the position of Chair of the ISC at their meeting and communicate their decision as to the Chair for the upcoming year.
  5. Once a year (or more often as requested) the Chair should report in writing to the Steering Committee before its annual meeting.
  6.  The Steering Committee is encouraged to communicate directions in web infrastructure which the ISC should try to facilitate.

Approved by SC on 31/08/2012.