Documentation Mailing Lists FAQ Roadmap - Questionaire Responses for AA CAMP 2004

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1. Main problems and annoyances you encounter when using ActionApps
Using AA as a component in a different system

Coupling AA authentication to another authentication system, for instance. I guess there are two major problems: API and documentation.

When comparing different CMSs, AA is not the premier choice in many situations, and complex to understand and adapt. It has a lot of power in managing "items" with various formats, and feeding items from one place to another. But most features are obscure to me, so it's hard to explain to others too.

2. Features suggested for future development versions of ActionApps
API and architectural level documentation

I think there is a lot available to use AA as "engine" for a variety of applications (well, that was at the core of the design, right? :-)

My main problem with most other CMSs is that you need different plugins to add links, documents, addresses, etc, and that often it's virtually impossible to adapt these to my specific needs. AA could be an "item engine" that can do all of these things, adding user comments to anything, and (especially!) allowing admins to change the exact fields and layout much more easily than in most other tools.

That specific part of usability is a bit lost (in my perception) in an attempt to also offer a complete web management tool. The original concept of slices doesn't stretch that far, I think. So rather than spending energy on "yet another total site management tool", try to partner/merge/combine with a tool that does this well, and focus on the workflow aspects: integrating with email+mail responses, workflow-style sharing, exchange, etc.

It allows more developers to incorporate AA in other environments, and thereby contributing to use and development of AA.

3. Comments About Usablility
Documentation fragmented, and low-level, no architecture level.
The Q&A is good in that it captures a lot of stuff that circulates on the lists. But for the rest, the documentation on the AA site is outdated by far, or incorrect. There are some good examples of how AA is used, but it's hard to guess what was invested (in time and skills) to make that happen. Often, ActionApps and APC are used in conjunction, strengthening the idea that AA is only useful if your provider is part of APC.

4. General future development suggestions
Structure developer community, make it easier to participate.

Over time, there have been some changes, like separating general discussions from the developer mailing list. I think there are some interesting lessons from Typo3:

- Define the positioning more clearly. Typo3: "high-level CMS, not easy to begin with, but very powerful; competing with commercial solutions like Vignette"

- Separate sales and development further. Typo3: typo3.com tries to sell the app, offer links to consultants and hosting companies supporting typo3, whitepapers on effective use (like the user part of actionapps.org); typo3.org hosts the developer community with workplans, projects, assigned roles, peer reviews.

- Documentation and more positioning: what's at the core of the system (grassroots orientation is a unique feature, focus on sharing and exchange as well). Also, perhaps try to encourage user groups in countries or cities, to tap into joint knowledge.

- IMHO: separate the "core engine" of slices, items, etc, and the "site management", so people can choose what they want to deploy. Allows to develop the core through an API into a plugin for other "overal site management" systems.

Submited by:
Rolf Kleef

Jun 3 2025

APC ActionApps is a free software content management system initiated by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) APC - Internet and ICTs for social justice and development