[dev] Groo status report: demo site available

[Luciano Ramalho]

Hi, all!

I've setup a working prototype of Groo at http://wanderingbooks.org.

Here are a few screenshots:

Book search results:
- http://wanderingbooks.org/proto/search.png

Book details:
- http://wanderingbooks.org/proto/book_view.png

ISBN entry form:
- http://wanderingbooks.org/proto/catalog_isbn.png


TESTING

If you'd like to test, visit the wiki [1] and learn about the sample 
accounts, or create your own account and let me know.

[1] http://wanbooks.org/about/frameset.html

The sample accounts alice-t, bob-t, chuck-t, donna-t, eve-t and zack-t 
were setup to make testing and demos easier: they already have a few 
books in their catalog. Alice has 3 friends, and Zack has none, and the 
others have 1 or 2 friends so you can see how the collective catalog works.

The password for all the sample users is grooks.

I've put 6 books in the book commons, so they show up on everybody's 
catalog.

I've also cataloged about 200 of my books. If you'd like to browse them, 
send me a note with your UID so that I can set you up as my friend, and 
thereafter we will share our catalogs.

WHAT WORKS

The most exciting thing you can do right now is to enter a book in your 
catalog. Go to the Records screen and type the ISBN of a book you own. 
If all goes well in about a minute you will see your book in the Search 
page, with the cover picture (if Amazon has it).

When a cover image is missing, it is replaced by a fractal image 
placeholder. I have requested authorization from three fractal artists 
to use some of their works. The color fractal images in the book detail 
page are linked to the full-size works in their original sites.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE

The Friends and Leases screens need to be done. The Friends screen is 
where you will invite friends and approve invitations by others. The 
Leases screen is where you approve lease requests. The book detail page 
should also get a few buttons for actions such as "borrow", "give" and 
"liberate" (to put a book in the book commons, which appears in the 
collective catalog of all users).

The underlying logic of the collective catalog and the book commons is 
implemented, what is missing is the UI for inviting friends and 
liberating books.

If you try the system and would like to make suggestions or report bugs, 
please write to me or to this list. I plan to setup a Whups system in 
the WanderingBooks.org site, but not before the August 21 SoC deadline.

Cheers,

Luciano