Feature Idea: Client Application for Aritcle Creation / Posting : sf-active

SFA NewsMaker Requirements

1 - Specification for an Article File Format

1.1 Specification of a file format (.sfa) for articles that would include all data that is current associated with a parent article: (text, html, images, multimedia files, etc.) and metadata (author, creation date, summary, contact info, language(s), etc) -- (XML based?)

So basically, the file format would be a wrapper around all the other supported file formats with some metadata.

Also, perhaps it could auto-compress all the associated files (zip?) or something for gains in upload speeds.

File format should also have a version number, so that new features could be added to the specification of the file format in the future while maintaining backward-compatibility -- or it could be used as a method to detect no-longer supported versions and notify the user they should upgrade their software.

2 - SF-Active changes

2.1 Methods in SFActive for interpreting new article file format and using it to populate the current article database.

2.2 Web browser interface for uploading files of this type.

For instance, there could be a link in the publish section to "upload SF-Active Article files" I could browse to my files and upload a few articles in one step.

2.3 Interface for receiving files by other methods (direct upload from client app, email, etc..)

2.4 Method to give answer to an isSFArticleSupported() query

This would give the ability for other applications and sites to determine whether a given site can handle an SFA article file (and perhaps which versions are supported, maximum file size, etc.)

3 - Client Application for File creation

A client application would be necessary to be able to create these files.

- Ability to do WYSWIG html layout.
- Ability to Save As... SFA Article file

some restrictions or intelligent design would be neceessary to make it possible to find all the associated files at 'Save' time so that its all bundled together in one bit-package.

Other features could include:
- Upload to IMC (Select site from list)
- Local Preview

There is probably a lot of open-source stuff to start with - Mozilla Composer? OpenOffice? - though I don't know if starting there would make the job easier or more difficult.

Perhaps a plugin could be created for Mozilla composer to "Save As... | SFA Article". All the html and multimedia files would be there - we'd just need to make a dialog pop up to solicit all the necessary metadata.

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- BENEFITS

Nicer looking articles could be created easily without needing to upload multimedia and image files to the web first.

Content producers could easily create content while not connected to the web, plus it would provide a more productive way to create articles, save are re-use templates, and upload multiple articles without running through the same form multiple times.

It reconceptualizes the role of the IMC content producer in that they have a local tool to produce content, save and archive their work, send files to other who may want to collaborate, etc. A dedicated application may make them more invested and loyal to the project, especially if they come to see it as a tool that their feedback can help make better -- some users may be involved in the actual development of future versions and features.

The beginnings of a standard file format for articles will open new doors for collaboration among IMCs to share content among sites. (I can go to Argentina's site, download an article with all the multimedia embedded, put my translated content in, and pop it up to english-speaking sites with relative ease).

- POSSIBLE DRAWBACKS

This would make it much easier for malicious (or even well-intentioned) users to spam sites.

There are certainly solutions to this problem -- but it is an important issue to address early in the implementation process should this project gain support.

- FINAL NOTES

Certainly, this has potential to be used by other IMC codebases, though I think the benefits could be explored and hopefully demonstrated by focusing on it as an SFA project in its initial stages.