Let us not sell ourselves short from the get go. We can surely do it @Kanirip. Just that it will take time and effort. At the moment we are all waiting for the draft of the project plan to be presented and that will be done at the meeting and from then on, everyone will need to make contributions of one kind of another and from there, we decide who gets what task next. I get the idea that everyone is open to a meeting this weekend and so I will go ahead and set that we each send in information for when best for this saturday then.

I don't think setting such a HUGE task will be clever.

If I was the one leading the project I would insist that the aim is very small so that when that is delivered we would still know who would still be interested in the project and the working members will see something tangible and something that we can improve on.

It would give the group a whole lot of confidence when they see a deliverable and it will also ensure that each module/part of the application is given enough attention and hence quality is improved.

Just a thought.

Will talk more over the weekend

Skill set - MS SQL Svr,ORacle, MySQL,WAMP,LAMP,Remedy,some C#

Count me in!

Kobojunkie,
If we ever need to set up a teleconference, www.FreeConferenceCall.com is free and reliable.

Free Conference calls? International too

thats a good idea, n wuld really love to be part of it. jeberulz@yahoo.co.uk,07035278997

Panache:

Skill set - MS SQL Svr,ORacle, MySQL,WAMP,LAMP,Remedy,some C#

Count me in!

Kobojunkie,
If we ever need to set up a teleconference, www.FreeConferenceCall.com is free and reliable.

You did not include a valid email address where you can be reached at.

eHeart:

Hi fellow Nigerian Programmers,
I just joined nairaland because of this topic and it gladens my heart to see this topic being discussed here and acted upon.
I am a programmer my self with backgroung in VB(6 & .net), C++,database(SQL 7.0 - 2005) . i will like to be one of the pillars of this project and in fact I have started a 32bit of an application of this type and architecture. I wouldnt mind to share my idea with great thinkers like you guys, God bless us.God bless Nigeria. thanks

You forgot to include a contact email address.

wodubayo@gmail.com

[size=15pt]Online Development Team Meeting[/size]
                                               On Saturday February 23rd 2008 at 12pm Nigerian Time.

• Please download Yahoo messenger and Skype before the day of the meeting.

• Please Add the Yahoo ID “KoboJunkie” to your yahoo list. Contact me at KoboJunkie@gmail.com if you need me to add you instead. We will be conferencing with Yahoo’s tool and I will be initiating the connections needed for this to make things easier and save time.

• Bring all your ideas to the table so we can try to touch as many areas and parts as possible.

• If you would like to present any information, please forward information to KoboJunkie@gmail.com and I will try to make sure the information is available to all persons for the meeting.

• Please let us try to make civil meeting.

On Saturday February 23rd 2003 at 12pm Nigerian Time. Are we going to re-wind the time to year 2003?

@kobojunkie,yinka etc
I would like to contribute ma own lil quota to this project.
I use .net fairly well enough to contribute the lil I know
I would be in the conference tomorrow

my addy is hayorbahmy@gmail.com or hayorbahmy@yahoo.com

You have been Added and so feel free to be there tommorow @Hayor

[size=15pt]Online Development Team Meeting[/size]
                                               On Saturday March 1st  2008 at 12pm Nigerian Time.



• Please Try to show up and be prompt
• The first meeting was a success. The next meeting we expect greater turn outs and more ideas to be brought forward.
• Those who already have areas they are working on should please try to have something to present the next meeting.
• If you would like to present any information, please forward information to KoboJunkie@gmail.com and I will try to make sure the information is available to all persons for the meeting.
• Please Add the Yahoo ID “KoboJunkie” to your yahoo list. Contact me at KoboJunkie@gmail.com if you need me to add you instead. We will be conferencing with Yahoo’s tool and I will be initiating the connections needed for this to make things easier and save time.
• Some of the topics to be discussed in the next meet :
a) Project planning and oversight: We will also cover rules that will govern this project as well as other important items.
b) Design Process: We touched this portion a bit on the last meeting but we hope to dig deeper and answer any open questions that may still exist.
c) Software Development Planning : This will include finishing on making sure we have requirements down to at least 95% before we proceed any further.
• Please let us try to make civil meeting.

An Email has been sent out to all team members concerning the need for us to hammer out Project Requirements. Please, Your prompt reply is needed.

Yo! Guys am really sorry, hope i dnt have a stigma on me for not showing up at important times. Its due to UNILAG, crash courses and hell course works. Also lecturers in my departments have to decided to make LAG a living hell for me cos they saw a software i made on a friends lapi and became jealous that what took them 10-15 years to learn, is taking me 3months(beefers ). Might drop out if it persists.(okay enuf of the pathetic yans.) Brief be about the yans and notes of the meeting, promise to make the next meeting.

I would like to contribute my 2 cents, if I may:

I have been following this post from day one and so first and foremost, kudos to you all for taking this task upon yourselves. In some ways, you all remind me of the founding fathers of the USA who got together to form the possible out of what some people thought was impossible. Unleashing your product onto the Nigerian market will definitely encourage (and maybe even shame) others to come up with something better and/or something different. Once again, I salute your efforts. Having said that:

This post has been going on for 4 pages. Granted, I don't know how far along you guys have gone, I think it is high time some physical contact is made as in, perhaps those based in the US fly down to Nigeria and meet face-to-face with those "on ground". Sure, the work can be done from anywhere in the world, but to avoid incessant posts and to lend seriousness to this, again, I think face time is required at this point. It doesn't have to be formal, fancy or last a week. Even a 1 or 2 hour meeting at some joint would be enough. My point: it would be nice for you guys to actually know each other, exchange numbers, ideas and form a network that will probably go beyond this project.

I have also noticed that there are more volunteers coming on board. Someone has also just apologized for not showing up, so to speak. Again, we are on page 4 of this post and I would expect that number of people at the very least would be finalized by now.

Finally, I don't know how far you have gone, but I would expect some kind of progress/milestone report to be communicated to us on the forum. That may make others see that this is indeed a very serious thing. What are you using for source control? How do you deal with the time differences? Who is the Project Manager? Developer(s)? Quality Assurance Analyst? Business Analyst? How many team members? What will be finished when? When does the product launch? How will it be launched? Who will it be presented to? Is there a website for this so you don't have to post here? It would be nice to associate faces with names, or is this some type of top-secret project? I know, it might seem bureaucratic but I think this would also help lend credence to the project. Sorry if most of these things have been decided though as you can see, briefing us would probably eliminate such a line of questioning.

I am not a .NET guy but if you still need help in terms of requirements, testing, or other non-.NET stuff, I don't mind contributing my fair share.

Again, I salute your efforts. I pray it goes well.

As always, my 2 cents.

I would like to contribute my 2 cents, if I may:

I have been following this post from day one and so first and foremost, kudos to you all for taking this task upon yourselves. In some ways, you all remind me of the founding fathers of the USA who got together to form the possible out of what some people thought was impossible. Unleashing your product onto the Nigerian market will definitely encourage (and maybe even shame) others to come up with something better and/or something different. Once again, I salute your efforts.

Having said that:

This post has been going on for 4 pages. Granted, I don't know how far along you guys have gone, I think it is high time some physical contact is made as in, perhaps those based in the US fly down to Nigeria and meet face-to-face with those "on ground". Sure, the work can be done from anywhere in the world, but to avoid incessant posts and to lend seriousness to this, again, I think face time is required at this point. It doesn't have to be formal, fancy or last a week. Even a 1 or 2 hour meeting at some joint would be enough. My point: it would be nice for you guys to actually know each other, exchange numbers, ideas and form a network that will probably go beyond this project.

A lot is being done behind the scenes as pertains to the project. We just concluded our first meeting which was a success. Everyone has information on what happened during the meeting and as posted above, we have another one slated for March 1st. For physical contact, considering that most of the work will be handled remotely, we would rather every person gets acquainted with that fact and focus more on getting the job done than what the face of the next man looks like.

There are millions of successful open source projects out there today with team members who have never met each other and many will never. I believe this can work even with no actual meetings of that face to face kind. For your question of time difference, it is not much of a big deal for many as most of us happen to be in Nigeria and in the UK. Time in Nigeria is about same as that in the UK so time difference has not been and should not be an issue. Plus, most geeks like to avoid the face to face meetings and so for some of us, this may be the ideal working environment.

I think the best way to view this is sort of like the way you would a non-profit enterprise comprised of people in remote areas. There is the future possibility of this becoming a for project software enterprise in the future but for now we are focused on non-profit work to start off. We do not intend to abandon the project upon completion. We definitely will maintain the package as a group. Also see us working on other projects as a group.

I have also noticed that there are more volunteers coming on board. Someone has also just apologized for not showing up, so to speak. Again, we are on page 4 of this post and I would expect that number of people at the very least would be finalized by now.

At this time we still open the doors to volunteers who would like to join as the project is still in the planning stages and we are at this time open to having more hands on deck to help us complete the current project by the end of the end. We have to put into consideration that for developers logging on for meetings from Nigeria, there may be technical issues and that in no way will slow the project down at any stage. So, communication and airing of issues happens 24 hours a day via email, phone, instant messaging or any other communication media available.

Finally, I don't know how far you have gone, but I would expect some kind of progress/milestone report to be communicated to us on the forum. That may make others see that this is indeed a very serious thing.

The project is definitely a serious one and we only seek to have serious people onboard. As per progress reports, we can not promise that at all in here as we intend to have a website dedicated to the project where we intend to post all necessary information about it. I do not believe the idea is to convince those who are not serious that we are serious. What we want are people who are able to step out and see the potential to join in and those who do not share the dream need not apply.

What are you using for source control? How do you deal with the time differences? Who is the Project Manager? Developer(s)? Quality Assurance Analyst? Business Analyst? How many team members? What will be finished when? When does the product launch? How will it be launched? Who will it be presented to?

Project is deep in the planning phase and most of this information will be made available on the project website as soon as it is ready and deployed. At the moment we have about 17 team members, we are looking for a few more good men to come in and help in different areas of the process.

Is there a website for this so you don't have to post here?

working on that too.

It would be nice to associate faces with names, or is this some type of top-secret project? I know, it might seem bureaucratic but I think this would also help lend credence to the project.

It is definitely not top secret but we want to put more focus on the project and then do advertising and media coverage when we are 100% we are ready for it. It is currently open to those who are interested in volunteering for a cause bigger than themselves. I mean we do not just need developers. We need people who will be willing to help in documentation work. We need graphic designers. We need researchers and those who are able to go out and collect data from schools on what they might need and more. As time goes on, we will definitely need people to help in PR, testers and more. It is an open project for those who see the meaning in it and once they express interest, they will be updated on how far we have gone and where we intend to go with this.

Sorry if most of these things have been decided though as you can see, briefing us would probably eliminate such a line of questioning.

I am not a .NET guy but if you still need help in terms of requirements, testing, or other non-.NET stuff, I don't mind contributing my fair share.

Again, I salute your efforts. I pray it goes well.

As always, my 2 cents.

Questions are always welcome

Hi , I am Dengi , having read this post, i decided to register and make my own contribution of being part of this project. I am programmer and love to work PHP/MYSQL,Zend framwork(it also support your proposed MVC model ) . I love the idea of what you are trying to do, i and i have one or two more ideas about how this project can be expanded .let me know how i can be of any help to you and i will be glad to be a part of this noble cause.

email: musadeola@yahoo.com

it's a nice work that's been goin on, i must commend. I do not know how far u guys have gone. I'll love to join this great cause too. Though main strength is Java, i can still work with some good web and enterprise technologies.
e-mail: feeq_t@yahoo.co.uk

‘Poor schools’ top WAEC rankings
3/6/2007
By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

In an incredible feat, schools considered only fit for the poor have dusted the expensive ones meant for rich kids to emerge tops in the 2006 rankings of the 55 best secondary schools in the country.

The rankings, made by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), were based on the schools’ performance in the 2006 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

None of the so-called elitist private schools except Loyola Jesuit College, Wuse, Abuja and Negbenebor International School, Benin City, Edo State were in the first 10 bracket.

Loyola Jesuit came third, while Negbenebor is 10th on the list.

Where little known schools like Oritamefa Baptist Model School, Ibadan, Oyo State and Dee Unique College, Ipaja, Lagos State came fifth and ninth, respectively, well-known schools with mouth-watering fees like Adesoye College, Offa, Kwara State, Nigerian Turkish International College, Wuse 2, Abuja, Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, Ikeja, Lagos and Olashore International School, Iloko-Ijesa, Osun State, were 37
th, 46th, 51stand 55threspectively.

Unsurprisingly, Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos came first, King’s College, Lagos, second, Federal Government College,(FGC), Ijanikin, fourth, Federal Government Academy, Suleja, sixth, International School, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, seventh, FGC, Enugu, eighth, Presentation National High School, Benin City, 11th, Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Owerri, Imo State, 12th, Holy Rosary College, Uwani-Enugu, 13th, Dorothy International Secondary School, Abayi, Aba, Abia State, 14th, Delta Steel Company Technical High School, Ovwian Aladja, 15th and Saint Saviour’s High School, Alagbada, Ikotun, Lagos 16th.

Others are Government Secondary School, Ekelego, 17th, FGGC, Onitsha, 18th, FGGC, Sagamu, 19th, Ugbine Secondary School, Ugbine, 20th, Saint Mary’s Science College, Ediene Abak, 21st, FGC, Warri, 22nd, AB Education Centre, Abeokuta, 23rd, The International School, University of Ibadan, 24th, Baptist High School, Jos, 25th, Air Force Secondary School, Ikeja, 26thand Great Oxford International Group of Schools, 27th

IM INTERESTED IN THIS
BUT I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE WATSOEVA,
BUT IF U THINK I CAN BE OF ANY HELP OR USE U MAY NOT HESITATE TO ADD ME N TELL ME WAT I CAN DO.
LI2MAN@YAHOO.CO.UK
MOVING NAIJA FORWARD, DATS D DEAL

@KOBOJUNKIE
WATS UR EMAIL ADDRESS.

To Contact me you can send email to [email]Kobojunkie@Yahoo.com[/email]

We are actively looking for graphic designers and Business Analysts, Web designers to join the group.

Good day to all the member in the house, i most apologies for not been attending the meeting is due to some circumstances beyond my control.

@KOBOJUNKIE always get in contact with me by sending me mails. i believe very soon i will get my wireless so that i can always join the meeting any where i am. Thanks . Binary

Binary:

Good day to all the member in the house, i most apologies for not been attending the meeting is due to some circumstances beyond my control.

@KOBOJUNKIE always get in contact with me by sending me mails. i believe very soon i will get my wireless so that i can always join the meeting any where i am. Thanks . Binary

Binary, Please check your email more often than not as I have been sending correspondence for weeks now, to every single person on the team. You have access to my email address and I would encourage that you use it to keep us informed on your status with the team.

Hey guys,

I've been following this thread for some time and would like to get involved.

KoboJunkie - pls email me at goddyeff@yahoo.co.uk and give me details of your project scope and guidelines.

** Areas of specialty - .Net (VB/C#/ASP.Net), SQL Server (Analysis Svc, Reporting Svc, Integration Svc), Crystal Reports, Project Mgmt, Database Mgmt, ERP and CRM (Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics).

Thanks!!

Hi group,

what's d updates, i just recently came back from travel, I guess I miss alot.

Bashtech.

Ok just read through this post.

Here is a little advice to the organiser. If you are goin to go something like this its better you start it and let people contribute. If you keep looking for Business Analysts, DBA etc you r still goin to be in here when this page gets to a 100.

You will see people posting their interest , email and what not but thrust me many will not be committed


To get you started do the following.

Set up a project in sourceforge and set up a project wiki page so that u can put in your roadmap or people can put in their ideas .

Based on your road map (which can be merely bullet points no need for facy UML or stuff) just start chuning out some code and let people contribute. (really that is how open source software works )




Cheers mate and good luck

candylips:

Ok just read through this post.
Here is a little advice to the organiser. If you are goin to go something like this its better you start it and let people contribute. If you keep looking for Business Analysts, DBA etc you r still goin to be in here when this page gets to a 100.
You will see people posting their interest , email and what not but thrust me many will not be committed
To get you started do the following.
Set up a project in sourceforge and set up a project wiki page so that u can put in your roadmap or people can put in their ideas .
Based on your road map (which can be merely bullet points no need for facy UML or stuff) just start chuning out some code and let people contribute. (really that is how open source software works )
Cheers mate and good luck

Hi, thanks for your advice. If you would like to be a member of the group, you can indicate and we can put you on the mailing list and you can recieve correspondence like all the others have been for a while now.

I don't know if you understand why the request for BA's but this is not about just churning out software but actually churning out software that works, is useful and requires less maintainance. From reviewing industry best practices and putting into consideration the fact that most of those who have volunteered may also have other projects that may be working on, as well as considering the african factor, we believe it is best to take out time and make sure we do the best research on this before we jump to writting code. As you mentioned, there are definitely those who will sign up and end up contributing nothing and that is one of the reason why we have it designed as is. If you go on source forge or google's own open source links and search on how many of these type of projects have actually succeeded, you will find that out of thousands each year, only about a fear actually make it in the open source world. So do not think open source is the answer for all things. BA's have a role to play in the tech world that is why companies hire them to help do research and more. If you would like to help as a BA or learn the trade, as in get about a year or two of experience which you can solidly place on your resume, please feel free to sign up and we will get you work to start on immediately. We are looking for people who can contribute a few hours of coding each week and able to, when presented with BRD's are able to not only do whatever research and coding needed to get needed work done but also have a long term idea of where they would like to see this go and are willing to go all the way.

Why don't you try and sell your idea Africa - wide at IT Business in Africa http://www.itbusinessafrica.com

Good job kobojunkie, do keep it up! You've got a very good 'business' idea. Can i add you up on my YM?