Cytoscape Wiki
User Brainstorm Session
Date: Friday, July 18, 2008 Leads: Allan Kuchinsky, Alex Pico, Gary Bader
Description
Cytoscape users and developers will brainstorm and discuss aspects of Cytoscape. The goal of this session is to listen to the users to find out ways of improving Cytoscape.
Agenda
- Evolution Game
- Everyone gets four cue cards. Use one cue card to answer each of the following questions:
- What single feature should Cytoscape have?
- What is the hardest feature to use in Cytoscape and why? Or What is a main roadblock? How would you fix it?
- What new scientific direction should Cytoscape follow?
- What is Cytoscape not? Or What does Cytoscape not do? This helps define the scope of Cytoscape, so write down a functionality that Cytoscape could conceivably have, but shouldn't have.
- Participants break up into groups of ~5-6. Each group discusses the cue cards of the participants in the group and chooses the best one.
- Groups report back and present the best ideas from each group.
- All participants vote on what the best idea is from all groups.
- Everyone gets four cue cards. Use one cue card to answer each of the following questions:
- Selected topics will be discussed further.
- Editor discussion: how should editing work in Cytoscape? (Lead: Allan Kuchinsky)
Notes
This looks like a good starting point. We might want to split the two sessions into one breakout session and one plenary session. Purpose of the plenary session is to consolidate the ideas from both breakout sessions. I have a couple of questions: 1. how much do we want to be brainstorming new features for Cytoscape? Does Cytoscape already have 'enough' features, at least in the core system, for the next year. Since the next year's work is going to be focused upon making the structural changes for 3.0, will we have the resources to develop new features? If not, then are we improperly setting expectations by soliciting new feature requests. 2. Do we want to have separate brainstorming for end users vs. plugin developers? Do we have a venue in which plugin developers can communicate their needs, frustrations, goals, etc?