GR1 - Task analysis

User analysis

The intended users are the authors of fiction and fan-fiction who want to write collaboratively and the people that read them.  Most current authors are familiar with the basics of web-based posting, word processing, and Internet usage.  A subclass of the authors are moderators, who create and maintain group stories.  By default the moderator of the story is the original creator, and as such will set the tone for the style and quality required for a given project.  The moderator subclass will probably be more familiar with word processing, though will not necessarily have any more experience using web interfaces.

Task analysis

Create

Goal: Create a new story
Preconditions: 

• Login
  Subtasks: 
• Designate various attributes, such as fandom, title, genre, and list of authors
• communicate with the authors about the style and goals of the proposed project
  Potential Errors:
• Create a story with the wrong attributes

Contribute

Goal: Add new text to an existing story
Preconditions:

• Login
• Have access permissions to story
  Subtasks:
• Append new section
  Potential Errors: Accidentally post incomplete or incorrect text; navigate away from page and lose current progress

Moderate

Goal: Moderate status of a story
Preconditions:

• Login
• Have moderator permissions for the story
  Subtasks:
• Edit attributes for the story (fandom, title, genre, etc.)
• delete sections of the story
• block offensive comments
  Potential Errors: Accidentally delete sections of story; accidentally change attributes to unintended values (e.g. removing a user from the list of authors); accidentally block the wrong comment

Read

Goal: Locate and read a story
Preconditions: None
Subtasks: 

• Choose the story by choosing an attribute, such as author or fandom that the user is interested in
• Find and read the updates to a story the user has already read
  Potential Errors: Navigate to the wrong story; forget the title/author/etc. of a story the user wants to read the updates to

Comment

Goal: Communicate with readers of a story
Preconditions: 

• Read the story the user wishes to comment on
• Login
  Subtasks: None
  Potential Errors: Accidentally post incomplete or incorrect comment; navigate away from page and lose current progress

General questions

These answers are consistent across the entire interface.

Location performed/environment:  Anywhere with Internet access (the user's own computer will not be required, stories will be edited and stored on the server)
Frequency of use:  Depending on the user, anywhere from hourly to yearly
Time constraints:  Depending on the user, anywhere from minutes to hours
How tasks are learned:  The interface will implement familiar designs already used prominently on the Internet such as text boxes, labeled buttons, etc.; there should will also be a help/about page describing the service and its options
Who else is involved:  Other users of the website -- depending on the story, other users' updates and decisions will to varying degree affect what actions the user chooses to take (e.g., an update may kill off a users' main character, in which case the user's planned update may have to be altered or the user may wish to complain to the story moderator)

Domain analysis

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