sac-class: Basecamp project management software

[Lori Robare <lrobare@uoregon.edu>]

My institution now has access to Basecamp, project management 
software that has a lot of very useful features.   I think it could 
be beneficial for managing the work of our task force.  Here are some 
of the features of Basecamp, all accessible from a single web page:

- a messaging system that could take the place of our discussion list 
(you do receive messages as email)
- the ability to create project timelines and assign responsibility 
for tasks to group members
- a very slick tool for creating and maintaining "to do" lists for 
yourself or for the group
- the ability to collaboratively edit documents in Word format (such 
as our course outline)
- a very easy interface for uploading files (such as PowerPoint files)

I've been given permission to set up a project for our task force, 
and with your indulgence, I'd like to try it and see how it works for 
us.  If we don't find it useful, we don't have to keep using it.

The main advantages for me are the ease of making files available to 
everyone (quite a lot easier than maintaining a web page) and the 
timeline feature which has the potential to keep me on track with our 
progress better.  For group members, I think it will be easy for you 
to get and print files, and you will be able to easily see where we 
are with various tasks.

Within the next couple of days, I should have the project site set up 
and you should receive an email telling you that your account has 
been set up and how to log in.  I will put the drafts for Midwinter 
on the Basecamp site (and also on our web page, for now).  Once the 
site is set up, I'll ask everyone to try it out and we can discuss at 
Midwinter whether we would like to continue using it.

- Lori