As part of my work with Webarchitects I’m also on the committee of a co-operative resource centre [“Principle 5” https://www.principle5.coop]. There we’ve started work on a project to produce an index database of the back editions of Co-operative News. Principle 5 is working with Co-operative News on the project. It’s intended to become a permanent and ever-growing resource, available for anyone looking into the co-op movement - both historical/back issues and current/continuing into the future. This excellent newspaper has been published over the last 150 years so, yes, it’ll be a long task indexing each article and edition, but we’re volunteer-powered and up for the task - over next few years.
To start the database (which will be online and free to access) we’ve had help from Jade, a Chinese volunteer/graduate, and it’s close to beta version already. Jade has done the front end, but in completing the back end she needs up-skilling. We’ve been advised that someone with PHP development skills is needed. Basically I am asking if someone can spend a day maybe, with Jade, on paired programming ?? She’s based here in Sheffield and is learning PHP. If you or anyone you know have PHP skills and are willing to consider offering some limited volunteer work, will you kindly get in touch?
Principle 5 is an un-funded and volunteer-run resource centre/ /archive/library/reading room; rent is our major cost, covered by subscriptions from members and we cannot afford to employ anyone, hence this request. There is no time deadline except that Jade may have to leave the UK in March, thanks to our not-generous immigration laws.
Thanks,
Jonathan Cook
Chair, Principle 5
PS Please feel free to pass this message on to any likely people? Thanks!