Fishwise - Definition and Planning

Production

Will the production team be composed of in-house people, outside contractors or a mix of the two?

Who will manage the process?

Who are your primary content experts?

Who will be the liaison to any outside contractors?

Who will function long-term as the Webmaster or senior site editor?

Technology

What browsers and operating systems should your site support?
~	Windows, macintosh, UNIX, Linux.
~	Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer; minimum version supported.
Network bandwidth of average site visitors?
~	Internal audience or largely external audience?
~	Ethernet or high-speed connections typical of corporate offices ISDN, DSL or Modem connections for rural, international, or poorer users.
Dynamic HTML and advanced features?
~	JavaScript or vbscript required
~	Java applets required
~	Style Sheets required
~	Third-party browser plug-ins
~	Special features of the UNIX or NT server environments required
~	Special security or confidentiality features required
How will users reach the support personnel?
~	Email messages from readers
~	Chat rooms, forums, help desk, or phone support
Database support?
~	User log-ins required to enter any site areas?
~	Questionnaires required?
~	Search and retrieval from database needed?
Audiovisual content?
~	Video or audio productions?

Web Server support

In-house Web server or outsourced to Internet Service Provider?
~	Unique domain names available (multihoming)
~	Disk space or site traffic limitations or extra costs?
~	Twenty-four-hour, seven-days-a-week support and maintenance?
~	Statistics on users and site traffic?
~	Server log analysis: in-house or outsourced?
~	Search engine suitable for your content?
~	CGI (Common Gateway Interface), programming, and database middleware support available?
~	Database support or co-ordination with in-house staff?

Budgeting

Salaries and benifits for short-term development staff and long-term editorial and support staff?
Hardware and software for in-house development team members
Staff training in Web use, database, Web marketing, and Web design
Outsourcing fees
~	Site design and development
~	Technical consulting
~	Database development
~	Site marketing
Ongoing personnel support for site
~	Site editor or Webmaster
Ongoing server and technical support
Database maintenance and support
New content development and updating

Appoint an editor

To maintain consistent editorial, graphical layout, and management policies.

The editor may maintain the whole site, or oversee other people updating pages appointed to them.

Vetting content on important sites, checking that music pictures etc are not taken from other sites leaving the client open to expensive law suites.