Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Forensic Nursing: bio-psycho-social (political) steps

I've been searching for a definition of forensic nursing and came across this by The International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN)…
“the application of nursing science to public or legal proceedings; the application of the forensic aspects of health care combined with the bio-psycho-social education of the registered nurse in the scientific investigation and treatment of trauma and/or death of victims and perpetrators of abuse, violence, criminal activity and traumatic accidents.”
IAFN 2002
While seeing bio-psycho-social in the definition comes as no surprise - the list of areas, situations and contexts that forensic nurses may work in is enlightening:
  • Interpersonal Violence
  • Forensic Mental Health
  • Correctional Nursing
  • Legal Nurse Consulting
  • Emergency/Trauma Services
  • Patient Care Facility Issues
  • Public Health and Safety
  • Death Investigation
In writing about the relevance of Hodges' model in this field there is the assumption that forensic nursing is specialized, but built - of course - upon fundamental nursing principles and values. These are carried forward in forensic nursing theory and practice - Beyond Tradition, Advancing Humanity -  as the IAFN slogan ably puts it. Being reminded yesterday of mental health law (always a good thing!) in training on Mental Health Act 2007, I can see just how well Hodges' model can support the early bio-psycho-social steps of the nurse learner.  Then if students go on to specialize in forensic care, the model's political care (knowledge) domain will continue to serve them well.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Hodges' model: publications


The book chapter for Radcliffe Publishing is now in the hands of the editor. This is great step forward for Hodges' model (and me) in that the text considers the model within substance misuse care and services. To my knowledge the only other book chapter is that of Brian Hodges' in Hinchcliffe (1989) [please see the bibliography lower right].

The next project entails me completing my half of a paper on the application of Hodges' model in forensic nursing. My contribution introduces the model (with new text) to a forensic nursing audience and highlights why h2cm is of relevance to this very challenging specialised field of nursing. This is also a significant development being yet another clinical example and a co-authored effort. Collaboration with other people interested in and actually applying Hodges' model is definitely the way forward.

There are other topics that in championing h2cm would hit the sweet spot:
  • Continuing the current vein - papers on clinical applications for the model in mental health, learning disability and health visiting. These are areas in which the model was first taught and originally applied. 
  • The four original purposes for the model also compete for attention:
    1. supporting holistic theory and practice;
    2. reflective practice;
    3. bridging the theory - practice gap;
    4. curriculum development.

On that last theme, I need to type up a review of a book on curriculum development in nursing that will be featured here shortly. In the meantime if you have an essay, case study to complete, please bear h2cm in mind (and paper). ...

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Foundations, projects, corners and cornerstones

Ok, so you have a new project - that's great!
Yes, we are going to build something - outstanding!
Sounds absolutely marvellous!
We are going to use up-to-the-nanosecond project management tools.
And you're going to do it by the book, charts and real-time tags.
Yes, with a dash of intuition plus - you know - gut instinct!
Well sure, pleased to hear that too.
We will take account of history, learn the lessons -
we've a researcher onboard you know?
Building a world-class team that's all fleet of foot and mind.
We'll tick all the boxes, check all the corners and leave no stone unturned.
Truly admirable, but how many boxes and corners have you got and how many cornerstones* will you need?


Eh?
Hey listen up. Corners are for losers,
naughty children
and people lost in the dark.

Nobody is going to be stuck standing in the corner on this one!

Oh - right.

Well good luck....




Image sources:
'Cornerstone office': Cornerstone Corp. Center
Dan Flavin: at Artnet.
Inspired by the word 'cornerstone' and Untitled (Corner Piece) 1969 on visit to Tate Liverpool, 25 September 2009 (not the piece illustrated above):
Flavin made a number of works intended to be shown in corners, engaging directly with the architecture of the gallery. His use of commonly available fluorescent tubes enabled him to explore light as a non-physical material, animating gallery walls. The size of the work was determined so that the units could be fastened in the centre only, without having to be anchored to the floor. The artist rejected any symbolic significance of the object, insisting that it was simply a form that made good use of a corner.

Question: How many corners are there in Hodges' model?

*Cornerstones: here referring to stakeholders, sponsors, owners, partners, investors, builders, architects, designers...?

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

KT-EQUAL event Ageing Research 17 September

I was really pleased to be able to attend this event last Thursday (do check the site as there is an ongoing programme of workshops):

Making the most of the potential of Assistive Technology

This workshop organised in conjunction with BIAS (Brunel Institute for Ageing Studies) will provide a round-up of recent developments in AT and the underlying research aimed at enhancing independence in the home, improving safety and security, extending the use of the car, managing continence, maintaining the body and stimulating the brain.
 
Hosted by: Brunel Institute for Ageing Studies
Sponsored by: BIAS and KT-EQUAL

10:20 Welcome and Introduction, The world of  BIB and older people, Chair for the morning, Professor Emeritus Heinz Wolff, Founding Director, Brunel Institute for Bioengineering (BIB), Brunel University 
10:30 New Service Quality to Support Self-Care, Keren Down MBE, Director of FAST
10:55  Tackling Ageing Continence, Felicity Jowitt, Brunel Institute for Bioengineering
11:20 Refreshments
11:40 From chairs to stairs, Dr Ruth Mayagoitia, Applied Medical Research Group, King's College London,
12:05 "The Companion" - Independence, choice and self-sufficiency, Edward Varney, Brunel Institute for Bioengineering
12:30 Discussion
12:45 Lunch
13:45 Introduction to the afternoon, The world of BIAS and older people, Chair for the afternoon, Professor Mary Gilhooly, Professor of Gerontology, School of Health Sciences and Social Care, Brunel University 
13:50 KT-EQUAL: its mission for older people, Professor Peter Lansley, Director KT-EQUAL, University of Reading
14:00 Older drivers & older IT users: designing new technology, Suzette Keith, Middlesex University
14:25 Safety and Security in Later Life, Professor Rachel McCrindle, KT-EQUAL Consortium, University of Reading
14:50 Tea
15:10 Nourishing the body and saving the soul, Dr Arlene Astell, St Andrews University
15.35 Technology for people with dementia, Eleanor van den Heuvel, Brunel Institute for Bioengineering
16:00 Discussion
16:30 End

As noted above Prof. Heinz Wolff duly and delightfully introduced proceedings and chaired the morning. As a community mental health nurse for older adults and informatics / ICT enthusiast the day certainly proved worthwhile for me. Here are some reflections on two sessions:

While clinical and information standards have and remain a preoccupation for me, Keren Downs' session raised the chicken and the egg problem of standards and quality in the development of self-care and assistive technologies. Keren's presentation highlighted the stasis in design in the older adults sector and the question of how to energise future vision and models for innovation. There was reference to Shaping the future of care together and Common Core Principals to Support Self Care 2008, Department of Health.

Funding inevitably featured - the green paper listing three options:

Partnership - government pays for between a quarter and a third of care costs ...
Insurance - government pays for between a quarter and a third of care costs ...
Comprehensive - everyone pays into a state insurance scheme, whether or not they need care, and everyone gets free care when they need it.


The next slide reminded me of the tilting, table fitted geriatric chairs of old as Keren Downes highlighted the relative stasis in design and need for change for this population group.

While form follows function - can it also stifle innovation? When you consider change in materials, people's homes, care environments, attitudes ... there must be opportunities for innovation?

I also recalled similarities between this market of assistive technology and that of benefits realization within nursing (health) informatics. Especially as barriers were considered such as:
  • poor design (usability)
  • information provision
  • workforce competency
  • procurement
  • (To which I would add 'value added services' - maintenance, life-cycle management.)
As the speaker and work of FASTUK made clear, older adults represent a growing and emerging market, for whom standards and design will be critical if self-care and assisted living are to be fully realised *.

The final slide listed some reports and a web link as follows:

FAST reports: www.fastuk.org

• Assistive Technology supporting self care, July 2006
• Assistive Technology –Workforce Development, June 2007
• Annual Report to Parliament on Research and Development in Assistive Technology, July 2009

Felicity Jowitt in another session:

TACT3: Tackling Ageing Continence through Tools, Theory and Technology

- provided a concise non-medicalized definition:
Urinary Incontinence 'is a condition in which involuntary urine loss 
is a social or hygienic problem and is objectively demonstrable'.
International Continence Society definition of incontinence

The talk included explanations of the problems and how they arise, prevalence, management, available AT options and the anatomically - stigma driven challenges that male and female continence presents. To close new assistive devices were discussed. The creation and production of discrete, well-designed person- (in a social context) friendly aides, special pads and devices to detect the odour that signifies the need to change a continence pad before the human nose is alerted.

The sessions featured a Q&A session and amongst the many questions raised, I wondered about the ideal of continence aids that also help nurses and carers maintain high quality standards of care and professional values. ... Perhaps from the late 1970s I have antiquated notions of basic nursing care? It is shocking to hear stories of people being told to "do it anyway - you've got a pad on!". Does it not occur to these people that if the person is asking they obviously have insight and are distressed by their urgent situation. As to people who are confused and asking as a result of agitation - the mind boggles and the heart aches at the standards of care evident in such an attitude.

So, this was a really thought provoking and - despite the subjects - enjoyable event and I have only of course scratched the surface.

The majority of presentation (including those above) are available on the download page.

A related reference I am following up:

Duarte, L.R., Marquié, L., Marquié, J-C. et al. (2009) Analyzing feature distinctiveness in the processing of living and non-living concepts in Alzheimer’s disease, Brain and Cognition, Volume 71, Issue 2, November 2009, Pages 108-11.

I will do a h2cm matrix on continence in the future.

* You can almost hear the critical exclamation of a future aged '60s generation - "No way dude I'm not using that!". Perhaps by then we will have the means to ensure they retain the faculties to pass a critique.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Hodges model: indicative concepts in Substance Misuse Care

Hodges' model
in substance misuse services

psychological dependence
vulnerable individuals, education, risk, assessment, review, motivation to change, harm reduction, 
motivational interviewing, appreciative inquiry, life skills, education, advice, feedback
withdrawal, aggression, hallucinations, change,
drug use history, measures, care pathways, contract, rapport, empathy
substance profiles, abuse, signs
physical dependence, health status,
pregnancy, research methods, evidence, diagnosis, co-diagnosis, staff awareness, statistics, 
scientific advice, dissemination
models: stepped care, training,
forensic science - mental health,
classification, interventions, physical access, stepped care models

dependents, family, social network
social attitudes, vulnerable communities,
community projects, self-help, e.g. A.A., socio-economic depreviation,
systemic - family, group therapies
Advertising, housing, casual drug use, work, employment, benefit incentives, re-integration, inclusion,
community, neighbourhood policing,
drug culture, media
supply, cost of drugs - alcohol
health & social care policy,
service interfaces, statistics
Drugs strategy, funding, X-agency working, funding, GP contract, commissioning, "client contract-plans", National Treatment Agency, NICE, Home Office, legislation, crime, offending, re-hab. / specialist teams / treatment facilities, Government data, community prescribing, employers

Additional links:

Hodges' model: QUADS 'A4 page' with indicative generic content for the four care domains

The SOCIOLOGICAL links page includes Seven Ages, Public, Patients, & Carers...
The INTRAPERSONAL links page - Mental Health, Psychology, Therapies...
The POLITICAL links page - Economics, Policy, Citizenry...
The SCIENCES links page - Research, Drug resources, Anatomy & Physiology...

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Sour grapes and 'holistic' academic publishing

Having been a student on several occasions, an independent scholar and online for the past decade (I was a late arrival) something is really getting on my pips.

When I see an Editorial entitled -

Theoretical Frameworks 
and Concept Development

in an established publication -


That states - 
There is a commitment within holistic nursing to explore and refine terminology and frameworks that will enhance the care of patients and provide understanding about the healing process. To accomplish this directive, manuscripts will be published that provide an in-depth analysis of existing, alternatives, or extensions of concepts, frameworks, or theories associated with holism and holistic health and nursing. Holistic nursing involves a complex view of the individual, family, and environment that is constantly being challenged by new and emerging paradigms and information that furthers the ability to understand humans as multidimensional and pandimensional beings.

That value is not there by default it has to be found, learned and earned, but there are few frameworks that can simultaneously encompass holistic nursing, healing, touch, global health, informatics disciplines, the green agenda and human ecology. ....

So come on just a whisper - who Dares...?
 
Ref:
Diane Wind Wardell, Editorial, Theoretical Frameworks and Concept Development, Journal of Holistic Nursing, American Holistic Nurses Association, Volume 27, Number 3, September 2009 158.


Additional links:
How many interfaces are there? 
http://hodges-model.blogspot.com/2007/04/hodges-model-how-many-interfaces-are.html

Hodges model: What is it? [2] It’s an interface...

http://hodges-model.blogspot.com/2007/01/hodges-model-what-is-it-2-its-interface.html

Lonely model seeks ...
http://hodges-model.blogspot.com/2007/12/lonely-model-seeks.html

Nursing Variables and Constant Values

From the ancient days of BBC BASIC I am today still trying to pick up some PHP to help me grasp Drupal (and Ruby).

In declaring variables - a key element of computer programs - I thought about the following both as a VARIABLE -

$nursing_care = "variable"

- and as a CONSTANT.

Which made me wonder: when do we want nursing to be a 'variable' and when a 'constant'?

The answer is of course obvious.

Nursing care must be a VARIABLE when it reflects the care plans and objectives that relate to a person - a unique individual.

Alternately, what must be declared as CONSTANT are -

safety, values and good-high quality nursing care.

You may wish to consider what other aspects of nursing and your practice are either variable or constant in nature?

Additional link:

Hodges' model care domains suggested content: http://www.p-jones.demon.co.uk/quads.htm 
I am updating the single page above and must add hygiene;
should you have any additional suggestions please get in touch - 
h2cmng at yahoo.co.uk

Monday, September 7, 2009

International Literacy Day - Literacy and Hodges' model: An umbilicus of meaning

Int. Literacy Day logoLiteracy has always been important - it pre-dates prehistory.

Nature is the hardest of all teachers.

Nature taught us to read ourselves, other people and things in the environment, the future and so on right through to our various forms of media and technology today.

Politicians, parents and educationalists constantly stress the state of the 3Rs for those in, leaving school and the general populace who whether willingly or not find themselves as lifelong learners. Now we are told times and the world are far more more complex. In addition to ability in Reading, wRiting, and aRithmatic - literacy comes in other forms that are increasingly essential to our individual connection with the world, and our collective capacity to solve major local and global issues.

The efforts of Gutenberg shame us when in the 21st century basic literacy evade so many:

Today one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women while 75 million children are out of school.

Since its foundation in 1946, UNESCO has been at the forefront of global literacy efforts and is dedicated to keeping literacy high on national, regional and international agendas. However, with some 776 million adults lacking minimum literacy skills, literacy for all remains an elusive target.

UNESCO’s literacy programmes aim to create a literate world and promote literacy for all.

On the other hand Gutenberg reminds us of the need for stability if a people, a government is to provide the capacity and resources to support education and literacy for its peoples.

As mentioned above reading, writing and basic numeracy skills are now joined by other essential literacies. In the figure below I have (hurriedly) combined them with Hodges' model:


Here in the 3Rs we need to appreciate the child developmental factors that influence the acquisition, learning and refinement of basic literacy skills. The early detection of visual, hearing, and cognitive problems is crucial in ensuring everyone realises their full potential. The 3Rs span several of the care (knowledge) domains of Hodges' model. Children must be allowed to be children, hence the importance of play in emotional development and literacy.

As our societies become ever more visual to the extent of being described as visually polluted with excessive amounts of signage; spatial and visual forms of literacy come to fore. If the digital divide does not intervene then information, media literacy, and fluency in the use of computers, software, virtual interfaces and other digital devices represent the 21st century literacy?

Economic literacy extends beyond numeracy, not just a person being able to manage their own financial affairs and that of their family. This may also encompass - as the world has witnessed over the past two years - the economic management of whole communities, countries and the need for governance and accountability.

What then of political literacy in the figure above? In medicine and surgery great store is placed on informed consent before an operation or procedure is performed. Do people just 'vote' or should the electorate be informed as they grant permission to a political party to operate on their behalf?

When speaking to clients, carers and families a judgement must be made about the language used. Get this wrong either way - too jargonistic, technical or too simplistic and positive outcomes may be reduced.

In the future as populations continue to grow, cities are forced to flee rising tides and governments seek to relocate, spiritual literacy will assume an importance never seen before. That is why spiritual literacy surrounds Hodges' model.

Of course in health and social care encounters, of the many factors that are weighed the emphasis in professional caring and essential humanism is on acceptance and being non-judgemental.

Literacy must be judged.

It has to be judged if global health is to have any meaning.

Literacy and Health
- two vital pearls on the fragile thread called -
quality of life.

Evidence Hodges' model #1: Research in Nursing

Mind the gapWhen as a nurse (OT, physio, medic....) you are on a course, especially one about research you may be required to complete a study or more significant piece of research. Courses at graduate and post graduate level invariably include such demands and stress the hope that this course will spur you to continue the research effort in the work place. The ideal is of course to routinise research in clinical settings. Whatever the debate regarding the merits of evidence-based nursing, medicine and so on, this still needs to happen in part to help bridge the theory - practice gap.


In the same way all nurses have a professional responsibility to educate their student peers, (patients and carers...) there is an expectation that nurses are like embedded media commentators in a war zone. Part of your time in practice will be devoted to research, audit and governance.

While there are audit and governance teams there willing to help, many people multi-task in their work and nurses are seasoned practitioners. Many just want to do what they were trained for and nurse. They recognize this as they hear the expectations of the course leaders, lecturers and yet they are aware of the constraints. The scope for research is weighed against other commitments, notably:
  • direct(ing) patient care and safety
  • management and supervision
  • audit duties for management information
There are of course a host of psychosocial influences that come into play. What is my personal interest in research? Where do I prefer to be at work: office, ward, or home or retired? Cynical? No! Just being realistic. The information systems frequently in place can assist as a research tool, but their chief role is to provide management information through the collation of aggregated data. This is done by-and-large transparently in the background ('back-end'), and that is the problem. Nurses need to get their feet wet. The option must be there, and not just when on courses. Nurses need to immerse themselves in the data and information streams they help to create and source.

As the list above suggests nurses and not just senior nurses need direct access to the icon labelled 'reports'. There should be ways for nursing work to be captured in-situ, but how? Many clinical information system vendors have their solutions to this, but as regular readers know for a long time I've been wondering about -
  1. How can the balance between management data and intelligence needs and clinical needs be supported and bridged?*
  2. What is the evidence base to support Hodges' model in theory, practice, management and policy?
  3. What is the state, characteristics, access and usability of nursing terminology, taxonomy, classification systems in informatics - information and communication systems?
  4. If I am individually compelled (nuts!) to create a new website could I ally this aim with a course?
More to follow - including some of the sessions at Drupalcon Paris.....

*To this list we also need to add other stakeholders - members of the public.

Additional links:
http://www.icn.ch/icnp.htm


Image sources:
Mind the gap: http://ci.coe.uni.edu/facstaff/zeitz/web/itag/mindthegap/
Report icon:
http://artistsvalley.deviantart.com/art/Free-Task-Icons-Reports-Icons-89509953

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Drupalcon Paris 2009 "big picture..." x 5 "holistic..." x 6

Today at Drupalcon my keyword count by the speakers of day 3 sessions I was privy to (assuming I was awake throughout) is something like:

"big picture" = 5
"holistic (+ or - thinking)" = 6

These were stressed repeatedly especially by keynote speaker Chris Heuer. Like last year in Hungary I have looked at the BOF (birds of a feather) board and wondered about sticking Hodges 'framework' up there. Why 'framework' and not 'model'? Well framework, product and service are amongst the other keywords at Drupalcons past, present and future no doubt.

Hodges' model is a framework to carry, represent and disseminate big pictures.

While it is very encouraging to me to hear these terms I get the impression this is window dressing. At the end of the day the 'big picture' is the paper around the fish and chips. Its value is quickly spent - especially in this most apparent recycled mode. Chris Heuer alluded to this in his very interesting talk.

There is more to see in the big picture than what seems to be there.


This is why Hodges' model is so readily passed over for its simplicity.

When we gather the constituent parts of the big picture they are invariably 'recycled materials'.

The converted can see the re-purposed value, the need to re-visit the frame and tinker with the contrast, horizon(s), sky and colour; but critically do those who really need to create, see and utilise the resource?

The thing about 'big pictures' is
they are not enoug
h in themselves,
it depends not only on how you fold them,
but on how hard you can throw them.




Image sources:

Fish and chips in paper: http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurants/SearchResults.aspx?st=photos&ob=RestaurantName&ps=1&s=XX
Paper plane: http://www.clker.com/clipart-4601.html

CfP E-Health: Accessing Knowledge for Global Health


Special Issue on:

“E-Health: Accessing Knowledge for Global Health”

Guest Editor: Patricia Abbott, PhD, RN: Johns Hopkins, USA

This special issue of the KM&EL international journal is dedicated to coverage of knowledge management and information dissemination for health in under served areas. Numerous studies have demonstrated the high cost, in both financial and humanistic terms, of a lack of access to current healthcare knowledge. Many international settings are using textbooks that are seriously outdated, and practicing in ways that have been proven to be ineffective and/or dangerous. At the same time, we are seeing an explosion of information and communication technologies (ICT) that are reaching even the most remote corners of the globe. As these two trends collide, we are seeing tremendous innovation and application of KM techniques and ICT utilization to “reach and teach” in remote communities around the world. Indeed, Deaton (2004) states that:
“The health and life expectancy of the vast majority of mankind, whether they live in rich or poor countries, depends on ideas, techniques, and therapies developed elsewhere, so that it is the spread of knowledge that is the fundamental determinant of population health.”
This issue is designed to elicit both theoretical and applied papers that describe efforts to reduce international asymmetries of health information by increasing access to health knowledge bases via ICT. We are interested in theoretical papers that posit the promise and possibilities global e-health, and applied research papers that provide results of knowledge access, knowledge management, and knowledge dissemination for international health. We are particularly interested in papers in this space that focus upon application in low resource areas and/or with the medically under served. Our goal is to stimulate interest in the issues across academia, practice, industry, research and policy. We welcome focused papers from all sectors.

The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
  • Knowledge management in ICT-enabled, yet low resourced areas
  • Practical usage/application of ICT for evidence based practice in global e-health
  • E-health via ICT – Lessons Learned
  • M-health via cellular telephony and other mechanisms – New innovations for distributing health knowledge and best practices via mobile technologies
  • Managing and developing knowledge from under served areas; what can communities teach us?
  • Producing culturally sensitive, feasible, and distributable best practices for ICT-enabled delivery
  • Socio-cultural aspects of ICT enabled e-health
  • Infrastructure challenges in global e-health in the e-health/m-health domain
  • New developments, trends and approaches.
Important Dates
Submission due: 15th January, 2010
Notification of acceptance: 15th March, 2010
Publication schedule: Jun 2010 (Vol.2, No.2)

Submission Instructions
Papers must not have been published, accepted for publication, or presently be under consideration for publication elsewhere. A standard double-blind review process will be used for selecting papers to be published in this special issue. Authors should follow the instructions outlined in the KM&EL Website (see URL http://www.kmel-journal.org/ojs/index.php/online-publication/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions)

Guest Editor:
Patricia A. Abbott, PhD, RN
Director, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center for Knowledge Management;
Johns Hopkins Schools of Medicine and Nursing
Baltimore, MD USA

Electronic submission by email to Guest Editor is required.

pabbott2@son.jhmi.edu

For more information about the KM&EL, please visit the web site:
http://www.kmel-journal.org/ojs/index.php/online-publication

Reference:
Deaton, A. (2004). Health in an Age of Globalization. Available online at: https://muse.jhu.edu/journals/brookings_trade_forum/v2004/2004.1deaton.pdf

Knowledge Management & E-Learning: An International Journal (KM&EL) ISSN 2073-7904

Maintained and Developed by:
Laboratory of Knowledge Management & E-Learning
Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong

http://www.kmel-journal.org/ojs/index.php/online-publication/announcement/view/4

My source: GANM list

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Care & Information Architecture in Drupal 7 and h2cm

At Drupalcon Paris this morning webchick provided an overview of Drupal 7. Amongst the feature laden slides was the way an information architecture emerged and was used to review the usability of version 6 and the soon to be released 7th version of Drupal. The list - comprising several contexts:
  • appearance
  • configuration
  • content
  • people
  • structure
- had me reaching for Hodges' model and the care (knowledge) domains. This is a very informal rendering of an information architecture and yet very useful. As explained elsewhere h2cm is a very high level tool and resource and I have often viewed Hodges' model as a care architecture. Placing the above list on to the model then -

content

appearance
structure


people

configuration


The rationale for this is fairly straight forward:

CONTENT: in creating content we are - as Dries stressed with Drupal - reaching out to a global audience, but content needs to fire in the mind of individual users. The site must have meaning for that person.

APPEARANCE: Style and design are physical in the sense that properties abound, even though appearance is subjective at the end of the day. Despite this there are guide lines and rules that help us avoid "what sucks".

STRUCTURE
: Again even if conceptual on paper, in menus, or database tables; our models and frameworks span the divide between physical and abstract or virtual as representations. They enable communication and interaction.

CONFIGURATION
: Well here the decisions are political. They may vary in the degree of left - right and centre, but they are nonetheless political.

PEOPLE
: Last, but not least is people - COMMUNITIES! Built around users and the practical implementation of things they want to do - their purposes.

When we think of people it reminds me of the way people sometimes confuse social inclusion and exclusion and in placing 'people' here we cannot ignore the constant interplay between the interpersonal and political domains with roles, permissions, policy, security and other related issues.

Hearing about Drupal 7 on the first full day of Drupalcon means that the winter and indeed 2010. ... sounds a busy and lucky time here! The plans for code freeze and move towards the final release were also outlined this morning. With the announcment of Drupalcon 2010 in San Francisco more to follow: including three days in Paris....

Acknowledgments: Dries, Webchick and the Drupal 7 team.

My image source (and great opening line)

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Drupalcon Paris 2009: my sessions plan

As followers of h2cm on Twitter will know at the moment I am in Paris attending the European Drupalcon for 2009. I can't believe that 12 months ago I was leaving Szeged after Drupalcon 2008. You on the other hand probably can't believe that there's still no new site for Hodges' model. Well I am in no real hurry and I am enjoying the journey - literally at present.

Today, for me and other 'non-coders' there is a drupalcamp with impromptu yet very interesting talks (e.g. Google Wave and a Ruby gem for Drupal!). Tomorrow things kick off proper and here are some of the sessions I plan to attend:

Dries - The State of Drupal

webchick - Drupal 7 Status Update and Next Steps