Basecamp
[December 2005] How do you manage projects? Scraps of paper? Expensive software? Brain cells? Try Basecamp, a free online tool.
Basecamp.
Basecamp allows you to manage one project free. To manage a number of projects at the same time you will need to sign up for the paid service, which starts at USD$12 per month for 3 projects.
Milestones.
You can set your Milestones, such as the date of the Conference or book launch or Open Day. Basecamp then tracks how long you have until each Milestone, and warns you if the date has passed but the Milestone has not been achieved.
To Do Lists.
In order to achieve a milestone there are certain tasks various people have to do. You can list these tasks and allocate them to people. Mark off what's finished and filter by person.
Store project files.
Keep important files in one place for everyone to access, but note that you need your own FTP server. You may need cover art and chapters for a book, perhaps, or a style guide for reference, or perhaps photos to go in the resource kit. A central storage area means everyone can add or call up files. It's very easy to upload files via a form. Anyone can do it.
Writeboards.
A writeboard is a place where you can create a document and others can edit it. This is great for collaborating on a document such as a funding proposal or a report. When the document is finished you can email it, export it as a text file or as a (high quality) web page.
RSS feed.
Thanks to the RSS feed you don't need to log in just to check for new items. The RSS feed automatically alerts you to updates, including letting you know who is responsible for any To Do items.
Overview.
You can see all the 'To Do's, messages, milestones and files from the overview screen.
A helpful tool.
Basecamp has many more features and offers several advantages:
- All the information is centralised and available over the Internet, rather than locked away in one person's computer. You, and the other contributors to the project, can check on progress, see what remains to be done, contribute information from any Internet connected computer anywhere in the world.
- Selective access: you can allow and restrict access to your project file. The world at large can't see your project, but you can invite in volunteers and others who have something to contribute.
- The service is slick, effective and enjoyable to use.