As part of the development of h2g2 once it was acquired by the BBC, the technology that powered the site was spun off into a separate project called DNA, a general-purpose content/community tool based on XML/XSL, C++ and SQL Server. I was appointed Editor of DNA, which meant I played a central role in developing h2g2 into DNA. Primarily, I was responsible for coordinating the development efforts of the technical team with the requirements of DNA clients across the BBC, all the while ensuring that the system met with approval from all sorts of people from throughout the organisation.
I was also central to the design of a moderation system that would enable DNA to support the BBC's editorial policy on moderating user-generated content. When it was an independent company, h2g2 was reactively moderated, but the BBC required pre- and post-moderation tools, so we closed the site while we developed moderation tools that are still used as the BBC's core moderation system.
We had always planned for DNA to replace the ageing technology that powered the BBC's message boards at that time, but the existing communities team didn't see the potential for DNA. To help them and the rest of the BBC understand what DNA could do for them, I created an offshoot site, the DNA Hub, using DNA itself to create a repository for DNA-related information. I developed templates in XSL to implement the site, and wrote most of the content explaining how DNA worked and why it would be the best solution for the BBC's online communities.
Three years later the BBC finally switched off its last pre-DNA message board, and now all BBC message boards run through DNA.
Editor of DNA
As the Editor of DNA I managed the ongoing development of the project, gluing the editorial and technical sides together to create a public-facing publishing environment that both the BBC and licence-fee payers love. Overall I managed seven releases of the h2g2 website and three releases of the DNA application, often managing an h2g2 release alongside a DNA release. I used my project management skills to do the following:
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Collate feature ideas from the public and internal clients
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Work out their feasibility, breaking each feature down into smaller parts
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Liaise with editorial, technical, design and policy units to develop an implementation plan for each new site release
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Manage the development of this implementation plan, producing progress reports and constantly keeping on top of the time restraints
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Run user testing on beta versions and feed the results back into the final stage of development
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Manage the deployment of each version, training clients and providing customer support to the public
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Chair regular meetings with involved parties across the BBC and produce statistical reports on site usage
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Promote these new versions of h2g2 and DNA via presentations across the whole BBC
The result is a platform that the BBC has taken right to the heart of its online community policy, and which continues to grow in popularity.