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Discover the project
Here are the main points that you need to know about the Opquast project. You can also read the following sections:
The Opquast project in a few points
What is it?
- Opquast is a repository of best practices for the improvement of on-line services quality.
- The best practices are formulated, discussed and validated with community.
- The best practices are organized in three levels (1 to 3).
- The three levels a methodological basis for improving the quality of Internet sights.
- The best practices are elaborated by and for people from different countries.
- The best practices are not intended as a substitute for laws of any given country.
- Best practices must be realistic, verifiable, and widespread et an international level.
- This tool is neither a label or quality certificate
- The list of best practices is public and you can access them on this site.
- The My-Opquast enables you to monitor your site with reference to these best practices.
- To date, 11579 people use My-Opquast to monitor the quality of their Internet sites.
Why?
Every professional has a personal viewpoint regarding what website quality is. In the area of on-line services ergonomic, technical, software and informative best practices exist but are not known to everybody. Until now different communities of webmasters users and technicians have never been associated in listing and elaborating a publicly accessible best practices repository. Because of this we chose to make our listing and elaboration process public.
How?
The initial best practices list was produced by Élie Sloïm for Temesis. Since then the list has been discussed and refined with the contributions of people from different backgrounds and countries. The first stable version of the tool (1.0) was presented on 27 september 2004. In order to see the Best practices list please go to the best practices page, and choose your type of site and your targeted level of quality. The tool will then provide you with a relevant list which will make it possible for you to access cards that define Objectives, Technical solutions and check methods for the implementation of the given best practice.
For whom?
These best practices are of direct interest to all web professionals, be they project managers or contractors. Indirectly the concern users even though they shouldn't have to hear speak of on-line service quality, especially if the best practices are implemented.
By whom?
The project initiated on an initiative by Elie Sloïm, managing director of Temesis, which provides expertise and training in quality improvement of on-line services, and Fabrice Bonny co-founder of OpenWeb. Temesis carries and coordinates the project . For more information about people who activly participate in the project go to the team page.
When ?
A brief history
- During 2003: initial idea and birth of the project
- End of 2003: Elaboration of the first list of best practices.
- Up until June 2004: Debate about the liste by a small number of people on a publically accessible site.
- 30th June 2004: press release and publication of address to wider public.
- 30th June 2004 -15 September 2004 : final phase of the validation of the best practices (80 contributors, 1500 messages...)
- 15 to 27 September 2004: Online forums and discussions are closed.
- 27 September 2004: publication of the initial version 1.0
- 16 Febuary 2005 : publication of the My-Opquast tool.
- June 2005: License change to a unique Creative Commons CC-BY-SA license.
- Juin 2005: The opquast.org workshop is opened to serve the opquast community.
In the near future.
- October 2006 : launch of the english language version of Opquast, and the multi-list My-Opquast tool is made available to users.
Where?
The people associated with the project are in Québec, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg, etc. Go to the team page to find out more about it.
How much?
Do you want to use this tool to test your site and to get some training? It is totally free. If you want to distribute copies, carry out derived work, modify, use the list or a derived version in the context of a commercial or non-commercial service, we propose a licence.
Finding out more.
Get in touch with us, give us your opinion, ask us questions through the contact page. If the site is of use to you, half our job is done. If you want to support it, become a partner.
