Steven’s DMP checklist was very logical and it helped our team talk through our current conceptualization of the project. I posit that one of the biggest unseen benefits to completing the data management plan early in the project (though really, we’re in the thick of it now — I think it will feel like we are just getting started until we’re racing to the finish line, if it’s like any other of my projects during the pandemic) was how it crystallized some of the artifacts around our site. 

I think the reason that the data document was so logical for us to conceptualize was that an archive —or, as I am inclined to believe – what we may have, to Lisa Rhody’s point in her talk a couple weeks ago, a ‘collection” 🤔 — may have more concrete ideas about what data will be used due to the nature of its thing-ness. Nevertheless, our project still has ambiguities that were fun and helpful to sort out with the team using the data management checklist and provided examples. 

I think my biggest non-DMP challenge overall has been tamping down my control freak nature, which is great for solo projects and horrible for group work — lessons learned as a young undergrad — and letting the team as a whole guide the project with their interests, ideas, and areas of expertise. It’s been great so far, and I’m learning so much. 

Additionally this week we identified some areas for interaction within the WordPress platform which will be both the stretch goal and a fun technical challenge for me. No spoilers, but hopefully it will allow users to interact with the collected rebus puzzles that already have solutions. I did a bit of outreach, and also “solved” a French rebus critical of Napoleon’s efforts while away from France with my mom, who normally likes to Zoom in and do a Sunday crossword with me. I may just extend this to my nascent network of relevant rebus riddlers, and see if we can “swarm on the (rebus) problem,” one of my favorite agile practices, for fun and project progress.