Changes between Version 8 and Version 9 of BossaIntro

Timestamp:

Oct 9, 2007, 8:35:10 AM (17 years ago)

Author:

davea

Comment:

--

BossaIntro

@@ -1 @@
-= Berkeley Open System for Skill Aggregation (BOSSA) =
+= Berkeley Open System for Skill Aggregation (Bossa) =
 
 [[T(DesignDocument)]]
 
-BOSSA is a software infrastructure for creating
+Bossa is a software infrastructure for creating
 projects that use skills or knowledge of large numbers
 of volunteers, via the Internet, to accomplish a set of tasks.
-This has been termed ''skill aggregation'', ''distributed thinking'', etc.
+This has been variously termed ''skill aggregation'', ''distributed thinking'', and ''human computing''.
 
-BOSSA is designed to accommodate a wide range of tasks.
+Bossa is designed to accommodate a wide range of tasks.
 In particular:
 
  * Tasks may be short (performed online via a single web page) or may take several weeks and involve running separate programs.
  * Tasks may be performed by a single user or by a group of cooperating users.
- * Tasks may be automatically validated, or may require validation by comparing multiple instances.
+ * Tasks may be automatically validated, or may require validation by comparing redundant instances.
 
-BOSSA uses [BoincBasics BOINC Basics],
-and designed to be used together with [BoltIntro BOLT].
+Bossa consists of a MySQL database schema and a set of PHP pages.
+Projects install these components on their server,
+and add their own PHP scripts to generate, show, and handle tasks.
+Bossa uses [BoincBasics BOINC Basics] for grouping and communication,
+and can use [BoltIntro BOLT] for volunteer training.
 
 == Abstractions ==
 
-A BOSSA project has one or more ''skill apps''.
-For each skill app and each user,
-BOSSA maintains ''skill estimate'', an estimate of the user's skill at that task.
-This is maintained in the user's project-specific XML document.
-Normally it's a number in [0..1], and it's initially zero.
-
-Normally each skill app has an associated BOLT course,
-and the skill estimate is maintained on the basis of
-the user's interaction with that course.
-However, a project can maintain the skill app
-using any other mechanism.
-
+A Bossa project has one or more ''skill apps''.
 A skill app has a dynamic set of ''skill tasks''.
-Each one has an associated XML document,
-typically describing its parameters or input files.
-
+Each one has an associated set of arguments describing its parameters or input files.
 Each skill task has a set of ''task instances''.
 Each one represents a copy of the task, either in progress or completed.
@@ -69 +59 @@
  * A maximum number of tasks per day issued per user or group
 
+== Volunteer characteristics ==
+
+For each skill app and each user,
+Bossa maintains ''skill estimate'', an estimate of the user's skill at that task.
+This is maintained in the user's project-specific XML document.
+Normally it's a single number in [0..1], and it's initially zero.
+
+The skill estimated can be computed in any of several ways:
+
+ * The results of  the user's interaction with a Bolt course associated with the skill app.
+ * The user's performance on "calibration tasks" mixed into the stream.
+ * The fraction of the user's results classified as invalid by redundancy.
+
+Skill estimates are used for two purposes:
+
+ * To decide whether to give tasks to a user;
+ * To decide how many redundant instances of a given task are needed.
+
 == Implementation ==
 
-To get work, a user goes to a particular BOSSA-supplied page.
+To get work, a user goes to a particular Bossa-supplied page.
 There he sees a list of skill apps for which tasks are available
 and for which he is qualified,
@@ -78 +86 @@
 Each app has an estimate of the time or other resources required to complete the task.
 
-Selecting an online app invokes the BOSSA ''scheduler'' script,
+Selecting an online app invokes the Bossa ''scheduler'' script,
 which selects a task instance suitable for the user,
 and redirects to its instance URL.
 
-Selecting an offline app invokes the BOSSA scheduler,
+Selecting an offline app invokes the Bossa scheduler,
 which selects a task and redirects to its instance-start URL.