When selecting tools for use by the collectives I worked with in India, we had to consider the following factors due to the unique context and limited resources available:
Export Capabilities:
- Does the tool allow for easy export of data or content?
Compatibility with Other Tools:
- Do the export options work well with other tools commonly used by the collectives?
Self-Hosting:
- If the collective has its own server, can the tool be self-hosted?
- Is there someone available to maintain and experiment with it?
Device and Screen Compatibility:
- Is the tool usable on multiple devices and different screen sizes?
Collaboration Features:
- Can the tool facilitate collaborative work among team members?
Affordability:
- Is the tool relatively free or affordable for Indian collectives, with a monthly cost of less than 200-300 INR?
Open Source:
- If the usage involves sensitive data, is the tool open source, providing transparency and security?
Input Variety:
- Can the platform support different types of input, such as voice, text, and other formats?
Input Delivery Options:
- Can the tool enable input delivery through various means, like phone calls for voice-based inputs?
Efficiency vs. Accessibility:
- If there are multiple tools available, one being faster but more opaque, and another being slower but more accessible, which trade-off is more important based on the specific needs and limitations of the collective?
Long Term Stability
- Is there some sort of way that the project itself fails in the long-term either by acquisition, abandonment or commercialisation
Coherence for Collaborators
- [] Does it make sense with the larger context of our work to our team internally and to our collaborators
