Redmine

Hello.

I'm sorry to ask such simple questions, but I am not very computer literate. Of course, I can use windows, use programs, do all the usual things somebody has to do on a computer, and I am a CAD draughstman by trade so I use computers all the time........but I am not really into anything deeper than that and find it really hard to grasp what the hells going on with technology today thats deeper than the "end user" knowledge. I dont know any programming, what RSS is, how anything actually works, but theres something I wish to achieve and I dont know where to start or how to do it.

I have been wanting to create a project for the last 5 years now, but due to my inabilities to grasp and learn technology and wade through a bazillion acronyms and technical jargon, I just havent been able to achieve what I want. I have tried and failed to use Sharepoint Server (which I borrowed to test drive), DekiWiki and Hoopla werent suitable, and other programs were not presenting the information how I liked etc etc. However, the need for my project keeps coming back, and I recently did a search for free software to work as a document management solution and "repository". Some chap somewhere in some random forum mentioned this place and I need to ask some questions to know if it is suitable for my needs or if anyone has any ideas what I would need otherwise.

This is what I would like to do:

I am into politics, world ideologies and current affairs...and I have been saving media articles, news, video clips, pdfs, and so on and so forth which I have felt to be important. Mostly, it has been html files from newspaper sites, blogs and such.

Often, during political debates (I know, soooo boring! lol) I like to pull up material to show evidence that something did occur, or that some point of view was given, or to read some article that can help me "make a case" to challenge others who hold a different opinion to mine. It takes me quite some time to delve through what I have stored on the hard drive until I find something I feel relevent. Looking on google would just take far too long, and with these kinds of debates you need to be quite punchy and not take days to reply. I like my stored archive because I only save quite niche information that I find to be important pieces of commentary. Otherwise, I could easily spend 5 hours on google trying to find what I need, but this way I know I have something I hold to be important and relevant to me right on the drive here.

At the moment, they're all just sat there as html files and PDF files on the disc, and I cannot search inside them or arrange them by relevence to a key word, or anything. They are dumb files.

However, I would like to create a repository(?) or archive database of these documents - which is searcheable and with other clever abilities built in to aid its use. A few of us in the group think it would be a good idea to build up this depository of information, a bit like a college or university may store articles and references for class I suppose, and allow it to be accessed over the internet by anyone who would wish to do so (or maybe operate over the internet with usernames and passwords to prevent abuse).

I would like to be able to present the data very clearly, ie, just as the original saved webpage or PDF came out. Structure wise, I think it needs to be a combination of Windows Explorer and Google....where you can drill down to certain categories, click a button (or article of interest) and it opens up to read in full. I would like it to be able to be indexable, word searcheable, and even throw up other suggested documents that are similar or similar themed.

I intend for it to be added to by a set of contributers, who will have passwords to create content, and for them to put the material in the correct area. This way, the project can grow, rather than it relying on just myself to find and add material.

Perhaps the best way to think of it, is a restricted google engine filled with specific documents, that can find and search inside documents, and can also have a "tree" to drill down to pre-defined categories......whether it be financial, environment, or whatever. It is something that people (I trust) may add to, and that can be seen and used by the general public. It would need to be accessable over the internet through a regular web browser, and if need be, the contributer team may have to have some software to upload some stuff, which may not be a problem.

I have got really bogged down with this in the past, with trying to set up virtual machines, apache and mySQl......I really havent a clue what Im doing, and when I try and learn , it always assumes you know a certain degree of terminology or technology. I know nothing!.

Theres no way I need a massively expensive and extensive software solution, I looked at many of these a few years ago, like Atlassian and some of the rivals, and like I say, Sharepoint interested me greatly because it seemed to do some things I wanted - but it was too much to learn, and I couldnt get some of it working properly on my computer, nevermind geting into the under-the-hood workings and setting up servers to open it out to other users. Im not in a workplace, Im not able to ask anybody for help because I live alone. It is a kind of 'spare time' interest group project, so spending hundreds of dollars/Pounds on software just isnt really viable. Nor do I feel able to learn a whole mountain of technical programming and advanced windows stuff, especially as Im not really that interested in it (sorry) and it makes it even harder to "sink in" to my thick skull.

So, Im kind of wondering if Redmine is suitable in any way for what I want to achieve, and if its easy to set up and use for a complete novice.......and if it isnt suitable for my planned project, does anybody know what would do this and is so easy that any simpleton could set it up?

Many thanks

Sirius.