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Personas
Personas are fictional but research‑based representations of the users of Grottocenter. They help development teams stay focused on real human needs rather than abstract requirements. A persona is a composite character created from user research, interviews, analytics, and market data. Each persona represents a meaningful segment of our audience. Instead of thinking “the user” teams think “An explorer” We will attempt to describe our personas by specifying:
- Name and short biography
- Goals and motivations
- Pain points and frustrations
- Behavior patterns
- Technical proficiency
- Context of use (environment, constraints, devices)
I am a teenager or young adult, curious and looking for adventure. I am unfamiliar with the underground environment, the associated risks, and the potential damage I could cause. I am new to this environment but intrigued by it; I want to experience adventures and share them with my friends and network. I am looking for information on caves near me, in areas I plan to visit, or caves mentioned by friends or people in my network. I am unfamiliar with Grottocenter; I landed on a page of the site by chance while searching online using a search engine or AI. I don't have a Grottocenter account; I mainly use a phone.
Visitors are informed about the risks associated with the underground environment and the specific hazards of the cave they are interested in. Visitors are informed about the potential environmental impact of their visit and the rules to follow to minimize that impact; this information should include both general guidelines and details specific to the particular cave page. Visitors are informed of the regulations and laws applicable to the cave they are researching. Visitors find the provided information engaging, sparking a desire to learn more and participate in the project—thereby becoming explorers themselves.
I am a physically fit adult. I am familiar with the underground environment and the risks involved, and I want access to information that will help me minimize those risks. I am proficient in underground progression techniques and capable of choosing an outing that suits my equipment, physical fitness, and weather conditions. I wish to explore a known cave using complete and up-to-date information to plan my trip. I want to discover and explore new passages within known cave systems. I want to discover and explore new caves. I want to share my knowledge to enable other explorers to conduct their own explorations. I operate anywhere in the world, though I generally have in-depth knowledge of specific areas. I have a Grottocenter account and use it on my home computer and mobile phone—including offline when I am in the field.
Grottocenter must provide the same services to explorers as it does to visitors. Explorers must be able to access all existing information about a cave in order to continue exploring it.
###I collect scientific information related to the underground environment.
I am capable of going underground, though I am not necessarily in peak physical condition. I am generally on the older side; I belong to scientific caving groups and participate in congresses, symposia, and specialized meetings. I specialize in collecting specific types of data. I produce thematic syntheses based on the data I collect. I work on a computer and may use a phone to collect data. I need to create a Grottocenter account and learn how to use it, even though I am neither a casual visitor nor an explorer.
Grottocenter is capable of collecting all the metadata essential for conducting analyses. The process of collecting, correcting, and making information available is accessible to individuals with a scientific background. Grottocenter is able to archive collected data over a very long period and provide factual evidence of this capability. Grottocenter is progressively gaining the ability to collect all types of information that can be gathered in the underground environment.
I wish to use and enrich information about the underground environment for my research. I am an active or retired professional researcher. I work on topics related to the underground environment. I am part of professional networks in my field and among underground specialists; I attend conferences and write scientific papers. I may go underground as an explorer, though my specific field of study might not require it. I need access to all existing documentation related to my research topics. I need tools that allow me to perform custom analyses—beyond predefined options—using all the information available on Grottocenter. I need to be able to upload large volumes of data to Grottocenter, including all necessary metadata. I need to be able to extract data from Grottocenter for my research if the platform's built-in tools are insufficient. I need to be able to keep the analyses I conduct using Grottocenter data confidential as part of my research work. I use Grottocenter on a computer or on my phone if I am in the field.
Grottocenter must adhere to open science standards. Grottocenter must rely on reference ontologies to facilitate data exchange. Grottocenter must leverage Karstlink to define a reference ontology for the specific fields of karst and the underground environment.
###I manage a collection of documents. I may be a trained, paid professional. I may be a passionate volunteer, likely of an older age. I am not an explorer or a visitor on Grottocenter. I work within a network of documentation centers. I am affiliated with another organization—such as a caving group, a research center, or a government agency. I aim to preserve and provide access to a document collection under my care. I recognize that access to collections is now primarily online, yet I place great importance on paper documents. I wish to share the resources I hold with other documentation centers. I wish to make resources available from other documentation centers accessible to my own audience. I wish to be able to digitize, analyze, and archive the paper documents in my possession. I do not currently use Grottocenter, but I would like to be able to use it via my documentation center management software.
Document data in Grottocenter is accessible to library management software. Document metadata is in a standard format used by documentation centers. Grottocenter offers a service for importing data from other documentation centers. Grottocenter offers a service allowing anyone who wishes to contribute to, improve, and supplement the available information.
I am employed by an organization or have been assigned a specific task by one. I am an adult user who may act as an "explorer" or "visitor," though this is only a minor aspect of my overall role. For the area under my responsibility, I need both a high-level overview and detailed access to all available data. For the area under my responsibility, I need to receive alerts whenever changes occur. For the scope under my responsibility, I would like the applicable rules to be specified and for these rules to also be listed for the Grottocenter entities included in that scope. For the area under my responsibility, I need to conduct specific studies or analyses using data from Grottocenter, potentially combined with other data sources. I want my organization to be linked to the area it manages, and I want to be recognized as a representative of that organization.
Grottocenter must ensure the accuracy of information regarding organizations associated with a specific scope and the individuals designated as responsible for an organization. Grottocenter must be able to manage specific rights linked to certain scopes, organizations, and designated individuals.
I am thoroughly familiar with Grottocenter, the site's objectives, how it works, and the applicable rules. I treat contributors with respect and support them in their efforts to help improve Grottocenter. I am an adult who uses Grottocenter on a computer. I need to be kept informed of site updates. I need to be notified of actions requiring moderator approval. I need to be able to communicate with users and other moderators before approving content or when content violates the rules.