Paul Mattal wrote:
Yes, I'm wondering about the migration path. I use mediawiki here, and
I've found it to be very solid and useful. I'm not so sure that the wiki
language they use is my favorite, but it does seem to get the job done
once you learn it.
So how do we migrate?
- P
In addition to what is discussed in the aforementioned forum post, I
propose a 4 stage process:
1) Create a reasonable category/subcategory structure for the wiki. Of
course as needs arise, more can be added later. It would help immensely
to have a reasonable base category structure to start out with though.
Those categories can then be "locked" so that the base categories will
not be a moving target, subject to accidental (or purposeful) user
modification.
2) Prepare some documentation on migration, and how to categorize a
page. This documentation will also include the category structure
finalized in stage 1, to serve as a reference for people doing the
eventual migration of pages. Maybe a quick rundown on some of the
simpler mediawiki syntax too. Of course, include a few links to the more
complex full editing instructions.
3) Perform a dump from phpwiki and some initial auto conversion. I have
a bash script which snags the phpwiki data, and a sed script which does
a little autoconversion work for you. I think any autoconversion beyond
this would be more harmful than beneficial. I think even culling a few
of the substitutions from the sed script as it is now might be a good
idea...not sure though. Still a work in progress.
This auto conversion would be done by 1 person. It is not hard hard to
run a script.
4) The result of the conversion would then be split into managable
chunks. Maybe chunks of 20 pages or so. These chunks could be doled out
to people for migration. I believe there is somewhere in the range of
430-460 pages in the current phpwiki database. Some of these are user
pages (which will not be migrated..users can recreate their own),
phpwiki specific pages (sandbox and so form), and likely a few
nonsense/spam pages.
The conversion would involve: Creating a page, Modifying page/syntax to
be correct, notification to some managing/organizational authority that
the page has been completed, or a reason why not (spam page, user page,
nonsense page, etc).
Ideally there would be a simple web interface to track the progress, and
the number of chunks completed. Much like the tallies of books read over
the summer during my grade school days, or tallies of fund drives, this
might spur the user base on to achieve the final goal, instead of dying
out near the finish line as can sometimes be the case for the more
mechanical and remedial tasks.
Ideas? Comments?
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