Janet Swisher wrote:
I'm in favor of anything that gets the docs in front of more users. I
have one concern that is not an objection, but just something to think
about.
From your mention of converting files, I infer that the docs will be
converted to wiki format, rather than just attaching the PDF or ODT
files. Is that correct?
Yes, that is my intention. Otherwise we are just providing the
same material as we are now (through a different outlet), not
adding value by providing it in a different form.
If they are in wiki format, will users be able
to update them, or will they be write-protected?
I don't know whether the pages on the OOo wiki can be write-
protected, or whether editing can be limited to a specified group
of users, but I will find out.
However, even if that's possible, I'm not sure it's the best way
to go. One advantage of a wiki is that people can contribute more
easily than through our present system. Obviously that's either
good or bad depending on the quality of the changes, and brings
its own issues, as you note.
If users can update
them, then there will be two separate update paths -- through this
project and through the wiki. There would need to be either a process
for incorporating wiki changes back into the source documents, OR a big
disclaimer letting wiki users know that there changes will NOT be
incorporated in the source documents.
I'm glad you brought that up, because I've been thinking about
that myself. Given how few people are contributing to the
OOoAuthors docs in English at this time, I suspect the divergence
won't be great. I would love to be wrong about this!
I would love to have the problem of a lot of people contributing
to the wiki, and it thus getting out of synch with the ODT files.
IMO that's a much better problem than the present situation of
having very few people contribute to the docs at all.
Indeed, IF it turned out that most contributions were going to
the wiki, then that might effectively become the "source
documents", with someone updating the ODT/PDF versions from the
wiki, instead of the other way around.
I'd like to hear others' opinions on that topic, too.
BTW, my version of the disclaimer would be to say something more
like: "the wiki and the ODT/PDF files may not contain exactly the
same information because..."
I'd love to know more about the software being used in this endeavor
(what wiki engine, what conversion tool), but that may not be of
interest to the rest of this list.
The OOo wiki uses a MediaWiki engine. I'm just starting to look
into conversion tools. Someone sent me a list of possible ones to
investigate, but I haven't had time to check any of them yet.
http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Odt2Wiki
http://ooowiki.de/Writer2MediaWiki
http://www.activasoft.com/OpenOffice2MediaWiki
http://www.linux.com/article.pl?sid=07/02/22/1727218
--Jean
