@Nemo > Thanks for outlining the use cases. Can you please paste this text into > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Offline_Projects/XOWA , so that it's easier > to find in the future?
Thanks for the suggestion. I updated the page now with the use cases. Let me know if there's anything else. @Anne: > Hey there! Anne here from New Readers. Just wanted to jump in and say that > yes, this is really interesting. I'm also working on downloading the app and > will look at the desktop, too. > I'll follow up with you privately to connect sometime after the winter > holidays. Very interested in learning more! Great! Thanks for the follow-up. Yes, please feel free to ping me by email. If you like, we can also arrange a time to chat at length over IRC. Whatever works best for you. Thanks! On Mon, Dec 12, 2016 at 5:25 PM, Anne Gomez <[email protected]> wrote: > Hey there! Anne here from New Readers. Just wanted to jump in and say that > yes, this is really interesting. I'm also working on downloading the app and > will look at the desktop, too. > > I'll follow up with you privately to connect sometime after the winter > holidays. Very interested in learning more! > > Anne > > On Sun, Dec 11, 2016 at 8:01 PM, gnosygnu <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Jon, >> >> Thanks for the reply as well as trying the Android app. And no need to >> apologize about any lack of feedback. I was just providing some >> context on why I stopped posting to this mailing list a few years >> back. I also understand that Wikipedia is a large ecosystem and that >> every project may not get the attention it desires. >> >> As for the New Readers initiative, it truly has admirable and >> ambitious objectives. If you feel that XOWA can be useful to the >> effort, please do let me know, as I'd be more than happy to help. >> >> Thanks! >> >> On Sun, Dec 11, 2016 at 7:10 PM, Jon Katz <[email protected]> wrote: >> > Asaf, thank you for noting the email. I hadn't yet joined the list when >> > it >> > was sent and somehow missed the mention when looking through the >> > archives. >> > >> > Gnosygnu, Thank you for all of this context and answering my questions. >> > I >> > downloaded the Android version and am playing around with it now. The >> > Wikimedia Foundation's New Reader's initiative has identified offline >> > use of >> > online content as a focus area and so your work and results are very >> > relevant. >> > >> > I am sorry that lack of feedback has been an issue. Our vision and >> > ecosystem are so massive that it is often challenging for staff to be >> > both >> > focused and aware of all of the other important work that is going on. >> > Interest fluctuates as well: depending on what we are working on, a >> > particular long-standing project might have significant overlap with our >> > initiatives or be equally important/valuable and yet necessarily >> > separate >> > from our focus. I don't have any brilliant answers for how we improve >> > on >> > this, but wanted to at least give an explanation for why interesting >> > work >> > sometimes doesn't get the attention it ideally should. I am glad that >> > your >> > enthusiasm hasn't taken a hit! >> > >> > Best, >> > >> > J >> > >> > On Fri, Dec 9, 2016 at 9:53 PM, gnosygnu <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> >> @Asaf: Thanks for remembering the email! It was indeed the late hours >> >> of July 31st [1]. It always feels good to hear from someone who >> >> notices your emails. :) >> >> >> >> @Jon: I had been posting regularly to this mailing list, but was >> >> discouraged by the lack of feedback. I've still been releasing XOWA >> >> regularly over the past two years, so my enthusiasm for the project >> >> hasn't abated.[2] >> >> >> >> In terms of use cases, XOWA appeals primarily to these types of users: >> >> * Technology enthusiasts who are passionate about Wikipedia: XOWA >> >> allows a complete, recent copy of Wikipedia on your computer or >> >> device. This concept appeals to people who understand the value of >> >> Wikipedia and love the idea of having all of it sitting on their >> >> computer. XOWA's primary draw here is that it allows you to build a >> >> Wikipedia with just the wikitext dump. Of course, some of XOWA's >> >> features are particularly distinguishing and attractive in their own >> >> right[3]. >> >> * Users with limited network availability who want a Wikipedia >> >> experience: XOWA reproduces the look and feel of Wikipedia in a >> >> browser. This ranges from offering the same page layout (for example, >> >> the sidebar on the left) to having similar JavaScript behavior (for >> >> example, sortable tables). As such XOWA could be deployed as a drop-in >> >> replacement for Wikipedia. Note that XOWA also has an HTTP Server >> >> mode, so it can function as an isolated server for a group of local >> >> users. Also, XOWA Android has the same look and feel as an older >> >> version of the Wikipedia Mobile app (they've since changed that look >> >> and feel in the past few months) >> >> * MediaWiki users who want an offline version of their wiki: XOWA >> >> supports a wide range of MediaWiki functions and extensions. As such, >> >> it handles all 820+ known wikis[4] across 250+ languages and 10+ >> >> different wiki types. It even handles a read-only Wikidata[5]. It can >> >> also be used to offline Wikia wikis, as well as other sites that run >> >> on MediaWiki >> >> * Developers / boutique users who want to do "custom things" with >> >> Wikipedia: XOWA stores all its data in SQLite, does on-demand parsing, >> >> and makes this all available through API calls. It's also open-source. >> >> As such, various customizations are possible: >> >> ** Those who want to generate HTML dumps so they can scrape the HTML >> >> for research or analytical purposes >> >> ** Those who want to parse any wikitext to HTML to do editing or have >> >> their "personal" version of a wiki >> >> ** Those who want to build an education-friendly version of Wikipedia >> >> without "offensive" content >> >> >> >> In terms of adoption, XOWA is still very small. XOWA averages >> >> something like 600 to 700 downloads per week for the past year [6]. I >> >> don't do any self-promotion, and really have been relying on word of >> >> mouth. As an independent developer, programming takes up nearly all my >> >> time and skill set, and leaves little (if any) for marketing. Of >> >> course, I'd love to have any help on this. Just as Asaf indicated, I >> >> also know of no direct involvement in XOWA by anyone at Wikimedia, but >> >> would welcome any participation. >> >> >> >> I hope this is enough information for you. Please feel free to let me >> >> know if you need anything more here, or reach out to me off-list for >> >> further discussion. >> >> >> >> Thanks! >> >> >> >> ---- >> >> >> >> [1]: See >> >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/offline-l/2016-August/001359.html >> >> [2]: For example, here are my releases in 2015: >> >> http://xowa.org/home/wiki/Change_log/2015.html >> >> [3]: Some of XOWA's notable features: >> >> * Up-to date: XOWA imports directly from the dumps at >> >> https://dumps.wikimedia.org/backup-index.html . As these dumps are >> >> generated on a bi-weekly basis, XOWA allows you to have a recent >> >> version of Wikipedia that can be only 2 weeks old. >> >> * Complete: XOWA generates every page in Wikipedia, including pages in >> >> the Wikipedia namespace ("Did you know" articles), Portal namespace, >> >> Category namespace, as well as Template / Module ones. Literally, it >> >> provides all of the text content of Wikipedia (and the images as >> >> well). >> >> * Look and feel: XOWA reproduces as much of the look and feel of >> >> Wikipedia as possible. You can see a visual comparison at >> >> http://xowa.org/screenshots.html#Comparison >> >> * Integrates with other wikis: XOWA navigates seamlessly between the >> >> offline wikis. If you're in English Wikipedia, and click on a link for >> >> English Wiktionary it will open up the page in your offline English >> >> Wiktionary automatically (and if you don't have an offline version, it >> >> will open up the online version in a web browser) >> >> [4]: Basically, all the wikis at >> >> https://dumps.wikimedia.org/backup-index.html >> >> [5]: See http://xowa.org/screenshots.html#Wikidata >> >> [6]: Keep in mind that XOWA doesn't do any telemetry or analytics, so >> >> I'm relying only on download statistics from >> >> https://api.github.com/repos/gnosygnu/xowa/releases >> >> >> >> On Fri, Dec 9, 2016 at 1:20 PM, Asaf Bartov <[email protected]> >> >> wrote: >> >> > Actually, its developer announced a release as recently as July 31st. >> >> > (Subject line: "XOWA Android App released: v3.8.1.1"). >> >> > >> >> > I am not aware of deployments of XOWA by Wikimedians. >> >> > >> >> > A. >> >> > >> >> > On Fri, Dec 9, 2016 at 10:16 AM Jon Katz <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> Hey, >> >> >> I just heard about XOWA via a lifehacker article. I haven't seen >> >> >> XOWA >> >> >> mentioned on these lists too much (it hasn't had a subject line on >> >> >> "Offline-l" in over 2 years), so thought it was worth highlighting >> >> >> its >> >> >> existence and checking in. >> >> >> >> >> >> Is there anyone who works on XOWA who would be willing to share any >> >> >> feedback on adoption or known use cases? I was just talking about >> >> >> offline >> >> >> desktop with Anne G. and we were speculating as to where and when >> >> >> this >> >> >> was >> >> >> valuable. >> >> >> >> >> >> Best, >> >> >> >> >> >> Jon >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> >> Offline-l mailing list >> >> >> [email protected] >> >> >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/offline-l >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > _______________________________________________ >> >> > Offline-l mailing list >> >> > [email protected] >> >> > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/offline-l >> >> > >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> Offline-l mailing list >> >> [email protected] >> >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/offline-l >> > >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Offline-l mailing list >> > [email protected] >> > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/offline-l >> > >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NewReaders mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/newreaders > > > > > -- > Anne Gomez // Reading Product Manager, New Readers > https://wikimediafoundation.org/ > > Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the > sum of all knowledge. That's our commitment. Donate. > > > > _______________________________________________ > NewReaders mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/newreaders > _______________________________________________ Offline-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/offline-l
