One thing that can be done is to update the list of abbreviations to
include R specific terms. The Wiki adds automatically a little tooltip
text with the definition that is activated each time the user moves the
mouse cursor on top of the word.
A page with the definitions would be worth too.
Regarding the mitigate success of the Wiki, that contrasts with other
languages where the wiki is really the primary source of information (I
think at Tcl/Tk, for instance). I think the reason is the other
"channels" of information are pre-existing the R wiki, and people are
used to them. Regarding R blogs, the reason is different: it looks more
technically up-to-date to have and use a blog than a wiki... although I
think the wiki is better for collaborative writing of documentation in a
centralized place.
The "wikified" version of help pages with a discussion section was, I
think, a good idea but I never got the time to finalize the plugin and
to install a system that automatically synch wiki versions of help pages
with latest version, ... as intended.
Now, the new HTTP help server introduced in R 2.10 opens new
perspectives. If someone is connected to the Internet, it should be
possible to add the discussion section of the corresponding wiki page at
the bottom of the regular help page. Hence, every user that would add
this feature (by means of a rwiki package that is still to be written)
would get a very easy and convenient access to related wiki pages. Then,
of course, people would have to populate the discussion sections with
short tips, comments, or links to other related wiki pages, ... but the
key feature here would be to bring the R wiki right inside (at the
bottom of) the regular help pages.
That's what I think would be most helpful to leverage the R wiki that
has a lot a nice stuff now (but also other pages of mixed, or even, low
quality, that would require post-processing by R experts... but that's
another problem)!
Best,
Philippe
..............................................<°}))><........
) ) ) ) )
( ( ( ( ( Prof. Philippe Grosjean
) ) ) ) )
( ( ( ( ( Numerical Ecology of Aquatic Systems
) ) ) ) ) Mons University, Belgium
( ( ( ( (
..............................................................
On 09/08/10 10:27, Patrick Burns wrote:
Thanks for the good question, Ben.
I'm looking for volunteers. I'm
definitely not going to have time to
learn enough wiki stuff to put the
structure in place.
Once the structure is there, I would
put definitions in. But I'd prefer
for someone to volunteer to do that
as well -- I have one or two other
things in mind to do.
Pat
On 08/08/2010 21:27, Ben Bolker wrote:
So ... are you asking requesting commentary on whether this is a
good idea or not? (Seems so to me.) Asking for for help in porting
this/volunteers to port it? (I might help, but I also might not find
time. I would be happy if someone else volunteered ...)
I guess I'm as frustrated as (perhaps) all of the other wiki contributors
that it hasn't taken off, and that the primary source of information
as well
as the primary sink of energy for answering questions remains the mailing
list. (Now Stackoverflow, Stackexchange, and various R blogs are also
competing for this energy ...)
I intended to make contributions to the wiki be a class activity, but I
never really got around to it. I still think that's a good idea.
Ben Bolker
On Sat, Aug 7, 2010 at 6:29 AM, Patrick Burns<[email protected]>
wrote:
The document 'Some hints for the R beginner'
is gradually becoming more complete and gradually
gaining momentum in terms of hits.
One of the more popular sub-pages is the jaRgon
page even though there is hardly anything on it.
I think the R-wiki is the place that such a list
should live. My vision is that for each word
there be a brief definition and then a link to a
wiki page for the word. A number of definitions
would be on the same page.
I think this could be the application that finally
gives the R-wiki the boost that it needs to fulfill
its promise. The people learning R from the 'hints'
document would come to think of the R-wiki as a
natural place to look for information.
The steps to do this are to create the structure
within the wiki for it, and then to populate the
definitions. The glossary from S Poetry should be
a good starting point. I'm also happy to donate
the jaRgon pun.
--
Patrick Burns
[email protected]
http://www.burns-stat.com
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