>Andrew Warren said: >>Bonnie Granat wrote: >> >>If a wiki would function like a knowledge base, I'd think it was terrific. > >What does "function like a knowledge base" mean? In what way is that >functionality different from what's already provided by the list archives >that already exist <snip>
It's not that it's different, just easier. Instead of looking through the archives, locating the post, reading the post, and possibly linking to the desired information, a wiki would provide the desired information right up front; harvests the information from the posts, if you will. >>When a newbie came asking one of the oft-repeated question, that person >>would get a single response directing him or her to the appropriate topic >>in the wiki. > >In some fantasy land, maybe. What'll really happen is... Wait, there ARE >no newbies here (or we're all newbies -- whatever), and there are no "oft >repeated questions" here, either, so is this actually a problem that needs >solving? I think you're actually in Tomorrowland, Andrew, because there are many newbies here and the same questions get asked all the time. >Anyway, what'll really happen is the same thing that happens now: Multiple >people will respond, not just one. The only difference will be that some >fraction of those responses will say "check the wiki" instead of "check the >archives". I don't see how that would be an improvement. Use of the wiki won't happen overnight, and not everyone will go there at first, but it'll catch on soon enough. If you think of the wiki as a website, the improvements become more obvious. If you provide different pages for different topics, accessing information becomes easier. >>I think it might free the list for more a more expansive exchange of >>ideas. > >Ok... So if the list is for expansive idea-exchange, then is the wiki just >for frequently-asked questions? No, much more. [] >And if the wiki should contain MORE than just answers to the frequently->asked questions, how will that work? Just look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Use your imagination. The Community Portal could contain posts by members who need to hire a technical writer. The Random Article...well, that's obvious. There could be links to References, Humor, Definitions, Frame Info, WebWorks Info, etc. >Will people be expected to cross-post everything to both the list and the >wiki? That would seem to make the wiki completely redundant. No, and I agree with you. The current situation, as I see it, is that a question/topic gets posted to the list. Then it either gets answered or bantered back and forth. Then it gets answered or we all develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Take the 'Web Capitalization' thread, for example. As we were all discussing this topic, we could have been concurrently adding links, reference material, etc. to the wiki. >Will people have long discussions on the list and then carefully summarize >that discussion for the wiki? Hmmm...I'm going to go with no. Unless, of course, summarizing means something like this: Random Article: "Capitalization of Web": Recently, members discussed the capitalization of the word "web". The following article was provided by Ted that provides some great information [link]. [] Will people post ONLY to the wiki instead of to the list? No. I think Bonnie and I are talking about a knowledge base (repository). For instance, when we talked about style guides, the discussion was great. The actual links to different style guides numbered ~8. Those links would be included in the wiki. >A wiki that AUTOMATICALLY sends me an email whenever a topic is updated is >like leaving a voice-mail message on my cell phone telling me to check the >voice mail on my home phone. Don't be silly, the wiki isn't going to send you an email every time something is updated. I'll do that :^) >Whew. Didn't realize I'd have so much to say on this topic. Switch to decaf. _______________________________________________ Are you a Help Authoring Trainer or Consultant? Let clients find you at www.HAT.Matrix.com, the searchable HAT database based on Char James-Tanny's HAT Comparison Matrix. Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] for details. Interested in Interactive 3D Documentation? Get the scoop at http://www.doc-u-motion.com -- your 3D documentation community. _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
