Hi, all Some random thoughts about the search engine issue.
My personal opinion is closest to Alision as I am somewhat uncomfortable as to including the Google search box. To be honest I have always been skeptical of those promoting the greatness of Google, the world's largest advertising company. My skepticism is based mostly on two issues - closed source software and privacy. So I would definitely support the initial use of the Sphinx search engine (which I have yet to try). I would slightly disagree with the idea that we should use google because it is familar. That may be true when they do an external search (i. e. they go to a separate page), I think that they would mostly use a search box on the WE web page first regardless of engine. I also wonder about the line "Google is what they know best" - yes, in terms of familiarity, but do they really know the powerful ways of using the Google engine. A good example is the best way to search for things on WE is to put site:www.wikieducator.org in front of the search term ;) One thing that this discussion also leads to is the issue of finding information on WE. WE is set up (design wise) more for entering information than for retrieving it. I do not know the solution to this. Categories are a start, but we need some sort of super table of contents or index. Cheers, John http://www.wikieducator.org/User:JohnWS http://johnsearth.blogspot.com ________________________________ From: Wayne Mackintosh <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tue, March 9, 2010 10:42:13 AM Subject: Re: [WikiEducator] Re: Improving our our search capability -- WE need your advice Hi Alan, Thanks for the note I also want to thank all the contributors to the thread. WE really appreciate your constructive and thoughtful inputs. I propose that we implement a trail period where users can "opt in" to add the Google custom search bar to their preferred skin. In effect anybody can do this right now, but non-technical users may have difficulty doing this. The Mediawiki software enables users to add their own custom JavaScript associated with the skin they have specified in their user preferences, and in this way it possible to add a Google Custom Search box to your page. In non-technical terms this means that individual users can exercise free choice regarding the search engine they want to use, without compromising our core values. The OER Foundation will investigate a user friendly way for non-technical users to implement the trial. We include instructions below for those who want to try this out in the mean time. During the next WikiEducator Community Council meeting, we will discuss the guidelines for thinking about ancillary (non-core) web-services. You will see that these items are included in the draft agenda: http://wikieducator.org/WikiEducator:Community_Council/Meetings/Third Remember that our Council meetings are conducted openly in the wiki -- so if you have any strong opinions one way or another, you are most welcome to add these to the community council discussions. Cheers Wayne Instructions to add a Google custom search box to your default skin (assumes you use Monobook): * Login to WikiEducator and go to "My preferences" * Click on the Skin tab * Monobook should be checked -- click on the "Custom JS" link (should be red if you have not customised your Javascript before. * Add the following text exactly as it appears below:addOnloadHook(function() {importScript('User:JimTittsler/googlesearch.js');}); * Save your page. * You should now have the Google Custom Search Box should now appear below the standard Mediawiki search box. You now have the freedom to choose which search box you want to use. Cheers Wayne On 9 March 2010 16:06, Alan <[email protected]> wrote: Hi, I'm with Randy on this question. I would have to say that most >academic staff at my institution would be using Google. >Cheers, >Alan. > > > >On Mar 9, 2:16 am, Randy Fisher <[email protected]> wrote: >> How about a phased approach. >> >> Google for now + explore OS alternatives, >> >> When OS functionality is where the commuity wants it, then migrate to OS . >> >> - Randy >> >> >> > >> On Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 4:08 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: >> > I am still really on the fence. My original Google vote was for reasons >> > much like Ian's we have thousands of users around the world who need access >> > to wikieducator now, who are not terribly comfortable using unfamiliar >> > software no matter how user friendly, and Google is a known commodity. I >> > respect the open resource philosophy and am a bit leery of any commercial >> > enterprise, even Google but I think we need to be sure that all these >> > carefully trained folks can actually use the resources and soon....sorry to >> > be always seeing both sides. Joyce >> >> > *Ian Thomson <[email protected]>* > >> >> > Sent by: [email protected] >> > 03/08/2010 08:43 PM ZE11Please respond [email protected] >> >> > To [email protected] >> > cc >> > bcc Joyce McKnight/SUNY >> > Subject [WikiEducator] Improving our our search capability -- WE need >> > your advice >> >> > From a Developing region (the Pacific islands) struggling to include things >> > like WE into the education system, the simpler and more familiar the >> > better. >> >> > Many teachers in the region will be familiar with Google and will feel more >> > at home using that than some other little understood engine. >> >> > I vote for Google >> >> > -- >> > Ian Thomson >> > At SPC in New Caledonia >> >> > -- >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> > Groups "WikiEducator" group. >> > To visit wikieducator: *http://www.wikieducator.org* >> > To visit the discussion forum: * >> >http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator* >> > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > [email protected] >> >> > -- >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> > Groups "WikiEducator" group. >> > To visit wikieducator:http://www.wikieducator.org >> > To visit the discussion forum:http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator >> > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > [email protected] >> >> -- >> Open Education is a sustainable and renewable resource. >> >> ________________ >> Randy Fisher, MA, OMD >> Senior Consultant, Change Management, eLearning/Collaboration & Performance >> Intersol Group, Canada >> >> Senior Consultant, Organization & Capacity Development >> International Centre for Open Education / OER Foundation, New Zealand >> >> Elected Member, WikiEducator Community Council,www.wikieducator.org >> +1 613.722.5577 (EST) >> Skype: wikirandy >> Twitter: wikirandy >> >> * Organization Design & Development >> * Stakeholder Engagement & Project Implementation >> * E-Learning, Online Collaboration & Learning Communities >> * Coaching & Facilitation >> * My Bio:http://www.communitybuildingexpert.com > >-- >You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >Groups "WikiEducator" group. >To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org >To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator >To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >[email protected] -- Wayne Mackintosh, Ph.D. Director, International Centre for Open Education, Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. Board of Directors, OER Foundation. Founder and Community Council Member, Wikieducator, www.wikieducator.org Mobile +64 21 2436 380 User Page: http://wikieducator.org/User:Mackiwg Skype: WGMNZ1 Twitter: OERFoundation, Mackiwg -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]
