DPRG mailing list archives: [DPRG] wiki

Sat Feb 2 12:59:07 CST 2008

Please excuse me as I do not desire to be rude. I
wouldn't say anything except that I have seen the full
lifecycle of wikis and documentation in engineering
environments over years. It is a big mistake to
believe the system administrator (literally - only one
guy!) will take care of everything.

At first, setting up the system will be cheap. But
over time, maintenance costs will grow. Many years
ago, I remember someone telling me that the only
reason why systems run smoothly is that there are
people who do such a good job maintaining them that
you don't know they are doing anything.

My opinion is to keep things simple. Don't add
complexity you don't need. Keep it open and flexible
with simplicity. In general, WYSIWYG document systems
mean desktop software instead of open and
collaborative stuff as typical of the web, wikis and
blogs. I know many people want that - but it will
probably lead to many problems. Easy to use does not
necessarily mean WYSIWYG.

After a while, the biggest problem will be updating
and maintaining content and links. What tends to
happen is sort of like the web - people don't bother.
Then you have the problem of too much information
(much of it obsolete or wrong) and trying to determine
what is relevant. Inevitably, this leads to search
engine data mining which only helps. Efforts like the
Linux kernel/distributions and Wikipedia are
exceptions because they have part- to full- time staff
actively managing content, integration and quality.
Without this, entropy tends to take over.

--- Kipton Moravec <kip at kdream.com> wrote:

> The link is http://www.wikimatrix.org  (NOT .com)
> 
> There are 89 Wiki packages (if I counted them
> right).
> 
> I started to look at them and it is overwhelming.
> 
> >From my looking at them, I would prefer one with a
> spell checker and one
> that allows mathematical formulas.
> 
> The one feature I am not sure of is WYSIWYG Editing.
> My initial
> impression is yes it would be helpful for anyone
> wanting to contribute
> (not just Wiki experts). What are other people's
> thoughts on this?
> 
> Beyond that, most of the other requirements are more
> for the system
> administrator (Steve) to worry about.
> 
> Kip
> 
> On Sat, 2008-02-02 at 09:46 -0600, R. Steven
> Rainwater wrote:
> > There's actually a Dokuwiki already running on the
> box from a previous
> > DPRG project. All we'd need to do is write the
> glue code to integrate
> > the login with the main site so we don't have to
> have multiple logins.
> > DokuWiki is pretty simple and has the advantage of
> not needing an SQL
> > database. 
> > 
> > I'm open to using MediaWiki (or variants) as well.
> There are a lot of
> > wiki packages around these days and there's a cool
> site called
> > wikimatrix.com that can be used to search for or
> compare features. I'll
> > want anything we run to be free software (free as
> in speech - GPL). I'd
> > prefer something small and fast that doesn't need
> an SQL database but
> > that's not an absolute requirement. Something
> template based that we can
> > theme to match the look and feel of the rest of
> the site would be nice
> > also. We can toss around some ideas at the RBNO
> next Tuesday.
> > 
> > -Steve
> > 
> > On Fri, 2008-02-01 at 19:10 -0800, Glenn Pipe
> wrote:
> > > I have some experience in setting up a wiki. I
> did some research into
> > > it and figured out that DekiWiki would best suit
> some basic needs:
> > > 
> > > - Simple to use (no weird pseudo html knowledge
> needed), in other
> > > words, uses a WYSIWYG editor
> > > - Free, Open source
> > > 
> > > I noticed the HBRC uses Media Wiki, which is a
> pretty good wiki
> > > (Wikipedia uses it), but I found one that I
> think is better which is
> > > Deki Wiki. Deki Wiki is actually derived from
> Media Wiki. It uses a
> > > WYSIWYG editor, which makes it easy for everyone
> to use and more
> > > likely for people to contribute. There are a
> couple ways to use Deki
> > > Wiki. One is to install the software on a
> machine that has internet
> > > access or another way is to use wiki.is to make
> a wiki page/site.
> > > 
> > > I think a club wiki is a great idea.
> > > 
> > > Thanks,
> > > 
> > > Glenn
> > > 
> > > ----- Original Message ----
> > > From: "ed at okerson.com" <ed at okerson.com>
> > > To: dprglist at dprg.org
> > > Sent: Friday, February 1, 2008 7:27:50 PM
> > > Subject: RE: [DPRG] Spring Outdoor Contests #1
> and #2, addendum2:
> > > navigation
> > > 
> > > I'll second, or is it third, that!!!
> > > 
> > > I have seen many fine postings pass through this
> list, as well as the
> > > other robotics mailing lists, but David's recent
> posts on how it is
> > > actually done are most excellent.
> > > 
> > > Recently the Home Brew Robotics Club started a
> wiki where they are
> > > attempting to build up a large knowledge base on
> all things robotic. 
> > > Perhaps we should consider something similar, or
> at least contributing
> > > to
> > > theirs:
> > > 
> > > http://hbrobotics.org/wiki/index.php5/Main_Page
> > > 
> > > It is generally easier to find information in a
> wiki than in mailing
> > > list
> > > archives.
> > > 
> > > Ed Okerson
> > > 
> > > > Amen to that Robert!
> > > >
> > > > Great work David.  I think the amateur
> robotics community as a whole
> > > gains
> > > > when people take the time to think something
> through and document
> > > it.
> > > > Given the fact that it is an amateur community
> we to often think we
> > > are
> > > > off
> > > > the hook in the documentation dept and that
> only hurts ourselves
> > > (used in
> > > > the context of the larger group).  When I see
> these sorts of posts I
> > > > smile
> > > > and know that our peers and those who come
> after us will benefit
> > > greatly,
> > > > so
> > > > I offer up my humble praise to you.  -Thank
> You.
> > > >
> > > > -Kenneth
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: dprglist-bounces at dprg.org
> [mailto:dprglist-bounces at dprg.org]On
> > > > Behalf Of Robert F. Scheer
> > > > Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 10:48 AM
> > > > To: dprglist
> > > > Subject: Re: [DPRG] Spring Outdoor Contests #1
> and #2, addendum2:
> > > > navigation
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, 2008-02-01 at 09:33 -0600, David
> wrote:
> > > >> Howdy,
> > > >>
> > > >> I sat down to write a follow-up to the post
> on the DPRG outdoor
> > > >> robot challenges #1 and #2, on the subject of
> obstacle avoidance
> > > >> for challenges #3 and #4.
> > > >>
> > > >
> > > > dpa,
> > > >
> > > > These postings on getting ready for the
> upcoming challenges are
> > > > beautifully written and greatly appreciated.
> > > >
> > > > - Robert
> > > >
> > > >
> _______________________________________________
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> > > > DPRGlist at dprg.org
> > > > http://list.dprg.org/mailman/listinfo/dprglist
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> _______________________________________________
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> > > > DPRGlist at dprg.org
> > > > http://list.dprg.org/mailman/listinfo/dprglist
> > > >
> > > 
> > > 
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > http://list.dprg.org/mailman/listinfo/dprglist
> > > 
> > > 
> 
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