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User:Johan G/Essays/Essay:The FlightGear Wiki — Its structure, content and ease of use: Difference between revisions
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User:Johan G/Essays/Essay:The FlightGear Wiki — Its structure, content and ease of use (view source)
Revision as of 11:56, 8 February 2012
, 8 February 2012Some cleanup and removal of, at the moment, too big suggestions
(→The structure and content and ease of use of the wiki: Removed my bed time comment) |
(Some cleanup and removal of, at the moment, too big suggestions) |
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This is a user essay and not a part of the official wiki. | This is a user essay and not a part of the official wiki. | ||
:''If you have comments please add them to the [[User talk:Johan G/Essays/Essay:The FlightGear Wiki — Its structure, content and ease of use|discussion page]], preferably looking through it first and and if adding a new section doing so with the "+" tab. Please also summarise your comment in the edit summary.'' | :''If you have comments please add them to the [[User talk:Johan G/Essays/Essay:The FlightGear Wiki — Its structure, content and ease of use|discussion page]], preferably looking through it first and and if adding a new section doing so with the "+" tab.'' | ||
:''Please also sign your comments using four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) or the second button from right above the text edit box and summarise your comment in the edit summary.'' | |||
A issues things have bothered me since maybe not my first visits on this wiki, but at least since my first attempts to do meaningful contributions to it. Some of them may be related to that I, at least in the past, would edit in both the English and Swedish Wikipedia now and then, maybe once or twice a week at least in the Swedish one. | A issues things have bothered me since maybe not my first visits on this wiki, but at least since my first attempts to do meaningful contributions to it. Some of them may be related to that I, at least in the past, would edit in both the English and Swedish Wikipedia now and then, maybe once or twice a week at least in the Swedish one. | ||
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My issues are related to | My issues are related to | ||
* the lack of an obvious starting point for those | * the lack of an obvious starting point for those contributing to the wiki or contemplating to do so, | ||
* the general lack of structure in the wiki and | * the general lack of structure in the wiki and | ||
* the ease of use of the wiki. | * the ease of use of the wiki. | ||
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To sum it up. Potential editors has no obvious place to start, except for [[Help:Contents]]. I do not think it is sufficient. | To sum it up. Potential editors has no obvious place to start, except for [[Help:Contents]]. I do not think it is sufficient. | ||
=== The structure | === The structure, content and ease of use of the wiki === | ||
My main issue here is how hard it sometimes is to find relevant information when one needs it and the fact that it usually is there. The wiki is not all that well organised, sometimes with documents spread out that is not well linked together by either wiki links, category structures or anything else for that matter. | My main issue here is how hard it sometimes is to find relevant information when one needs it and the fact that it usually is there. The wiki is not all that well organised, sometimes with documents spread out that is not well linked together by either wiki links, category structures or anything else for that matter. | ||
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=== A wiki editor portal === | === A wiki editor portal === | ||
I think there is a big need for a ''single'' starting point for those editing or contributing to the wiki. Based on the activity seen here it maybe will not be a place full of activity like the English Wikipedia's Village pump | I think there is a big need for a ''single'' starting point for those editing or contributing to the wiki. Based on the activity seen here it maybe will not be a place full of activity like the English Wikipedia's Village pump. | ||
It could and should be a central place to discuss the wiki, finding documentation that helps contributing both in respect to wiki markup, content, style and structure. | |||
I would like to discuss adding such a portal to see if there is interest for it, but as of now I am not aware of any central place that all users would see that the preferably visit now and then, except for possibly the ''Recent changes'' page. Also I do not know if adding a portal is just as easy as adding a new page or if there is more to it, in essence if it requires help from the administrator. | I would like to discuss adding such a portal to see if there is interest for it, but as of now I am not aware of any central place that all users would see that the preferably visit now and then, except for possibly the ''Recent changes'' page. Also I do not know if adding a portal is just as easy as adding a new page or if there is more to it, in essence if it requires help from the administrator. | ||
At first I think a simple page for discussions is enough | At first I think a simple page for discussions is enough. | ||
=== Wiki markup documentation === | === Wiki markup documentation === | ||
I think there is a need for better documentation of the wiki markup. I do not see this as an urgent need though as I think that this is something that will grow over time. | I think there is a need for better documentation of the wiki markup. I do not see this as an urgent need though as I think that this is something that will grow over time. | ||
I think documenting the wiki markup could, in time, be split up on several pages as follows. | I think documenting the wiki markup could, ''in time'', be split up on several pages as follows. | ||
* '''Simple editing''' Just simple wiki markup, like text style, headers, links and images and adding edit summaries. | * '''Simple editing''' Just simple wiki markup, like text style, headers, links and images and adding edit summaries. | ||
* '''Advanced editing''' More complicated markup, like tables and more complex use of images. | * '''Advanced editing''' More complicated markup, like tables and more complex use of images. | ||
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=== Manual of style === | === Manual of style === | ||
This is something I think is needed, but also something that will need | This is something I think is much needed, but also something that will need discussion. In order to help people to find what they are looking for on the wiki consistency is key, which means that pages with similar content needs a standardised structure. This is not to confuse with how to use the wiki markup, as this has more to do with the general markup. | ||
There can in time be several style manuals for different subjects, like aircraft pages, howtos, proposals and wish lists. | |||
=== Creative use of subpages and templates === | === Creative use of subpages and templates === | ||
I see a few good uses of supbages and inclusion of them into | I see a few good uses of supbages and inclusion of them into a main page using templates. This is a technique used on the English Wikipedia that if well implemented will make a few things a lot easier. I can easily see them being used for: | ||
* Template documentation | * Template documentation | ||
* Archiving talk pages | |||
* Separating documentation of different FlightGear versions | * Separating documentation of different FlightGear versions | ||
Using this technique for template documentation can roughly be set up in the following way: | Using this technique for template documentation can roughly be set up in the following way: | ||
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If there is some support for this I will try to read in on it and implement it to the wiki. I was reading in on "template magic" before I due to other reasons almost entirely stopped editing mostly the Swedish Wikipedia. | If there is some support for this I will try to read in on it and implement it to the wiki. I was reading in on "template magic" before I due to other reasons almost entirely stopped editing mostly the Swedish Wikipedia. | ||
=== Using subpages and templates to document different versions of FlightGear === | ==== Using subpages and templates to document different versions of FlightGear ==== | ||
A similar technique could be used to separate documentation of different FlightGear versions. Let us face the fact that many people use older versions of FlightGear, the will likely at some point want to read in on how to used ''their'' version and possibly also contribute to the wiki detailing that version. One way to make this possible is to use subpages for different versions. As there was many different versions of the CVS and GIT development builds in the past that might be tricky, though I think that fewer people use those than the official versions. The new release plan and the use of odd minor numbers for development versions and even numbers for release versions makes it easier to document upcoming versions. | A similar technique could be used to separate documentation of different FlightGear versions. Let us face the fact that many people use older versions of FlightGear, the will likely at some point want to read in on how to used ''their'' version and possibly also contribute to the wiki detailing that version. One way to make this possible is to use subpages for different versions. As there was many different versions of the CVS and GIT development builds in the past that might be tricky, though I think that fewer people use those than the official versions. The new release plan and the use of odd minor numbers for development versions and even numbers for release versions makes it easier to document upcoming versions. | ||