[opensuse-project] openSUSE wiki status fo indexing
First this post is directed to project list because indexing openSUSE wiki is very important for the health of a openSUSE project and I would like to have attention from the most active members of the openSUSE project. Wiki is for the largest number of openSUSE users first source of information, before they go to the forums, mail lists and IRC. There was few attempts to organize indexing of openSUSE wiki, but due to current size of the wiki, indexing project is, for relative small wiki team and lack of experience in development of ways to access information, to big task. Part of the problem is that wiki was initially setup as 'all in one' source of information, translation tool, development, help etc, ie. collaboration platform for very diverse activities, where anybody can, and is encouraged to contribute. That brought a large diversity of topics and number of articles, which is good, but sometimes they are just sitting there unused, and that is the problem. Searching with built in search, or Google for the opensuse.org domain gives some help in this, but as any search it is not ideal for everybody, as precondition for successful search is that person knows something about topic. This leaves users that are making first steps in openSUSE and Linux out, and that is the category that we would like to have as easy entrance as possible. Someone mentioned in one of project meetings that we need information architect. It is very much truth, but I have no idea where to look for person that has experience and time to devote to the openSUSE wiki, or better to say, development of openSUSE information system. -- Regards, Rajko http://en.opensuse.org/Portal needs helpful hands. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org
On Sunday 20 April 2008 19:04:45 Rajko M. wrote:
Searching with built in search, or Google for the opensuse.org domain gives some help in this, but as any search it is not ideal for everybody, as precondition for successful search is that person knows something about topic. This leaves users that are making first steps in openSUSE and Linux out, and that is the category that we would like to have as easy entrance as possible.
IMHO there is no way around using the search. We will never have a structure/index which will cover most or all pages. This is the nature of a wiki, you can do whatever you want (not really). It might be possible if you disable new pages from everybody, or only after a review. This is still a lot of work and against the "everbody can post" concept of the wiki. The other solution would be that somebody really would take care about the wiki, content wise, fulltime. And yes, searching means that you should have an idea of what you want :-) I'm not sure if we are that bad. I can find most information on the wiki, and i've seen worse ones. There are wikis in the wild where i'm really sitting and thinking "wth can i find something here?". And thats not because i know our wiki, it's because we have at least some navigation bar and the most important stuff on the frontpage. -- with kind regards, Martin Lasarsch, Core Services SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Maxfeldstr. 5 90409 Nürnberg GF: Markus Rex, HRB 16746 (AG Nürnberg) martin.lasarsch@suse.de - http://www.opensuse.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org
On Mon, 2008-04-21 at 14:17 +0200, Martin Lasarsch wrote: IMHO there is no way around using the search. We will never have a
structure/index which will cover most or all pages. This is the nature of a wiki, you can do whatever you want (not really). It might be possible if you disable new pages from everybody, or only after a review. This is still a lot of work and against the "everbody can post" concept of the wiki. The other solution would be that somebody really would take care about the wiki, content wise, fulltime.
I don't think the goal should be a structure for every page. There should be, however, IMHO, a structure for the important pages new users getting info about openSUSE, finding help, etc, to find those pages. -- Kevin "Yo" Dupuy | Public Mail <kevin.dupuy@opensuse.org> | Yo.media: 225-590-5961 Swift Change for a Green Future: Kat Swift for President www.VoteSwift.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org
On Monday 21 April 2008 05:15:41 pm Kevin Dupuy wrote:
I don't think the goal should be a structure for every page. There should be, however, IMHO, a structure for the important pages new users getting info about openSUSE, finding help, etc, to find those pages.
Hi Kevin, that is idea behind 'official categories'. It would be no hard limit that should trigger reaction "hey, you should use only categories listed <here>", but more help to wiki maintenance editors to put articles that they find valuable in right place. -- Regards, Rajko http://en.opensuse.org/Portal needs helpful hands. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org
On Monday 21 April 2008 07:17:53 am Martin Lasarsch wrote:
On Sunday 20 April 2008 19:04:45 Rajko M. wrote:
Searching with built in search, or Google for the opensuse.org domain gives some help in this, but as any search it is not ideal for everybody, as precondition for successful search is that person knows something about topic. This leaves users that are making first steps in openSUSE and Linux out, and that is the category that we would like to have as easy entrance as possible.
IMHO there is no way around using the search. We will never have a structure/index which will cover most or all pages. This is the nature of a wiki, you can do whatever you want (not really). It might be possible if you disable new pages from everybody, or only after a review. This is still a lot of work and against the "everbody can post" concept of the wiki. The other solution would be that somebody really would take care about the wiki, content wise, fulltime.
The intention is to find somebody with experience that will create frame that will help volunteers that maintain wiki to bring most asked content in some kind of index, like my attempt with Portal. The point is to allow everybody to contribute and then to pick up grains of wisdom in easy to access place. The idea to protect SDB still can be good, as there must be some place for guys that are experts in the field, but don't like to waste their time fighting not so skilled with strong opinion :-) Maybe, just to protect on demand.
And yes, searching means that you should have an idea of what you want :-)
I'm not sure if we are that bad. I can find most information on the wiki, and i've seen worse ones. There are wikis in the wild where i'm really sitting and thinking "wth can i find something here?". And thats not because i know our wiki, it's because we have at least some navigation bar and the most important stuff on the frontpage.
I'm asking for help, not because we are bad, but because there is a lot of room for improvement, and I don't feel that 2 guys that currently working on indexing have enough time and experience to do all without help. You can see our ideas in opensuse-wiki, and some work files on wiki itself: http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Popular_Topics http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Wiki_Tasks http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Category_Hierarchy -- Regards, Rajko http://en.opensuse.org/Portal needs helpful hands. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org
participants (3)
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Kevin Dupuy -
Martin Lasarsch -
Rajko M.