Jim, You make excellent points. I agree about the accountability issues and that the freedom of having it outside the bbc + the general interests/non backstage interests that come into play. So yes, I now think my original suggestion was wrong - let's go for something external.
However, I think that the backstage area could link to whatever it is that we come up with - a single link to a central resource. (All this assuming that the backstage people don't come back with an answer that allows the beeb to host it in some legally sandboxed manner). Does anyone know about wikicities? That could be a candidate location - have a look. The more I look at it, the more I think this might be the place to go... http://www.wikicities.org Matt On 6/1/05, James <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I think this is a big issue though. The BBC is well known for having > strict controls on content, linking to other sites etc, even so far as > message board posts having to be verified. The idea of a wiki is great > but before the backstage crew implements we should know the rules > first. What we dont want it an official one and user based one which > forks off because of the limitations on the official one. > > Personally, I feel what the BBC is doing is excellent however I am > hestitant to see a resource catalogue become a BBC thing exclusively > when at the moment most of the prototypes are using multiple sources for > data and technology. IF the BBC host it will have to, in some way, be > accountable for the links and I dont think they will be able to link to > content they know breaks there own terms and conditions. Any resource > must be free of any issues about linking and content otherwise it is > already broken before is begins. > > The questions for me are: > > 1) Is there an exisiting developers area (wiki, web whatever) which > this kind of thing can be tacked onto - would it be better to contribute > to an exsiting community rather than to start from nothing? > > 2) Is this type of developing, specifically XML resources and > resource binding something which deserves a wider, non BBC tag? I would > be willing to donate some dosh and programming time to setup a host etc > which a group of us could run. > > I hope this isnt taken in a negative stance! > > Jim. > > > > Ben Metcalfe wrote: > > >>-----Original Message----- > >> > >> > >> > >>>Such vandalism, as you can appreciate, is our biggest > >>> > >>> > >>concern on this > >> > >> > >>>front. But will keep you all informed. > >>> > >>> > >>I'm not sure vandalism should be *too* much of a concern - > >>wikis are becoming the norm in developer communities. For > >>example, see the Java.net community wiki at: > >> > >> > > > >Sorry, I should confirm: "our" as in 'the BBC'. I personally don't have > >any problem with hooking up a wiki - I'd love to get a bit of mediawiki > >action on the backstage server! > > > > > > > >>My two cents is that the benefits of wikis in community building > >> > >> > >outweight the disadvantages. > > > >Totally agree -- which is why I'm doing everything I can to get this > >agreed. > > > > > >Ben Metcalfe :: backstage.bbc.co.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > >
