Christopher On 7/5/01 you posted a link to a website the brain I went there to check it out. I got error messages the first two links I tried and then an error message which said something to the effect that it doesn't work on a Mac and Network Communicator, plus I have to download client software to do anything which may not work on a Mac either. I left. Since I couldn't do anything there's not much to comment on.
On 1/9/02 you posted that you were working with a service provider to obtain free access for the MoQ community. And I did go to the suggested page on the C2 site join up, contribute, and add a few pages to get the feel of how it worked. And reported my opinions back to the group suggesting they check it out. What you may or may not know is that there is kind of a MoQ board of directors, all volunteers, who have spent their time and effort and I would guess some of the own personal money keeping the site and the e-mail list going for nearly five years now. While I participate and benefit from their efforts it costs me nothing but time and I have no role in the decision making process other than to voice my opinion when asked. I did however send on 01/12/02 a private e-mail to one of the directors which said the following: > I've been surfing the "wiki" site of Ward Cunningham the guy who > developed the concept. And low an behold it has a Zen and the Art page > and Robert Pirsig page. > The Zen page had a reference to Lila with the little question mark which > designates a link to a new page just waiting for someone to start it and > fill it in. I just couldn't resist. > (http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?LilaAnInquiryintoMorals) then not wishing to > leave it unsigned I went on and did the personel page to > (http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ThirdWaveDave) > Total time including printing out the text formatting page, correcting > my stupid spelling mistakes after saving, etc. 15 minutes. And you can > use a word processor off line,using there text formatting rules, and it > pastes in like a dream. > > If you are honestly looking to revamp the website I suggest that you and > the other board members seriously investigate this concept. Sure its > ugly but damn does it work. Both dynamic and static and linked everyway > in Sunday. This solves the "MF problem" the website becomes the FOCUS > and STATIC LATCH and MD can remain as dynamic and raucous as ever. The > other thing it would hopefully do is off load some of the routine site > maintainence from the board members. > > One more plug and then I'll go. > > Since Ward's site has the Pirsig pages I thought we might ask him if he > would mind MF group squatting on his site for a focused month just to > get the feel and see if we might not bring those pages up a little. I've > an e-mail drafted to him but thought I better see if you guys were > interested at all before I proposed it to either him or the MF group. > > DaveThomas formatted as: > (Wiki link-if you crowd it together and have at least two caps its a > new link, save it then click on it and it's a new preformatted page with > link name as the title ready to enter info) He was out of town that weekend and did not respond until today. Though from comments on this list I think he forwarded it to other board members or discussed it with them. What you must understand is: 1 The members of this group are very diverse and by and large not computer programmers but users. And adopting a totally new technology, no matter how whippy it it, probably just shouldn't and won't happen overnight. 2. The members, and especially the volunteers, have a vested interest and a personal attachment to what has gone on in the last five years and implementing a totally new site on and new server with new people in control is a threat to the group as a whole. In as much as it may well splinter and fragment it in such a way that it is no longer viable in any location. For that reason if and when it does happen it ideally should be with the consent and support of a majority of the group. Because what makes this site viable is the people. If they don't, or won't contribute nothing happens. If you though the previous post was rough you should be glad that I was on the way out the door and only had a few seconds to get it off. I have cooled down considerably now. In 1/17/02 post you said > So get to Dave's pages and put your 2 cents in. It's as easy as clicking > the "Edit Text" button. Go ahead... which was fine, then went on and said, > Dave doesn't mind at all. How did you know this ? did I tell you? had we discussed in any way ? No. As a matter of fact I didn't, but it was presumptuous of you since you do not know me and we have never had any previous conversations on my likes and dislikes. I believe there is a whole page on the wiki C2 site about putting words into others mouths. Likewise it was presumptuous and in my opinion unethical to take my comments and my name from one site and use it to create another, and making it public, without asking me or anyone else who's name was on those pages. Now because mine was alias it's not potentially that damaging, but if I was Wim I would be livid. Now I know that this issue in not unfamilar to the wiki community because there are many pages devoted to the ethics of editing the work of others. But spliting off a new site with no comments from anyone probably hasn't been discussed because it was beyond their comprehensions. But what really pisses me off is because you did this you may have blown the possiblity of implementing this type of technology here because you clearly demonstrated its potential for abuse. All this being I believe you meant well and I chalk it up to the over exuberance and lack of experience do to your youth. Which may piss you off but since I'm nearly 40 years older I'm allowed. We shall see. 3WD PS: Wim "it goes to show" is American slang and in this context it refers to the inherent potential danger of conflict being created by completely open wiki sites where anyone can move or edit anything to anywhere. Which was shown by Christopher's actions, however well intentioned. MOQ.org - http://www.moq.org
