Collaboration:MR Wiki

Notes about the Expressionengine wiki

• What type of wiki? mediawiki twiki etc.
• Who is the main administrator of the wiki? Who will make configuration changes upon request?
• Search: is it possible to replace the default search with Google or another external search engine?
• Wiki users: Adminstrators Moderate Article
  • for the wikipedia part this should be the default for any new page that is being created. Is that possible?
  • If a user does several edit save cycles within a session, will the editor get one aggregate (i.e. Page x has changed) or one email for every save? Will the user be able to see the results of their save, when they continue editing?
• Wiki Theme Template
  • the graphical design company should customize the default, so that the theme ties in nicely with the new website theme. The default sidebar needs to be customized to fit the specifics of this wiki.
• Name spaces: Need to be set up ahead of time. Articles, Glossary, Events, MRCenters are examples of such name spaces based on conversations.

Additional information and links

Technologies

• Wiki:
  • NA-MIC wiki: Manage events, working meetings, tcon notes, projects informal presentation
  • Slicer documentation
• Wiki2Web system
  • Wiki 2 web: content managment system based on wiki
• Publications Database
  • Publications Database Details view
  • Publications Database Gallery view

Talking point about the MR wikipedia

• Can we and should we use wikipedia as term?
• Is the membership in a ldap data base?
• Are there plans for other member services

Content creation

• Need an editorial board: Leverage the existing one as much as possible, minimize duplication
• Public announcement to solicit contributions
  • Description of the project (20.000 foot view)
  • Template pages
  • Style guidelines
• Need to tie into existing DB for membership and rights managment:
  • Every member has automatically read/write and link insertion privileges
  • Policies need for loss of privileges if abused (define abuse in this context)
  • Policy needed about presentation of commercial products

Content management/Processes and procedures

• Webmaster needed to monitor recent changes pages for suspicious activities
• Identify key pages which need to be actively monitored and updated
• What should be the curation process? How much vandalism do we expect, given that write is limited to members and traceable.
• Public wiki versus members only:
  • Ron votes strongly for a public wiki.
  • It makes a contribution to the public in general and raises the visibility of the organization
  • A public wiki can be indexed by public search engines such as google, which will make the materials on the pages more accessible

Community Creation

• A wiki lowers the barrier for direct participation, empowers contributors, and broadens the base of active members
• Wikis are also messy and do not naturally follow a top-down design
• A good balance needs to be found between freedom and regulation. Both extremes (anarchy and police state) are not functional for a wiki
• The governance should not be paternalistic but participatory.
• Wiki versus website: The wiki is like a lab notebook, the website is like a glossy brochure.
• Educational program needed for the membership:
  • what can members use the wiki for
  • why should they care
  • how to go about it

Tcon 08-28-2009

Attending: David, David, Ron

1. Ron should have a tcon next week with Roberta and Sally to discuss the technical issues around the creation of a wiki server and the software to be used. It would probably be sensible to ask Peter Seres to participate in that as well.
2. Ron would use this information to develop with the Central Office an action plan for the development and implementation of an MR wikipedia - including some of the options (and an idea of related resource and costs) he suggested for future expansion - a publication database and more complex media display - - based on his experience with his slicer development (Ron will send some links on this)./
3. The issues of governance probably to be addressed by an editorial board - engaging members with responsibility for particular areas - this could be put together with help from the publications cttee - and also by direct invitation to the membership themselves. Controversy is to be expected, anticipated and planned for.
4. There is a good case for making the wiki open to the public early on - and Ron will make these points in the Action Plan as the Board and Exec will no doubt want to understand these issues before applying the brand name.
5. The action plan could be circulated past the web services committee in the next few weeks for comments and suggestions and then we could hopefully start to implement something.