From RBOSE
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This page describes an experimental approach toward editing of the website content. In this approach we want to try use wiki in combination with the webcore.
Using wiki to record changes in the website texts
Advantages and disadvantages
users editing wiki or editing working on the website can improve their skills or learn how to contribute both to the wiki and to the website
- historical record - introduced changes are logged, and each version is available for everyone to review keeping the system transparent
- one account - users can use the same accounts to edit wiki and website
- powerful parser checks the content for malicious code and offers all the functionality of wiki extensions
- linking between wiki and website pages is simple for the editors
- cleaner code than in case of so called 'rich editors' what makes future edits simpler and saves the bandwidth
- external editors can be easily used on the client side
- suggestion can be tested and collaboratively worked out on the infinoted server, and users not familiar with it can copy a page into their user space to suggest modifications and present workable solutions
- wiki can be used as development area, while webcore presents "more or less completed" works
website content depends on the wiki
- learning wiki syntax and understanding x/html may require some effort from new users (but at the same time we are very happy to provide support in this process)
How it works
- A special namespace Website has been added to the wiki. This namespace requires from the users to have assigned additional write access permission in order to edit it.
- A page created in that namespace is recorded as usually, old versions are stored and modifications are visible in recent changes and published in real time on the irc #wiki channel.
- When content is saved, the parser checks it and eliminates all not permitted code which could be an issue.
- On a visits at a webcore's page, a request is send to wiki and data is pulled (several methods have been implemented, for example one is using the mediawiki api, other one uses a different technique).
- To easily link between webcore pages an interlink web has been added - in order to link to the root location on the webcore, one has to type [[web:]] and that will generate a link to http://path/to/webcore. Other location are simply invoked by using [[web:other/location]] what will produce http://path/to/webcore/other/location. This solution allows us to easily update addresses at once in case the website address would change, without a need for updating each of links.
How to help
- get familiar with the mediawiki syntax
- knowledge about x/html and css will be very handy in some cases
- learn how to use gobby so you can work simultaneously with others and discuss changes
- get in touch with active contributors on the irc and let us know you want to help (we will probably take into account how long you work with us on different projects before we give you write access to the website, yet you can still easily present a modifications either with gobby or on your user subpages)
Further Ideas
- In order to reduce request times, content could be easily cached.
- Automated map of the website is under development. Based on the subpage structure tree of the Website:/ page, a hierarchical map with descriptions could be created explaining purpose of every page, but as well another type of map with graphical illustration of relation between pages could be created by using graphviz and by checking for used on pages links.
- Translations of the website could be added either by using xpath and elements with different ids embeded within the same page, or by sending requests to pages with language prefixes according to user's interface settings.