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Evo-ERP and DBA Classic >> User Polls >> Wiki Sticks
http://www.istechforum.com/YaBB.pl?num=1174063145

Message started by GasGiant on 03/16/07 at 08:39:04

Title: Wiki Sticks
Post by GasGiant on 03/16/07 at 08:39:04

At www.EvoERPWiki.com the users create the content, so the more users who participate the better the site will be.

So, if you stick it in the Wiki everyone benefits.

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by kevind on 03/16/07 at 08:57:12

I have not been able to take the time to learn how to effectively contribute. I am wiki impared. :-/

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by David Waldmann on 03/16/07 at 10:25:34

kevind wrote:

I am wiki impared. :-/

I am wickit impaired as well..

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by GasGiant on 03/16/07 at 11:48:34

David Waldmann wrote:

I am wickit impaired as well..

This IS a sticky wicket.

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by GasGiant on 03/16/07 at 11:59:00

Mostly I just try to keep my eyes open while reading this forum. If I see something that I think I might want to look up again later, I copy it over to a place in the Wiki that seem intuitive to me. Mostly that means adding a FAQ. FAQs, Frequently Asked Questions, should be quick hit answer to things that either aren't covered in or are hard to grasp from the Help file.

I've also posted a few HOWTOs, which are longer articles covering a subject that likely wouldn't found in a Help file. I've been doing so web interface work that grabs PSQL data so I've published some examples. I'd like to see some examples of how to make useful Crystal Reports or Excel reports in there, too. I've made lots of simple reports like that and I may publish a few examples, but there are some of our users who have done more elaborate reports that they could share.

That leads to the area of sharing whole files and there is a section for that on the Wiki, as well.

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by Lynn_Pantic on 03/16/07 at 16:02:38

The Wiki isn't just for Evo. Much of the content will deal with the underlying business logic of the program and that is the same for both Classic and Evo. So being a Classic User Only is no reason not to use the Wiki.

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by Reid on 03/27/07 at 10:37:23

I must not fully grasp the need for the wiki, as opposed to, or in addition to the user forum. As first glance, it is just one more place I must serch to try to find answers to my questions. Doesn't that dilute the effectiveness of this forum? Does that mean that this forum is going away?

Also, my opinion of the Wikipedia is not high due to lack of confidence in the content. Just because a contributor has the ability to edit doesn't mean he knows squat about what he writes. Lack of oversight has not been a concern for me here in the user forum.

Why are you creating this parallel universe?

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by GasGiant on 03/27/07 at 11:03:17

It is for the "stickiness" of the information and the participation of the community in development of the content. We have had a hard time keeping track of the shared information here in the past. If I post a "How To" about editing user menus it will sink into oblivion as new threads collect. I might not even have posted it in a thread that started out being about user menus. The FAQ and HOWTO sections are so that important things don't sink. Instead, they "stick" and are properly categorized.

The upload and download of files and collaborative development of content helps to keep projects going when they are a bit more than discussion. Users sharing Crystal Reports, code snippets, and auxiliary programs is a big help for folks who want to do their own customization without reinventing the wheel. It is hard to track things like that in the forum.

As for Wikipedia, the soundness of their content is a symptom of their management style. Their style has not scaled well and they have lost control to some degree. However, with millions of people policing the content, skewed entries and misinformation will not hold up long. There is certainly opportunity for abuse in any community you can think of, so Wikipedia has no corner on the market. Statistically, it is likely more reliable than your average news magazine.

That being said, EvoERPWiki.com is not Wikipedia. It is not trying to be all things to all people. It's just a place for this community to "stick" things that we don't want to lose. It is a complement to the forum, not a replacement, not a higher form, neither better nor worse. It is different in purpose and scope. Some forums have built in blogs, galleries, and file sharing areas. This one does not. It would likely just confuse things if it did have those features. Having a separate place for the geek squad is the idea we settled upon. If it does something for you, great! If not, no loss. Someday soon you might ask a question and the reply you receive might be a link to the wiki or a copied bit taken from the FAQ section of the wiki. In that way, it is as much a resource for the folks who answer questions as it is for those who need the answers.

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by timgolds on 04/22/07 at 14:53:46

OK,

SO I have some great stuff! Like a list of the default menus, what application they call and if it has been changed for EVO/DBA by ISTS. Crystal reports, Scanner files, Docs on how to run EVO/Pervasive virtually ....

But the WIKI won't let me log in to upload them!

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by kkmfg on 04/22/07 at 17:26:23

Well, that's certainly no good. Sounds like you've got some valuable info but I'm not sure what's getting gummed up. I just tried logging into the wiki and it works for me. Did you setup an account already? If so, what happens when you try to login? I'll try to get this fixed if we can figure out what's going on.

timgolds wrote:

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by GasGiant on 04/27/07 at 09:13:53

timgolds wrote:

I need a wikifix. Can he upload his stuff, yet?

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by kkmfg on 04/27/07 at 10:05:47

He has since dropped off of the face of the Earth. I don't believe I've seen any more postings from him and he certainly has not responded to this topic. I can login fine so I'll need to get ahold of him to see what is going wrong on his end...

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by Dick on 05/01/07 at 11:46:31

Lynn, what's the intended functional difference between the Forum and the Wiki? I've appreciated the Forum -- all that's important and that you need to know in one place.
Now 2 places?

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by GasGiant on 05/01/07 at 12:36:12

1) Please read the posts above.

2) If you don't need or want to use the Wiki, don't worry about it.

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by Dick on 05/01/07 at 13:39:47

Can you lighten up? Your post didn't help me.
1) I had read all the posts. Two guys all pro and pushing, one interested (?) but dead(?). three guys (expressing reasons) like me not ready to jump.
2) I asked Lynn. If she's got a piece of the user/ISTECH interaction she feels is better done on a wiki, and so isn't going to be followed by the ISTECH staff in the Forum, I wanted a handle on it.

Lynn, it would seem to make the most sense to me if the Wiki was going to handle something identifiably distinct from the Forum. In any case, what should we look for in there? vis a vis the Forum? Or is it going to payoff do you think to put the time into both?

Thanks.

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by Lynn_Pantic on 05/01/07 at 14:57:15

There are a number of topics that are truly FREQUENTLY asked questions and searching the forum for the response you think you might have read 4 months ago when it wasn't of interest to you can be cumbersome. The wiki is potentially a better structured venue for such things, such as
http://www.evoerpwiki.com/index.php/Data_Maintenance_Questions_Page

It is also better structured for users to collaborate and share things such as Crystal Reports and RTMs and the like.

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by kkmfg on 05/01/07 at 18:13:02

Thank heavens for my handy asbestos underwear!

Which is easier?
1. being the 47th person to ask the same question on this forum
2. searching the forum to see if someone has asked the question
3. Finding the info in an organized list of frequently asked questions

#1 is just plain annoying to the rest of us, #2 is annoying for you, #3 gives you exactly what you are looking for.

Dick wrote:

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by GasGiant on 05/02/07 at 05:06:49

Dick wrote:

Can you lighten up? Your post didn't help me.

Yes, I'm a terrible drag on the whole system. Down with forum curmudgeons! :-X

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by Dick on 05/02/07 at 07:52:13

That helps me, Lynn. Thanks.

Title: Re: Wiki Sticks
Post by GasGiant on 05/02/07 at 08:52:12