[Discuss] wiki suggestions?

[Richard Pieri]

On 2/2/2012 1:06 AM, David Kramer wrote:
> I disagree with you.  Requiring collaboration is not the only reason to
> prefer a wiki over other solutions.

I did not mean to imply that collaboration is the only reason to use a 
wiki, only that collaboration is a good one to do so.  What I will state 
is that if collaboration isn't involved then a wiki may be a bad tool.

> Wikis also give you hyperlinks, so content can be found from several
> very different paths.  A file repository can't usually do that.

Create an index.html file.  The file repository now has all the 
hyperlinks that you want.

> Most wikis come with powerful plugins that add functionality or make
> editing/viewing easier

Yes, and each one is different from the others, and all of them are 
different or limited compared to defacto standard editing and publishing 
tools (Word, LaTeX).  The barrier to recording immediately is low, as 
you say, but the barrier to doing large scale work (grant proposals, 
theses, DOE reports) is much higher.

> Most wikis give you revision control for free.  Of course Git has
> revision control too, but how do you get the documents to the teachers,
> who are not necessarily technical people?   Ask them to install Git too?

Pretty much.  SmartGit automates the process and provides a familiar UI. 
  Add a three minute demo of the pull/edit/commit/push cycle and even 
non-technical users are comfortable with it.  I've deployed this for two 
small collaborations already, and both groups have non-technical people 
editing documents.

-- 
Rich P.