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Question - Documentation overhaul: stick with forums, or get a real wiki? (1 Viewer)

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Pros and cons from what I can see:

Forum-based
Pros: It's already setup. Everyone here knows how to use a forum.
Cons: Editing a large post, like KissAssist Manual or the Macros Wiki is daunting. You can't edit one section, you're faced with a screen full of code.

Wiki-based
Pros: We can easily edit entire sections. Searching a wiki is easy. We'd also have the users/passwords to be the same on both forums/wiki.
Cons: I don't have the patience to make the css look exactly like redguides, so it's going to look like a wiki.
 
I agree, I like both. Some things lend themselves to one or the other. Large things should be wiki's: learn to edit and update them (which helps everyone and keeps the admins from a management headache) or don't complain when they are wrong/out-of-date. The admins are busy enough without having to manage things that could very well be put in a wiki. We have to ask ourselves: Do we want new features, new code/plugins/macros, or do we want to forgo those since their time is taken up managing the site. Other things belong in a forum: bazaar posts, questions, support tickets etc. This is a good setup currently.

I think however, there should be an easy way to readily see what is a wiki: a list at the least, a page of all wiki's (hopefully dynamically driven), and a way to search only wikis/current wiki.

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Also, it would be great to have a 'What's New' page without the bazaar posts. I know, there is one, but it's not the same format; it lists the threads that contain new posts rather than the posts that are new like on What's New. It's one of those things that sounds good but isn't practical.

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By all means, get a real wiki, but keep the forums and find a way to blend them (as best we can).
 
I think however, there should be an easy way to readily see what is a wiki: a list at the least, a page of all wiki's (hopefully dynamically driven), and a way to search only wikis/current wiki.

With wiki software, that would be trivial.

Also, it would be great to have a 'What's New' page without the bazaar posts. I know, there is one, but it's not the same format; it lists the threads that contain new posts rather than the posts that are new like on What's New. It's one of those things that sounds good but isn't practical.

I think I can do that, but here are a few ideas:
  • Split the bazaar off onto its own domain. Same users/passwords/redcents, but basically a different site.
  • Remove the bazaar from what's new
  • hack the software to give us two "what's new" options
 
If it is set up like the source boards, it is just a matter of getting a decent list of contents on the first/main wiki page. It takes a little getting used to (typing in wiki format) but after looking at some examples and some trial & error it shouldn't be too daunting a task... just a matter of doing. Which apparently is the hard part.. the doing!

Honestly I like the idea of a wiki, but it is mostly because a wiki is set up to give information... while when you search a forum you can get swamped in the byplay trying to find the nugget of information, or the search engine gives odd results, especially when you don't have the exact keyword phrase. Where as a wiki is (generally) the accepted "correct" information by the community (or should be) and can make sorting through information specific things much easier (especially if one cross links related pages) Of course... all of that is probably why you were considering it, heh.

I would think with as much community support as is shown here, you should have no issues maintaining a wiki board up to a point. Some folks (raises hand) troll the boards through out the day (keeps me from killing my co-workers...) and can probably help with updating a wiki
 
Honestly I like the idea of a wiki, but it is mostly because a wiki is set up to give information... while when you search a forum you can get swamped in the byplay trying to find the nugget of information, or the search engine gives odd results, especially when you don't have the exact keyword phrase. Where as a wiki is (generally) the accepted "correct" information by the community (or should be) and can make sorting through information specific things much easier (especially if one cross links related pages) Of course... all of that is probably why you were considering it, heh.

I'm totally with you, and this would be mainly to help with new users or users who haven't spent time trawling the forums. While I enjoy answering easy questions, I know some people are embarrassed to ask them so a wiki for them would be nice.

Some folks (raises hand) troll the boards through out the day (keeps me from killing my co-workers...) and can probably help with updating a wiki

That's very generous and sometimes overwhelming to realize everyone who keep this community running. You're the best.
 
As a newer user I initially found the forums a bit daunting not sure what to look for were. However, the forums themselves have provided me with a great deal of background information and history into how things are developed at times this has been both edifying and frustrating. Often when I am just looking for a little information to clean up how something is working or to find out if something can be done at all, it would be nice to have more consolidated areas. That being said I like the idea of the wiki as it would give current information in an easy to find format (and really who cares if the color scheme matches), but I would not want it to at the cost of not having the forums to dig deeper in.
 
I prefer the forums in general, but I think the missing link to me starting out was an index for starting place. I didn't even find some of the "wiki posts" for quite a while. I feel like a single, larger wiki page type thing as a "getting started" that links to forum posts would likely be one of the easiest things, and probably meet needs.
 
Pros and cons from what I can see:

Forum-based
Pros: It's already setup. Everyone here knows how to use a forum.
Cons: Editing a large post, like KissAssist Manual or the Macros Wiki is daunting. You can't edit one section, you're faced with a screen full of code.

Wiki-based
Pros: We can easily edit entire sections. Searching a wiki is easy. We'd also have the users/passwords to be the same on both forums/wiki.
Cons: I don't have the patience to make the css look exactly like redguides, so it's going to look like a wiki.

There are a few wiki's that can bridge with vBulletin. (aka same user/password database.)

Might wanna look into it :D

Ex: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:VBulletin/Users_Integration


Nvm - I thought I read the password thing as a con, haha.
 
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Question - Documentation overhaul: stick with forums, or get a real wiki?

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