Posted by Stewart Gordon on 05/30/06 15:33

David Segall wrote:
> Stewart Gordon <smjg_1998@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> David Segall wrote:
>
>>> they might not produce a web
>>> page of their own that illuminates a tiny corner of the subject area
>>> that would otherwise remain in the dark.
>>
>> How is the latter a consequence of having a wiki? Do you feel that
>> private ownership of such a page is necessary for it to work? Why?
>
> Because people are willing to publish some unfinished or arcane
> information on their own web site. They would not submit it to a
> "public" site because that would imply that the author thought the
> work was polished and/or generally useful.
<snip>

I'm not sure how you work that out. IMX, wikis attract a lot of
under-construction or otherwise unpolished pages. Just look at
Wikipedia, especially

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Newpages

for example.

>>> Almost all the information needed about web authoring is
>>> already available. Google does an adequate job of making the
>>> information accessible so there is no need for another web site on the
>>> subject.
>> You appear to be arguing on both sides on the fence. One one side
>> you're claiming this, and on the other you seem to think that
>> individuals should just continue to create their own websites about web
>> authoring.
> You asked contributors to this group to work on a new web site that I
> believe will merely replicate information that is already widely
> available.

I don't believe so.

Firstly, look at

http://smjg.port5.com/faqs/web/design/thisisthewww.html

I have more ideas for this page. And I'll probably rewrite the first
section of it soon. But anyway, can you find a better source on the
topic that this covers?

Secondly, as I started to say before, it might help to bring it
together. That's a little more than replicating it.

> I think we are better served if they stick to writing the
> pages that they feel strongly about.

If people want to write pages that they feel strongly about for the
wiki, then all the better.

<snip>
> I resile. You have the idea, you have some content and a server so why
> not start it? My _only_ objection was to your desire to recruit some
> contributors from this group that I thought would be better employed
> elsewhere.

Where do you think I should look for contributors?

Stewart.

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