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February 7th, 2008
02:13 pm

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SF Editor Watch
So... over at the SFAwardsWatch site we're about to start hosting what has previously been the Hugo Editor Wiki but which we are probably going to call SFEditorWatch. This is a site where editors (aand fans) will be able to log in and edit their own or others' entries listing what books they have edited in each year, so those of us who nominate and vote for awards like the long form editor Hugo Award have more information to go on.

I'm debating what kind of system to set up for this. I'm most familiar with mediawiki but something like PMWiki might be a little more user friendly. Then again, if I set up my own system I can enforce consistency in how people input data (thus possibly introducing problems when peoples' data doesn't match my forms). Phpwiki is nice in that it has a MySQL database behind it. I've never set one up before. Have you? What do you recommend/what should I think about as I go to do this? Advise me! (Thanks!)

Poll #1134779 Wiki Software Poll
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All. Participants: 9

Should I use a wiki or some other database-driven sort of system

View Answers
Database
3(33.3%)
Wiki
6(66.7%)
Don't care; either way some people will be unhappy
0(0.0%)

What Wiki Software should I use?

View Answers
MediaWiki
4(66.7%)
PMwiki
1(16.7%)
PHP wiki
1(16.7%)
something else
0(0.0%)

If Something Else, then what?

View Answers

(4 comments | Leave a comment)

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[User Picture]
From:grimfaire
Date:February 7th, 2008 09:12 pm (UTC)
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Ok... computer guru answers:

1) Looking at the 3 options you've chosen for Wiki's; MediaWiki appears to be the best supported. It has the only one that mentions security updates. It has the option of hooking into one of 3 different database back ends and gives the layout that it uses to store data.

2) The project really should hinge upon what kind of server access you have; who will be in charge of security patches for the web server, web languages and applications.

3) I say when specing out a project, never go into it with expectations of what technology to use. Figure out what you want to do first and lay out everything first...then find out what fits the best.


Sorry if this isn't a lot of help but I approach projects in this way after years of trial and error. Write down what you want to do... get everyone invovled to agree on that... then find the solution that fits what you want to do not the other way around. Also, look at security before beginning the project or you'll get bitten somewhere along the lines. One incident can wipe out a lot more work than what it would have taken to stop it in the first place.
[User Picture]
From:pnh
Date:February 8th, 2008 02:13 am (UTC)
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I just think you should call it something other than "SFEditorWatch," which sounds like a site for stalkers.

Yes, I'm joking, but not entirely. Being a sane and sensible human being, you probably don't quite grasp the frequency with which editors do, in fact, wind up having to deal with creepy stalky people with boundary issues. "SFEditorWatch" sounds like a site I'd run screaming away from.
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From:netmouse
Date:February 8th, 2008 02:39 pm (UTC)
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Hmmm. So noted. I was just following the format of SFawardswatch, as we talked about what domain to use. I can see how the creepiness factor goes up when it sounds like you're talking about watching an individual person... But sfartwatch seems fine, and sfbookwatch isn't creepy, yet doesn't quite capture the sense of a place to go find out about editing that's been done. A thorough book index would ideally include editors, but that's not a project I'm up for taking on just yet (and it's being done elsewhere). SFeditingwatch seems awkward to me.

Do you have any suggestions of an alternative name you wouldn't run screaming away from?
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From:knightlygoddess
Date:February 8th, 2008 02:47 am (UTC)
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I did not participate in the poll, for in this regard I am a techno-tard. ;)
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