Spreading Wikiweblog

I think a Wiki is hugely superior to a WebLog for a team (Wiki For CollaborationWare).

I even think it's superior for an individual thinker (Thinking Space). I'd like to see every "smart" blogger actually use a WikiWeblog. What can increase the penetration of that idea?

Provide WebLog-like view. Already done here (2002), others are playing with similar WikiLog ideas.

Change initial perceived weirdness: (done May2003)

• Expanding Wiki Words
• Question Mark to signal opportunity to create a new node. I'm going to try switching to square brackets for that - I think Vanilla already does that.

Get RSS code in all the popular WikiEngines (done May2003).

• (Probably wouldn't include all content, but maybe forward links and local BackLinks once they're cached.) Also should probably use Expanding Wiki Words.

Have some other context/structure cues on the Front Page along with that current-blog view. I think this best by Transclusion of specific pages (like Blog Roll). (done Jun'03)

Cache local BackLinks list at bottom of each page, to help people find more related content. Maybe cache forward links as well for various purposes.

Provide some sense of place/structure/context for a single wiki page (blogs actually don't do this well).

• Zwiki offers Hierarchal Structure - see top-left of each page
• visual tools - Touch Graph (works now), Idea Graph (Danny's working on it). Once caching BackLinks and forward links, could use WikiWikiWeb:VisualTour code to pop up local map.

Track Back support? Offsite BackLinks?

How important is availability of "visual editor" (MsIE DHTML control) vs simple text markup? Some say it's key, but I think I saw a survey recently saying that most people don't use that tool (though it might not have been very representative - but again, my goal isn't necessarily to get every single blogger switched over).

More Wiki Standards convergence to encourage WikiWeb. (aka Sister Sites requires Smashed Together Words)

OutLining tools

• editing
  • via Rich Client
  • Structured Writing style?
• reading - Active Renderer

Share info about WikiFarms. Run my own WikiFarm ASP. Give away a few accounts.

Work with a WikiEngine that doesn't require a whole Application Server underneath it, to improve installation ease and documentation. Or maybe just track other people's comments about that issue for various engines, and summarize recommendations. (complement to running WikiFarm)

Change entire architecture - run as local Rich Client/Desktop Server (OSAF/Chandler?), then render to static pages.

• Advantages: easier installation; cheaper hosting; faster delivery. Might actually make it easier to graft on dynamic elements from WebLog universe - Track Back, etc.
• Disadvantages: harder to upgrade code. Hard to work from multiple machines (work vs home). Lose search functionality. Can't allow appending comments to pages, much less editing.

(more....?)

commenter says: see CommunityWiki:TooFewWiki --2004/02/05 23:04 GMT

• Bill responds: Argues toward a future with One Wiki Per Topic. I think more in terms of One Wiki Per Person (Everyone Needs Their Own ThinkingSpace), with these getting connected via InterWikiMap and Sister Sites into One Wiki Per Group... (see also Multiple Thinking Spaces)