Wiki Community/February 2009 Wiki Meeting

Date: February 22, 2009
Time: 4:00PM - 5:30PM
Location: Jay's Diner
Attendance: PeteB, ChrisBank, DaveMahon, JoannaLicata, Nick Shippers
Next Meeting: Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 4:00pm at Jay's Diner

Discussions: With an influx of people with website design and implementation experience, emphasis was placed on further improving the usability of the RocWiki site for consumers, as well as coordinating our efforts to document Rochester with very small businesses (think the size of Marc Vera's store) and efforts to bring more of them online.

A wishlist was developed, which includes the ability to embed HTML object tags in the page content, as well as improved template enforcement, and isolation of objective and subjective content. In general, how do we preserve RocWiki's speed and flexibility while giving it the more Web 2.0 feel that increasing numbers of users are coming to expect? Features like comment voting would make community enforcement of community standards much more responsive and dynamic.

These functions are simply not possible with the current wiki engine. DaveMahon was tasked with looking for possible alternative engines after the meeting. FosWiki and MediaWiki with a creative skin are two potentially viable options. Technically inclined individuals are encouraged to review these packages and graphically inclined individuals are encouraged to review skinning options.

Both packages provide improved calendaring which support truly automated feeds and allow for automatic imports, which will also facilitate coordination with the many other event calendars for the area, which could drive more traffic to RocWiki and WYSIWYG editors would ease entry of information.

Regardless, ChrisBank and JoannaLicata are going to go ahead and look at possible ways of streamlining the look and feel of the existing site.

Finally, on a personal note, [DaveMahon] would like to thank PeteB and the other members of the AdminGroup for their generous gift. I shall wear it in pride!