Start a DV Wiki? (wiki=site where anyone can make changes)

[Glenn Chan]

In case you don't know what a Wiki is:

Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly.

Wiki is unusual among group communication mechanisms in that it allows the organization of contributions to be edited in addition to the content itself.

Like many simple concepts, "open editing" has some profound and subtle effects on Wiki usage. Allowing everyday users to create and edit any page in a Web site is exciting in that it encourages democratic use of the Web and promotes content composition by nontechnical users.

http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki

An example Wiki would be the Wikipedia, and online encyclopedia.


I'm thinking it would be a neat idea to put up a Wiki so people can put up DV/video-related information:
A- Tutorials on how to use particular programs (editing software, audio software, etc.)
B- How to use your equipment: Camera techniques (i.e. composition), audio (i.e. how to use a boom mic), etc.
C- Maybe a little history
D- Theory stuff
F- Technical stuff (i.e. list of formats and relevant details, how to make a broadcast master, etc.)
G- Maybe some production information so people can get answers to "what gear should I buy?" questions.

This way people can get answers to common questions and it'll be like film school 101, except online. As well, many common questions could be pointed towards the wiki instead of typing out the same posts over and over.

2- The logistics of it:
A- Audience
If there is little demand for a Wiki then there's not much point in doing it. I'm sure people in this forum could point people towards the Wiki.

B- Contributors
You need people to put content up on the Wiki.

C- Hosting / cost
I could figure out how to setup a Wiki and run it off a server at my home. This would work out fairly well. If the Wiki got really popular then it might have to be advertising supported or whatever. But I'd worry about it when that happens (if it even does).

Or someone else could setup a Wiki, which would be fine with me. Basically if someone else were to put money into a Wiki, the advantages would be:
-Better hosting. The server would support more visitors, and it might even be able to host videos and multimedia clips.
Better uptime, but that isn't a big deal for this kind of thing.
-Maybe more people would visit the Wiki due to better advertising.
All in all I don't think they wouldn't be big advantages.


Anyways, my question to you is:
*Do you think there would be demand for a "DV Wiki"?
*Would you contribute content to it?

[Mathiu Zimmermann]

Actually sounds like a pretty good idea, one could start to simply "copy + paste" and would already have a vast resource in a more accessable form!

I'm with you!

[Boyd Ostroff]

Originally Posted by M. Zimmermann

one could start to simply "copy + paste"

Copying and pasting content from other sites without permission would generally be a copyright violation...

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Glenn Chan

many common questions could be pointed towards the wiki instead of typing out the same posts over and over.

I think an even easier approach that would solve the "same questions over and over" issue is a Frequently Asked Questions list for each of our boards. A wiki requires a lot of hands-on monitoring and maintenance, but our structure here at DV Info Net is already "paid for" and in place. I'd like to encourage anyone who feels like they have the time and effort to put into a wiki to please consider putting that time and effort instead into helping us out with forum-specific FAQ lists. It can certainly be a community-based project and a group effort, not to mention it would keep us all together where we already are (which is right here).

[Patrick King]

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

It can certainly be a community-based project and a group effort, not to mention it would keep us all together where we already are (which is right here).

Chris hits another 'home run' and I'll be the first to say again: THANKS to the Kennelmaster and all the Wranglers for the countless hours and significant effort you put in to keep us all broadcasting on the same wavelength.

[Mathiu Zimmermann]

I thought of it more as kind of a FAQ, not copying and pasting from sites other than DVinfo.net... simply getting together all the information that IS already present on the boards...

I would very much like to help assembling a FAQ of one of the DVinfo.net areas... at first they might be more general and later get to spread, until every forum has one.. and then we will start to take over the world, muhahaha.

cu, Matthias

[Glenn Chan]

I think an even easier approach that would solve the "same questions over and over" issue is a Frequently Asked Questions list for each of our boards. A wiki requires a lot of hands-on monitoring and maintenance, but our structure here at DV Info Net is already "paid for" and in place. I'd like to encourage anyone who feels like they have the time and effort to put into a wiki to please consider putting that time and effort instead into helping us out with forum-specific FAQ lists. It can certainly be a community-based project and a group effort, not to mention it would keep us all together where we already are (which is right here).

I think the things a Wiki would be good is for in-depth articles, i.e. how to use a boom, how to capture good audio (do I use a boom mic, wireless, etc.)

A FAQ would also kind of work well in a Wiki format, because anyone can add changes to it to reflect new, common questions (i.e. HDV questions).