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| * [[User:Dafrito/Draft_proventesters_instructions]] lots of editing. Thanks to [[User:Adamwill]] for his draft and feedback. | | * [[User:Dafrito/Draft_proventesters_instructions]] lots of editing. Thanks to [[User:Adamwill]] for his draft and feedback. |
| * [[Policy for nonresponsive package maintainers]] needs some love | | * [[Policy for nonresponsive package maintainers]] needs some love |
| | * [[User:Dafrito/Editing_Policy]] for my draft proposal for Wiki editing policy. |
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| == Thoughts == | | == Thoughts == |
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| * It'd also be cool to have pages for all versions of Fedora, with a template used to describe each. | | * It'd also be cool to have pages for all versions of Fedora, with a template used to describe each. |
| * "updates-testing" and "Test Updates" are used interchangeably, which I don't believe should be the case. "Test Updates" is a natural name which succinctly describes its purpose. "updates-testing" is the technical name that is used by machines. This dual-naming scheme is familiar to the common and scientific names given to animals, like ''Canis lupus'' referring to a wolf, and I think the expectations for which to use for animal names should apply here. | | * "updates-testing" and "Test Updates" are used interchangeably, which I don't believe should be the case. "Test Updates" is a natural name which succinctly describes its purpose. "updates-testing" is the technical name that is used by machines. This dual-naming scheme is familiar to the common and scientific names given to animals, like ''Canis lupus'' referring to a wolf, and I think the expectations for which to use for animal names should apply here. |
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| == State of the Fedora wiki ==
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| I humbly think that the Fedora wiki deviates too often from common expectations, and it should be safely and carefully reorganized to adhere more with traditional practices. Even though this wiki is tightly focused and contains a diverse spectrum of content, it should not deviate from [http://en.wikipedia.org the Wikipedia] unless it has good reason to do so. Things like unusual article names, unconventional article formats, and unexpected uses of features confuse users and discourage contributors.
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| Let me address a few of the pressing concerns, and some of their potential solutions.
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| === Article prefixes ===
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| Article prefixes are pseudo-categories that mangle article names, such as the <code>QA/</code> in [[QA/Updates Testing]]. While prefixes can sometimes appear natural, such as [[Releases/Rawhide]], they are usually unnecessary and distracting. For the most part, articles that have prefixes would be better served by either being in a category, by having a more descriptive name, or not having a prefix whatsoever. Article prefixes are harmful to the Wiki in many ways:
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| * '''Article prefixes are ambiguous.''' Article prefixes are usually too terse to indicate their purpose, or too generic to be useful. For example, the QA prefix does not indicate whether articles relate to the QA project, quality assurance in general, or articles that are merely relevant to QA. In reality, the prefix is used for all three of these purposes.
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| * '''Article prefixes miscategorize content.''' Since prefixes are ambiguous, editors typically are unable to find a single prefix that wholly fits their article. Content gets spread over many different prefixes, and is not predictable or easily accessible. For example, [[Fedora Release Criteria]] discusses the criteria for Fedora releases. [[Releases]] discusses releases in a broad sense. [[ReleaseEngineering/Overview]] also discusses releases, but from a releng point of view. These articles should be merged or reorganized to complement each other, rather than compete.
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| * '''Article prefixes are inconvenient.''' Article prefixes make it difficult for editors to link with existing articles. There is no definitive place for content, so very relevant articles end up in very strange, unpredictable places. For a sad example, see [[F12]], [[Fedora 12]], [[Releases/12]].
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| These problems combine to create a confusing experience for users and editors. Contributors miss opportunities to network with existing content, and visitors are left confused and frustrated.
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| ==== Solutions ====
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| The majority of article prefixes should be deprecated and phased out. Redirects should remain to preserve backwards-compatibility, but the prefixed articles should not be directly reachable. The specific fix for a prefixed article depends on the original reason for the prefix and the article's content.
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| ===== Function-related articles =====
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| Since prefixes imply a strong, mutually exclusive separation of purpose, they should be used when articles have special editing rules or unconventional origins. Here's a few examples of some good candidates:
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| * <code>Log/</code> for meeting logs. Since these logs are not intended to be edited and have only one author.
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| * <code>Proposal/</code> for FESCo and other proposals. Proposals usually are much more fluid than regular articles. They typically have a strict format, are "owned" by an individual user, and document a "current" event rather than a concept or component in Fedora.
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| * <code>HowTo/</code> or <code>Tutorial/</code>. These describe a process in exact detail. They are linear and highly instructional.
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| ===== Categories =====
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| Prefixes are sometimes used to imply a categorical relationship. These should be fixed by removing the prefix and adding the appropriate category. Prefixed articles like the many under the [[Ambassadors]] prefix are ideal candidates.
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| ===== Subtopics =====
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| Prefixes sometimes indicate a collection of subtopics. [[Releases]], [[Fedora Release Criteria]], and the content of [[ReleaseEngineering/Overview]] are all discussing one major concept: releases. These articles should be merged and renamed accordingly to indicate this topic/subtopic relationship. The following outline is a possibility:
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| * Release
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| ** Release types
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| *** Branched
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| *** Rawhide
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| ** Release criteria
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| ** Release process
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| These subtopics could be sections in the "Release" article, or they could be separate articles referred to by the main article. This choice depends on the amount of content. Once again, the Wikipedia provides good examples for how this separation may be gracefully accomplished.
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