[ba-ohs-talk] NexistWiki
Now seems like a fair time to announce NexistWiki in such a manner that the
Web site becomes subject to google and slashdot. (01)
Visit http://www.nexist.org/wiki/ (02)
It's actually a Java WikiWiki but with tons of added features, a terrible
user interface, and (still) lots of bugs. (03)
To get a feel for what can be done with it, visit
http://www.nexist.org/wiki/Doc2682Document
which is an emerging dissertation on Inquiry Driven Systems, of which, I
think, NexistWiki is an instance. (04)
A software bug prevents the author of that particular page from breaking
the dissertation into sections on different pages, but that will soon be
fixed. He is using ascii characters for graphics, in advance of an applet
I am building that gives users a sketch pad for entering graphics. (05)
What's different between NexistWiki and other Wikis? First, no "Edit this
page" button. If you sign up (go to the LogOn page), you will be given
access to control buttons, one of which is New Entry. That's how users add
content to pages, and create new pages (in addition to the usual WikiWord
method of inventing new pages). (06)
Each entry is called an AddressableInformationResource (AIR for
short). Each entry has its own home page, and the ever popular
PurpleNumber link to it. At the home page, the originator of the AIR (and
a super user) can edit the AIR; nobody else can edit your AIR. Also at the
AIR home page is a link to an IBIS discussion (thanks, Eric!) that allows
threaded, controlled discussion about the AIR in specific. Also at that
home page is the ability to "transclude" that AIR for inclusion as an AIR
elsewhere (on a different page). There's also a button that allows you to
declare some other page to be related to that AIR. (07)
NexistWiki presently is a graph builder with a preconfigured simple
parent-child-sibling graph model (which may be dropped in Version 2). In
addition, there is a Related Page control that allows you to declare other
pages related (by a relation of your choice or creation). Much of this was
inspired by the program Lucid Fried Eggs (http://www.memes.net), thus the
portal home page is called LucidHomePage, and that class of NexistWiki
pages are titled LucidWiki. (08)
In addition, there are several "application" Wikis: IBISWiki, where you can
just haul off and start a discussion about whatever comes to mind, EduWiki,
where (in theory) you can create elearning course content, DocWiki where
you can create documents -- indeed, the entire _XML Topic Maps_ book will
soon be imported to NexistWiki online. There's already a home page for it
in DocWiki. (09)
NexistWiki supports what I call "living documents", those in which, as new
information suggests changes to some part of the document, that part can be
updated. Eventually, there will be an Export button that allows the entire
document to be exported in (probably) DocBook format ready for
publication. It is my intent to keep _XML Topic Maps_ up to date by that
method, and to create the entire new book, _Advances In XML Topic Maps_ on
NexistWiki itself. (010)
At the same time, NexistWiki, Version 2, will be developed on NexistWiki
itself by means of DocWiki: it is possible to have an AIR be a chunk of
software code, and an entire page represent the Java class that holds that
code. Thus, the entire body of code, complete with all sorts of paragraphs
of discussion about theory, etc, and IBIS arguments about the code itself,
will soon begin to appear online. A different (soon to be implemented)
button will export the code ready to compile. It is my intention to cause
to be created a plugin for Eclipse (http://www.eclipse.org) such that
Eclipse can log into NexistWiki to enable online, interactive,
collaborative software development. NexistWiki already provides version
control, so, all that is needed will be "commit permission" -- the ability
to edit an AIR, to be expanded to groups. Of course, locking and other
issues remain to be resolved. (011)
When you log in as a user, you are taken to another application Wiki,
UserWiki, where the pages are private. There, you can create your own
knowledge base, even using other public pages, and your work will remain
private. (012)
Issues being explored with NexistWiki include:
reusable components (AIRs can be transcluded)
evolvability (Version 2 will bring that issue to the light of day)
scalability (Wikis are limited more by available disk space than anything,
but other aspects of this issue remain to be explored)
collaboration
usability (Version 1 really doesn't go there, it's just an engineering
prototype; be kind to it) (013)
Right now, the site doesn't do anything for child protection (it just warns
those under 13 to not sign up -- will need to deal with such issues in
Version 2) and is clearly subject to lots of abuse. It is my hope that
people will remain civil and respectful of the mission of this project and
not turn discussions into objects I will be forced to delete from time to
time. Version 2 will make much stronger moves in the direction of
authentication. (014)
Behind the scenes, there are discussions about something I am calling
"Nxist Group LLC" along the lines already in place with JBoss Group
(http://www.jboss.org). NexistWiki is an open source project (source code
for Version 2 will eventually be available) under a BSD-like
license. There remains, however, the opportunity (Version 2) for people to
add value to functionality of a NexistWiki installation by way of
proprietary plug in agents. It seems that there should be an enterprise
created to manage that opportunity. (015)
The open question I expect to hear is this: Is NexistWiki an OHS?
My answer is this: No. It is just one of (I hope) many experiments that
will seed the evolution of an OHS, whatever that may turn out to be. (016)
Comments always welcome
Jack (017)
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XML Topic Maps: Creating and Using Topic Maps for the Web.
Addison-Wesley, ISBN 0-201-74960-2. (018)