Re: [ba-ohs-talk] Collaborative Editing / Tracking?
blincoln wrote: (01)
> I realize that I'm either asking the most rudimentary question or
> the most irritating one, but I have failed to find a clear answer in
> my OHS-list archive.
>
> Is there a current non-microsoft option for collaborative editing
> of simple text files? Microsoft Word seems to be the current
> stand-out for decent change-tracking software, but I need to be
> able to do this with a group of people who don't all have
> Microsoft Office. *gasp*
>
> I know, what sort of stone-age delinquents can't get their hands on a pirate
> copy of Word, but surely.. there is something available that offers
> at least rudimentary multiple-editor support? (When I asked for options
> from 3 different professional associates today, they all offered to give
> me a burned CD of office2k, an amusing commentary on the state of affairs.) (02)
Well, the issue is not for those who can't locate a copy of MS Word,
but for those who don't use Windows. In certain communities, Windows
doesn't have the monopoly it does some places. I used to work at Sun
where there was almost *no* Windows (a breath of fresh air), and
similarly, you'll find fewer in many graphics houses, music and arts
organizations, schools, not to mention a whole lot of linux programmers
(and the growing number of plain ol' linux users, as the windowing
environment and installation tools mature). (03)
And once you've been away from Windows for awhile you begin to really
dislike the interface. I've had an iBook now for about six months, and
while *any* OS has its quirks I much prefer it over Windows. Still do
my development on linux though. (04)
> I know we'd discussed this as a feature that would be highly desireable
> or even key to a good collaboration environment, but as for specific
> options, my memory is blank.
>
> thanks for reminding me, pointing me at a URL, or telling me when the
> last discussion of this was on the OHS group so I can find it in my
> archives :) (05)
Jack has just posted his NexistWiki, and any Wiki would really do. Of
the many varieties available you'd probably want one with user
passwords and the ability to export to text (because most Wikis I've
seen use web pages). (06)
There's also both StarOffice and OpenOffice (the latter is the open
source version of the former). These work on multiple platforms and
are free. The part I'm not sure of is the change-tracking component.
If you used a Java-based Wiki it probably wouldn't be too hard to
hook up one of the Java-based CVS tools to it, so that each iteration
of the document was auto-checked in. (07)
Not any real solutions perhaps, but some ideas nevertheless... (08)
Murray (09)
......................................................................
Murray Altheim <http://kmi.open.ac.uk/people/murray/>
Knowledge Media Institute
The Open University, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK7 6AA, UK (010)
If it wants to be a global power and a player in the
Atlantic alliance, Europe has to get back into the
business of making war. -- Newsweek Magazine, June 3, 2002 (011)