[Opensim-dev] Some thought about OpenSimulator Wiki future

Fri Aug 5 18:22:43 UTC 2011

I don't see the issues with trusting Github - it's not as if they're going to steal the code.

Nonetheless, I think there are more important issues to work on than debating this.

On 05/08/11 10:31, Melanie wrote:
> It was decided to keep control of our own central repository and not
> delegate that to a code warehouse like github. It is a decision I
> stand by because I don't like or trust code warehouses.
>
> Melanie
>
> On 05/08/2011 08:27, Jeroen van Veen wrote:
>> How about moving opensim code to github and add something like Sphinx(but
>> then for c#) as documentation, where both documentation from source-code and
>> in wiki style can be mixed?
>> Advantage would be that versioning on the documentation is more flexible,
>> and most of the time the documentations software already provides a
>> professional looking template. Besides, you won't
>> need stuff like captcha's anymore. Just my two cents...
>>
>> 2011/8/3 Nomura Makiko<nomura.makiko at gmail.com>
>>
>>> Hi, nice to meet you all. I'm Makopoppo.
>>>
>>> In OpenSimulator Wiki, Fritigern told me his idea about dividing wiki into
>>> user parts and developer parts.
>>>
>>> http://opensimulator.org/wiki/User_talk:Makopoppo#An_Idea_Which_Has_Been_On_My_Mind_For_Some_Time
>>>
>>> It would be nice to implement it. And more, I'd like to hear your thought
>>> about wiki future as well, especially if you haven't use OpenSimulator wiki
>>> ever or recently. (This is rather my personal activity than as a wiki admin
>>> job)
>>>
>>> Here is my idea about what OpenSimulator wiki will be:
>>>
>>> * The definition of "User"
>>>
>>> OpenSimulator software, as itself, is a framework for 3D virtual
>>> environment. It can be included into enterprise systems; i.e. some might
>>> want to bundle it into their web servers, groupwares, or such. Some wants to
>>> create their own kins for their use. Some wants to simply use this
>>> distribution out-of-the-box. Some doesn't want to own their sims, just wants
>>> to connect to them from their viewers. All of them are "Users". They will be
>>> categorized into three types:
>>>
>>> Client Users: Who connects to (or logins to) OpenSimulator-based grids with
>>> their viewer, websites, or some other possible methods. They don't need any
>>> computer-specific knowledges, they can be teenagers, or even infants.
>>> Documentation for them might be out of focus of OpenSimulator project, it is
>>> rather client vendor's area, but having minimal instruction and links to
>>> their document for further informations is not so bad idea.
>>>
>>> Grid Users: Who connects their OpenSimulator-based regions to
>>> OpenSimulator-based grids, or just using it standalone. They needs minimal
>>> knowledge of operation systems, databases, or some other related softwares
>>> such as web servers to run their own simulaters. Since there are already
>>> many resources for them, and especially for personal use, kins projects
>>> doing great job to make clear documents, maintain them and providing support
>>> for years. We can encourage or help them to improve their documents, such
>>> as, providing link list to their pages, or bollowing their article with huge
>>> credits.
>>>
>>> Framework Users: Who enhances OpenSimulator software for their use. The
>>> purpose varies amongst each other, from personal use to enterprise use. For
>>> example, the person who implements *Module, script functions, connectors or
>>> such. To say in another word, who using OpenSimulator as a framework. I
>>> personally think that one of the role of our OpenSimulator core project is
>>> provider of the best documentation for them. And I know currently we don't
>>> have enough documents for them, or if exists, it is unmaintenanced for
>>> years.
>>>
>>> So, who will be the "Developers"? It will be the contributors who
>>> contributes OpenSimulator framework itself. They should know OpenSim
>>> internal architectures, implementing guidelines, or licensing matters. Some
>>> experts can understand them only by reading codes (yikes!), but it would be
>>> nice to have such documents, if we can keep updating them forever.
>>>
>>> * Possible Wiki Structure
>>>
>>> Considering these points above, we can divide the wiki into three domains:
>>>
>>> http://opensimulator.org/<-- for "Client Users" and "Grid Users"
>>> http://framework.opensimulator.org/<-- for "Framework Users"
>>> http://dev.opensimulator.org/<-- for the contributors of OpenSimulator
>>> core project (coders, document writers, issue managers, wiki admins)
>>>
>>> Although MediaWiki can create namespaces and we can use it for this
>>> purpose, I feel sub-domaining provides more straight-forward way to access
>>> to them (this is probablly because I am an address bar lover). Again, this
>>> is just my idea.
>>>
>>> * Should we create anything on our own?
>>>
>>> I personally think we don't need to "reinvent the wheel" to create all
>>> OpenSimulator documentation from the scratch, there are already nice
>>> documents all around the web. Why not make great use of them? I don't mean
>>> we can copyright violations and bring them all. Instead, it would be nice to
>>> have links to their project websites with simple descriptions about their
>>> project goal or feature on our wiki pages. Or, bollowing their documents
>>> with big credit would be nice too(Cons is duplicated documentation will be
>>> more difficult to maintenance).
>>>
>>> I wonder why kin projects (i.e. OSGrids, Inworlds, AuroraSim, …) are not
>>> feathered as kin developers. They are the good OpenSimulator framework users
>>> and the good OpenSimulator "User" documents provider. And communities. I
>>> know there are many other OpenSimulator-forums and many experts grandly help
>>> so-called "noobs". We can encourage and help them to support others in their
>>> community, such as, again, adding link to their forums. Blogs too. I came
>>> here looking at a post in ilibsl blog. I had a parcel in Ener Sounds(
>>> http://iliveisl.com/makos-home/ is me), and after leaving there, I found
>>> OpenSimulator in another post and tried to use it (to reproduce the terrain
>>> of Ener Sounds in vain lol). That was the start. OpenSimulator developers
>>> including me tends to detailed describe about the tecniches, but for users,
>>> the documents created by the users will be helpful. It might be not the best
>>> way, since the users have to access each blogs and forums to find the answer
>>> for their
>>>   question, but if OpenSimulator core wiki has nice directory to find them
>>> easily, it can be ideal. (I feel someone might have suggested the same
>>> before, but I can't remember who)
>>>
>>> It shouldn't keep contrabutors from writing such documents in OpenSimulator
>>> Wiki. Our purpose are varies, so it should be always open for those who
>>> wants to contribute the articles. But if we can create the scheme of
>>> "Mash-up" the OpenSimulator-related documentations, OpenSimulator community
>>> (includes kin projects, blogs, forums or such) will accurate toward mature
>>> community as a whole.
>>>
>>> Thank you for reading. *Steps down from soapbox*
>>> Again, comments will be appreciated.
>>>
>>> ------
>>>
>>> Makopoppo (Makiko Nomura)
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Opensim-dev mailing list
>>> Opensim-dev at lists.berlios.de
>>> https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/opensim-dev
>>>
>>
>>
>>
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