[ILUG] content required for YOUR WEBSITE

[fuzzix]

Ken Guest wrote:
> I'm not particularly enamoured with the thoughts of the linux.ie
> website getting "wiki-spammed".

There are ways around it - spam filtering mods and restricting
contributions to registered users only are probably the easiest.

> I've never had any problems with taking plain text contributions and
> marking then up myself - in fact there are a number of common scripts
> such as txt2html etc that I use for converting them over to HTML
> format ;)
> 
> I'm still considering options here, but again I'm not so sure just
> wikifying the content of the site is going to magically mean there'll
> be loads of contributions made [if any].
> 
> I'm not being cynical or pessimistic here - given the historical
> apathy against contributing it's really more a statement of fact.

I guess the problem we have then is there's no way to predict how people
will react to the availability of a wiki. Different technical means of
publishing can be as critical in generating enthusiasm as any actual
interest in the topic (which leads to the criticisms we've seen
elsewhere in this thread levelled at blogs - plenty of content, not much
tech info... not that I'd be engaged in the sort of pointless ranting
that's been discussed here *cough*). There are revolutions in online
publishing as time goes on that often result in a plethora of
(questionable) content. GeoCities is synonymous with horrific web design
and often uninteresting content but it should be remembered that it made
having a web presence within the means and abilities of every web user.
Many may argue that this is no good thing :)

I think the very appearance of the site as a wiki would encourage people
to just think more about contributing. I'm not suggesting for a second
that you're not open to suggestions, Ken, but a static site may not look
as inviting as a wiki. When you visit a wiki it's clear from page 0 that
you may contribute (positively or otherwise) to any or all of it.

Given the alternative in your original post was to declare the site dead
then wouldn't it be worth trying anyway? A last ditch, nothing-to-lose
attempt to breathe some life back into it? You never know, it might just
work :)