2012-09-28

Another world, another wiki:

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Revision as of 04:10, 28 September 2012

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::No worries... So much to do and learn here! Thanks![[User:Phate Shepherd|Phate Shepherd]] 22:06, 21 September 2012 (PDT)

::No worries... So much to do and learn here! Thanks![[User:Phate Shepherd|Phate Shepherd]] 22:06, 21 September 2012 (PDT)

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:I had a partial response all ready written and then my computer crashed. Here is a reconstruction:

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:# Find some documentation you really like, and copy it's good features.

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:# Write a mission statement for you wiki based documentation project. It should be short and concise. Then write a longer description after it as to what it means. As a matter of course your project will attract people sooner or later who won't share your vision. Having something in writing you can beat them over the head with will help reduce the toll the drama will have upon you. I'd give you more advise along these lines but it might be too specific and never crop up (it's the subtle difference between keeping a loaded gun and keeping a loaded cross bow that shoots wooden stakes). Be sure to have a well spelled out contribution policy, specifically content must be licensed under a wiki specified license but that doesn't mean the author cannot dual license it under another license if they so choose (they just can't choose to not license it under the wiki license).

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:# Don't feel you need to do everything. You are a volunteer. You volunteer. You do it for free. You aren't obligated to do anything. It's not like they are paying you. So when you feel stressed, that it is going to hell, remember this, take a deep breath and relax, if they want to avert catastrophe they can spend money. If the catastrophe can't be averted with money then there is nothing you could do about it, so there is no reason for you to be stressed about it. It's not your problem.

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:#* I have many wiki projects, in various states of completion. Some have been in the works for years, that is to say, I haven't really done anything with them for a considerable amount of time.

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:# If you want something done, you will probably have to do it yourself. You won't be able to convince anyone else to do it. {{LSLGC|Needs_Example}} grows, it doesn't shrink.

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:# Engage your community. Ask them what they want out of the documentation. Ask them how to make it better. This will encourage them to help you. Be prepared to hold their hands and show them how to edit the documentation. This is how you cultivate contributors. This is how you cultivate a contributor community.

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:P.S. Those templates are cool. I've been trying to mimic some of those features for years (not impossible but I run the risk of killing the wiki).

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:-- '''[[User:Strife_Onizuka|Strife]]''' ([[User talk:Strife_Onizuka|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Strife_Onizuka|contribs]]) 21:10, 27 September 2012 (PDT)

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