User talk:MDilley

Hello! ;-)

I am trying to help in this wiki, please take all edits I do as suggested edits, revert them if they don't work for you.

I am seeing an issue that I think affects the wiki, mainly that it is heavily a link-farm, with many, many links outside the wiki. Also, often there are internal wiki links that are also formatted to look like they are external links. A major point of wiki, is to be able to easily create and link pages within the wiki. So I suggest that pages like Category:Individuals be changed to internal wiki links, removing as many as possible external links.

Also, there are a lot of essay type articles here, think about what words with in that text can be wikified.

Best, Mark

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Dear Mark: first of all, thank you so much for your assistance. There's a lot that I don't know. For example, looking at your change, I now see how to hide links behind a word, and will certainly do that in the future. I've started to do a lot more internal linking using brackets recently, but don't have much time to go systematically backwards in the 3,000 pages backlog. My job for now is to quickly cut and past my research material into it, and perhaps next year, I will focus more on improving existing entries; but of course, for the new ones, I'll take into account your remarks

This is a paragraph I'm not really understanding:

A major point of wiki, is to be able to easily create and link pages within the wiki. So I suggest that pages like Category:Individuals be changed to internal wiki links, removing as many as possible external links.

Actually, I think you do! ;-) Making internal links like For example - instead of For Example - one of them is an internal wiki link and the other is an external looking link, with the exteral link flag on it.

Ok, got it now, but in some cases, why not link externally, if the link is really external. right? Michel

You are right Michel.

The point I was trying to make is that on many pages there is a lot of information, and a lot of pointers off wiki. I for one, if not interested/involved in wiki, would read the info and follow the links. So I would be gone from this site in a few minutes. I am under the understanding that you are trying to build a community here, so most of your links should delve the reader deeper into the wiki, keep them here to show what a resource this place is. I internalized several external links that were common, like the weblog and newsletter because of that philosophy.

got it now, Michel

I think we should try to schedule a skype meeting to touch base, to see what it would be best for me to do to help out here. What do you think? Best, MarkDilley

'Yes, I look forward to it, any day except Friday lunch and the weekends; will be off July 15 to August 15 as well, Michel

I only use this Category:Individuals one time only on the main page, as suggested by another wiki expert Brice.

it was only an example, I think you explained it that you are "seeding" this wiki with your research work and will take new ideas for the future, and get back to ones from the past (aka 3,000)

OK

Are you good with colors and look and feel? I'm not too happy with the way the wiki looks.

Not really, I can point you to places, but one of the things I love about wiki is it's simplicity, but it does bring up the point that there needs to be a community page for tasks.

Doesn't that exist already, under Community Portal?

Also, I'd like for people to see recent changes directly on the main page, but only the topics, not the technical info now visible when you click on recent changes...

not sure what you mean...

See http://thetransitioner.org/ic , the column on the right

I see, they are using a different wiki software enginge, TikiWiki.

Anything similarly possible in MediaWiki?

Michel, not that I am aware of, but you can go here to check: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Can you help?

will do what I can! ;-)