SS…Can I add to the question?...I’ll presume yes ;-)
Even if you are using it on an intranet where we can’t get at or see it, please describe how you’re using it.
I use a wiki for client interaction during the site building process. This way there is a record of change requests, etc.
Once the site is finished, I try and add some howto articles on using the functionality.
I’ve just started using this methodology with a few clients.
I also work on three different computers, so I don’t always have access to my client files. So I have a client wiki of my own set up to only be viewed by me, the SuperAdmin.
A client of mine is using the wiki as a place to store emergency contact information in the event of a natural disaster.
I’m using it to store my own HowTo entries on EEHowTo Wiki. It’s faster than making entries and or forum posts.
Iknow that wikis lend themselves to collaborative editing and whatnot but I use mine as a place for work/thoughts in progress. I am the only one with editing rights.
Sometimes I use the wiki to build an article. The final article then links to the wiki like here:
I have plans to use it more… and I have some clients who are asking for some wiki like things, so it is good to have my own that I can experiment with.
I use one of my wikis to fuel the creative writing process. Some short piece might be filled with new ideas that pop into my head as I write, which I simply and quickly turn into links so that I can return to them later. When it comes to fiction (or should I just say lying?), the wiki is the perfect tool.
One example of mine, is how the wiki helped me as I developed storyline behind the fictional Biblical character Azazel.
I use a wiki for client interaction during the site building process. This way there is a record of change requests, etc.
Once the site is finished, I try and add some howto articles on using the functionality.
I’ve just started using this methodology with a few clients.
I also work on three different computers, so I don’t always have access to my client files. So I have a client wiki of my own set up to only be viewed by me, the SuperAdmin.
This sounds very intriguing. I work on numerous computers and it can be very annoying trying to have all the information readily available. I’m going to have to dig into the wiki and see what I can come up with.
I’m thinking about how to use Wiki with the weblog and forum modules on a site for professionals.
Integrated EE for pMachine
The blog is for commenting on industry trends and news.
The forum is where members can talk about a variety of industry/product topics.
The Wiki is where members and the blogger can write articles on how to do things that most people in the industry do. For an EE site, for example, the blogger and members could write articles on how to install EE and its modules, how to obtain and install plugins and hacks, how to upgrade Unix, PHP and MySql and how to use the features in EE and its modules. The manuals give you technical instructions, which are fine for programmers but are of little help to non techies. Trust me.
The Wiki also is where programmers could post frequently requested scripts, plugins and hacks. And it is where articles on using EE to design and create and program content management programs could be posted. I just bought a book on creating blog sites that includes one big chapter on programming EE. That chapter should have been written by pmachine and posted on it’s wiki, imho.
The next step would be to make selected Wiki items downloadable as ebooks or plugins for a price.
In short, EE and other programmers could use a Wiki to post documentation and invite members to elaborate on and rewrite that documentation.
I own EE, vBulletin.com and Shopsite.com products and they all need readable documentation in the form of articles. Such Wikis would reduce the amount of time support staff would have to spend answering quesitons on forums. But, then, by providing great forum support, EE and vB build great customer relationships. Shopsite lacks in that area, imho.
Integrated EE for a consumer site
For a consumer site, a Wiki could be used to post explanations of product features, options and potential uses. Think of a Wiki for the iPod. I assume there is one some place, but I don’t know where. The Wiki could include introductory articles about setting up the iPod, uploading CDs, downloading tunes, keeping the iPod functioning if you use it once every 6 months as I do, etc. It could include hacks, descriptions of ancillary devices and their uses, product reviews and a whole bunch of stuff that gets lost on forums and blogs. In due time, the publisher could compile the Wiki posts into various books and eBooks and sell them.
How a trade association would use an integrated EE
A trade association for laundramats could blog on industry trends, new products, new regulations and association news. It could offer a forum where members could discuss products by brand and type, business operations, marketing, buying and selling laundramats, technical repair and maintenance questions, financing and customer service. It could offer a Wiki where members would write articles ranging from how to value a proposed acqusition or sale, negotiate with washing machine dealers, and hire good help to how to negotiate leases and ensure customer security. A Simple Commerce module could sell memberships, subscriptions, eBooks, books, special reports and online seminars and other products and services, including seminars.
What am I missing?
How complex would it be to setup an integrated site? Is it something a nonprogrammer can build, or would a web site designer and programmer have to put 100 hours into the progject?
Is there a template for such a setup? If I have one created for my own use, can I sell copies of it here?
How complex would it be to setup an integrated site? Is it something a nonprogrammer can build, or would a web site designer and programmer have to put 100 hours into the progject?
Is there a template for such a setup? If I have one created for my own use, can I sell copies of it here?
You could certainly sell a wiki template. Not here of course. But there is the new Simple eCommerce module.
As an aside, there are only several wiki templates out there, and I did most of them. The ones I did are free, since they are based on templates from free template sites.
You would need someone who understands how to put in wiki specific code and who knows design issues. My typical wiki creations take under and hour. But that’s because I use pre-existing CSS templates as the base.
Would I ever charge for a wiki template? You bet. That’s part of what I do for a living.
As far as setting up an integrated site, it could take 100 hours the first time you do one. There are too many variables to contemplate.
Product reviews?
Industry directories?
Membership directories?
Supplier directories?
Link farms?
Book reviews?
Statistical reports?
Why not? I have a client using his wiki for product reviews and industry stuff. It just depends on how you’d want to use it and to edit it.
The danger and the freedom is that any logged in user can post/edit items unless you set them to be non-editable or require moderation.
For product reviews, I’d want everybody to be able to post but not be able to edit offending reviews or posts by others. Indeed, I’d want that capability for all of the functions above, but I wouldn’t want to have to moderate every post or edit. Just as on this forum, I’d want the poster to be able to edit his/her own posts.
And, then, I’d want to be able to take a directory, for example, and down load it for mailing and/or emailing promotions. So I’d need some kind of opt in feature, which goes beyond the wiki, I suspect. Maybe I should just publish a Filemaker Pro database and link to it? Or create a mysql database. Wouldn’t that be expensive to program?
And, then, I’d want to be able to take a directory, for example, and down load it for mailing and/or emailing promotions. So I’d need some kind of opt in feature, which goes beyond the wiki, I suspect. Maybe I should just publish a Filemaker Pro database and link to it? Or create a mysql database. Wouldn’t that be expensive to program?
The number of Filemaker Pro programmers versus PHP programmers is a challenge. Many webhosts don’t have filemake pro databases available, but do have MySQL databases.
In a wiki, you aren’t capturing email info—so you don’t just download it and use it that way. With FreeForm, you can create stand alone forms that you can download and use.
If you’re going to make a directory, you’d use a weblog or standalone software for a directory. EE can do it, but it’s not designed for it per se.
If you have members, they will have already opted in for your site. But the content they create still remains theirs.
You can have more elaborate wikis that are only allowed for logged in paying members.
I’ve been toying around with the idea of creating a project management site for myself to use with my clients using EE. I wonder if the wiki isn’t better suited?
basically, I want some of the functionality of things like activeCollab (which I’m using right now) and Basecamp, but with the wonderful user management that comes with EE. I do mainly print work, and deal with many sub-clients (advertisers).
I’d love to hear any thoughts on this type of use. I’m not a wiki user right now, so I’m trying to grok the mindset of them.
And, then, I’d want to be able to take a directory, for example, and down load it for mailing and/or emailing promotions. So I’d need some kind of opt in feature, which goes beyond the wiki, I suspect. Maybe I should just publish a Filemaker Pro database and link to it? Or create a mysql database. Wouldn’t that be expensive to program?
The number of Filemaker Pro programmers versus PHP programmers is a challenge. Many webhosts don’t have filemake pro databases available, but do have MySQL databases.
In a wiki, you aren’t capturing email info—so you don’t just download it and use it that way. With FreeForm, you can create stand alone forms that you can download and use.
If you’re going to make a directory, you’d use a weblog or standalone software for a directory. EE can do it, but it’s not designed for it per se.
If you have members, they will have already opted in for your site. But the content they create still remains theirs.
You can have more elaborate wikis that are only allowed for logged in paying members.
Does what I’m saying make sense?
Makes sense. Use the tools that the most people know how to deal with. MySql is free and installed on most servers, and it’s powerful. It is the database that works with EE on Unix.
Use the tools that are easiest to program for your application. If EE isn’t designed to create directories, use MySql. If people sign in to an EE site, you have your e-mail and snail mail lists, provided members give you accurate info. Many don’t, but you can clean the lists before using them.
Generally, terms of conditions provide that any content created by members belongs to the site owner.
There are vertical software packages for trade associations that do everything we’re talking about here, but whether they’re in EE or not, I don’t know. A business opportunity?
I’ve been toying around with the idea of creating a project management site for myself to use with my clients using EE. I wonder if the wiki isn’t better suited?
basically, I want some of the functionality of things like activeCollab (which I’m using right now) and Basecamp, but with the wonderful user management that comes with EE. I do mainly print work, and deal with many sub-clients (advertisers).
I’d love to hear any thoughts on this type of use. I’m not a wiki user right now, so I’m trying to grok the mindset of them.
I don’t know whether it’s in this thread or another one on the board, someone reported using a wiki to track a project’s evolution and record design changes, decisions made, etc.
I don’t know whether it’s in this thread or another one on the board, someone reported using a wiki to track a project’s evolution and record design changes, decisions made, etc.
My company has implemented EE on our internal site.
Weblog: We have select members that will post under a variety of categories - all of which pertain to the company. any one in the company can comment. This will mostly be used for out of the box thinking and company news.
Forum: When implemented, it will be the goto for issues or concerns with weblog posts that elicit a response from the author OR a place where anyone in the company can post thier ideas. something that is much less formal and not as readily prevalent for the users of the system.
Wiki: Being a software development company, we have a plethora of feature and design documents which are stored in a CMS repository that was not easily modifiable, nor easily searchable. moving to a wiki style would easily relieve both these issues.
being that we were able to find a tool that incorporated all three of these features, EE was the tool chosen.
I’m still thinking about how to do this. Would it be possible to list articles in the wiki and charge for access by article or for a one year subscription? I’d probably sell the sub in Shopsite and make the wiki available in EE.
The business proposition as opposed to the technical issues is:
Blog to bring readers to your site.
Forum to retain 5% or 10% and make them “members”.
Wiki to provide resources that retain readers. Possible subsciriptions.
Store to sell ebooks, books, products, services.
So your audience has to be:
1. Seeking info that you have and the search engines will recognize and rank highly in organic search or ppc advertising.
2. Looking to buy what you offer.
3. Communicative and issue oriented. You want some readers to join the forum and contribute to the wiki. Corporate types tend to read, not comment. Note that most the posters here are techies and not business types like me. There is a reason for that. They don’t like to stick their necks out.
4. Involved in activities that require a steady stream of new info from the blog and the board as well as how-to content published in a wiki.
Again, this is what you see in trade associations, membership societies, clubs, techie trades. Look again at searchenginewatch.com and search enginejournal.com. It doesn’t really lend itself to a GE, Citicorp, but it could work for a consulting firm and definitely for publishers and bloggers like me.
Thinking out loud. Anybody have more to add to this?
Could a moderator change the title of this thread to: Examples of use of wiki, blog, forum, store together?
