Brian wrote:
On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 12:30 PM, Trevor Parscal tparscal@wikimedia.orgwrote:
- The topic is supposed to be on Template Editing which is, at least in the way it's being proposed, a little less of a stale topic - so where is all the energy on that front? We have an XML format to design and complex problems to sort out. Help is really needed. Let's all take a look at the link provided at the beginning of this thread http://usability.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template_forms
- Trevor
I do think that sufficient energy has been directed at this topic. People have complained that xml is harder to edit that wikitext and that it is too complicated, among other things. Additionally, several people have pointed out that solving this little part of the problem doesn't make sense in the context of the larger problem at hand here. You are trying to separate the issue of template editing from the larger issue of wikitext, and that doesn't make sense. Also, I am quite serious about my point that an entirely new language interface specification will be added to MediaWiki and that it will be widely adopted and propagate throughout the wikisphere, much like parser functions, and in the end will make the job of fixing MediaWiki much, much harder. As it is very important developers already thing the problem is so hard as to be impossible. I disagree with that, but at the same time I don't think it's a good idea to make it even harder.
So I don't think help is needed in designing a new xml interface specification for mediawiki right now. I'm also a bit confused, because I thought we had this new strategic planning wiki, but it looks like the strategy aspect of this proposal is being largely ignored. From what I have heard, there was a meeting about how to solve this problem among core devs and a few others at wikimedia headquarters, they decided what the solution would be, and now you guys are moving forward on implementing it, totally ignoring the strategy wiki.
AFAIK, the strategy wiki is designed to help formulate a 5-year strategic plan. According to the timeline, actual execution may not begin for at least another 4 months.[1] The usability project has its own timeline and deadlines and is more concerned more with short and medium term projects. I don't know if there is any plan to continue funding the usability initiative after the Stanton Foundation grant runs out.
[1]http://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Process#Timeline_.282009_-_2010.29