[Mediawiki-l] Is MediaWiki-l dysfunctional? What is it good for, really?

[Monahon, Peter B.]

Geesh - I guess I know how to wake up a list that had seemed to have
gone on vacation!  =8^o

> From: Bill Curnow
> Subject: Re: Is MediaWiki-l dysfunctional? 
>     What is it good for, really?
>
> > Peter Blaise wrote:
> > Why not setup a real ***wiki*** discussion 
> > right at the MediaWiki.org home pages, and 
> > encourage the MediaWiki software to actually 
> > mature to handle such support needs as ours, 
> > instead of using an old-fashioned mailing list 
> > like this?
>
> Agreed!  For the amount I'm paying MediaWiki 
> for this support contract they darned-well need 
> to start providing sufficient, modern support.  
> Why this isn't being handled by a voice-activated 
> phone system, or a live-chat system, is beyond me. 
>
> Spare us, please.  MediaWiki can't provide 
> support because your employer awarded a 
> patent for technical support to Microsoft.

Hi Bill,

I WISH I could remove the P in USPTO.  WE (Patents and Trademarks) are
both under the Department of Commerce, but we have NOTHING in common and
do not work for or with each other, and we are responsible for
registering completely different and unrelated intellectual properties.
I'm appalled at the 3-year backlog at Patents and the surprising
decisions that come even after that long wait (by the way, what
Microsoft patent prohibits MediaWiki from documenting MediaWiki
installations on Microsoft operating systems?), but hey, USPTO is not my
"office"!  True, Trademarks has also had it's bonehead moments, like
registering Microsoft "Windows" when "windows" was already used
generically.  Shame on us.  I have no control over my email address as
tendered: @uspto.gov.  Maybe I should use an outside email and have it
forwarded - that might stop inaccurate sniping.  

Now, accurate sniping?  I'm all for that!  ;-)

Regarding MediaWiki, I think you are joking about a service contract
with them.  Regardless, you miss my point.  My point is that no
MediaWiki installer has "wiki'd" their specific and total experience
building their MediaWiki ON MediaWiki!  I'm not mad at anyONE, I'm mad
at EVERYone!  =8^o  I will share my success ... when I have some to
share.  Until then, I'm asking questions and wondering why others are
sharing everything BUT their own specific install checklist ...
somewhere!

In that vein, Bill, what is YOUR successful install checklist, and have
you shared it anywhere?

Thanks!

Hence, my questions: Is MediaWiki-l dysfunctional? What is it good for,
really?

How do we use MediaWiki-l?

To snipe at each other?  

Or ... to groom our eventual contributions to MediaWiki documentation on
MediaWiki.org?

- Peter Blaise