From: Adrian Tymes (wingcat@pacbell.net)
Date: Mon Jan 27 2003 - 21:19:59 MST
Brett Paatsch wrote:
> Lee Daniel Crocker wrote:
>>The cost would be essentially zero. Anyone with a server could set
>>one up, and at the level of traffic likely for our group, it would
>>be only a minor blip in server usage. The only thing ExI board
>>approval would be required for is to put it inside the extropy.org
>>domain. There are many software packages available for free,
>>including the one I wrote for Wikipedia, but it might not be ideal
>>since it was designed specifically for the needs of that project.
>
> Thanks Lee. I'm no programmer, webmaster or sysadmin, but I've had
> some experience in managing an IT consulting co including the
> infrastructure aspects. I think that in saying the cost is essentially zero
> you are not including cost of skilled time (such as yours) to set it up.
You'd get that on a volunteer basis. Wiki is *not* a major thing to
set up. Sure, you need a Web server to run it on: say, the one that
already serves www.extropy.org. (As Lee said, the ExI board would
have to give permission for this.)
> And I think we also need to take into account that some skilled time
> (and a *physical presence* is required somewhere - maybe near the
> ExI server? - to ensure backups etc are made) and for ongoing
> maintenance and support at some level. I.e.. There would perhaps
> need to be someone willing to be do some moderating (perhaps like
> Eliezer does with SL4.org). Any volunteers for say a three month trial?
The level of maintenance needed would be less than is needed for this
mailing list. Technical maintenance is zero: keep the Web server
running, which is already needed, and this system doesn't add anything
to that. Content maintenance is performed by the users directly, that
being the whole point of the system. (Yes, things that agree with our
principles can, from a certain point of view, be seen as simply "the
most economically efficient way to do things", due to economic effects
that are expressions of the reasoning behind our philosophies.) See
Wikipedia for an example of this.
Which raises the question: why do this on our own, less publicized
resources, instead of just contributing to the maintenance of
non-solely-Extropian but agreeable-to-Extropian projects that will have
a wider impact?
> I reckon there were about 5 or so extropes who said they were interested
> in an ExI wiki complementary to the ExI list. I don't recall anyone
> opposing.
> How many would be enough for the project to move from a concept to a
> let's-give-it-a-go-thing?
I would, save that I dislike wasteful duplication. I already contribute
to Wikipedia (occasionally, granted, and only on topics I am fairly
certain I know well).
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