[OWW-Discuss] "Contact Us" mods

Bill F bill.altmail at gmail.com
Mon Apr 7 15:23:46 EDT 2008 

Hey Jenny...

Moot the praise or you may get volunteered into making it look more
OWW-esque!

There's a site (http://www.jsand.net/spinkbb/?lang=en) that allows us to
customize the skin, largely by choosing options and HTML color codes. We can
at least make it resemble the current OWW MediaWiki skin.

Adding an OWW logo at the top is a one line change to the template file.

If anyone has any time to look into this, please let me know.

B.


On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 3:01 PM, Jenny Nguyen <jennytnguyen at gmail.com> wrote:

> I like the forum. I would most likely use that if I were a new user
> because e-mailing a big list of people as a newbie intimidates me.
> Awesome job, Bill! :D
>
> Jenny
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 1:57 PM, Bill F <bill.altmail at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I'm not proposing to kill anything. Lists work. I'm just suggesting that
> > something like a forum is another option. One that I think may be useful.
> >
> > Not to take away anything from my efforts but I've not done much. LOL.
> > What matters is whether the community thinks it could work better than what
> > we currently do in a somewhat sequestered atmosphere.
> >
> > On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 2:48 PM, julius.lucks <julius.lucks at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >  Hey Bill,
> > > How hard would it be to have both the discussion forum going, and the
> > > regular email-based discussion list?  If we can have both, we can gradually
> > > do a migration over in which case I think what you have done is awesome.
> > >
> > > Julius
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > Please Reply to My Permanent Address: julius at younglucks.com
> > > http://www.openwetware.org/wiki/User:Julius_B._Lucks
> > >
> > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Apr 7, 2008, at 11:43 AM, Bill F wrote:
> > >
> > > 1. The page is changed. Anyone with Sysop permission can change it.
> > > The link is
> > >
> > >       http://openwetware.org/wiki/MediaWiki:Contact
> > >
> > > 2. I've had experience with a number of discussion forum products. The
> > > simplest and most efficient is the lightweight "PunBB" forum. It's not as
> > > clumsy and garish as phpBB nor is it as well-supported with a large
> > > community as phpBB, simple machine forum, or Vanilla ( a product and not an
> > > OS project). But it's very solid and used by a lot of hosts.
> > >
> > > There's no MediaWiki integration with it at this point. The only
> > > mediawiki integration present with any forum is to allow MediaWiki's OpenID
> > > to become a client to it. Since OWW currently is an OpenID server, this
> > > isn't immediately an option.
> > >
> > > Keep in mind that there's no integration with WordPressMU either and
> > > we still use it.
> > >
> > > I downloaded and installed the software here:
> > >
> > > http://www.openwetware.org/forum
> > >
> > > Take a look at it.
> > >
> > > If we can get by without integration initially, it would be a lot
> > > better than what we're doing. Over time, we can add integration to the wiki.
> > > We can immediately add Google Analytics to it and make sure it gets spidered
> > > by Google for search. We can add more sophisticated integration later.
> > >
> > > This took 10-15 minutes to do: I'm not hijacking priorities to do
> > > this. I've spent at least that long reading and replying to this thread:
> > > it's no big deal. But if I need to spend more time on it, we'll have to
> > > schedule and prioritize the work.
> > >
> > > Remember. This is JUST a suggestion. If you kill the messenger, please
> > > tell my wife that I won't be home for dinner.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 2:25 PM, Lorrie LeJeune <moltogatti at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > I don't think it's too wild an idea. We use WordPress for blogging
> > > > rather than the wiki because it's better suited for the task. Why not use a
> > > > discussion list server for a discussion list? There must be some list server
> > > > software out there that would give us the features we want and still
> > > > integrate with OWW the way WordPress does.
> > > >
> > > > --L
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 2:02 PM, Ricardo Vidal <rvidal at gmail.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > If there is so much discussion really going on, I'd think it be
> > > > > best to have a discussion board and not a blackhole email discussion
> > > > > mailinglist. You know, so that previous questions/answers can be found.
> > > > >
> > > > > But obviously a discussion board is a whole new matter. So I
> > > > > apologize going a bit off topic.
> > > > >
> > > > > ~R
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 1:54 PM, julius.lucks <
> > > > > julius.lucks at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Then let's forward the feedback list to duscuss so more people
> > > > > > see these
> > > > > > messages and can respond.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > J
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Sent from my iPhone
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Apr 7, 2008, at 10:46 AM, Austin Che <austin at csail.mit.edu>
> > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >    Getting all contacts to be on the feedback list seems
> > > > > > >    impractical. For example, recently on the feedback list:
> > > > > > >    "Hi I was wondering were you purchased or harvested the
> > > > > > algea that
> > > > > > >    you used in the bio reator."
> > > > > > >    It's impossible to determine who should even be on the
> > > > > > feedback
> > > > > > >    list to answer this question. And I really don't think
> > > > > > someone who
> > > > > > >    just wants to put up a protocol about algae wants to be on
> > > > > > a list
> > > > > > >    that receives questions about every topic under the sun.
> > > > > > However,
> > > > > > >    they probably are interested in questions related to algae
> > > > > > >    protocols so some way of directing those questions to them
> > > > > > is
> > > > > > > useful.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >> Can we get lab contacts and protocol writers etc
> > > > > > automatically
> > > > > > >> sitting
> > > > > > >> on the feedback list?
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >> Sent from my iPhone
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >> On Apr 7, 2008, at 9:37 AM, Austin Che <austin at csail.mit.edu>
> > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>>
> > > > > > >>>   The message on the page already says to leave a message on
> > > > > > the
> > > > > > >>>   talk page. It is a much lower barrier to entry to type a
> > > > > > message
> > > > > > >>>   into a text box than getting an account and posting on a
> > > > > > talk
> > > > > > >>>   page. The majority of messages that we have already
> > > > > > received have
> > > > > > >>>   been for specific people/protocols. My feeling is that
> > > > > > >>>   restricting the comments to only feedback about the site
> > > > > > will mean
> > > > > > >>>   we will get no feedback and those who really do have
> > > > > > useful
> > > > > > >>>   feedback for labs won't give them at all.
> > > > > > >>>
> > > > > > >>>> We should also put something in the message that if they
> > > > > > want to
> > > > > > >>>> leave
> > > > > > >>>> a message for a particular person or lab, then they can
> > > > > > join OWW
> > > > > > >>>> and
> > > > > > >>>> leave a message on a talk page.
> > > > > > >>>>
> > > > > > >>>> J
> > > > > > >>>>
> > > > > > >>>> On Apr 7, 2008, at 8:47 AM, "Barry Canton" <bcanton at mit.edu>
> > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > >>>>
> > > > > > >>>>>>  It'd be nice if the contact page could look at the
> > > > > > referring
> > > > > > >>>>>> page
> > > > > > >>>>>>  and based on that, "do the right thing." For example, if
> > > > > > I'm
> > > > > > >>>>>>  looking at the Endy lab page, the contact form should
> > > > > > send an
> > > > > > >>>>>>  email to the endy lab contact. The simplest
> > > > > > implementation I can
> > > > > > >>>>>>  think of is to have a special tag people could put on
> > > > > > pages for
> > > > > > >>>>>>  example, {{contact:myemail at blah}}. Labs would put it
> > > > > > into their
> > > > > > >>>>>>  lab template, protocol writers would put it into their
> > > > > > >>>>>> protocols,
> > > > > > >>>>>>  etc. The contact page extension would try to find such a
> > > > > > tag and
> > > > > > >>>>>>  if it exists, send the comment email there. Otherwise,
> > > > > > it sends
> > > > > > >>>>>> to
> > > > > > >>>>>>  the generic oww feedback address.
> > > > > > >>>>>
> > > > > > >>>>> Personally, I think it makes more sense if the behavior of
> > > > > > the
> > > > > > >>>>> "Contact OWW" button is consistent across the wiki.  I
> > > > > > think the
> > > > > > >>>>> proposal to make the text on the contact us page better
> > > > > > explain
> > > > > > >>>>> who
> > > > > > >>>>> the feedback is sent to will be sufficient.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > Austin Che           <austin at csail.mit.edu>
> > > > > >  (617)253-5899
> > > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > > OpenWetWare Discussion Mailing List
> > > > > > > discuss at openwetware.org
> > > > > > > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/oww-discuss
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > OpenWetWare Discussion Mailing List
> > > > > > discuss at openwetware.org
> > > > > > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/oww-discuss
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Ricardo Vidal
> > > > > rvidal at gmail.com | http://my.biotechlife.net
> > > > > http://www.openwetware.org - Share your Science
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > OpenWetWare Discussion Mailing List
> > > > > discuss at openwetware.org
> > > > > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/oww-discuss
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > OpenWetWare Discussion Mailing List
> > > > discuss at openwetware.org
> > > > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/oww-discuss
> > > >
> > > >
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> > > discuss at openwetware.org
> > > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/oww-discuss
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
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> >
> >
>
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