Difference between revisions of "Michael's Projects"
From Internet Database
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Internet software in general, including open source software for use on the Internet, remains far from the ideals of conviviality. My personal activity in this area is currently limited to learning about these tools, with the permanent intention of trying to penetrate as far as possible into their inner workings. I've begun recording some of my progress on my [http://iuserguide.com/index.php?title=Main_Page Internet User Guide] website. Rather than actually trying to modify software design, which would be beyond my personal capabilities, I am merely working on an Internet [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_help help site] (see the next section). | Internet software in general, including open source software for use on the Internet, remains far from the ideals of conviviality. My personal activity in this area is currently limited to learning about these tools, with the permanent intention of trying to penetrate as far as possible into their inner workings. I've begun recording some of my progress on my [http://iuserguide.com/index.php?title=Main_Page Internet User Guide] website. Rather than actually trying to modify software design, which would be beyond my personal capabilities, I am merely working on an Internet [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_help help site] (see the next section). | ||
| − | ==[[Convivial Help | + | ==[[Convivial Help Sites]]== |
The word "tool" in its broadest sense includes objects designed to help us learn, such as books or websites designed to help the user. There exist a great many sites that provide all sorts of help in virtually any field of activity. The main types of help websites include the following: | The word "tool" in its broadest sense includes objects designed to help us learn, such as books or websites designed to help the user. There exist a great many sites that provide all sorts of help in virtually any field of activity. The main types of help websites include the following: | ||
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_help Online help] generally refers to guided assistance to a user of a software product | *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_help Online help] generally refers to guided assistance to a user of a software product | ||
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The "convivial tool" is one which increases the user's autonomy, augmenting their ability to solve their own problems. While providing help is thus a convivial activity in itself, most help websites are far from being "convivial" since their [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability usability] is generally low. Anyone who has searched for answers in online [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_forum forum]s knows that this experience can resemble searching for a needle in a haystack. Another problem with most help websites is that the information presented is too often untrustworthy, because of the bias or ignorance of the contributors (on a forum one will often find ten wrong anwsers for each right one). | The "convivial tool" is one which increases the user's autonomy, augmenting their ability to solve their own problems. While providing help is thus a convivial activity in itself, most help websites are far from being "convivial" since their [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability usability] is generally low. Anyone who has searched for answers in online [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_forum forum]s knows that this experience can resemble searching for a needle in a haystack. Another problem with most help websites is that the information presented is too often untrustworthy, because of the bias or ignorance of the contributors (on a forum one will often find ten wrong anwsers for each right one). | ||
| − | A | + | A Convivial Help Site thus needs strong [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Editing editing], in order to limit the bias and to provide the users with answers that are verified to be correct. The current fashion for content that is collaborative and crowd-sourced makes us forget the added value that editorial control brings to content. Such editorial control could enhance both the help website's contents and its [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability usability], thereby getting closer to the ideal of a Convivial Help Site. |
==[[Total Customer Service]]== | ==[[Total Customer Service]]== | ||
