Difference between revisions of "Michael's Projects"
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:''Main article:'' [[Convivial Internet]] | :''Main article:'' [[Convivial Internet]] | ||
| − | + | The [http://conviviality.ouvaton.org/article.php3?id_article=2 characteristics] that make a tool "convivial" can also be sought after in the design of software and the development of websites. For software software this involves aiming to make it easy for the average user to descend within the program, to understand how it works, and to modify or configure it without disastrous consequences. | |
| − | The [http://conviviality.ouvaton.org/article.php3?id_article=2 characteristics] that make a | + | |
Internet software in general, including open source software for use on the Internet, remains far from the ideals of conviviality. However, rather than actually trying to modify software design, which would be beyond my personal capabilities, I have instead begun working on an [http://iuserguide.com/index.php?title=Main_Page Internet User Guide] website. This site is "under construction," meaning it is practically empty, but it aims to become a general [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_help help site] (see the next section) for basic Internet use, as a first step towards making Internet software easier to use. | Internet software in general, including open source software for use on the Internet, remains far from the ideals of conviviality. However, rather than actually trying to modify software design, which would be beyond my personal capabilities, I have instead begun working on an [http://iuserguide.com/index.php?title=Main_Page Internet User Guide] website. This site is "under construction," meaning it is practically empty, but it aims to become a general [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_help help site] (see the next section) for basic Internet use, as a first step towards making Internet software easier to use. | ||
| − | + | The word "tool" in the broad sense includes objects designed to help us learn, such as books - and websites. | |
| − | The word "tool" in | + | |
| + | designed to help the user. There exist a great many sites that provide all sorts of help in virtually any field of activity, such [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_help online help], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Review_site review sites] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rating_sites rating sites], question-and-answer sites, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_forum online forums] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki wikis]. However, many help websites are far from being "convivial tools" 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 often untrustworthy. | ||
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 would enhance both the help website's contents and its [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability usability], thereby making it more of a convivial tool. | 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 would enhance both the help website's contents and its [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability usability], thereby making it more of a convivial tool. | ||
