WiSci discussion thread

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

As blike mentioned in the announcement, here's the discussion thread. Feel free to talk about anything related to WiSci, although I would prefer you put it on the Community Portal there.

 

If you don't know what WiSci is, visit http://www.wisci.org.

[The Thing]

I have two extremely stupid questions that I don't know the answers to. Please, do not diss me bad for this! Ahhh!

 

Okay, question 1:

To discuss things on the Community Portal, do we simply edit the page?

2: Can we post articles about non-science things?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

1. Yes. If you want to start a new discussion there, hit the little + button by the edit button at the top.

2. No. Check the FAQ for a better coverage on that.

[cosine]

Hey, I really don't want to sound like a jerk, especially since I like the opportunity to be at the founding of a project like this. But its a point I feel needs to be examined, so I'll go out on a limb and ask: Why do we feel the need to create WiSci? What is the benefit of us creating WiSci as opposed to using Wikipedia and editing that when we want to contribute?

[ecoli]

I think we need to add a ton of topics for the Wiki to be any use at all.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Hey, I really don't want to sound like a jerk, especially since I like the opportunity to be at the founding of a project like this. But its a point I feel needs to be examined, so I'll go out on a limb and ask: Why do we feel the need to create WiSci? What is the benefit of us creating WiSci as opposed to using Wikipedia and editing that when we want to contribute?

Because I intend for WiSci to be of better quality and of better detail than Wikipedia. I've already worked out a peer-review process, and I have other ideas to help ward away vandalism.

 

Given that WiSci will attract a more educated audience (I hope) I think it will also have better detail than a wikipedia article.

 

ecoli: of course, and that's your job.

 

 

On another note, the WiSci IRC channel is up! It's at irc.blackcobalt.net #wisci

[herpguy]

Given that WiSci will attract a more educated audience (I hope) I think it will also have better detail than a wikipedia article.

 

I also don't want to sound like a jerk' date=' but I don't think you should try to attract a more educated audience. I'm in 6th grade, and I'm a curious person. If WiSci is too hard for me to understand now, then I won't like it. If I don't like it now, I'll never go back to it. This is the same with many other people. So why should I use WiSci if it has no use to me? Why should anyone if there's Wikipedia? WiSci sounds like a good website, but I find

WiSci will attract a more educated audience (I hope)

very offensive. It shouldn't matter how ignorant we are, after all, we're on SFN to learn.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I meant an educated audience as authors and editors, to help make the articles complete.

 

The idea is to be detailed and understandable for laymen (i.e. curious people), and I'm still working out the writing style guidelines to help make that possible.

 

 

However, if you know nothing about a particular subject, please don't go making an article about it. That was my point--experts make the articles nice and detailed.

 

edit: remember, I don't know much about science myself, but I can still contribute.

[herpguy]

ok ok ok. A quick question...Why is it called WiSci?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Wiki Science or something. Aeternus came up with it (see this thread for details).

[DV8 2XL]

herpguy, just because your in grade six doesn't mean you can be a member of the more educated audience... I've known lost of people who went farther in school than that I wouldn't call well educated.

[NSX]

It's been a while since I visited SFN, but I can offer some wisdom, that is, create some articles during the weekend.

 

WiSci looks promising.

 

I have two questions/requests, and excuse my laziness

 

1. Seems like there are many guidelines to follow in submitting an article. Is there a numbered list/strict guidelines somewhere to follow when submitting an article?
   [edit] Would this be it? http://www.wisci.org/wiki/WiSci:Style_guidelines But what's this with peer reviewing and such?
   
2. Will WiSci be kept strictly to Pure Sciences, or can Applied Sciences/Engineering articles be created there too?
   I ask this because I'm studying the latter and can offer more in that category.
   

 

Thanks

[DV8 2XL]

See:

 

http://www.wisci.org/wiki/WiSci:Policy

 

Yes tech topics are welcome

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Applied sciences are fine. The style guidelines are right there, and the peer review info is at http://www.wisci.org/wiki/WiSci:Peer_review.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

*bump*

 

Come on, people! There are two users (ben and dak, thanks you two) who are doing most of the work here! WiSci has potential... all we need is people to notice it.

[ecoli]

sorry... I kind of fell out of the loop. Be back soon.

[rakuenso]

the logo need some antialiasing... someone send me the default background pic (pm me an imageshacked link if possible) and i'll smooth it out w/ some gradients

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

It was originally a PNG that looked very nice, but I had to make it GIF to make it transparent properly in IE.

 

What do you mean default background pic? There's the logo:

http://www.wisci.org/w/skins/common/images/WiSci-logo.gif

or the actual book-background thingy:

http://wisci.org/w/skins/monobook/headbg.jpg

[SilentQ]

How do you pronounce 'WiSci'? I've been alternately pronouncing it 'why-sye' and 'whisky'. Which (if any) of these is correct?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

How do you pronounce 'WiSci'? I've been alternately pronouncing it 'why-sye' and 'whisky'. Which (if any) of these is correct?

'Why-sye' is how I pronounce it.

 

and rakuenso, have you done anything with it?

[timo]

Some suggestions from my side:

 

1) Do not import articles from Wikipedia (but feel free to get informations from there); Wikipedia is simply too good:

1a) You want your users to have the feeling of really doing something usefull. Writing some minor additions or corrections to WiSci articles might give them that feeling. Redisigning Wikipedia articles to get rid of unneeded links or "unnessecary information" doesn´t.

1b) Your self-written articles (the physics-ones, at least) look really crappy next to the imported Wikipedia articles. Why shouldn´t I use Wikipedia in the first place, now?

1c) I think the only chance for the project is to differ from Wikipedia, like "less history stuff", "more formulas" or perhaps being a source for learning, not only for looking up facts. By importing Wikipedia articles, you automatically take over the gross structure of their articles which you´ll never get out of the article unless you find someone who completely rewrites it all - and you´ll barely find any single person being able and willing to rewrite a Wikipedia article with a comparable quality.

 

2) When I open a page to edit on my Wiki (DokuWiki), there is a line above the edit window which links to a description of the text formatting syntax. I haven´t seen anything like that on WiSci, yet. You shouldn´t wonder why no one contributes if the user finds really through-thought guidelines on which unit system to use and which words to capitalize but no guide on how to actually write or edit an article. Here´s the page with the basic formatting syntax my Wiki shows, btw (it´s not the page my Wiki shows, of course, but mine is only slightly modified): http://wiki.splitbrain.org/wiki:syntax

 

3) Write stuff. Don´t sit there theorizing on style guidelines and unit conventions and wondering why nobody contributes. Just write articles/stubs and don´t be afraid if something might not be the ultimate experts´ formulation. It´s the idea of a Wiki that someone who comes by and thinks that he has a correction/improvement will improve the article later on. Speaking of myself, I wouldn´t want to start an article about ... say taus, but I´d gladly help improving/correcting an existing one.

 

4) Don´t fill your articles with links that go to "this page doesn´t exist, yet". Either don´t create that link or create the article it links to, too. Even of it´s just a one-liner like "Ernest Rutherford: <nationality> <profession> who lived <lifetime>. Best known for <what he´s known for, possibly the article that linked to it>."

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

1. Indeed. I've stopped importing articles altogether.

2. We have a simple page like that, but we need to insert the link. I'll see if I can hack in a way to do that.

3. I fully intend to start doing that as soon as I'm sure things are ready.

4. The point of those links is to encourage people to create those articles.

[timo]

4. The point of those links is to encourage people to create those articles.

Ok, sounds like a good reason, especially since there´s a page that lists the most-required (by number of links) articles.

[Dak]

well, WiSci seems to be floundering.

 

May i suggest that the students amongst us type our notes up as articles when revising? It'd be an easy way to get articles made (as we have to do the work anyway to revise), it might kick-start WiSci again, and who knows, people might add to your article and you'd end up essentially getting some free revision help.

 

i'm busy with my dissertation atm, but in about a months time when im finished, i'll start whaking up some forensics articles, as i have two forensix exams coming up.

[RyanJ]

i'm busy with my dissertation atm' date=' but in about a months time when im finished, i'll start whaking up some forensics articles, as i have two forensix exams coming up.[/quote']

 

I'm also quite busy with school work and such - as soon as I am done with this I'll start working on some of the elements and compounds (With any luck).

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones