Comments on: Finally, a Collaborative Writing Tool that Works! http://www.technotaste.com/blog/finally-a-collaborative-writing-tool-that-works/ Social Psychology, Anthropology, Technology, Gluttony - by Judd Antin Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:57:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: lorenz http://www.technotaste.com/blog/finally-a-collaborative-writing-tool-that-works/comment-page-1/#comment-1720 lorenz Tue, 04 Oct 2005 19:13:02 +0000 http://www.technotaste.com/blog/finally-a-collaborative-writing-tool-that-works/#comment-1720 I've used <a href="http://wiki.splitbrain.org/wiki:dokuwiki" rel="nofollow">Dokuwiki</a> for a while now for verifying / correcting articles I wrote. Instead of sending Word-files again and again, people I've interviewed had to edit my texts online on the wiki. It worked (only one out of ten sent me thje text by mail). I suppose, most of them haven't used a wiki before. Not all wikis are difficult to use. (<a href="http://www.pmwiki.org/" rel="nofollow">PmWiki</a> is also highly recommended! Many add-ons, very easy to use) Yes, sounds familiar. I know of many similar cases, organisations / institutions paying far too much for publishing software. Many (non-techsavy folks?) don't trust free software, there are many prejudices against freeware! I've used Dokuwiki for a while now for verifying / correcting articles I wrote. Instead of sending Word-files again and again, people I've interviewed had to edit my texts online on the wiki. It worked (only one out of ten sent me thje text by mail). I suppose, most of them haven't used a wiki before. Not all wikis are difficult to use. (PmWiki is also highly recommended! Many add-ons, very easy to use)

Yes, sounds familiar. I know of many similar cases, organisations / institutions paying far too much for publishing software. Many (non-techsavy folks?) don't trust free software, there are many prejudices against freeware!

]]> By: jantin http://www.technotaste.com/blog/finally-a-collaborative-writing-tool-that-works/comment-page-1/#comment-1718 jantin Tue, 04 Oct 2005 14:33:07 +0000 http://www.technotaste.com/blog/finally-a-collaborative-writing-tool-that-works/#comment-1718 Good point. It would be frustrating to entrench it in a work process and then have it dissapear. It seems like he's writing with a different set of users in mind, though. For tech. saavy folks, especially ones who are already used to wikis, it probably doesn't make sense to use Writeboard. But for people who want a simple, uncluttered tool, it might work better. Case in point, I just learned that my wife's company pays a ton for a similar software that is apparently a pain to set up and a hassle to use because of bad UI and special syntax. The social scientists at her job just can't wrap their heads around it. Maybe they'd prefer Writeboard. Good point. It would be frustrating to entrench it in a work process and then have it dissapear.

It seems like he's writing with a different set of users in mind, though. For tech. saavy folks, especially ones who are already used to wikis, it probably doesn't make sense to use Writeboard. But for people who want a simple, uncluttered tool, it might work better.

Case in point, I just learned that my wife's company pays a ton for a similar software that is apparently a pain to set up and a hassle to use because of bad UI and special syntax. The social scientists at her job just can't wrap their heads around it. Maybe they'd prefer Writeboard.

]]> By: lorenz http://www.technotaste.com/blog/finally-a-collaborative-writing-tool-that-works/comment-page-1/#comment-1717 lorenz Tue, 04 Oct 2005 10:50:49 +0000 http://www.technotaste.com/blog/finally-a-collaborative-writing-tool-that-works/#comment-1717 These online services come and go. I'd prefer a script that I can install on my own webspace. More control. So I'll continue using my wikis, I suppose. By the way, I don't like the way he writes about wikis These online services come and go. I'd prefer a script that I can install on my own webspace. More control. So I'll continue using my wikis, I suppose.

By the way, I don't like the way he writes about wikis

]]> By: jantin http://www.technotaste.com/blog/finally-a-collaborative-writing-tool-that-works/comment-page-1/#comment-1710 jantin Mon, 03 Oct 2005 23:54:29 +0000 http://www.technotaste.com/blog/finally-a-collaborative-writing-tool-that-works/#comment-1710 That's fair enough. I think you have to leave formatting, layout, etc. for later with this tool. The thing I love about it is that it's not trying to be all things to all people. It's for writing together, straight up. Forget all that other stuff. That's fair enough. I think you have to leave formatting, layout, etc. for later with this tool.

The thing I love about it is that it's not trying to be all things to all people. It's for writing together, straight up. Forget all that other stuff.

]]> By: bhill http://www.technotaste.com/blog/finally-a-collaborative-writing-tool-that-works/comment-page-1/#comment-1709 bhill Mon, 03 Oct 2005 23:52:23 +0000 http://www.technotaste.com/blog/finally-a-collaborative-writing-tool-that-works/#comment-1709 Kinda sucky: not impressed that they wouldn't use a WYSIWYG editor - that is people's main source of gripes with things like this. Kinda sucky: not impressed that they wouldn't use a WYSIWYG editor – that is people's main source of gripes with things like this.

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