[NTLUG:Discuss] KnowledgeBase Product?

[Steve Baker]

Val Harris wrote:

> What's the difference between a Wiki, a Document Management System (DMS)
> and a Bulletin Board (BB)?  I've followed many of the links given in
> this thread, but I'm still not "getting" it.

Well, I can't talk about DMS's - because I don't use one.

A Wiki is a system of inter-linked documents (much like the WordWideWeb)
but it has several important extra properties:

* Anyone with the right access permissions (which is everyone by default)
   can instantly edit any page at any time right there in their browser.

* All changes are kept under version control - you can look at the
   edit history - make a document revert to a previous version, etc.
   This is fairly transparent to the average user - he's not really
   aware that it's happening.

* Cross-linking is very pervasive.  Capitalised words, acronyms
   and any phrase you type in [square brackets] becomes a hyperlink.

* Links that don't go anywhere are indicated by a trailing '?' icon
   in the text - and clicking on that icon opens an edit window to
   allow you to create a page for that link.

* You never have to be bothered by filenames and assigning URL's to
   links - that all happens under the hood.

* The 'markup' language used is VERY intuitive and follows a lot of
   email conventions.   Surround a word with *asterisks* - and Wiki
   will boldface it for you - use a single asterisk as a 'bullet'
   (as I've done here) - and it'll come out as a nicely indented list.
   Documents can include pictures.

* The Wiki contains an integral search engine so you can find stuff
   by keywords or general text search.

* Wiki pages have back-links to every page that references them.

Set up the Wiki software on your browser (which must be PHP-enabled),
then you create a top-level page and turn it over to your users.


A Bulletin-Board system is more like email or news pages.  There are
topic areas that you set up - each can contain a number of threads and
a thread is a linear chain of posts - just like email - but done entirely
within the browser.

Once a post has been made - only the owner may edit it.  People generally
do not.  Old threads get pushed further out of sight by new ones.

I really don't recommend a Bulletin board for any kind of long-term
documentation.   It's intended for stuff where you'd normally use a
mailing list or news group.

---------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------
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