[wiki-standards] Re: proposed wiki markup standard - font changes &lists

[Kirill Maslinsky]

Hello,

> In many (most?) wikis, the syntax serves 2 purposes: to mark up content for 
> the sake of further processing by machines, and to let users express things 
> about their content.
> 
> Perhaps a better approach is to separate these functions.  That is, have 
> neutral file format that's 'standard', and then find a way to let the 
> syntax that the user uses vary according to the user.  Obviously, only 
> common features that are supported by a particular engine would matter 
> here, but it could be an improvement.

That's very appealing idea to let everyone have own markup 
according to their taste. I like myself, and not only for wiki.
But it may sound a bit idealistic (and even utopian) without 
detailed motivation. 

So let me make some sceptical notes on a problems that may arise here:

 - So, to start writing people should choose their own tags for
   a list of standard elements available (?). That will make it 
   more difficult to contribute. Or there will be some default tag
   style available? Then nobody could possibly use that feature 
   to choose their own style -- why bother? 

 - Ok, lets take that I do have my own markup style and want to use 
   it elsewhere, on wiki too. But than it's more than likely that 
   there will be a mismatch between list of available standard elements
   on wiki and elements, required in my markup (just in number of 
   different elements of a same structure, say, header levels) or 
   in syntax. Should we add a possibility to define own _elements_, 
   not just tags?
   That seems to be a really heavy programming on a wiki side and really 
   bothering interface on user's.


> IE: different users would see different syntaxes at the same wiki, 
> depending on what they prefer and have identified as their preference. 
> This per-user syntax could even be local to the user's browser.
> 
> Cheers.
> Fil
> 
> Dirk Riehle wrote:
> >I'd argue for at least a core standard wiki markup.
> >
> >Extensions and more esoteric features may vary between engines, but I 
> >see a lot of benefits if I don't have to figure out a new syntax every 
> >time I want to contribute to a wiki. We all want contributors, and make 
> >it easy for people to do so is quite important.
> >
> >Dirk
> >
> >
> >At 14.07.2006, Filippo Salustri wrote:
> >>Variety is the spice of life.  The more different wiki parsers are out 
> >>there, the more interesting its evolution will be.
> >>
> >>Cheers.
> >>Fil
> >>
> >>Sunir Shah wrote:
> >>>Fil writes,
> >>>>Anyways, the point is not how I do DLs, but that I think about what 
> >>>>the 'rendering' is in the textarea.
> >>>Actually, what you proposed is a significant change in the syntax 
> >>>grammar. While I like it from a usability
> >>>point of view, it may not be implementable by some of the weaker 
> >>>parsers. Not like that matters to me either,
> >>>but it may to someone else.
> >>>Best,
> >>>Sunir
> >>>
> >>>_______________________________________________
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> >>>Please also see the following mailing lists:
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> >>>http://www.wikisym.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wikisym-announce
> >>
> >>-- 
> >>Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng.
> >>Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
> >>Ryerson University
> >>350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada
> >>Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749
> >>Fax: 416/979-5265
> >>Email: salustri at ryerson.ca
> >>http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/
> >>
> >>_______________________________________________
> >>
> >>wiki-standards mailing list. wiki-standards at wikisym.org
> >>http://www.wikisym.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wiki-standards
> >>
> >>Please also see the following mailing lists:
> >>
> >>wiki-research mailing list, wiki-research at wikisym.org
> >>http://www.wikisym.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wiki-research
> >>wikisym-announce mailing list, wikisym-announce at wikisym.org
> >>http://www.wikisym.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wikisym-announce
> >
> 
> -- 
> Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng.
> Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
> Ryerson University
> 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada
> Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749
> Fax: 416/979-5265
> Email: salustri at ryerson.ca
> http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/
> 
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> 
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> 

-- 
Kirill Maslinsky
ALT Linux Documentation Team
http://heap.altlinux.ru
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