Open user manual editing for the crowd

[Lineflyer]

Background:
The c:geo user manual was created about a year ago to simply have a new user manual for the c:geo app. It currently runs on my webspace with a reverse proxy set up to the above mentioned URL.
I created it myself and over time invited other users to collaborate or translate. Up to now its configured as a closed system, meaning that accounts cannot be self created.

As I learned from recent changes to the c:geo app functionality I cannot manage myself to keep the manual up to date with new features and changed views in c:geo.

So I would suggest to open it up to the public (=our users) to get it hopefully self maintained by the crowd.
Thats actually what a wiki system is designed for.

So basically I would reconfigure it to allow user registration and add authoring rights to all users. Afterwards invite users to participate via our channels.
What still remains for us is to monitor and moderate and maybe to somehow collect the parts of the manual, which need changes due to our changes to the app.

I do not have experience with public wiki pages...anything we should pay attention to?

Should new accounts have the need to be approved by us?

Where could we collect topics, pages, which need to be updated?

[rsudev]

A wiki open for public contribution needs to be 'moderated' (watched) in order to prevent vandalism or unacceptable content. Not having an account approval process has the advantage of inviting spontaneous contributions (I found a type, this is not clear, ...). Unless we see too much problematic activity I would give it a try (if you have the time to keep the software updated, to avoid possible automatic hacks by script kiddies).

[Lineflyer]

We could use a solution in between by allowing own registration but needing approval before write access is granted as described here:
https://www.dokuwiki.org/faq:userapproval

I will look into it as time permits

[Lineflyer]

I did now implement the following first solution:

• Enabled user self registration
• Set the default user group (after registration) to "read only"
• Configured info mail about new user registration to c:geo support mailbox
• Described the process "How to contribute" on this page: https://manual.cgeo.org/en/translation

So I can review new users on support mail, let them confirm their intention (and language).
Afterwards I change their role on the system to "translator" (write access to content pages).

Lets see how this goes.

[Lineflyer]

Strange feedback regarding the implemented solution:

• Since opening registration 20 user accounts have been created
• I sent a mail to all these registered users individually, asking them if and for what language they would like to contribute in order to set the matching permissions
• No one replied

I can only guess whats happening here:

• Why do people create accounts...just because they can....are they thinking they sign up for a Geocaching platform?
  IMHO the registration form is clear about the need and purpose of registration: https://manual.cgeo.org/en/start?do=register
• Is there a technical problem, that my mail replies are not going through?
  I checked with a dummy user and it seems to work well.

Let's see if this was just coincidence...

[Lineflyer]

@bekuno
You created an account.
Did you receive:

• Automated mail with password
• My mail from support with further details ?

[bekuno]

Both - yes.

• Automated mail with password:
  

• mail from support with further details
  

Maybe it it is strange for the users to receive the answer in different languages.
But the account creation task was done on the german wiki site, this could be the reason.

Also the link to the user guide refers to cgeo.droescher.eu, not to manual.cgeo.org.

Lets wait if someone really wants to write on the docu.

[Lineflyer]

FYI:
I disabled the self registration for now...to many users registering without ever replying.
I guess the real problem here is, that they do not understand how c:geo works and try to register there to join a geocaching service.
Maybe it gets better once cgeo/cgeo#9589 is implemented.