PriusWiki - any update?

This thread here has been closed (why? maybe another similar one is still open but could not find it) - here.

We were talking about setting up a Wiki that users could edit to write information about how the Prius 2010 works so that a library/encyclopaedia could be set up, especially for newbie to go and check before posting a question on the forum. Often the same questions are posted since the information on the Forum itself is not that easy to find and a true library is not set up.

Any update on the post above? are there any plans to set up a Prius Wiki?
How can one set up one either here or on another web domain?
Or should we just expand what is already available on Wikipedia (probably the best thing to do, now that I come to think about it...):
this is the section of the 2010 within the "Prius" general article - looks like not much to me...
same story for the main article on the Gen 3 in Wikipedia...

 

Since I didn't get any reply and the original thread is closed, and since I do believe it is necessary to set up a Wiki (as the Germans have already done here at priuswiki.de, exactly to easily and quickly answer the most answered questions, instead of having multiple threads dealing always with the same topic (e.g. what is ECO mode? how do I get into normal mode? - just to name a few), I will get the matter in my own hands and either start expanding the article on Wikipedia about the Prius 3rd gen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius_(XW30)) and I invite anybody here on Prius Chat to contribute, or will see if a Wiki can be started at no cost somewhere on the web, in case Wikipedia does not work for some reason.

If you know any Wiki free providers, please let me know.

To leave all the (excellent) knowledge in this forum, lost into thousands of threads that the search engine cannot really find, is a pity.

Unless the founder and the moderators of this forum want to take the matters in their own hands and start a wiki on this site, to which I would gladly like to contribute.

Considering that Toyota is introducing several more models of HSD models worldwide, an english wiki covering the common features and detailing the differences among the different models would be a "boon" for all those interested out there.

Please, somebody comment on this - especially the forum owners, moderators.

 

I have thought about expanding the Wikipedia article and there is a "but"...
Wikipedia needs authoritative content, IMHO - so I cannot really add information about he Prius that users "suppose" is there or based on personal opinions of even several users. Since we don't have access to technical documentation other than the owner's manual, the service manuals (when possible) and the installation manuals - articles about technical features can officially be based on these documents - and that is all that makes sense for Wikipedia.
If we want to set up a wiki that can encompass also opinions, user experiences, and so on - we need a more informal Wiki - what do you think?
I was looking on the net about free wiki host sites, and I am bit confused - does anyone here have experience in such things?

 

PS: a topic that might be "questionable" for Wikipedia publication is the warming up stages. There is an excellent post from Ken@Japan in this forum that describe all warm-up stages, but are based on observation (to my knowledge, i.e. observative "reverse engineering") and not on official documentation from Toyota - for Wikipedia I think this is not appropriate.

For an informal wiki instead publishing this topic instead would be not an issue.

 

Danny - first and foremost thanks for taking this topic actively into consideration.

If I understood correctly, you would like to possibly migrate the "web site" portion of the PC site to Wordpress, using the chance to also start at the same time, a "wiki" and obviously keeping the forum linked into it "as is" - did I get this right?

I personally cannot comment on that, I am not a web design/site expert; what I see is already of pretty good quality and is enough for me.

I think the Wiki should be started separately. I understand your concern of not enabling a vast majority of people to edit wiki articles. I get your point. I had also issues when checking out Wikipedia and tried to make a change in Wikitravel (I eventually managed).

I have found [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_wiki_farms"]here[/ame] (on Wikipedia nevertheless!!) a list of possibile Wiki hosting sites (aka "farms") - they speak of WYSIWYG editors - but I cannot really evaluate whether these are good enough or not for the objectives and the audience of this site.

The good thing about Wikipedia is exactly that though: a big audience that can contribute and correct mistakes and errors introduced by others. So the editing software should be easy! If only few can participate, the content might be limited, or the errors might stay there, even when official documentation says otherwise...

The only thing I can advise is that unless you can identify quickly (and it seems it took you a while already.... ) a software/web platform (Wordpress maybe?) that can offer *also* an easy wiki tool, the wiki should be started separately (maybe installing wiki software on the same server where priuschat.com is hosted, why not?) and then linked into the new web platform when ready (obviously not moving the wiki to a new wiki tool!!!....).

Otherwise, while waiting to find a new web platform, which might not be an easy task, the wiki also does not even get started.

Moreover, the benefit of a wiki based tool, rather than a web site tool, is that it can grow and can be integrated with existing information simply by linking or copying information from existing sources (posts, the Open Handbook (BTW, how does one edit that?), other free-to-copy sources, links, etc.), if I understood correctly - right?
You edit the content, not the framework of the webpage displaying the information - right? can a Web tool let you change only the content, without affecting the rest of the page? Wiki tools, if I get this correctly, focus on content only/mainly, right?

A web site focused tool does not really enable/offer that and Wordpress, on which I am running my blog BTW, as far as I know does not offer any wiki editor/tool...(and I personally find the whole blog management software quite complex, with too many features, and not really straight-forward....but that's just me).

My 2(euro)cents on the topic.

PS: I would like to remind again, especially to those reading this the first time that: the forum has become so massive cheer2 in the last 2 years (from what I can see at least for Prius 2010 topics), and the search is not really that good, that to find information among the "zillions" of threads has become almost impossible. I have a hard time finding information I posted myself!! A wiki with *only* information and not the typical "chit-chat" (which might be useful in certain cases, to ascertain whether some information is correct or not, for example) found in forums, would be a boon for all Prius users, all newbies and anybody interesting in this car and its technology.
Moreover, as new models are coming out using essentially the same HSD technology, a *lot* of information can be shared among different cars/models, maybe simply by highlighting the minor differences between them.

 

Does anybody have any experience with Wikia?