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standards:wiki_standards_and_guidelines [2010/12/18 17:35] (current)
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 +====== Wiki Standards and Guidelines ======
 +In recent months the Sahana Software Foundation and it's related software products, have been approaching significant change. With the branching of multiple projects, the formation of several Project Management Committees, and the impending creation of new products under the Sahana brand; a new wiki management strategy is necessary to help this resource grow with the coming changes. The following outlines a proposal for the formation of an entirely new wiki, as well as standards for how this wiki should be managed.
  
 +====== Workflow and Roles ======
 +===== 1. Formation of Documentation Project =====
 +Upon the adoption of this proposal a Documentation project will be created in launchpad to be used for managing wiki-related requests.
 +
 +===== 2. Copyright =====
 +All material included on wiki.sahanafoundation.com will be managed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. This will be clearly presented on the main page of the wiki.
 +
 +===== 3. Standards vs Guidelines =====
 +To ensure a clear understanding of this document it is necessary to define the terminology within, specifically those terms that have multiple meanings.
 +
 +Standards refer to clearly defined practices, goals, and structures. Guidelines are outlines, best-practices, and general recommendations.
 +
 +The standards and guidelines that govern wiki.sahanafoundation.org are governed by the Officers of the Foundation. They are created by the Standards and Interoperability Committee (SIC) and submitted to the Officers for review and approval. A review of the wiki standards by the SIC will take place annually.
 +
 +==== 3.1. Standards ====
 +As detailed below; one of the primary structures of wiki.sahanafoundation.org is the “Home:” namespace. It is a repository for reference information, user guides, and official Sahana Software Foundation documentation. This section is governed by a clear and detailed set of standards. Sections or pages of the “Home:” namespace found not to meet these standards will be edited or removed by the moderators representing the Officers of the Foundation: the Sahana Wiki Administrators.
 +
 +These wiki standards are considered the best-practices for other namespaces.
 +
 +Initial recommendations for standards submitted to the SIC can be referenced in the Wiki Standards Proposal. A link to this proposal is included in the Related Proposals Appendix.
 +
 +==== 3.2. Guidelines ====
 +Project-specific namespace are governed by the guidelines outlined in this document and reviewed annually by the SIC. It is the responsibility of the relevant PMC or Board to moderate their namespace and create additional standards as necessary.
 +
 +Any standards established by a PMC or Board to govern their namespaces must adhere to the current guidelines to ensure cohesion within the entirety of the wiki.
 +
 +Initial recommendations for guidelines submitted to the SIC can be referenced in the Wiki Guidelines Proposal. A link to this proposal is included in the Related Proposals Appendix.
 +
 +===== 4. Structure =====
 +In an effort to foster understanding outside the Sahana Community, promote easy reference, and present an easily accessible fact to Sahana, a central repository of information is housed in the “Home:” namespace of wiki.sahanafoundation.org. Specific areas for different projects and Committeees under the Sahana brand are branching from that central repository.
 +
 +Recommendations for the initial structure can be referenced in the Wiki Structure Proposal. A link to this proposal is included in the Related Proposals Appendix.
 +
 +DokuWiki's structuring system is based on the concept of namespaces: each branch is given a specific namespace that can be granted limited access in the Access Control List (ACL). The namespace for a page is included in the page's url. Below is an example of the welcome page for the “Home:” namespace:
 +
 +[[http://wiki.sahanafoundation.org/home:welcome]]
 +
 +==== 4.1. Namespace Hierarchy Naming ====
 +Abbreviations and shortened words are to be avoided to improve the understanding of those outside the Sahana Community who are visiting and referencing wiki.sahanafoundation.org.
 +
 +==== 4.2. Example Namespace Structure ====
 +The Ice Cream Wiki has different sections for introduction, flavors, toppings, and instructions.
 +  * Introduction: - A landing page for visitors to the Ice Cream Wiki including links, a general information intro, and their mission statement
 +    * Introduction:Start: - Information on how to join the Ice Cream Wiki team, how to navigate their wiki, and FAQ's about Ice Cream.
 +    * Introduction:Help: – Problem solving information and who to contact with questions.
 +  * Flavors:Start - A landing page for different flavors of Ice Cream
 +    * Flavors:Vanilla: - A secondary namespace for Vanilla based flavors and variations
 +    * Flavors:Chocolate: - A secondary namespace for Chocolate based flavors and variations
 +    * Flavors:Fruits: - A secondary namespace for fruit based flavors
 +    * Flavors:Experimental: – A secondary namespace for unusual flavors
 +  * Toppings:
 +    * Toppings:Sweet: - A secondary namespace for candy based toppings
 +    * Toppings:Nuts: - A secondary namespace for nut toppings
 +  * Instructions: A repository of how-to information for different ways of making Ice Cream
 +    * Instructions:Experiments: – A secondary namespace for experimental ways of making Ice Cream
 +
 +==== 4.3. Home: Namespace ====
 +Intended to be the primary source of information for those new to the community, it is appropriate that the “Home:” namespace have a high level of professionalism and structure. To that end, editing of the “Home:” namespace is limited to individuals appointed by the Chief Technology Officer or other Officers of the Sahana Software Foundation.
 +
 +The “Home” namespace is heavily moderated for clarity, content, and adherence to the current wiki standards.
 +
 +==== 4.4. Project Namespaces ====
 +Within wiki.sahanafoundation.org, individual project are granted namespace titles after the product name.
 +
 +Upon creation of the namespace by a Sahana Wiki Administrator, the PMC or Board associated with the project will appoint a moderator for their namespace. This individual is known as the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator. For the example Ice Cream Wiki's Toppings project, this individual would be the Toppings Wiki Administrator.
 +
 +The structure of a project namespace is the responsibility of the relevant PMC, though it is required that they meet the wiki guidelines.
 +
 +All project namespaces will be required to have a subnamespace titled "<project namespace name:Help:" for linking to the "Home:Help" space.
 +
 +==== 4.5. Other Namespaces ====
 +As new committees are formed and new projects are created other namespaces are created by the CTO and Sahana Wiki Administrators. These namespaces are managed by the Board, Committee, or PMC relevant to their project and expected to adhere to any guidelines defined by the Foundation.
 +
 +===== 5. Workflow =====
 +
 +To ensure a well-functioning, collaborative wiki it is helpful to define the roles and duties within that work space. The following outlines the workflow of page contributors, Project specific moderators, Sahana Software Foundation administrators, and others in the creation of pages and management of the wiki.
 +
 +==== 5.1. Roles ====
 +The general roles of wiki.sahanafoundation.org are as follows
 +
 +=== 5.1.1. Reader ===
 +Readers are end-user consumers of wiki.sahanafoundation.org. They do not require login access to obtain information and are generally pointed to the “Home:” namespace for instructions and reference information.
 +
 +=== 5.1.2. Contributor/Developer/Writer ===
 +Page contributors, code developers, and other document writers must register for a wiki login and will be granted access to the wiki by a Sahana Wiki Administrator as a general user. They will have access to the namespaces for any open projects for editing and page creation, as well as read access to any sections of the wiki that are publicly viewable.
 +
 +=== 5.1.3. <Project Name> Wiki Administrator ===
 +Upon the creation of a project's namespace the PMC for that project will appoint and individual to moderate their wiki; their title will be the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator. This person will be responsible for maintaining the structure and standards of the project wiki as defined by the relevant PMC. The Chairperson of the relevant PMC will then notify the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Foundation of their choice. The CTO, or a Sahana Wiki Administrator the CTO delegates to, will provide administrator privileges for that namespace to the appointed <Project Name> Wiki Administrator. These permissions will include tracking pages, removing pages within that namespace, renaming pages, and any other permissions the CTO deem appropriate.
 +
 +In the event that a <Project Name> Wiki Administrator is found to be unresponsive or inattentive the PMC or Board for that wiki will be notified. The PMC or Board will follow their internal processes for dismissal from duties. The PMC or Board will follow their internal process for appointing another <Project Name> Wiki Administrator; until the replacement is appointed the PMC or Board will be responsible for completing these duties.
 +
 +=== 5.1.4. Sahana Wiki Administrator ===
 +The Sahana Software Foundation will appoint and individual or individuals to the role of Sahana Wiki Administrator. The Sahana Wiki Administrators aid in the management of logins, permissions, structures, and moderation of the wiki under the direction of the CTO.
 +
 +Upon being appointed as a Sahana Wiki Administrator the individual will set themselves as an answer contact on the Documentation project of launchpad. The CTO will remind them of this duty if necessary.
 +
 +Sahana Wiki Administrators will be responsible for maintaining the pages within the “Home:”, “Foundation:”, and other namespaces that are not associated with a project, Board, or Committee. Sahana Wiki Administrators are not responsible for maintaining pages within project namespaces; however, in the event that a portion of the wiki is found to be lacking, these administrators can make the request to the PMC of the project in question that their wiki be more carefully monitored to ensure consistency with other portions of the wiki and overall quality of the wiki itself. The process for this review will be as follows:
 +
 +  - In the event that a portion of the wiki is found lacking in any manner, the Sahana Wiki Administrator involved will notify the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator for that namespace with specific instructions as to desired improvements. The <Project Name> Wiki Administrator and Sahana Wiki Administrator will agree on a specific time frame within which the revisions of the page or pages should be completed.
 +   - After the revision window has closed, the Sahana Wiki Administrator will review the page or pages in question. If the pages have not been improved, or sufficient progress made to warrant an extension, the Sahana Wiki Administrator will notify the relevant PMC of the outstanding corrections via e-mail and copy the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator.
 +   - In the event that an extension is granted, the Sahana Wiki Administrator and <Project Name> Wiki Administrator will agree on a reasonable amount of time for the extension. The process will then revert back to step 2 above. This cycle can continue until the Sahana Wiki Administrator is satisfied or they feel that too many extensions have been granted.
 +    - Extensions should only continue to be granted if there is progress being made with the edits.
 +  - The PMC will work with the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator to ensure the corrections are complete, or consider the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator to be derelict and follow their internal process for removal and replacement of the position.
 +
 +Sahana Wiki Administrators also have at their discretion the power to immediately remove pages or sections of the wiki they find to be in violation of the copyright, abusive, vulgar, or otherwise inappropriate.
 +
 +In the event that a Sahana Wiki Administrator is found to be unresponsive or inattentive the CTO will be notified. The CTO and the Officers will follow their internal processes for dismissal from duties. The CTO will become responsible for fulfillment of these duties, either by performing them or delegating them to another Sahana Wiki Administrator.
 +
 +==== 5.2 Creating Pages ====
 +
 +=== 5.2.1. Project Pages ===
 +Within the project pages and other sub-projects general users will be able to create and edit pages. Here the project contributors and other stakeholders create their own policy, develop ideas and structure, and contribute to the general wiki knowledge base.
 +
 +General guidelines will be provided by the SIC and approved by the Foundation, however moderation of the project pages will be the responsibility of that sections Wiki Administrator.
 +
 +=== 5.2.2. Templates ===
 +DokuWiki contains a feature called “Page Templates” which allow administrators to make page forms available. Templates are provided by the SIC, via the Sahana Wiki Administrator, for developer documentation, end user instruction, general reference materials, and other typical wiki pages to help with consistent wiki formatting.
 +
 +While users of the project pages are encouraged to use these templates, they are not required. Projects may opt to have their own templates available for use on their namespace; however, for consideration for a page to be moved to another namespace, the page must match the standards of the receiving namespace, including formatting.
 +
 +==== 5.3. Moderating Project Pages ====
 +When a page is created within a project's namespace it is subject to moderation by the associated Project Management Committee. While it is at that committee's discretion to create a workflow for this process, below is an example workflow, should they opt to use it.
 +
 +Upon creation of the project's namespace, the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator creates settings so to monitor all wiki pages within their namespace. They and the PMC agree upon a general structure and opt to accept the guidelines created by the SIC.
 +
 +As new pages are created in the namespace, the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator is notified and reviews the pages for content, consistency, accuracy, and language. Edits are made to ensure the page's high quality.
 +
 +As the project nears release, some pages become relevant to the larger Sahana community. The <Project Name> Wiki Administrator workds with the contributors to the project to update the relevant documentation on the wiki and submits them via e-mailed link to the Sahana Wiki Administrator for review and possible relocation. If edits are requested the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator updates the wiki within 72 hours and resubmits the edits.
 +
 +==== 5.4. Relocation of Pages ====
 +When a topic gains sufficient relevance to the Sahana Community beyond it's original project, there are three possibilities for inclusion to another section of the wiki for reference:
 +  - A link to a relevant page on the “Home:” namespace
 +  - The page being “Relocated” to the “Home:” namespace
 +  - A link or movement to another namespace within wiki.sahanafoundation.org
 +
 +To determine the best course for a given page the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator collaborates with the Sahana Wiki Administrator and any other stakeholders of the page in question.
 +
 +=== 5.4.1. Linking to the “Home:” Namespace ===
 +As it will be directly pointed to from the “Home:” namespace, for a page to be considered for linking to a location in the “Home:” namespace it must meet the published wiki guidelines with minimal editing. Sahana Wiki Administrators are not responsible for bringing a wiki page from a project “up to standards” for linking; however can request from a PMC that someone do so if they would like their documentation referenced.
 +
 +Should a PMC or <Project Name> Wiki Administrator feel that a wiki page within their project is a good candidate for linking they can submit it to the “Home:” namespace via the following process:
 +  - The <Project Name> Wiki Administrator will review the current standards and the page being submitted to ensure compliance.
 +  - When the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator feels the page meets current standards they will submit a support ticket via the Sahana Software Foundation launchpad system under the Documentation project.
 +  - The Sahana Wiki Administrator responsible for the ticket will review the page for the following in priority order:
 +    - **Relevance to the “Home:” wiki**: Should the page not be found relevant the Sahana Wiki Administrator will inform the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator that the page is not being accepted and include details as to why and recommendations for other options.
 +    - **Standards compliance:** The page will be reviewed for compliance to standards for structure, language, duplication, and any other applicable categories. Three eventualities exist based on the stage of the page:
 +      - __The page meets all standards and is accepted:__ The Sahana Wiki Administrator will provide a link to the page from a relevant location in the “Home:” directory, update the question ticket, and close the request in launchpad.
 +      - __The page requires minor edits:__ The Sahana Wiki Administrator outlines the edits as a response to the question and refers the ticket back to the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator. The <Project Name> Wiki Administrator edits the page within 72 hours and resubmits it. If the page is not resubmitted the Sahana Wiki Administrator assumes the page is no longer to be considered for relocation.
 +      - __The page requires serious edits:__ The Sahana Wiki Administrator requests the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator to review the current wiki standards and requests the page be resubmitted when it complies with these standards. The Sahana Wiki Administrator closes the request in launchpad.
 +
 +=== 5.4.2. Relocation to the “Home:” Namespace ===
 +For a page to be considered for promotion it must meet the published wiki standards with minimal editing. Sahana Wiki Administrators are not responsible for bringing a wiki page from a project “up to standards” for linking; however can request from a PMC that someone do so if they would like their documentation considered.
 +
 +Should a PMC or <Project Name> Wiki Administrator fell that a wiki page within their project is a good candidate for linking they can submit it to the “Home:” namespace via the following process:
 +  - The <Project Name> Wiki Administrator will review the current standards and the page being submitted to ensure compliance.
 +  - When the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator feels the page meets current standards they will submit a support ticket via the Sahana Software Foundation launchpad system under the Documentation project.
 +  - The Sahana Wiki Administrator responsible for the ticket will review the page for the following in priority order:
 +    - Relevance to the “Home:” wiki: Should the page not be found relevant the Sahana Wiki Administrator will inform the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator that the page is not being accepted and include details as to why and recommendations for other options.
 +    - Standards compliance: The page will be reviewed for compliance to standards for structure, language, duplication, and any other applicable categories. Three eventualities exist based on the stage of the page:
 +      - __The page meets all standards and is accepted:__ The Sahana Wiki Administrator follows the Relocation Instructions outlined in Section 4.4.4.
 +      - __The page requires minor edits:__ The Sahana Wiki Administrator outlines the edits for the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator who edits the page within 72 hours and resubmits it. If the page is not resubmitted the Sahana Wiki Administrator assumes the page is no longer to be considered for relocation and any related launchpad request is closed.
 +      - __The page requires serious edits:__ The Sahana Wiki Administrator requests the <Project Name> Wiki Administrator to review the current wiki standards and requests the page be resubmitted when it complies with these standards. Any related request in launchpad is closed.
 +
 +=== 5.4.3. Linking or Relocating to another Namespace ===
 +It is possible that a wiki page could be relevant to another namespace within wiki.sahanafoundation.org. In that instance the <Project Name> Wiki Administrators for both projects will collaborate on the best method with which to connect the information; specifically if it should be linked, redirected, or moved to the other namespace.
 +
 +As each project's namespace is governed by the standards of that project it is the decision of the involved <Project Name> Wiki Administrators to decide on structure; however, the submitted page should adhere to the “Receiving” namespace's requirements in the event that the page is moved.
 +
 +Sahana Wiki Administrators can be contacted for guidance and mediation as needed.
 +
 +=== 5.4.4. Relocation Instructions ===
 +When a Wiki Administrator feels a page is a good candidate for relocation to their namespace, the Administrator will:
 +
 +  - Create a page in the receiving namespace the page is being moved to with an easily reference name. This name should be agreed-up by both involved administrators prior to creation.
 +  - Copy the wiki syntax from the previous page and paste it into the new location
 +  - Save the new page.
 +  - Remove the syntax from the previous page and make a re-direct tag in it's place. This will re-direct anyone landing on the old page to the new location.
 +  - Make a note below the title and above the introduction of the new page indicating the previous location.
 +  - If their was a related question in launchpad, the ticket is updated documenting this process and closed.
 +
 +__Note:__ The DokuWiki software does not currently provide a tool allowing pages to be relocated to a different namespace. In the event that tool is created the Officers of the Foundation will evaluate it for use as an alternative to this process.
 +
 +====== Wiki Standards ======
 +//Below are proposed standards to govern the “Home:” namespace. They are considered best practices for sections of the wiki beyond the “Home:” namespace.//
 +
 +===== Structure: =====
 +Two categories affect wiki structure: the overall mechanics of the wiki, and the pages themselves.
 +
 +==== General Wiki Structure: ====
 +Breadcrumbs will be active for the wiki to aid with navigation. Administrators will actively maintain structure to ensure the breadcrumbs remain useful and relevant.
 +
 +All pages will have a title matching the name of the wiki link and following the naming conventions detailed in this document.
 +
 +A Wiki Administrator page will be established and maintained and a link included in the left column of the wiki.  The Sahana Wiki Administrators are responsible for updating this page with information on the namespaces in use, the Board or Committee responsible for each namespace, and the Wiki Administrator appointed by those boards, including how to contact them.  Anyone making requests in regards to a specific wiki will be referred to the Wiki Administrator page for information on whom to contact.
 +
 +==== Templates ====
 +While there will be significant variance in structure dependent on the type of content of the page, standards will be imposed for common topics and templates available as tools to help content creators adhere with these standards.  Templates will be recommended by the SIC, approved by the CTO, and made available through the “Page Templates” feature of DokuWiki via the Sahana Wiki Administrators.
 +
 +===== Talking versus Editing: =====
 +Wiki pages have two general tabs: the article itself and discussion.  These allow for two forms of contribution: writing the content for the article and discussing what should be included and in what style. 
 +
 +Articles of wiki.sahanafoundation.org will contain information able to be referenced directly pertaining to the topic of the Page Name.  Any discussion of what should be included in the article, how it should be presented, the style used, or other comments will be made using the discussion feature.
 +
 +A contributor wishing to make a significant change to a pre-existing wiki document will review the history of the article.  If there is one primary contributor it is acceptable that the potential editor will email that individual directly to propose their changes. 
 +
 +If there are multiple contributors and stakeholders in the page, or if the page is heavily trafficked for reference or other use, the potential editors will propose their changes on the “discussion” tab to open the topic for conversation.  If, after a reasonable amount of time, there has been no discussion the potential editor will e-mail the relevant mailing list to ensure the community was aware of the discussion.  If no consensus is found the topic will come to a vote of whether or not to change. 
 +
 +If no opinions are given, or consensus is reached through discussion, the potential editor will be free to move forward with the proposed edits.
 +
 +In the event that no consensus can be reached, or the proposal is too complex to be distilled to a vote, the Wiki Administrator overseeing that namespace can be asked to moderate.
 +
 +===== Language =====
 +The primary language used throughout wiki.sahanafoundation.org is English; however, in the event that a translation namespace is established it is at their discretion to create additional namespaces for wiki translation projects.
 +
 +Though open to some flexibility, wiki.sahanafoundation.org will generally be governed by the style rules of wikipedia as they are easily accessible and continue to evolve with our common language: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style
 +
 +No vulgar, abusive, or diminutive content will be accepted or tolerated.  This is in reference to other individuals, software packages, and other projects internal to the Sahana brand.  Sahana will continue to foster a sense of open communication and respect via it's wiki; both within the Community and to the outside world.
 +
 +All material included on wiki.sahanafoundation.com will be managed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Any copy-written material will be removed from the wiki.
 +
 +===== Namespaces and Page Names =====
 +
 +==== Namespaces ====
 +The labeling of a namespace affects the whole of a wiki, it's ability to be understood and navigated easily by its readers and contributors.  Namespaces should be one word that clearly describes its contents.  Project namespaces are labeled by the projects name.
 +
 +Abbreviations will not be used in the creation of namespaces. 
 +
 +Namespaces are created and permissions managed by the Sahana Wiki Administrators or the Chief Technology Officer of the Sahana Foundation.
 +
 +==== Page Names ====
 +Page names will be straightforward and easily referenced.  All page names will be in Title Case; meaning significant words capitalized and properly spaced.  No special characters will be used in the creation of a page name and page names will not be in camel case.
 +
 +When choosing a page name the most active phrase possible will be used; keeping in mind what a user who was searching for would use as their search terms.
 +
 +If an individual is in doubt about a name they can contact the Wiki Administrator responsible for moderating the namespace they are contributing to or e-mail the relevant mailing-list for suggestions or collaboration.
 +
 +===== Duplication =====
 +
 +Duplicate pages are to be avoided.  Before creating a new page a user will search for any existing pages that could be expanded on before making the new page.
 +
 +Wiki Administrators are responsible for regularly moderating pages and identifying duplications.  There are two types of duplicates:
 +
 +==== Duplicates Within the Same Namespace ====
 +Duplicates within the same namespace are the responsibility of that namespace's Wiki Administrator.  The Administrator will notify the creator of the more recent page that they have created a duplicate and request the information on the page be merged with the existing page. Once that individual has had the opportunity to copy relevant sections of the newer page, the Wiki Administrator will delete it.
 +
 +If the content creator(s) feel strongly that they are unable to use the existing page and can provide a reason beyond stylistic differences, it is within the Wiki Administrator's discretion to “retire” the old page by marking it as out of date and providing a re-direction link to the new page.
 +
 +A review for duplicates within a given namespace will be performed by that namespace's Wiki Administrator before every release of a related project's software or at least once every six months.
 +
 +==== Duplicates Over Different Namespaces ====
 +Should the instance arise that duplicate pages exist in two or more namespaces, the Sahana Wiki Administrator will consider if the information has sufficient relevance for inclusion in the “Home:” namespace.
 +
 +Each existing page will be reviewed for adherence to the current standards, and feedback will be provided to the page contributors as noted in the instructions for Promotion.  After the initial creation of the “Home:” namespace page on the topic, the contributors to the previously existing pages will be invited to provide additional information to ensure all relevant information from the different pages is included.
 +
 +A review of duplicates over different namespaces will be performed by a Sahana Wiki Administrator before every release for any Sahana supported project or at lease once every six months.
 +
 +===== Reporting =====
 +Data on duplicates will be reported to the relevant PMC for pages affecting their namespace and the SIC.  Sahana Wiki Administrators will report data on their wiki reviews to the SIC and Board after every wiki review.
 +
 +===== Obsolescence and Depreciation =====
 +Over the life of the wiki some pages will become obsolete.  In these instances the page will be retained for historical reference.  A clear label and graphic will be added to the top of the page, before the page content, to denote it as obsolete.  A link to the currently relevant and comparable information will be made under this label.
 +
 +===== Linking =====
 +Linking is strongly encouraged to help the viability of the wiki.  There are two types of links: internal and external.  Links should be made “in text” and adequately labeled to describe what they are referencing.  When external reference links be given they should also be labeled.  Links internal to the wiki, but to another namespace, should use internal wiki links. 
 +
 +====== Wiki Guidelines ======
 +//Below are proposed guidelines for sections of the wiki not governed by the “Home:” namespace.//
 +
 +Namespaces under wiki.sahanafoundation.org not included in the “Home:” namespace are not required to adhere to the Wiki Standards imposed by the Sahana Software Foundation, though it is strongly encouraged.  However, the Project Management Committee(PMC) for a formal Sahana project and Committee's governing a given namespace are required to create their own standards and are governed by the general guidelines recommended by the Standards and Interoperability Committee (SIC) and approved by the Officers of the Foundation.
 +
 +===== Structure =====
 +Two categories affect wiki structure: the overall mechanics of the wiki, and the pages themselves.
 +  * Breadcrumbs will be active to aid navigation.  Administrators will maintain structures so that breadcrumbs remain active and relevant.
 +  * <Project Name> Wiki Administrators and their associated Boards or Committees will agree on a basic structure at the creation of their namespace.
 +
 +===== Talking versus Editing =====
 +  * Articles should be written to express information to be referenced as much as possible.
 +  * Discussion in regards to policy, structure, changes, approach, and other topics should be made on the Discussion tab of a topic. 
 +
 +===== Language =====
 +  * Pages under wiki.sahanafoundation.org namespaces should be in English, unless related to a translation project or another project requiring multiple languages.
 +  * As a best practice, wiki.sahanafoundation.org namespaces will generally be governed by the style rules of wikipedia as they are easily accessible and continue to evolve with our common language: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style
 +  * No vulgar, abusive, or diminutive content will be accepted or tolerated.  This is in reference to other individuals, software packages, and other projects internal to the Sahana brand.  Sahana will continue to foster a sense of open communication and respect via it's wiki; both within the Community and to the outside world.
 +  * All material included on wiki.sahanafoundation.com will be managed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. All wiki contributions are subject to this copyright.
 +
 +===== Page Names =====
 +  * Page names will be straightforward and easily referenced. 
 +  * All page names will be in Title Case; meaning significant words capitalized and properly spaced. 
 +  * No special characters will be used in the creation of a page name and page names will not be in camel case.
 +  * When choosing a page name the most active phrase possible will be used; keeping in mind what a user who was searching for would use as their search terms.
 +  * If an individual is in doubt about a name they can contact the Wiki Administrator responsible for moderating the namespace they are contributing to or e-mail the relevant mailing-list for suggestions or collaboration.
 +
 +===== Duplication =====
 +Duplicate pages should be avoided.  Before creating a new page a user will search for any existing pages that could be expanded on before making the new page.
 +
 +Duplicates within the same namespace are the responsibility of that namespace's Wiki Administrator.  The Administrator will notify the creator of the more recent page that they have created a duplicate and request the information on the page be merged with the existing page.
 +
 +If the content creator(s) feel strongly that they are unable to use the existing page and can provide a reason beyond stylistic differences it is within the Wiki Administrator's discretion to “retire” the old page by marking it as out of date and providing a re-direction link to the new page.
 +
 +===== Obsolescence and Depreciation =====
 +Over the life of the wiki some pages will become obsolete.  In these instances the page will be retained for historical reference.  A clear label and graphic will be added to the top of the page, before the page content, to denote it as obsolete.  A link to the currently relevant and comparable information will be made under this label.
 +
 +===== Linking =====
 +Linking is strongly encouraged to help the viability of the wiki.  There are two types of links: internal and external.  Links should be made “in text” and adequately labelled to describe what they are referencing.  When external reference links be given they should also be labelled.  Links internal to the wiki, but to another namespace, should use internal wiki links. 
 +
 +====== Wiki Structure ======
 +The following is a proposal for the initial wiki structure. Projects will be responsible for developing their own structure; however mimicking of one another is strongly encouraged.
 +
 +DokuWiki's structuring system is based on the concept of namespaces: each branch is given a specific namespace that can be granted limited access in the Access Control List (ACL). The namespace for a page is included in the page's url. Below is an example of the welcome page for the “Home:” namespace:
 +
 +http://wiki.sahanafoundation.org/home:welcome
 +
 +  * Home: – Main namespace of wiki.sahanafoundation.org. Exterior facing.
 +    * Home:Start – The landing page of wiki.sahanafoundation.org. Getting started with Sahana. An introduction to our community and the tools to become part of it.
 +    * Home:Wiki – A primer page on our wiki, its structure, what's here, and how to use it fully.
 +    * Home:Help – A guide page on who to contact if you're stuck. Includes links to any associated project "<Project Name>:Help:" namespaces.
 +    * Home:Contents – Table of Contents page referencing this structure
 +    * Home:History - A page containing the history of Sahana
 +    * Home:Projects: – A sub-namespace of “Home:”. Exterior facing descriptions of each project and links to project specific landing pages. Enough information to steer someone new to the relevant project pages.
 +      * A section of the project page will be dedicated to helping a new user evaluate which Sahana project fits their needs.  The CTO and Sahana Wiki Administrators will be reponsible for structuring this content and keeping it neutral.
 +    * Home:Deployments: - A sub-namespace of “Home:” with pages referencing past deployments with a review of metrics, lessons learned, etc.
 +    * Home:Press: - A sub-namespace of “Home:” with Press releases, PR information, other relevant information for a member of the press.
 +  * People: - The default wiki namespace for wiki user profiles.
 +  * Foundation:
 +    * Foundation:Board – A Board page with information including: Whose on the board, What they're up to, What they do, and resolutions.
 +    * Foundation:Legal – Legal reference page with information that is appropriate to make available to the web.
 +  * Ideas: - the section of the wiki formerly proposed as "Specifications" and then "Enrichment"
 +    * Ideas:Brainstorming - our own brainstorming within the Community.  Loose and informal.
 +    * Ideas:Client: - [Mark gave a UNICEF example.] This is a repository for user feedback and potential client enhancements
 +  * Community: - Home of the Community Development Committee - will include GSOC sub-namespace as pages.
 +    * Community:GSOC - for all GSOC pages
 +    * Community:Diversity - for the diversity working group
 +    * Community:HFOSS - for Sahana's collaborative programs with Trinity HFOSS project
 +  * Agasti: - Structure specific for each project will be determined by the relevant PMC.
 +  * Eden – Structure specific for each project will be determined by the relevant PMC.
 +  * Standards: - Home of the Standards and Interoperability Committee
 +  * L10n: – Home of the localization project
 +  * Mobile: – Home of the Mobile project
 +
 +====== Glossary of Terms ======
 +
 +__**Camel Case:**__ A formating style in which the first letter of every word is capitalized and no spaces are used. Ex: TheWarOfTheWorlds
 +
 +__**Namespace:**__ A feature of DokuWiki allowing pieces of the wiki to be seperated and governed by different permissions.
 +
 +__**Special Characters:**__ Any non-alphanumeric character.
 +
 +__**Title Case:**__ A formating style in which all words are capitalized, except for non-initial articles, short prepositions, and some other short words including as, the, and, in, of, it, etc. Ex: The War of the Worlds
 +
 +__**Breadcrumbs:**__ A navigation aid used in user interfaces. It gives users a way to keep track of their locations within programs or documents. 

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