About UXBookClub.org

About UXBookClub.org

Upgrade log

I thought I'd add this - didn't last time I upgraded, sorry (AndrewBoyd)

I (Andrew) upgraded dokuwiki to post bugfix release dokuwiki-2009-02-14b 11:00 AEST on 2009-05-30 - if you notice any weirdness, please get in touch with me ASAP via email facibus@gmail.com or DM @facibus on Twitter

From whence it came

UXBookClub.org was founded on 27 November 2008 from a concept kicked about in the IXDA and IAI-Members mailing lists.

We've got this thing up and running, with lots of participation, in no time at all. The idea was that everyone could have their own group page (or pages) and go wild, and those that were so inclined could garden the wiki (minor maintenance rather than being the wiki.police) - making sure that alphabetical directory lists are maintained, checking for spam, that sort of thing.

Someone (you can probably figure the IP address out like I did) has been removing the country and state directory links that I (and others) have been adding. I am not sure why, they aren't hurting anyone, no-one is under any obligation to add to them - but undoing the work of others for no apparent reason is, well, annoying. I can keep putting the links back, but without knowing why they are being removed, I am not sure that this is a good idea.

The knee-jerk old-school 1.0 answer is to impose central control - impose account-based access control tied to a valid email address. This doesn't stop dissent - trust me, I've seen some major-league tantrums on forums I've administered - but access control does makes it easier to stomp on people after the event. This reinforces mistrust.

The idea of doing this makes me feel like I have fallen for the whole illusion of control thing - like trying to grab sand and squeeze it without losing the lot.

So… what do you think? Is making people supply a valid email address and logging in to edit going to destroy uxbookclub.org? Let me know, please, either below here or via email facibus AT gmail DOT com. –Andrew Boyd

UPDATE: this was an honest mistake - and it won't happen again, but we still need to think about access control in the potential event of deliberate vandalism - please include your thoughts here…. Andrew

Keith Instone - I would prefer to have an account for my work (even if others do not want one) where I can keep track of my contributions, sign up for messages when things change, etc. I am committed to the book club - and I already have accounts for things I am a lot less involved in. So perhaps an account could be an option for those of us who want one, at least?

Cindy Chastain - My feeling is that we should wait a bit longer to see how things shape up before making a definitive decision about whether or not to have a log in requirement. For now, the wiki seems to be strictly by and for those involved and, in the spirit of that involvement, a place for open, unhindered (i.e., un-policed) collaboration. On the other hand, I can see two reasons for establishing, at some future date, a required log in: 1) if the wiki proves to be a public resource, providing insight for those beyond the immediate tribes of participants; or, 2) if the open, public gardening creates more problems than we can keep up with. As of now, the removal of the country pages seems like an annoyance, but not an offense great enough to inspire immediate action. Perhaps your kind reminder of our responsibilities will be enough to keep things working smoothly for our first phase.

Logos

You will notice some logos on this site like the one used by Washington DC. If you would like to create your own, please do so, or re-use/modify the one below. And if you think these could improve, please amend them and put the alternatives here for all to use :)

PNG version