Quality Open Source Documentation/Walkthrough

1 Internet Navigation

Navigation facilitates desired access.

Internet navigation mainly consists of hyperlink filtration.

2 User Context Filtration

The internet user possesses a memory that provides context for their actions and intentions. The user inputs search parameters according to their relevance to the user.

Ex. Cute Bunnies, Latest News, Weather Forecast

2 Parametric Search Filtration

Navigation websites filter internet hyperlinks according to the relationship between search parameters and website information.

Cute Bunnies!

2 Webpage Associative Filtration

Webpages that include hyperlinks to other webpages are filtering navigation paths. Webpage associative filtration is determined by the creator/editor of the filtering webpage. No search parameters are utilized; despite this, webpage associative filtration is effective because such filters often hyperlink to related webpages; ie. if the user arrived at webpage 1 about technology, then they likely would be interested in going to webpage 2 about a particular technology. One could say that the search parameters are presupposed by the user's entry into a particular webpage.

1 Websites

A website is a pile of webpages, analogous to a book being a pile of papers.

Any list of associated webpages such as

http://opensourceecology.org/

http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Main_Page

can be called a website.

2 Web Address

A web address is a piece of information that distinguishes webpages from one another, hence providing webpage identity.

Sometimes, the information within the web address is different from the information within the webpage.

Ex. A webpage with .../video should contain a video but some may not.

Because internet navigation websites analyze the information within webpages instead of just the web address, the confusion risk is small. Nonetheless, any confusion risk should be avoided where possible.

Web addresses are often organized using forward slashes. Generally, each slash represents another level of category. Accessing webpages by manually editing web addresses is slow; hyperlinks provide a easier method of webpage access.

3 Scope of the Internet

Within the scope of the internet, webpage organization and navigation is provided by user context, parametric search, and webpage associative filtration processes.

3 Scope of Itself

A webpage should have a versatile format that is easy to edit.

A webpage should have information that is organized with 3 differentiated points: categorization, identification, and content.

Categorization refers to a grouping system that undergoes branching. Categorization is useful for omitting common words using structure as well as performing conceptual breakdown of a complex topic.

For example, a webpage with little categorization would have to do the following:

Hex Nut, Stainless Steel, Metal Lock M5 2cm Length

Hex Nut, Stainless Steel, Metal Lock M5 3cm Length

Hex Nut, Stainless Steel, Metal Lock M5 4cm Length

Hex Nut, Stainless Steel, Metal Lock M5 5cm Length

Whereas a categorized webpage would be able to do this:

4 Hex Nut, Stainless Steel, Metal Lock, M5

2cm Length

3cm Length

4cm Length

5cm Length

3

Identification consists of a name that identifies the discrete item within its category.

Content includes all information other than for categorization and identification. Note that the text used for categorization and identification can serve more functions.

3 Scope of Itself and the Internet

Hyperlinks are available to webpages as not only a navigation process but also an information organization tool.

The major advantage of hyperlinks is allowing multiple users to perform edits on a certain topic without interrupting one another's edits.

1 Open-Source Documentation Organization

The following is an exploration.

The objective is to design an intuitive, modular, versatile documentation system for organizing open-source records.

First, what are the organizational tools available to us: hyperlink-able web pages, text, embedded media.

Second, we start.

Let us assume that we are in a general webpage such as the OSE wiki main page. At this point we can have text accompanied by a hyperlink to a particular GVCS machine, hereupon to be called Machine X.

Upon clicking the hyperlink we are redirected to to the Machine X webpage.

Should the manufacturing preparation (ex. bill of materials) be on a separate webpage than the manufacturing process (ex. instructionals)? Why do we put content on different webpages instead of everything on one page? One major reason is ease of navigation during usage and editing. A minor reason is memory size of webpage (while opening a large size webpage, significant processing can be wasted for information that is not relevant to the webpage inquiry).

Is combining the manufacturing preparation and process clearly better or worse for navigation than separation? What are the factors that affect ease of navigation? Complementary items are better suited to be together akin to how similar items can be grouped under a single category. As the manufacturing preparation and manufacturing process are both focused on clarifying the manufacturing of Machine X, there seems to be a clear complementary characteristic. Nothing unique about this situation warrants deviation from this conclusion, hence I would assert that they both be put in one webpage; i find one webpage easier to edit as well.

On the other hand, the user's manual consists of usage and maintenance, which are also complementary to each other but clearly different from the manufacturing preparation and process.

Hence, the Machine X webpage should start with at least two hyperlinks, one going to the manufacturing preparation and process webpage (Manufacturing Instructions) and the other going to the usage and maintenance webpage (User's Manual).

Continuing the exploration to the manufacturing instructions, the "manufacturing preparation" can be titled under Tools and Materials whereas the "manufacturing process" can be titled under Steps.

The purpose of the "tools and materials" category is to provide a handy grouped megalist with which to source and ready all the tools and materials required for constructing Machine X, along with the necessary summing of the total cost and column/row formatting. Because such formatting and summing are necessary functions, we would do well to go with a spreadsheet like Google spreadsheet. The organizational grouping method for this megalist is explained right above the actual spreadsheet below. Example column titles are group number, name, quantity, unit cost, total cost, source, and notes.

The purpose of the "steps" category is to provide a handy ordered set of steps for actually manufacturing Machine X once all the preparation has been established. Right now we ponder the 2 obvious choices, between using another spreadsheet or using the normal webpage format. For steps, embedded media is effective; because spreadsheets cannot easily handle embedded media, the intuitive path seems to be working within the normal webpage format. Steps is much more intricate than Tools and Materials, hence additional hyperlinks to part fabrication and assembly webpages should be required for streamlining Steps.

What would a Steps-hyperlinked webpage consist of? Identity is crucial. The name of the step webpage must be clearly distinguishable from others and descriptive of its contents. To facilitate list navigation, the name must also be concise. Each step webpage should

For a long list of items, grouped organization facilitates referencing and understanding.

The following list organizational system uses numeric grouping. Numeric grouping is more versatile than multiple dots or stars similar to how power 10 numbers relate to tally marks.

In numeric grouping, each item is assigned a number that represents the item's group priority.

Ex.

3 - Washers

Any number has a grouping effect that "underclasses" all higher numbers that are below the reference number.

Ex.

3 - Washers

4 - 1/2" ID

4 - 3/4" ID

...any item of number 4 or greater are hereupon underclassed by "3 - Washers"

Items of equal or lower number "undercut" the grouping effect of all higher numbers above the item of lower number.

Ex.

3 - Washers

4 - 1/2" ID, 1" OD

4 - 3/4" ID

3 - Red Wire

2 - 18 AWG

Examine the following.

Ex.

1 - Tools

2 - Soldering set

3 - Soldering Iron

3 - Solder, silver bearing

4 - 2mm diameter

4 - 4mm diameter

3 - Sponge

3 - Flux

2 - Hex Key Set

3 - 10mm

1 - Materials

2 - Alligator Clips

2 - Shrink Tubing

3 - 10-12AWG

3 - 16-22AWG