tdbcelts.org

The Celtic Re-enactor Wiki has been started. So far we have 4 people contributing (not including myself).

If anyone from here would like to be part of the contribution team simply send me an email (gobae@oakandacorn.com) and put "Wiki-Signup" in the title. I'll then create an account for you and email you back the specifics.

The Wiki is located at http://www.celticclans.org/wiki

[i][color=#FF0000]note: the link is dead as of 170114[/color][/i]

Because that would put us very nearly back in the same boat as you described with spammers and contributors with dubious research mucking up the pages. Additionally, re-enactors searching Wikipedia would have to wade through many more erroneous hits to find historical Celtic information.

The only advantage would be that Wikipedia DOES have the staff to deal with spammers and people maliciously defacing entries.

You're correct, wiki-code isn't straight forward and it's one more thing to learn.

So far we only have two people (other than myself) interested in contributing so it may not even get off the ground. We'll just have to see.

...why not just get accounts on wikipedia and participate in that project instead? There is so much good material there already it would seem to make more sense to start there and help build out for re-enactment purposes or where entries seem weak. However, if you are just considering using the software for your own private needs, I understand, having done so myself.

Another thing to consider is the relative computer savvy-ness of your user base. Wiki markup can be as obtuse as standard html, and even more frustrating when you already know html and have to learn wiki just to do otherwise simple stuff. I've noticed at least in this group that not many folks seem very interested in learning a markup language at all, and with so many WYSIWYG editors built into all the forums and bulletin boards anyway, who can blame them?

Yes, that's basically what we plan to do. We're basically using a wiki engine to ease this cooperative project, not subscribing to the "Wiki-society" philosophy. Here's what we currently have worked up as guidelines.

[b]Users/Contributors[/b]
Anonymous - The typical user off the "street" can only view and search. No modifications can be made at this level.

Registered - Have full access to modify and add (but not delete) entries. People wishing to register will email me directly requesting access. My goal is that this will hopefully stop bots, and spammers.

Right now, other than an admin level (which is just me) that was going to be it. If this grows it's easy enough to move people up into a Moderator or Admin group.

[b]Time Frame[/b]
1200BCE-800CE Basically, Hallstatt to the end of the Insular LeTene eras. I was thinking of extending it to the end of the "Migration era", but that could open up a huge Norse/Viking realm to cover with wiki articles. The ending date is probably more problematic than the start since arguments could be made to take it all the way through 1746 or maybe even later.

[b]Sourcing[/b]
I was thinking that a footnote system something like you mention, could be denoted by (p),(s),(t) (primary, secondary, tertiary) could be used. So, if I wrote

"Overall the blacksmithing ability of the Celts was highly varied with some smiths understanding and using heat treatment techniques while others retained their non-ferrous techniques.(s5:293)"

(Secondary source, bibliographic entry 5, page 293)

Obviously not everything is going to have a page number and we should be flexible since we're dealing with a variety of source types.

Overall, I'd like to keep things simple as possible (for writers as well as readers) so perhaps we could divide each article up like this:

- Page/Subject Title
- General Overview
- Key Details
- Anomalies/Exceptions/Alternate Views
- Numbered Source Bibliography

Ive been running Wikimedia (and before that, tikiwiki) for a couple of projects for awhile now. Wiki's are great, but there is a downside - if you don't lock them down (which is the exact opposite of what they were designed to be = totally open), or unless you have a ton of helpful moderator types willing to police it, eventually the spammers find you and it becomes a major pain in the butt every day. I use one for a project at work and I have one for an old dice game me and some buddies made up years ago - [url=http://ktog.in8sworld.net/]check it out[/url]. It's locked down so you can't join, but it works :)

I was thinking of setting up a Celtic Re-enactor's Wiki. This would allow us to describe and source anything: weapons, tools, tribes, terms, digs, books, and more. Of course this could potentially be big undertaking, but if there is interest in helping to contribute I'd be happy to put one up and host it.

Thoughts?