Permaculture Database

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [permaculture] database, wiki, blogs, forums, etc
Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2006 22:56:04 -0800
From: Paul Cereghino <paul.cereghino@comcast.net>
Reply-To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>

PREMACULTURE MEETS DIGITAL INFORMATION DYNAMICS (no summary available at
this time...;)

> Rich wrote:
>
> If I were to implement this, I'd just use an off the shelf wiki, and 
> write a documentation convention for how to format a page. Say
>
> This would need very little setting up, it could be done in a day.
> It would meet the need of most users, who basically just want to read 
> things.
>  
Rich's comments are compelling.  I am not sure we have yet described a
cohesive cyber-animal.  I think we could examine this from the existing
'permawiki' as a point of reference.  It is a valid attempt to create a
conceptual network.  What functions does it serve or not serve?
(http://permaculture.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page)  Is it evolving as
envisioned or hoped?

I think the colaborative writing opportunities in a wiki are very
powerful.  What I mistrust is that the overall structure of the wiki
lacks form.  In other words... the whole is less than the sum of its
parts.  However, I am not convinced that a step up in complexity is
necessary, but rather a better organization of the wiki concept may
serve the purpose.

I'd propose that this is due to to flaws: the 'pages' of a wiki are not
classifiable, nor are the ways that wikis connect with each other
clearly classified.

Christopher Alexander's Pattern Language stands out as a stellar example
of a dynamic user-engaging presentation of complex design theory.  If
something of that power could be constructed for a permaculture we would
be on to something.  Why does it work so well?

The structure of each "Alexander Pattern" is fairly constant.  The
pattern is connected to larger scale patterns, an argument for the
importance of the pattern is made, the argument is discussed, the
critical characteristics of the proposed pattern are summarized, and the
pattern is linked to the most relevant smaller scale patterns.  Rich's
reference to a documentation convention may be a solution.

Each Alexander pattern is roughly located on a 'scale' axis -- from
large scale patterns to small scale patterns.  Wikis are not organized
along some critical axis in this way.  Can a category be assigned to a
wiki page along a scale continuum (landscape > Site > guild), and this
axis be used to organize total content?

Each Alexander Pattern is the same kind of animal... it is a pattern
describing a spatial arrangement of an element or elements.  Permawiki
contains a whole zoo full of animals -- some oink and some fly.  Some of
them could qualify as 'design elements' (CHICKEN or FRUIT TREE) while
others are concepts (ZONES or KEYLINE) while others are actual design
patterns (HERB SPIRAL or APPLE GUILD).  Can a wiki either be narrowed to
one type of page, or have pages labeled so that they can be observed in
groups of similar pages.. A network of concepts, a network of design
patterns...

The linkages between these each 'wiki' are only defined by the text
surrounding the hyperlinked word.  There is no convention for how
concept/elements link to eachother.  Structuring the discussion of how
on pattern relates to another may be the critical link.

Here'd be my list of goals for a permaculture wiki:

# The wiki helps a person identify interactions between elements to
develop new and unique patterns.  This can happen at various scales...
linking systems accross a landscape, or elements within a site, or
guilds within a vegetation mosaic.

# The wiki allows a person to change scale or stay within the same scale
consciously, and stay on topic.  If the reader is interested in
reflecting on concepts, they can follow that path.. if they are deadset
on thinking about constructing guilds they can wander at that level.

# the wiki references high-quality sources of information, but does not
attempt to contain all information within itself - the function of the
wiki is to describe linkages between elements, and design solutions that
integrate multiple linkages.  Public domain PDF's could be linked within
the server.

# wiki pages would be peer reviewed, and elevated as 'high quality
drafts -- the whole wiki could be publishable as a PDF edition by using
consistent formating and large scale information structures.

## In terms of A wiki page should be as short as possible while serving
the function on fitting the concept, pattern or element into the whole.
I once had a professor who always gave us profound essay questions and
then limited the response to two pages double spaced 12 point font.  It
was brutal, and took twice as long as spewing out 10 pages of text.  To
achieve this the function of an information unit (a wiki page) has to be
clear as possible.