permaculture

[Paul Cereghino <paul.cereghino@comcast.net>]

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.