Google’s DataWiki experiment

Google Labs has just added DataWiki – it looks like one of the features Foswiki (and its parent) have been doing for 10 years…

Google Labs has just added a GoogleAppEngine based Java application called – DataWiki.

So far, project information is very minimal, but it looks like one of the features Foswiki (and its parent) have been doing for 10 years…

The timing is excellent, as I’ve been working with others in the Foswiki Community to improve Foswiki’s mashup-ability:

enable easy input/output from a variety of endpoints, e.g. via Twitter, ODK or SMS from a remote location

Right now we’re working on a proper REST API for foswiki data – enabling us to retrieve and save changes to datasets in formats that are convenient to the external endpoints – and to simplify the development to dynamic visualisation and editing tools for complex data.

Perhaps what we’re looking at is a combination of the acquired and shut down JotSpot, and a response to Yahoo Pipes 🙂

Foswiki is an extremely mature (10 years) DataWiki capable enterprise wiki, with significant traction in workplaces around the world, and a strong, motivated developer and user community.

A surprise move for the not quite open source project TWiki – kick people out of the dev mailing list

I guess having other people see what you’re working on is too threatening for the not-quite open source project TWiki.

It seems that allot of the developers that moved their main attention from TWiki to Foswiki have been kicked out of the public mailing list without warning, explanation or permission.

I guess its somewhat consistent with the password protection of the irc logs of the #twiki channel on Freenode (snigger).

I initially though that my mailing list password had been hacked, or maybe theirs, but thinking further, it feels consistent with the lack of deep understanding of the idea of ‘open’

Windows installer of TWiki 4.2 rc2 that uses Strawberry perl 5.10 beta 2

For the extremely adventurous – I have built an installer using Strawberry Perl 5.10 beta2 – TWiki-4.2.0-rc2.1-strawberry.exe

Warning: Search does not work, and needs someone to debug it (I’m away over xmas)

Wiki’s are manic

I’ve been working in the wiki space (on JOSWiki then TWiki) for years, like 6 to 7 years, and it amazes me how much hype there is now. Its nice to see that the mainstream press and business are aware of it, but the recent ‘see it doesn’t work’ complaints show, they still don’t get it.

Either you care, and when you see a mess, you clean it up, or you continue on your way. Neither is a failure, just life.

Its kind of like Wysiwyg editing, I find it distracting – thats not to say i think its pointless, but it does mean that I make different choices, from those made by others.