On Fri, 21 Aug 1998, Rick Gregory wrote:
> 1) Search the database for a technical article (by a several methods)
> and display the matching texts.
Bingo: I'd like to see this. And if possible, make it so that I could
search for "all articles applicable to TR4" and it would spew out a huge
list of stuff... that I could download, save, and peruse at my leisure.
> 2) Submit an article (We can automate this to reduce the huge task of
> system administration) The user handles submiting the article into the
> database which would immediately become available in the database for
> searching. We could password protect this to prevent harm from hackers
> or we could make the administrator review and approve articles before
> posting them.
Well, if you can find people to proofread, that's the best way. People
make mistakes (Except Dan Masters, who's beyond a mere "people"), so it's
best to have someone check out what you've typed, if only to make sure
things are spelled right (fluif!)
> The database could contain the article itself, the name, email, and
> web site of the author, plus any additional information you guys would
> think important like parts lists & numbers, etc.
Applicable cars, and parts source (new / used from donor / homebuilt)
> Inevitably I feel this database should probably reside at the VTR
> site, but I don't know if that is possible (I'm not familar with their
> web site, internally, nor am I a member). Either way, it could be
> "ported" about anywhere. (PERL is an internet standard)
The beauty of the web is that it doesn't have to. I'd want to put it on a
fast machine rather than tax the VTR site further. (I think the VTR box
is only a pentium... could be wrong tho!)
> Malcolm--> I don't think this effects the FAQ directly. A FAQ is still
> needed to answer the basics. (In fact, I'd put a link on this site to
> refer people over to the FAQ) What do you think?
You should make a tiny counter for each database article. Any articles
that get hit dozens of times can be replicated on the FAQ.
-Malcolm
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