Has anyone out there done an analysis of what the software on Plastic.com and Everything2.com does in comparison to TWiki? I am trying to sell TWiki internally and am facing these others as contenders. Thanks. M.

-- MartinCleaver - 24 May 2001

Not me. But this brings up a good point. We should have a place to discuss deployment issues of TWiki. So far we have Codev (TWiki development) and Support (installation issues e.t.c). Do you think it is time to create a new web for TWiki deployment issues? Or should that go into the Main web?

-- PeterThoeny - 24 May 2001

http://Plastic.com runs the software used at http://slashdot.org, named SlashCode. The software is GPL licensed, and available at http://slashcode.com. This program uses a information model similar to Usenet News, you are not able to work with it in a way like with a Wiki. The data is stored ín a mySql database.

-- HubertWeikert - 30 May 2001

Can you elaborate by what you mean when you say "you are not able to work with it in a way like with a Wiki"?

-- MartinCleaver - 01 Jun 2001

Re http://www.plastic.com - slashdot type sites allow only a limited set of users to post new stories, which can then be commented to by anyone using a threaded discussion structure. See slashdot.org for the best known such site. This only competes with TWiki thread mode (though in some ways it is better if you are going to have a lot of discussions) - the disadvantage is you can't easily refactor from a Slashdot type thread into a TWiki page, and slashcode doesn't make it easy to do formatting and linking - you have to write your own HTML tags or just use plain text. Actually, a TWiki-fied slashcode would be very useful... Or alternatively a TWiki extension that supported Slashdot type discussions, with all threads using WikiSyntax.

As for http://www.everything2.com - this looks much more Wiki-like, but also more complex, with moderation, editors, and so on. Does mention re-factoring, but unclear if anyone has ever tried this in an intranet setting or how it would work there - probably doesn't have revision control etc.

Re the new web for for TWiki deployment issues, I'd like to see this - mainly focusing on 'soft issues' such as how to get TWiki established, dealing with internal groups that need to approve it, how to encourage people to contribute, and so on. It would also be useful to have a place to discuss technical deployment issues.

-- RichardDonkin - 01 Jun 2001

Just to add to the list, at my site they are considering yet another tool: Team Wave. A lot more graphics and heavily Java-based (and slooooower).

It seems to do most of what is possible with a TWiki (and even more free-form, as it doesn't seem to be text-based). Any opinions?.

-- EdgarBrown - 01 Jun 2001

TWikiDeployment is the new meeting place to discuss deployment questions.

-- PeterThoeny - 01 Jun 2001