Enabling blog-based responses (comments, ratings, ...) to TWiki Topics

A new approach to wiki interaction that allows users to respond to twiki topics via Blogs. Responses may include comments, rating, filling out forms, ... anything. The responses might go to special user-specific weblog topic (within single twiki installation), or at user's preference, they could go to any blog mechanism that user might be using. (The second part is for latter implementation.)

Opening this topic to get feedback on approach, and for suggestions on good implementation approach.

Problem definition

Let me first explain the background:

User behaviour

• There are some small number of active users who manage a main topic.
• Still more number of users are likely to comment using COMMENT box. Many users feel it easy to fill in information into tables and other structured approaches.
• Many more users are ready to use the topic information in private communication (emails etc.) where they have no entry barrier at all. Also, they would be interacting within a smaller community. These users will slowly migrate towards blogs, if right tools are available.
• Most people will happily fill forms. Provided that capability to create and circulate forms becomes easier.

Granularity of Discussions

• Communication happens around a document, URL (some good article) etc., and not necessarily a twiki topic. In other words, the unit of commenting is not a whole topic, but specific element in topic. (Another example: A list of tasks is maintained in a topic, and each of them is unit for discussion.)
• Therefore, we require permalinks for a block or line of table, and not whole topic.
• Access controls are necessary. The topic might be open to all, but discussion around it need not be.

Given this scenario, it will make sense to change the interaction style to the following:

Submitting Comments/ratings/form-fills...:

• The stakeholder of topic will decide the granularity by establishing context within twiki topic. Sometimes, it is as simple as just listing tasks, each of which will have permalinks. Or, you create a new topic by associating it with a document and its description. And twiki-enabled person might maintain a topic with lot of content full of wiki markup - but provide approapriate sub-context permalinks.
  • Create a mechanism to identify specific list or table row item, a section (and in generic cae a block marker such as %BLOCK{permalink="Xyz"}% ... %ENDBLOCK%.). The identity is called 'permalink' - a term used in blogs.
• Some standard icons will be associated with the permalinks: "Blogthis" icon invites comments/form-fills, another ratings. Another one will show subscribers. And yet another one will allow one to view the comments/ratings etc.
• All requests for comments, form-fills etc. will use standard approach: Standard templates which have form definitions - same as current Form approach. A form is generated dynamically from this definition.
• The information submitted by user will always be submitted to user's weblog. Within twiki closed system, it will be a special user topic called UserXyzWebLog - simply appended at the bottom. (If it is form-fill or rating, the latest will always count.) In open weblog system (i.e. contribute to any weblog), a standard text output is created (which has structure, and will look nice - for e.g. using YAML approach), and will be available for cut-paste into other blogthis mechanisms such as blogger plugins, native clients.

Reading Comments/form-fills/ratings...

• Clicking on relevant permalink icon also provides interface for browsing through comments, ratings etc. Basically it searches through all the "blogs" and presents the information.
• Optimization through a good indexing (and transparent catching to databases).
• The information is sufficiently structured to apply CSS styles to collected comments or form-fills. This information will basically be converted into tables.
• A user's view on his own topics will provide mechanisms to review his own information, allow the access controls (on each permalink basis) etc. Basically the user can allow the comments and ratings to be visible within a subgroup. The user can also delete the comments/ratings if desired.
• User can allow automatic archival of comments such that they are attached to permalinks eventually.

What is different about this approach?

• Essentially we are letting users "blog" using twiki framework. Blogs are easier interface to understand.
• The comments and other things get standardized in installation, and CSS'ified.
• Users feel they are in control.
• In theory, the system can interface with blogging systems by implementing ATOP or BLOGGER protocols to submit the information.
• While wiki systems excel in content organization (i.e. browses), the blogs excel in interaction around that content. Blogs are scalable to hold information (i.e. just keep on appending). Wikis excel in creating browse lists around that information.
• Everyone's view on the information can be different, and it is likely to be in blogs.

Implementation

Creating Permalinks

• Anchor mechanism will act as permalinks. But we want anchors within table and list elements. A simple syntax (such as the one introduced by StylePlugin) is likely to help here - to assign an ID as well as wrap the text for use of CSS.
• GUIDs will be required. If topic is permanent, an user assigned anchor is sufficient. (ActionTrackerPlugin has mechanism for GUID generation which could go into SharedCode.)

Process of blogging structured data

• Existing mechanisms use unstructured approach to blog information. The approach described here would probably be a first structured approach. So it is important to do this right.
• PollPlugin already allows mechanism to append structured text to any topic. But the approach of CommentPlugin also does the same (anywhere in topic).

Format of blogged data and structure of UserXyzWebLog topic

• This topic will be made up of series of blogs, each with a identifiable structure - such as a table of key-value pairs. YAML) is another approach. We don't want it to be XML for obvious reasons (i.e. want it to be editable). The key concept is that you have structured data 'islands' within unstructured data.
• New ones are always appended at bottom. After some age they will be archived into topics with UserXyzWebLogJuly2004.
• The format should necessarily be geared towards easy search mechanisms i.e. take similar items from forms and be able to create a table.

Blog submission process

• Clicking on "blogthis" icon associated with permalink will trigger a form-fill (depending on what the permalink owner wants). It could be comments, ratings and perhaps standard "blog this" format.
• The form's "action" will be a new script that will use a standard interface while interfacing with multiple mechanisms for different blog systems. The prefs (which blog server etc.) are picked from user preferences - with twiki mechanism being default.
• To enable the popular browser's blogthis plugins, a simple output for cut-paste can be created and used.

Showing all responses

• To show all comments or ratings, "show comments" icon will search in all the blogs and create a single view.
• In closed (i.e. intranet) twiki system, this is just an optimized search, possibly backed up by transparent database or FormQueryPlugin approach. In open weblog approach (i.e. using any weblog system), standard trackback mechanism will have to be integrated. Another approach is to allow the users to "subscribe" to the permalink, managed within twiki. In this case, it sequentially goes through all subscribed users and shows the comments.

Creating closed user groups

• Twiki will respect access controls while showing views. (The group information is taken during subscription process.)

Related work

PeerPlugin focuses on user provided ratings. The focus of this implementation would be to use blogs as standard interaction infrastructure.

-- VinodKulkarni - 25 Jul 2004

Looks interesting. I will study this more closely when Cairo is released.

-- ArthurClemens - 25 Jul 2004

LesOrchard's wiki/blog http://www.decafbad.com/ might be useful or inspirational.

TrackBack looks like one of the more interesting features of blogs to me.

-- WillNorris - 25 Jul 2004