VJ Wiki

[Pappu1980 0]

Hi.

I am updating few Wiki Pages related to IR1/CR1 as i am gathering based on forums. I also created template for address and content to be displayed on left and right sections. This helps user to visualize much better on wiki pages.

Check out James's Shortcuts.

Actually I think it will be good if admin adds Wiki extension ParserFunctions http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:ParserFunctions.

This extension is very widely used extension which allows to use some conditional statements such as if..then..else, ifexists... etc. We can use these functions to create some nice reusable templates to improve page.

Thank you.

[Captain Ewok 1,891]

let me take a look .

[Captain Ewok 1,891]

I added the extension .

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

I have no idea how to do this, but is there any way to put in some kind of workflow that would give certain options and then would lead you to the info you want?

So the first page would be something like, what options are available to you, and the flow would be something like a symptoms chart in a medical book.

Does that make sense? It would be for newbies trying to figure out what they should file for, and then would give them all the relavent links.

Is this possible? Is the best place for it the Wiki?

Edited April 18, 2008 by Poiteen

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

I have attached a demo of how the flow chart would work, but rather than being a flat page, it would give options, and when you click on a option it brings you through to the next options. In an ideal world at the end it would tell you all the forms you need to send etc. at the end.

Anyone know how this could be done?

Flow_Chart.pdf

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

ok so, since you haven't replied I guess it's not something your interested in.

Can I ask another question, why hasn't all the stuff that's in the guides been transfered to the Wiki. I've just been looking around the site today and found stuff that I never knew was here! A lot of really useful info is a little bit buried, and you kinda have to know what your looking for to find it.

It seems that it would all be more organised in the wiki?? no?? I know that the guides are not editable to the general membership, but wouldn't it be easy to make some wiki topics locked?

[Captain Ewok 1,891]

That is possible yes. I agree with having a great deal of info on the wiki but want to make sure that the guides stay fixed for obvious reasons. The work flow would possibly be an expanded Flow Chart (we have a couple). I would agree that maybe we can expand on them to make them even better.

Quick quesion: How easy is the Wiki to use and find things in? My hope is that it will become a great community resource .

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

I find the wiki much easier to use than the guides. when you see terms on peoples posts that you don't understand it's hard to find out what it means. I have to say that it was much appreciated that the link to all pages was put right at the front. I was looking around for that before.

Maybe it would be useful to click on the type of visa you're going for and then there are a list of topics that are relevant to it.

The reason I find the wiki an improvment on the guides is epitomised in the example of the packet 3.

If you don't know what Packet 3 means, and you put it in to the google search, you just come up will all kinds of stuff that isn't very explanatory. My next port of call would be in the Immigration Dictionary, but it's not in there either. It's not explicitly referenced in the K-1 or IR-1/CR-1/K-3 guides or flow chart. It's a major treasure hunt for anyone wanting just a simple explanation of what the thing is. Yet it's something that people refer to constantly.

The search function on the wiki would be much more useful for this kind of scenario.

[Pappu1980 0]

I have attached a demo of how the flow chart would work, but rather than being a flat page, it would give options, and when you click on a option it brings you through to the next options. In an ideal world at the end it would tell you all the forms you need to send etc. at the end.

Anyone know how this could be done?

Poiteen I believe that you are looking for some 'self guided wizard' for the users who is actually looking for specific forms.

Wiki is mainly 'loose content management system'. It doesn't allow dynamic feature as you are envisioning. I compare Wiki as a classroom with blackboards everywhere. As soon as you enter in a classroom, you can read all blackboards without any restrictions. Not only that you can get a chalk for free and start putting anything you want on the blackboards as well as modify if anyone made mistake.

Captain Ewok did a great job in putting Wiki and start adding stuff in. As a users it becomes our responsibility to start adding contents as we gain knowledge. Also we need to reference Wiki contents for forum users' questions.

Having workflow in a guides page is a good idea but I think that it would require some Web Page Design expertise and having several users keep maintaining it going forward.

[Pappu1980 0]

I added the extension .

Thank you Captain Ewok. I will try to make some reusable templates to display checklist. Let's see how it would evolve over time.