[bksvol-discuss] Collaborative Editing System

  • From: "Pavi Mehta" <pavim@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:02:53 -0700

Hi All,

Recently I've been thinking a lot about how we can tap into the collective 
expertise of this community in a more systematic way -- particularly as we work 
on improving and adding to the current Scanning & Validation Manual. I thought 
it would be interesting to pilot a collaborative editing effort with those 
interested to see what we could come up with.

Serendipitously, Dianna Messina, whom many of you know took the initiative to 
draft a Validation Checklist (thank you Dianna!)- a document that can 
eventually be used by volunteers for quick reference before they make a 
submission.

I thought it would be fun to open it up now to interested volunteers to add 
their comments and edits before Bookshare finalizes it. I've posted the 
document online on a site called Writeboard which provides a platform for 
collaborative editing online. It saves separate versions of the document with 
each successive set of edits, making it easier to sort through than wading 
through the discussion list. 

Those interested in taking a look, and participating in this "pilot project" 
can open the document by clicking on the following link and entering the 
password: globalreplace
http://123.writeboard.com/734e17d5ff86ab954/login

In order to view the document in its proper format please click on the "Edit 
this document" button on the upper left corner.

Edits can be made directly in the document.
If you have comments please add them in at the end of the document along with 
your name.
You are given the choice to either save your edits as a new version, or if they 
are minor edits you can save them in the existing version, you can also choose 
to cancel.
Remember to logout when you are done.

It's not the perfect collaboration tool on some counts but it seemed to be one 
of the more accessible ones available. (I ran it by our support team who took a 
quick look and thought it could work). If it does work then we can plan on 
wrapping up other sections of the manual in this fashion. If it turns out to be 
non-accessible and more of a hassle than a help I will definitely look for a 
different system. Either way I am excited to see what emerges!

As usual feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

All good things,

Pavi Mehta
Volunteer Coordinator, Bookshare

Benetech 
480 S. California Ave., Suite 201
Palo Alto, CA 94306-1609 USA
Phone:  +1 650 644-3459
 
pavim@xxxxxxxxxxxx

www.benetech.org
 
The Benetech Initiative - Technology Serving Humanity 
A Nonprofit Organization








 To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line.  To get a list of 
available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.

Other related posts: