Appropedia blogs feed

Finally a working mediawiki sitemap

Lonny — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:46:59 -0700

This is a follow up to Making a sitemap (opensource documentation wild goose chase).

So, thanks to the OLPC folks, we finally have a working google-compliant sitemap. The code below is adapted from http://wiki.laptop.org/go/SEO_for_the_OLPC_wiki/sitemapgen. Here are some notes about the implementation:

Save the code as makesitemap.sh on the root directory (appropedia.org/)
Add executing permissions to the file, by typing chmod u+x makesitemap.sh
Run it from the site root by typing sh makesitemap.sh, or even better run using cron.

#I had to download a new version of generatesitemap.php from http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:GenerateSitemap.php. I was getting a Class 'MWNamespace' error.

A community-owned wiki

Chriswaterguy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:57:54 -0700

We've been talking* about how to make Appropedia something that the community as a whole takes greater ownership of. Here's some ideas:

Feedback on the blog, please!

Chriswaterguy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:44:15 -0700

This is a new blog, and we're experimenting with Drupal, as that has the potential for forums and cross-login with the wiki. But we've also been throwing other ideas around.

Let us know what you think, what's not working, what you suggest. Thanks!

Better Ways to Find Humanitarian Employment

Chriswaterguy — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:50:33 -0700

Damian Doyle writes:
The latest "Better Ways" booklet from RedR is called Better Ways to Find Humanitarian Employment. It provides guidance and practical advice both for those seeking their first humanitarian job and for those who have already established themselves. Well worth a read. It can be downloaded from the Eldis site.

Farm Fountain

Chriswaterguy — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:25:37 -0700

Cool indoor ecosystem: http://www.farmfountain.com/

I'd love a sustainable, sunlit version.

Now I'm just pondering exactly what they mean by "edible plants, fish and humans" :).

(Hat tip: Seth Woodworth, a fellow who appreciates appropriate technology, from OLPC)

Welcome to the Appropedia blog

Chriswaterguy — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:39:30 -0700

This is the blog to accompany Appropedia, the wiki for solutions in the challenge of building rich, sustainable lives.

Follow our blog to understand how things work, and how we're dealing with the challenges of a growing wiki expanding into new areas. Your contributions are very welcome - you can start contributing, let us know your questions (commenting here is one way). You can also keep watching here as we talk about how things work in this wiki world, and figure out where you fit in. (But we'd still love it if you dropped us a line.)

Buckminster Fuller Challenge

Chriswaterguy — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:22:08 -0700

Appropedia made it to semi-finalist in the Buckminster Fuller Challenge. (Yay, recognition! Sob, no cash prize.) From our entry:

Difficulties in tracking down existing solutions to appropriate technology problems has led to engineers and fieldworkers wasting time, energy, and resources solving the same problems over and over again. A single shared infrastructure is needed so that the existing disjoint community of appropriate technologists can more easily and openly collaborate on their projects.

...and that's exactly what we're doing, in appropriate technology and many related areas.

Green homes for all

Chriswaterguy — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:14:26 -0700

Green home designs that cost less than traditional housing - simple changes make such a difference. Especially passive solar design, which also makes for a much more pleasant and comfortable place to live in.That's real sustainability.

Originally posted, by the same author, at Pablo Garuda.

Openness in the UK

Chriswaterguy — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:07:46 -0700

Engineers Without Borders UK are interested in how to contribute to the Appropedia wiki, and the process of making content free‎. Which of course leads to questions about when someone's content is their bread and butter. A section of that page, "But I earn a living from my content!", addresses this question, but needs much more thought.

International Development Design Summit

Chriswaterguy — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:05:42 -0700

Very pleased to learn that the International Development Design Summit (IDDS) in Boston, running this month, will be using Appropedia for documenting their projects