Looking for volunteers to maintain the Polaris PWC Knowledge web site

[K447]

- allowed to either put up my own ads (Google AdSense) or accept donations.

- if - we want to get off of google hosting.

It almost seems like we'd be better off just converting it all to a wiki that cites GH when applicable.

Google has generally been fine as the web site content host. They are forcing a change to the underlying web site structure, which is effectively pushing the whole 'how is this thing going to carry on without me?' issue closer to the front burner.

I have intentionally disabled advertising across all of the posted content. I have no doubt it would generate at least a modest cash flow given the web view traffic. I do maintain a few basic URL traffic counters. I actually pay some money to support the web linking and traffic monitoring.

If this thing is not worth being maintained just on its own merits, then the money from ads is not going to make it work.

Wiki style still requires content moderators and editor access control. Without which the spammers and vandals will weasel their way in and make a mess.

[K447]

Well, apparently a portion of the collected info is no longer accessible online.
Google Drive 'Access denied' message now appears when clicking on links to some downloadable PDF.

If I find some time I might start poking at the problem, but without someone to take over the maintenance and do the work to bring the web sites up to snuff, more things are likely to break and more Polaris PWC info will 'disappear'

I have not done anything to maintain the site since Google initially sent me the warnings that it must be upgraded or it will be archived and effectively 'go dark'.

[sdlvx]

I believe I have downloaded the entire site that is available, including available images and PDFs. At the very least I have a back up.

[K447]

Well, apparently a portion of the collected info is no longer accessible online.
Google Drive 'Access denied' -

If I find some time I might start poking at the problem, but without someone to take over the maintenance and do the work to bring the web sites up to snuff, more things are likely to break and more Polaris PWC info will 'disappear'

-

Those that need the info can try again.

During the coming winter season, perhaps the Polaris PWC community can get together and get some/most of the site converted, updated and hopefully improved.

http://greenhulk.net/showthread.php?t=292886&p=3128256&viewfull=1#post3128256

[K447]

- Polaris PWC community can get together -

October 2022 status: the Polaris PWC Knowledge web site continues to be in need of ongoing care and attention.

This is a request for a few individuals with enthusiasm for Polaris PWC to engage with the Polaris PWC Knowledge web site.
Make it better, make it more complete, make it something of your own.


I am not actively maintaining or working on the site.

I know it could be much better. You guys know it could be much better.

I have not owned a Polaris PWC since 2017. While I do continue to visit and provide post and thread assistance to others within the Polaris forum on GH, the future of the Polaris PWC Knowledge web site cannot continue to rest entirely and only with myself.

It is not merely a searchable topic index into numerous Greenhulk.net posts
The content is organized (well, at least some of it) into an understandable structure so you can find what you are looking for.

There is also unique content and useful info within the site pages that does not exist elsewhere.
There are also many PDF and text document resources complied into a trove of findable information.

A team of just a few people can become custodians of this community resource.
Not just to keep it alive, but to make it better.

As these watercraft continue to age different problems are becoming common. Things that were rarely an issue ten years ago are now things that need solving. Different diagnostic methods, different tools, different methods of restoring them to water ready condition. Different sources for parts. Different solutions to problems.

There is a lot that can be done.

Who is going to be helping the Polaris PWC Knowledge site live and grow?

[K447]

Status - Jan 2023: incremental degradation continues

Some navigation links have broken, both external and within the web site.

http://greenhulk.net/showthread.php?t=299729&p=3182855&viewfull=1#post3182855

I am still in need of a few people to maintain and update the web site.

For a long time now, there are none.

[xlint89]

What type of skill is needed to maintain the site?

I can barely post a pic or a link. I'd be afraid of messing something up and creating a bigger problem for someone who knows what they are doing to resolve.

[pascoea]

I'm not just here to annoy you guys with dumb questions, I'm actually a computer nerd by trade. Happy to pitch in, I'll shoot you a PM.

[K447]

- I'll shoot you a PM.

What type of skill is needed to maintain the site? ...

There is the ongoing task of maintaining the operational structure of the site. Fixing broken links, updating the site page layout, and so on.

This is mostly web tech kinda work.


Then there is updating the actual Polaris PWC Knowledge information. Pages where the posted info is now out of date or incomplete. Adding new links from the Knowledge site to less old GH posts, especially where the newer GH posts have better info.

In some places the existing Knowledge site links point to info that is now incorrect. Of the posted link is simply broken as the GH site itself has changed how outside links are formed.

This would be where deep historical understanding of the Polaris PWC world comes in.
Being able to recognize that some existing info is incorrect, or that better info has been posted somewhere. Then find that better info on GH, crib the relevant web URL link, and add it into the Knowledge site, in a useful place. With some words of context for the new link.

BTW, it is entirely OK to include links to other places online that have useful Polaris PWC info.
Some of the other web sites from 'back in the day' still include interesting and useful Polaris info. If a proper external link can be formed that will reliably jump to that external info, I have no problem with including it within the Knowledge site.


About two years ago Google changed the way Google Sites work, and the Knowledge site has not been updated to conform to the current requirements. Google forced a change which broke some of the sub-page organization. Almost no effort has been done to re-jig the Knowledge pages to fit the new Sites rules.


So there is a mixture of work to be done.
Identify what is currently broken.

Figure out how to restructure the site to work well.
Hopefully without breaking many of the commonly used outside links (posted into thousands of old GH posts) into the Knowledge site.

Review the posted Knowledge and identify what info is now incorrect, incomplete, or has broken links.
Make a plan to work through the site and improve it.


Effectively whoever becomes the new chief editor will get control of the entire Polaris PWC Knowledge web site. They will have passwords and inside info on how the pieces fit together. Depending on how the details work out, I may lose control of the site entirely.

[Beernutz]

Hi Keith,

I am not sure if it applies to the pwcmanual site as well, but the "classic" version of the PWC Knowledge page will go offline January 30th, based on a little bit of research. I don't know what is involved in allowing access to edit, but I would be happy to get my eyes in there and see what the options to migrate would be.

Ryan

[pascoea]

Hi Keith,

I am not sure if it applies to the pwcmanual site as well, but the "classic" version of the PWC Knowledge page will go offline January 30th, based on a little bit of research. I don't know what is involved in allowing access to edit, but I would be happy to get my eyes in there and see what the options to migrate would be.

Ryan

There was a previous suggestion on this thread to turn the site into a WIKI style page. It would be nice to be able to allow community edits, with the control of a couple of overlords.

[K447]

There was a previous suggestion on this thread to turn the site into a WIKI style page.

It would be nice to be able to allow community edits, with the control of a couple of overlords.

I am not innately adverse to a Wiki-esq implementation. Someone has to plan, manage and probably implement that transition.

And then manage the ongoing changes that Wiki people make/add/delete. If some of the contributors cause degradation then the wiki moderators must quickly reverse the changes or make edits. That ongoing watchkeeper function is an overhead the current 'web site' method avoids.

If there is to be a limited community of 'wiki editors', that is not much different from having a group of editors authorized for the web site.

The current 'web site' structure has the downside of allowing(requiring) a small number of gatekeepers to update/maintain and make changes to the content. And when they are not making changes, the thing remains the same.

Greenhulk.net can (and does) act as the Wiki, of a sort, so the external site can link into that resource as new information arises. That was the original basis. Some info was concentrated or replicated within the site but the majority of the info was simply posted within GH, then linked to from a group of organized 'web site' pages.

This is why many of my own GH posts are more expansive and inclusive, beyond merely directly answering the question or problem posed by an individual GH member. By including the background context and explaining how and why the diagnosis or repair would be done, others who may see it much later can still use the posted info to do their own diagnostic and repair.

And the external 'web site' can link to that thread and those posts, adding an 'index' entry that hopefully leads from the query to the information.

[pascoea]

Yeah, I certainly appreciate the concerns. Not looking to make noise or anything, just another method to consider. However you want to get after it, I'm willing to help out.

[Beernutz]

I am not innately adverse to a Wiki-esq implementation. Someone has to plan, manage and probably implement that transition.

And then manage the ongoing changes that Wiki people make/add/delete. If some of the contributors cause degradation then the wiki moderators must quickly reverse the changes or make edits. That ongoing watchkeeper function is an overhead the current ‘web site’ method avoids.

I know with MediaWiki, you can restrict editing to registered users or just to the admin. I'm sure there is also a possibility of any public edits requiring approval (by a group of carefully selected moderators) before they go live, as that would allow for a lot more community involvement.

[Beernutz]

Just wanted to update... all of the ".shorturl.com" links are dead, including the one that leads to the manuals.

Polaris PWC Knowledge (google.com) will get you to the knowledge site, and I would be happy to PM anyone the link to the manuals.