MeatballWiki

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CmapProtocol

From http://cmapforum.ihmc.us/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=81&start=10#p191 we learn, that there is already a way to instantly call up a Cmap in edit-mode. This protocol gives an alternative to the http - protocol to build a writable Web of ConceptMaps.

Conversation

FridemarPache: Nathaniel, could you test, if clicking on the following link cmap://cmaps.cmappers.net/rid=1G5KYQS1R-236KJHZ-TP/Sandbox.cmap fires up you Cmap Tools in editing-mode? If successful, I ask you to leave a link in RecentChangesCmaps.

NathanielThurston: Fridemar, it didn't make a link. I tried pasting it into the navigation bar, and that didn't work either.

FridemarPache: In my case it works. What about reporting this to the CmapsForum. Nathaniel, I think, if you reported it on the forum we might save a lot of time with hunting the devil in the detail and at the same time, it would help to attract more barnraising wo/manPower?

NathanielThurston: I noticed from the forum that it's "fixed in version 5.03". I'm using an older version, as I have a PPC-based mac, which won't run the latest version. I guess I'm out of luck.

FridemarPache: This helps. So we must find, which alternatives work best (version dependent):

  • with started Cmap Tools
    • clicking the URL or resources- links in an already existing cmap link in "favorites" or from "history"
    • searching within "places" to detect the wanted cmaps in html or cmap format
    • searching the Web within Cmap Tools for the html version in the browser, then replacing http://. by cmap://..
    • searching the Web external to the Cmap Tools for the html version in the browser, then replacing http://. by cmap://..
    • clicking the html-link from within a html page, normally a wiki or an existing cmap, that contains an html URL-link to another Cmap in html representation
    • converting in the browser an already existing html representation by a cmap representation in edit-mode
    • searching the cmaps within Cmappers.net and in-place edit from there.
  • without started Cmap Tools
    • searching the Web for the html version in the browser, then replacing http://. by cmap://..
    • searching the Web for the cmap version in the browser, (Google indexes pages, having an URI of the form cmap://...)
    • clicking the html-link from within a html page, normally a wiki or an existing cmap, that contains an html URL-link to another Cmap in html representation
    • converting in the browser an already existing html representation by a cmap representation in edit-mode
    • searching the cmaps within Cmappers.net and in-place edit from there.

The possibilities (considering some server- or clientsided possible bugs) are mindboggling .. so we must find an easy workflow. Wikis together with embedded links and images can help a lot.

NathanielThurston: perhaps we should make a practice of having a "concept" on the CMap which contains the address of the editable copy. E.g., "IHMC Cmappers/Users/nathaniel/TeaTime"

FridemarPache: Exactly, at least the main concept of a Cmap should have the same name as the last path component of its HTML representation. It could have been so easy and wiki-like, if the developers of Cmaps hadn't burdened the user with a long unfriendly "rid" (resource id). Only pathnames with an imbedded rid component allow protocol-switching between Html: // and Cmap: //. This is a known issue as explained in [CmapForum CmapPathnamesShouldBeHumanReadableAndMachineReadableAlike]. For tracking the involved Cmaps, it would be nice to have a dedicated wiki, which gives Recent Changes and the Concept Names. We can also use a FireTrail, say Cmaps.

NathanielThurston: Fridemar, if you like, I could set up a dedicated Cmaps wiki, either a TeaTime wiki hosted at wikkiup.net or a UseMod wiki hosted at thething.is.

FridemarPache: Nathaniel, your offer is friendly and constructive. Sooner or later, only a Wiki can successfully catch up or even better supplement a connected set of Cmaps. Even a set of bilinked or mirrored wikis could be helpful, in case one of them goes down. Currently (abstracting fom some downs in recent times, hey Sunir, what's going on :-) the current constellation has the following benefits:

  • Meatball has the greatest recognition by Google to barnraise the Cmappers community,
  • Chances are good, that a lot of sleeping barnraisers in Meatball recognize the need and opportunity for their help
  • the RecentChanges are not overcrowded like in AboutusOrg.
  • Meatball can attract new wikizens from the Cmappers, due to its mission on barnraising / community building.
  • Meatball's mighty Twin brother AboutusOrg can synergetically supplement Meatball

....

FridemarPache: Nathaniel, I found that working from within the CMap Client gives the best workflow. I consider to leave a manual RecentChangesCmaps, within Cmaps.