So, architecture? Other things too (i.e. small-scale carpentry)? On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 00:50:18 +0000, Christiaan Briggs <christiaan(a)last-straw.net> wrote: > Wikibuilder - a knowledge base covering the design and construction of > the built environment, in its entirety, in all languages. > > Project proposal page: > http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikibuilder > > See also: > http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Proposals_for_new_projects > > == Basic idea == > > To create a knowledge base covering the design and construction of the > built environment, in its entirety, in all languages. > > == Scope == > > Much, if not most, of the information could be presented as text (and > could start off as just that), but text presents profound and obvious > limits for describing the built environment, so much of the > information > would be pictorial. With the drawing expertise of designers and > draughtspeople around the world who are intimate with CAD (computer > aided draughting) there should be no shortage of people to get the > ball > rolling. > > There are currently efforts going on in the graphics and architecture > industries to standardise pictorial file formats (see links below) and > the main topic of initial discussion on Wikibuilder may well revolve > around the kind of file formats to use for presenting and distributing > sketch, 2D, 3D and other kinds of pictorial information. Carrying on > from this might be discussion on graphical styles and style > standardisation. > > There are a few open-content repository-type websites around for > sharing building details, et cetera, but most of them are woeful and > narrowly focused on CAD technicians looking for details to use at > work. > There're a myriad of websites dotted around the internet offering > information on design but this is extremely fragmented. > > == Why? == > > Ever since we as a species started manipulating our environment we > have > built a vast knowledge of designing and constructing the built > environment. This knowledge belongs to everyone, but much of it is is > locked away in people's heads with no easy way to share such > information except for books (usually expensive ones) and > apprenticeship. A wiki focused on the built environment could help > unlock this knowledge and make it accessible to vast numbers of people > (builders, designers, inventors, diy'ers, knowledge lovers) who could > put it to use and continue to build on it in a open way. A wiki could > also help the push for open standards in the presentation of pictorial > information via the internet. > > Kind regards, > Christiaan