Perhaps internal realtime searches should be available only to registered members to keep load down?
Also, there may not be a contradiction between using Google and having realtime updates. Perhaps you could provide Google.com with information directly by arrangement and inform them of changes? I'd be surprised, given the freedom their research people are reputed to have and the number of 'beta' projects they've had if they are unable to do this. Whether they're willing is another matter.

An XML service or similar would be useful to people running 'pedias off-line and synching with the main server at intervals. Running off-line would lower lag time for editing users and (back to the point) allow searches of the local copy without hitting the server.

OTOH, updates could be irrelevant to the person running the off-line copy and be wasting resources. I need to think about this some more. Index updates? On demand checking (a local but internetworked copy)? Hmmm...

Russell

Google is how people get _to_ Wikipedia and does a good job at it; as an internal navigation mechanism it's wholly unsatisfactory for contributors who need to be able to check the current state of things in detail.

-- brion vibber (brion @ pobox.com)
_______________________________________________
Wikitech-l mailing list
Wikitech-l@Wikipedia.org
http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l