Pounding Simplicity into Wiki

Sustainability

Ward Cunningham

1 talk

Pounding Simplicity into Wiki

by Ward Cunningham

In his talk at the MountainWest RubyConf 2013, Ward Cunningham discusses his journey toward simplifying and enhancing the concept of wikis, particularly in the context of sustainability data. He reflects on the challenge of making complex data accessible and understandable for ordinary people, similar to what Wikipedia has accomplished with words. Cunningham's journey began when he committed to giving depth and meaning to sustainability numbers, creating a platform that promotes trust and usability among users. Throughout the presentation, he emphasizes key areas of focus for his 'Federated Wiki' project, which integrates visualizations and interactions to improve user experience.

Key Points Discussed:
- Distinction Between Raw Data and Meaning: Cunningham explains that while accountants can decipher the story behind numbers, the average person struggles to extract meaning from raw data. He cites weather data as an example where visualization can greatly aid understanding.
- Significance of Data Visualization: He shares his admiration for engaging visualizations, such as those found on hint.fm, which portray complex data in an accessible format. D3.js, a JavaScript library for creating data visualizations, inspired him to enhance data representation.
- Vision for a Federated Wiki: The core idea is to allow users to share and visualize data collaboratively across multiple wiki sites, shifting the burden from server-based to client-side sharing for greater flexibility.
- User Interaction and Dynamic Content: Cunningham elaborates on the ability to edit data visually, navigate through related content, and dynamically refactor wiki pages, highlighting the continuous updates needed for enhanced user experience.
- The Role of Curiosity and Agility: Curiosity drives innovation, while agility in development allows for responsive adjustments to community needs, emphasizing balance between user interests and personal experimentation.
- Emphasis on Community and Open Source: He advocates for a commons-like approach, prioritizing collaborative open-source methods that boost user trust and understanding within the community dynamics.

At the conclusion of his talk, Cunningham encourages viewers to explore the synergy between curiosity and trust in creating cohesive experiences within federated environments, underscoring the importance of fostering connection and engagement through innovative technology.

00:00:19.820 Hello everyone. I was thinking about what I could talk to this community about that would be really interesting. I find it to be a very inventive community, so I wanted to share my thoughts on inventing—especially when you have a reputation for simplicity, and you want to create an even simpler and more powerful wiki. That's the story I want to tell you today. This journey began almost two years ago when I applied for a fellowship focusing on sustainability data. In my application, I made a promise to give numbers depth and meaning—especially for ordinary people who depend on this data every day.

00:00:50.820 By 'depth and meaning,' I meant creating data that people can trust. Wikipedia has given words a depth and meaning that people rely upon daily, creating a magic that I did not create, but rather acknowledged the encyclopedia's creators. My goal has been to make sustainability data feel just as alive and real as Wikipedia makes the encyclopedia. When we think of data, we often envision pages filled with numbers. However, this is where the distinction arises. If you're an accountant, you understand that there is a company behind those numbers and can see the story they tell. But most people struggle to extract meaning from a page of numbers.

00:01:27.360 This challenge resonates when viewing weather data; while a meteorologist can easily interpret high and low pressures, most people find it perplexing. For me, this is where visualization comes into play. A visualization I encountered mesmerized me because it vividly depicted wind patterns across the country, illustrating complex data in an understandable way. This particular visualization site, hint.fm, provides engaging visual content, including daily weather and historical hurricanes.

00:02:06.099 Moreover, I was inspired by a JavaScript library called D3, which is akin to a jQuery wrapper around SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics). This library enables creating structured, interactive data representations that browsers can interpret. In one of my early D3 mashups, I plotted factory locations, mainly concentrated in China, which makes visual mapping at multiple scales challenging. Instead of traditional mapping, I adopted a physics-based model, combining two sample programs—one for mapping and another for simulation—allowing me to visualize locations through a simple pushpin model.

00:02:56.340 This blending of complexity and simplicity within visualizations became my focus. I envisioned a 'Federated Wiki' that combines data sets and visualizations, creating a platform for sharing not just within a single wiki site, but across multiple sites. This concept has been at the forefront of my thoughts for quite some time, fueled by the advancements happening within our current browser technologies. Traditional wikis operate as databases with web interfaces, typically supporting one site at a time. Conversely, I wanted to shift the sharing component from the server to the client side, granting the client greater control.

00:03:54.680 By decreasing the workload of the server components, this approach redefined how wiki concepts could apply to various clients. One requirement for this federated system is an edit capability, similar to Wikipedia editing but with added functionality. For instance, my editor allows you to view a paragraph in boring text format and click to visualize data through an n-dimensional chart. This chart specifies many dimensions and scales. While editing, users can view an entire specification of the markup language, fitting within one of those pages. I started to utilize many domain-specific languages (DSLs) to control small sections of shared pages.

00:05:14.640 In exploring creativity in this process, I began by designing for mobile viewing, narrowing my pages so that I could view up to five sides on a laptop or even more on a large screen. This adaptability is crucial for managing scattered content. My journey involved deeply understanding the data behind sustainability and categorizing documentation to model user interests effectively. This resulted in a structured approach to visualize relationships among various pages and data sets, allowing dynamic refactoring of shared content.

00:07:03.360 As I worked on this project, they hired me for my expertise, but over time I embraced experimentation within the software. I decided that pages could combine data sets, images, and historical edits. As an ejemplo, I could highlight the edit command that demonstrated the history behind paragraphs. I realized the importance of context; if a page you want doesn't exist, it could suggest nearby pages that might help you find what you need. This dynamic searchability is essential for effective user navigation.

00:08:26.700 I have navigated the wikis without causing confusion, and the process is similar to object-oriented programming where you traverse a hierarchy to search for content. This traversal and the notion of a neighborhood became fundamental principles of my design philosophy. Eventually, I saw connections emerge across multiple sites—an interconnected framework through which users could effectively share and learn. Recent changes across various federated wikis should consistently show shared updates, reinforcing the message of seamless data interaction.

00:10:54.400 The underlying collaborative spirit was manifesting, but I recognized that I wasn't being agile; I was pursuing my own interests rather than actively responding to community needs. Observing notable figures like Brett Victor and Mike Bostock, who excel in visualization, I sought ways to innovate further. I drafted principles on the new Wiki's mission by focusing on federation, refactoring, and visualization and began sharing videos of my progression.

00:12:34.980 I want to emphasize that my intention was not to create the ultimate wiki, but instead, an innovative one. In doing this, I faced challenges related to complexity—recognizing that a great deal of material falls into the realm of middle school math, yet involves advanced influences and concepts. Throughout my journey, I was driven by curiosity, which helped me hone agility in delivering content while recognizing the need for a balance between curiosity and user needs.

00:14:02.700 The power of curiosity has proven invaluable; however, an agile project requires confidence in your code base. I witnessed the emergence of Development Operations (DevOps) and noted how frequent deployments foster trust. Yet, I contrasted this with the wonder found in pursuing unexpected revelations—many discoveries delighted me while some approached failures became learning opportunities. This has opened insights into what might exist beyond traditional agile practices.

00:15:44.100 In the following months, I greatly expanded what I had built, including key features like plugins, which enabled collaborative work among users. The excitement of interactive experiences came as I explored areas such as data visualization and macro programming with tech systems. I created various plugins that function alongside established software while pushing the boundaries of flexibility surrounding data.

00:17:52.160 As part of my process, I wrapped several concepts together; these included user interface designs effectively demonstrating connections through web-based frameworks, like connecting multiple data streams, while concurrently managing them with basic programming outputs. With these plugins, users could enjoy dynamic experiences, effortlessly interacting through visualization tools on the wiki.

00:19:38.420 I showcased how specific setups hot-glued together data processing and output control, incorporating a variety of tasks from sender functionalities to data collector duties. My approach to these integrations made room for highlighting functional scripting, streaming samples of signals, and adapting those into useful presentations for end users joining this exploration of federated wikis.

00:21:33.300 Moving forward, I seized the opportunity to construct school-like features that helped differentiate themselves through multiple interactions while providing comprehensive data visualizations for consumers, displaying how interconnectedness optimally functions within their environment. Pivoting away from isolated units and commonplace trends often downplayed the capacity for useful technology, turning it into an accessible and vibrant experience.

00:23:27.540 Developing this exploratory environment provided a practical understanding of how technology can deeply influence perception and communication. In moments of revelation, even through trials, such adaptability fostered a creative, organized environment that fueled momentum across the federated wiki spaces. By cultivating dynamic tasters of thought and expression, we are fostering brighter prospects as technology empowers joyful exploration of our surroundings.

00:25:19.900 To connect variations of content, I recognized how essential it was to facilitate seamless experiences from pointer-click to processing actions through targeted streams of data. Expanding this principle further, we can build personality-driven interactions while addressing complexities through casual simplicity in a federated wiki framework. The act of interoperation enhances how we perceive collaborative output—merging passions within tech and everyday life.

00:27:38.100 Over time, the need to give back to this dynamic community emerged as an array of technologies took form, yet I remained firm on fostering open-source methodology—advancing the collaborative experience while creating a commons-like intellectual property notion, steering away from ownership hindrances. This evolution, while fluctuating, revealed greater truths emerging in dynamic tech environments promoting inclusivity.

00:29:22.560 I underwent realization processes of bringing these innovative tools into a web-friendly community-led triage. As the concept of sharing grew, the desire for resourcing emerged, advocating for mutually beneficial complements among participating entities, allowing for space to reflect rather than solely reverting into tedium. In our quest toward achieving vibrant, user-friendly visions across technology and everyday life, we are fostering revolutionary paths.

00:31:07.440 Ultimately, I posit that through this dynamic framework, we embrace curiosity as a core principle, but recognize the necessity of also instilling confidence within collaborative environments to breed trust, excitement, and engagement. With this synergy, we can raise our visibility through deep learning, meaningful connections, and critical reflection, redefining what is achievable collectively in our federated spaces.

00:32:32.750 As my time here draws to a close, I encourage you to contemplate the synergy of exploration through curiosity and trust, channeling these insights toward developing cohesive experiences across our federated environments. Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to any questions you might have.

MountainWest RubyConf 2013