RE: [Axiom-developer] axiom project homepage

[Bill Page]

Martin,

On Thursday, October 28, 2004 11:36 AM you wrote:
> 
> Bill Page writes:
>
>> using just the name "Axiom tutorials and documentation".
> 
> Please send an OK!, than I'll do this.

                    (: OK! :)

Please continue to feel completely free to change the
content on MathAction however you wish. It is an open
and unrestricted place where anyone who cares to can
make whatever changes they want (except deleting pages).
I think your views on how to structure the material in
MathAction are very good.

> Although MathAction is less controlled, please notice that 
> there is very little action on MathAction... So, control
> is not an issue currently.

The kind of "control" that I am concerned about on the
Axiom Portal (Plone) is the really best viewed as "privacy".
Perhaps one of the reasons that we see so little activity
on MathAction - in spite of the fact that everyone who has
seen it has praised it's apparently valuable features - is
that some potential users view it as *too public*. Many
people do not like to experiment in such an environment.
And in the end, a lot of people deprecate their own ability
to contribute useful material for others.

There are now about 30 people registered to use the Axiom
Portal. Some of them have apparently been experimenting on
their own in a less public manner. With Plone

  http://page.axiom-developer.org/zope/Plone

you can access Axiom and Reduce online via the web without
the feeling that everyone is watching what you are doing.
After you develop something that you would like to share
with others, then you can submit it for "Publication".
Then other users of the Axiom Portal will be able to see
and comment on the work.

While on the subject of the "action on MathAction" and
promoting it's use I should mention that I have submitted
the MathAction site to

  http://mathforum.org

however I have not yet heard back from them about adding
it to their quite extensive list of math resources.

I have also recently posted a message about MathAction at

  http://mathforge.net

Description: A set of freely available online mathematics
tools that include a community message board for math-related
news and user-initiated discussions, dynamic non-Java-based
MathML rendering capabilities (try them out and save your
changes in a Wiki), computer maths tools, and Web publishing.
The private message board allows users to form task-related
groups. User registration is required for some of the services.
Mathforge aims to be capable of numerical and symbolic calculation,
publishing documents with mathematical content, analyzing and
visualizing data, and much more.  

---------

> 
> I propose the following: I integrate into MathAction those 
> things I can move to MathAction (Please provide pointers).

I recommend using the Search function, the What's New link
and the Recent Items box to see what there.

> 
>> The Plone Axiom Portal on the other hand has not had nearly
>> enough attention. 
> 
> I do not have the time of maintaining the content of two 
> sites. And -- sorry, Bill -- I'm quite certain that it would
> not be a good idea to somehow split the content. PLEASE:
> Let's go with MathAction for a while. It provides -- nearly
> :-) -- everything we need right now!

I am happy to continue to use both since (for me) they
server rather different purposes.

Regards,
Bill Page.