[NTLUG:Discuss] KnowledgeBase Product?

[Robert Citek]

On Friday, Aug 20, 2004, at 13:16 US/Central, Hanna, Mark wrote:
> yikes!  I can see maybe using a combination of two products for one
> solution... but you start getting up to 3 or 4 differnt products and
> that just sounds like a update/maintenance nightmare.

There is no "one solution" because there is no "one problem."  In fact, 
a really simple knowledge base system is to use e-mail via a mailing 
list (see mailman).  People already know e-mail, right?

Also, what do you mean by update/maintenance nightmare?  Do you mean 
content or software?  If you mean software, then on the client side, 
with the exception of IM, everything else can be done with Mozilla 
(full install).  If you need IM, GAIM or Kopete.  On the server side, 
'apt-get ...'

If you meant content, again not a problem.  In my experience solutions 
flow like this:

  problem -> (back and forth, trial and error) -> solution

Posting the problem tend to be via Instant Messaging (IM), e-mail, or 
Bulletin Board (BB).   The trial-and-error part also tends to be via 
those same mediums depending on how quickly you want the feedback.  
With IM, it's very fast.  With e-mail and BB'es its a bit slower.  Once 
the solution is found, summaries are usually posted on a web (e.g. 
summarizing via IM doesn't make much sense).  And wiki makes 
summarizing very fast and very simple because anyone can do it.

Regards,
- Robert