All good points, there's actually a wiki entry on writing wiki entries that says much the same (see
Writing Wiki Entries). There's nothing wrong with Steve's idea, that's what we're trying to accomplish.
Ideally entries are the basics for a beginner with either links or enough information that someone can get to more expert information, ideally they are time defying. But you're also correct that as our understanding grows or new facts come to light what we "commonly believe" can be quite wrong. Hopefully when those come to light in the forums the wiki will get updated by a member, or someone reading the wiki will "report" it as incorrect and then it'll get updated.
That said, if any of those goals weren't met then let us know how it could be better and someone with wiki authoring privileges will update it.
DIY Solar's mission is to be a teaching site. While there are some experimenters here reporting their findings, the ultimate goal is for those who have questions about solar technologies to learn. A lot of that is to separate fact from fiction, expert from crackpot. As such, it's important to make sure that items in the wiki and FAQ entries are reviewed for accuracy. It's not a repeat of what other experts have done, it's more of an interpretation of what the experts have learned for the layman and the the poster's understanding is correct. And yes, there should be links or enough information so those that want more can research deeper into it.
Yes it takes time, we're human and make mistakes, and even the best entries will need periodic tuning. Hopefully there will always be members that feel it's important enough to do to make the time to do it.
Exactly right. The Wiki entries are intended to be concise and simple. Ideally it's the sum of
basic knowledge from everyone and removes any bias; so they take seconds to read rather than the hours you might spend wandering the forums. The downside is a loss of nuance, for example I've learned a lot in the discussion in this thread alone and those facts won't make it into the wiki just because they are too nuanced.
I get paid. It's in
thank-you's, a
thumbs up button, a
smiley face, or best yet a response (members have helped me a lot). It'll be the currency of the realm after singularity so it's good to start early ?
The current policy is members should report anything incorrect. But, I can see where a periodic review would be useful. Possibly we'll get more organized as the entries age more or someone steps up for it.