Help:Namespaces concept

Namespaces concept

Namespace is an abstract layer for pages of certain type. Mediawiki has separate namespaces for templates, forms, semantic properties, users, system messages, files, special pages, help pages, etc. It is to separate them from the main content.

Namespace name is shown as prefix to the pagename, eg. Help:Namespaces concept means the page "Namespace concept" in the "Help" namespace. The main content namespace has no prefix.

There are two custom namespaces on JesusWiki.org.

• One is to store bible sources, its pages have prefix "Bible:". It contains verses and outlines and can't be edited by regular users.
• Another one is "Personal" namespace where regular users are supposed to create subtopics.

Topics and public subtopics can be stored by bible editors in the main namespace (unprefixed).

How do our users understand this...

Separate namespaces are to help users to maintain their own records and to protect others from seeing bad content, to keep things ordered as much as possible.

BIBLE NAMESPACE

Imagine big folders — one folder for each Bible version — where every verse is on a separate sheet of paper. It is like a library. JesusWiki.org magic makes it possible to choose arbitrary sheets, to group, arrange and re-arrange them as you need. Once your work is completed, all verses return to their places, leaving you with a glimpse of your work results — a saved collection of verses. Add some thoughts and share your vision.

You don't need to edit a verse, you like it as is. There is a group of experienced users, that do care of making verses even more useful by adding cross-links, etc.

Anton

PERSONAL NAMESPACE

Think about it as of sheets of paper in a personal folder of a wiki user. All folders are located in a box named "Personal" and each folder has a user name written on it.

Each user is responsible for adding files in his own folder. He is planning content of his/her folder and does care about keeping it clean, nice and useful for his purposes. The user can't add files to folders of others, just can leave notes.

No matter if several users have files with the same name — they are in different folders and are maintained independently.

The box is open, and everybody including guests can read files in all folders. The folder owner will see the latest versions of his/her files, and the others will see only approved versions.

Anton

MAIN ("PUBLIC", UNPREFIXED) NAMESPACE

The other box is big and it is locked. It has no label, but everybody think of it as of "Public". It is transparent and all users can see files and folders inside.

These papers are mastered by "bible-editors" who do have a key to open the box and to put new papers or rewrite existing ones.

Sometimes, when they see that there is a beautiful paper in the personal box, they can "take" it into the public box.

There is a list of topic names on the wall of the transparent box. And regular users must keep to this list creating their own records. If they can't find necessary point in the list, they are to ask bible-editors to update the list.

Anton