Autonopedia

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The Practical Encyclopedia for Sustainable Living

Structure And Presentation

Combining many relevent concepts in one place introduces the reader to many other related disciplines in such a manner that the wholistic integration is clearly seen.

Everything in the community structure is related; from blacksmithing to household cleansers, from power generation to vegetable growing.

All subjects then, must be considered in relationship with each other in a 'wholistic' manner and therefore presented as such.

Introductions in each section leading to comprehensive advice and instruction encouraging the reader to apply the information themselves and provide the necessary data, charts, drawings and basic directions for them to do so.


Seperating navigation from content:


Retaining only local navigation in multipage articles, (apart from those required for significant references) not peppering the text with endless crosslinks which detract constantly in the flow.

Provide crosslinks only where it is significant and relevent, where a printed book would have a 'see page xxx' reference.

This along with glossaries encourages the user to focus on the subject and not be distracted by endless, and often repeated, linked words throught the text.

Minimise extraneous padding of text ("waffle"), using only that required for easy and clear reading ...... .

AND....Be interesting!



Technical Structure

HTML when used sensibly is one format that can be used by virtually every computer on the planet and all of the most widely available operating systems

Is is kept simple by the use of semantic page layout that is coherently readable even by a txt browser

This is then styled sufficiently with CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) to provide the information attractively and to enhance readability etc., but not to excess.

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The file structure & naming mirrors the the navigation, enabling the content to be browsed with a file manager (e.g. windows explorer etc.).

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Use of only common universally accepted and available standards, avoiding such technologies such as flash, pdf, quicktime, or other proprietry plugins.

Javascript has potential where it would be for useful functions, such as built in calculators, conversions etc. Other than that it is considered best to be kept to a minimum.

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A sequence of still images is generally far more useful than a video or animation in conveying the type of information on this site.

Pictures are very useful and maybe the odd simple animation, but simplicity is the key.

Image formats such as gif (inc animated), jpeg & png acceptable, others not.

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Any technology involved, along with HTML & CSS, needs to be completely free to use and and preferably open source.

Following the KIS(S) [Keep It Simple (Stupid)] principle.

 

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

It is easy to think that the use of the latest technology is the way to go, but let us have a look at the basic communcation technology linking the internet;

The telephone network

Despite all of the great advances it is still the humble telephone network that is supporting everything. Evolving, updating and moving its technology to cope with all the advances imposed upon it.

The fact this vast, rambling, chaotic and often shambolic collection of wires, optical fibres, switches, relays and electronics actually continues to work so reliably rests in the fact that it doesn't thow away something that works.

Within the telephone system there is technology that dates back to the early days of telephony co-existing alongside the latest digital wonders.

Electronics that have evolved from electromechanical devices into valve (tube) driven circuits and then translated into solid state using the early germanium transistors.

These were then translated again into circuits with silicon transistors. Some of these circuits have then been incorporated with others into an intergrated circuit (a chip). And again some of these circuits have become direct models for a digital or software equivalent.

At any stage, given an understanding of this, and the basic knowledge of the various disciplies envolved, it becomes possible to recognise a circuit by its function and not just by the technology.

These elements are used because they work, all of the engineers across the world are familiar with them and understand them. Even if they are not the slickest, cheapest, most powerfull etc, the fact is they work, they are extremely reliable and they are easily fixable.


Design by MKL