Proposal: Include Spreadsheets as an alternative to Wiki Sheets

[Dunamin]

I really am not in favor of migrating my sheet to google docs.

You don't have to. The proposal is to offer an additional option for sheets, not to remove the current one.

 

[Kalidrev]

Even as an additional option for the mean time, the wiki may eventually be going away for good, especially if we cannot fine a suitable alternative wiki site that can host our character sheets in wiki format. Because of this, while not optimal, I would recommend that you become familiar with the spreadsheets so that you can at least use them while we find something better.

 

[Lord Sessadore]

I like the spreadsheets for a few reasons. They are a bit easier to fill out than the current wiki option, we don't really have to worry about server speed or downage, and we won't have to worry about needing to find another new home for character sheets down the road.

The sheets do look nicer on the wiki, I don't think there's much debate there. However, I have a few reservations about moving them to a new wiki. Even if we found a free-to-use MediaWiki site, I'd be concerned about server reliability, speed, and whether or not it'll still be here as long as we need it. That, to me, is the biggest reason I'm leaning towards the google docs - I really, really don't want to have to have all the characters moved again down the road.

I'll hold off voting for now, but to quote Scorpius I think it's our least bad option right now. And we do need to do something. We've been warned for a long time now that the wiki is going to go eventually. If we just sit here in our comfort zone with the old wiki, one day it'll shut down and we'll be in a very tight spot.

 

[renau1g]

I know in this oligarchy anything have to say isn't important but I tried the spreadsheet and I did the wiki far easier to work with and to understand.

Oligarchy? There's a reason we do proposals in the open and not just through out judge e-mail accounts. We want to hear from all sides of the community. Now no ruling on anything will please everyone, we do listen (at least I know I do).

I'm with you on preferring the wiki, but this isn't to remove them as an option, but to allow some to use excel who find the wiki too cumbersome.

 

[Lord Sessadore]

It might be a good idea with one formal Google docs account for judges, that all judges can log in to - just like we have a shared email account and shared EN World profile.

That way, the only documents in the account are pending L4W character submissions, and you can simply remove one after its been processed. I imagine this would also be an easier way of keeping track of submissions in general.

We already have this - the judge email account is gmail

 

[Kalidrev]

Well, hopefully when Morrus does the updates he's planning on doing, it doesn't mess with the Wiki coding. If it doesn't, then we can keep the wiki and have the google-docs sheets as an alternative. If the wiki DOES stay, I know that I'll be sticking with it... it's too perdy to give up (and I happen to like doing the coding... I know, I'm a geek like that)!

 

[Dunamin]

We already have this - the judge email account is gmail

... Oh yeah. For some reason I figured that accounts were seperate from email and documents.

Excuse me while I execute my Level 29 Daily Monk Power: "Epic Facepalm"

 

[Dekana]

I hope that, if this proposal passes, there isn't another proposal somewhere down the road that would strike out the wiki altogether as an option. I like the wiki vastly more than using a spreadsheet (no offense Scorpius, of course).

 

[ScorpiusRisk]

None taken. I also like wikis.

 

[Kalidrev]

Dekana,

I do not believe that eliminating the wiki altogether is what is on the plate here. For now, however, the Wiki is down and getting used to the spreadsheet(s) may be a good idea for all of us. I happen to love using the wiki (it's much better looking and I happen to like doing the little bit of wiki coding), but it's not available right now. If it gets fixed and the software updates that Morrus is going to be doing don't ruin the wiki coding, then using the Wiki, rather than the spreadsheets, will still be a valid option for character creation.