An (opt-in) #plone logging experiment

[Update: Since the #plone topic is linking here, here are the log archives. Today’s log is always at http://weblion.psu.edu/plonelogs/today.]

It’s no secret that the Plone community is locked in a continual and heroic battle to provide complete, up-to-date documentation. In other projects where the code outruns the docs, IRC logs of clueful users and contributors act as a stopgap. For example, I used to do a lot with PEAK, and logs of its main developer were invaluable. Plone is in a similar position, and the searchable logs of our #weblion channel frequently come in handy.

Every day, the community sprays huge amounts of knowledge all over the #plone IRC channel, and it is awesome. However, it isn’t preserved for Google nor for anyone who didn’t happen to be in the channel at the time. Offers to log #plone have drawn enthusiasm from some and trepidation from others, as some people value the privacy of what they say to their few hundred closest friends.

So here’s a bit of an experiment: opt-in logging.

For the past month, a few generous fellow Plonistas have helped me try this out, and so far, so good. See some representative results here. Logging on an opt-in basis, I figure, should make everyone happy (though I’m sure somebody will prove me wrong). If you don’t want to be logged, you don’t have to do anything; nothing you say will ever make it into the transcripts. However, if we can get a quorum of the community’s guiding lights to opt in, we’ll gain a whole new body of Googleable knowledge without having to do any additional work.

Join the experiment

Want to give it a shot and help plug some of the holes in the logs? Type this into your IRC client:

/msg SnarfBot logging on #plone

Even if you’re not a Plone supergenius, your contributions are reallyreallyreally valuable: an answer from a supergenius is much more useful when it’s preceded by the question.

If you change your mind later, you can always say...

/msg SnarfBot logging off #plone

Or, if you would like to opt in but occasionally need to curse a shadowy and retributive entity without fear of reprisal...

[nolog] I am going to steal into the CIA headquarters and paint their staplers pink!

Logging is keyed by nickname, and it’s smart enough to know that Whoody, Whoody_ and Whoody|lunch are the same person.

Where’s da logs?

So glad you asked! http://weblion.psu.edu/plonelogs. They’re still pretty sparse; we need many more people to opt in!

I’m wide open to suggestions, this being an experiment and all; just post below, and you’ll have my thanks for the loan of your brain. Finally, a hearty thanks goes to current and future opters-in: you’ve helped bootstrap a new source of Plone documentation!