"Table of Contents" style FAQ/Wiki page?

Hi, guys. I've decided that THIS is the year that I'll re-commission my 1982 XJ550 (see this thread: http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=43470.html ), but mention of a FAQ has got me thinking…

Q. Is there currently an exhaustive FAQ/Encyclopedia/Wiki for the massive amounts of information contained in this forum?

If so, where is it?
If not, can one be created for XJBike.com?

I'm thinking of something like a concise "Table of Contents" that directs users to various "nested" threads on various XJ-related topics, like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Table In effect, it "networks" all related threads together.

 

How about clicking the XJ4ever banner "Catalog" on the top right corner of your screen. Chacal has compiled a great Information Overload Hour link which lists a lot of the typical work needed for our XJ's

see below to confirm you've found the link everyone should have bookmarked:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=27544.html

 

Thanks for the suggestion! Yes, I've certainly seen Chacal's Catalog and the "Information Overload Hour" pages, and since those pages are so exhaustive, I would like to see a functional "table of Contents" for them both.

I joined this site ~ 2007, when I first saw the Info Overload Hour page... and honestly, the "insurmountable-ness" of the data had the effect of causing me to leave my bike garaged for half a decade. There was just way WAY too much information all at once. I know others here wouldn't be as wussy as me in that regard, but given that we're dealing with web-design - which is about as plastic/dynamic as information-sharing can come - it ought to be easy to update the pages to include vastly more functionality.

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1. The best would be a search function specific to Chacal's Catalog, or the Information Overload Hour. Perhaps one already exists that I'm not aware of, or there already is an "advanced search" way to do that, but I'm not that web-savvy yet.

2. Second best option would be to make the section headings (i.e. A, B, C, D, E, etc.) and each sub-section at the top of the pages "clickable", so that your browser will send you directly to the information you want to see --right from the individual topic heading/sub-headings:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... art=0.html

Definitely, every section listed in RED should be hyperlinked, and also each subsection that is underlined.

I think these are called "internal hyperlinks" when they're within the same page, and "relative" or "absolute" hyperlinks when they're on a different page/server. This would operate much like a "Back to Top" link, which is much more efficient than scrolling through hordes of text.

3. I would also like to see these type of links connecting the Info Overload Hour pages directly to the parts catalog entries.

4. Pictures! Words work, but as a newbie trying to learn this material, it's MUCH MUCH easier for me to learn part names/relationships if I can SEE them. That's why my favourite threads here contain step-by-step photos of various procedures.

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Perhaps only Len or a forum moderator would have access to edit his posts, and should attain the following goals:

A. Make it easy for him to update his prices at will, and without having to do a bunch of re-formating or editing (including updating hyperlinks).
B. Make it easy for his customers to quickly find the parts/prices they want.
C. If the webpage/forum itself could keep track of this behind-the-scenes (a.k.a. "nerd-craft") info, I think that would suit Len AND his customers the best.

= my 0.02.

Any other suggestions/ideas?

 

I think things like the Information Overload Hour work best in conjunction with a good manual.

This site is old, especially in terms of how fast the internet develops now-a-days.

What you're effectively suggesting, is fundamentally a good idea, but really is hours of work to update pages. In fact, it would be easier to start a wiki, and copy the text over to it, because redesigning a navigation infrastructure around existing pages is a major pain, and this comes from years of setting up, designing, and re-designing websites. Using these systems makes it much easier to add new information, and edit existing information, without upsetting the entire navigation system.

I now use content management systems such as wordpress and wikis to set up websites, they're fantastic and extremely easy to customize. So that is the path I would go down if I wanted to make an online manual. They also come with the benefit that when the system is upgraded, you don't normally lose your pages, but of course you would have a back-up anyway.

 

I have no problems with how it is.

Dave Fox

 

someone started this:

http://xjbikes.wikidot.com/

 

Thanks for your thoughts. My point wasn't to rock the boat; only to improve this already outstanding community. I guess I've become a spoiled web-user, with all the current upgrades of the internet.

That's what I guessed, but didn't have the expertise to know. I've already spent dozens (maybe hundreds) of hours reading posts on here, so if I had the skill, I would certainly spend a few hours "upgrading" the pages. Alas...

Hmm. I think one's ease with Information Overload "may" be directly related to ...number of motorcycles worked-on.