[R-wiki] Wiki and R namespaces

[Martin Maechler]

>>>>> "HenrikB" == Henrik Bengtsson <hb at maths.lth.se>
>>>>>     on Thu, 6 Apr 2006 16:12:48 +0200 writes:

    HenrikB> More feedback: The word 'namespace' will most
    HenrikB> certainly be confusing in the R-wiki.  When I went
    HenrikB> to "rdoc" to see help on R functions, I though
    HenrikB> "namespaces" referred to R namespaces and that the
    HenrikB> sentence "This is an index over all available pages
    HenrikB> ordered by namespaces" was simply a mistake.  Then
    HenrikB> I saw the same on the front page and realized my
    HenrikB> mistake.

    HenrikB> I think it is clearer write "Wiki namespaces" or
    HenrikB> even "Wiki (not R) namespaces" whereever using the
    HenrikB> word.

I agree.

In spite of the fact, Philippe has already spent a tremendous
amount of work on this which I appreciate deeply, let me take
the opportunity to say even more on this topic:

More generally, I think there's currently still a bit too much
visible "on Wiki" instead of "on R".
The normal person approach to R-Wiki should be to find a place
were one finds lots of useful information about R.
Only when exploring this information the user should find out
about the possibility to *add* information her/him - self or
about how the wiki is organized ``internally''.
I think this is the approach that has made Wikipedia so
attractive.

Martin