The Sportsterpedia - A Waste Of Time??

[IXL2Relax]

The Sportsterpedia is a collection of information related specifically to Sportsters. It is a work in progress but here's the link for you to look at what's already there: Sportsterpedia <<<< CLICK THERE <<<<<

Is it a waste of our time creating this resource?

Is it a waste of your time to read it?

It seems there are folks posting in the forums that refuse to point others to the help available in the Sportsterpedia despite the fact that the information gathered there relies on vetted and verified facts gleaned from the thousands of postings on the forum.

Whether the refusal to reference others to the Sportsterpedia is a factor of ego, or ignorance, or resistance, the level of support that is shown for this potentially powerful resource will determine it's future.

The amount of time and effort required to cull the information from the original sources, compare the competing opinions and verify apparent facts is not insignificant - If the forum is unwilling to use the resource, the effort is truly a waste of time.

The Sportsterpedia is not some outside entity - It is part of the XLForum!

I believe there is enough data in the existing format so that the worthiness of the concept of the Sportsterpedia, as a technical & informative resource, can be evaluated by the members on this forum.

YOU WILL DETERMINE BY YOUR USE (or disuse) of this resource (pointing others to the reliable information and procedures) whether additional efforts will be made to continue building this resource or whether it will languish and die from lack of attention.

Sticky threads are great - but the Sportsterpedia can be better.
There are many sticky threads that have been invaluable to those on the XLForum. They have served a great good by bringing together the experience of many people on a common issue. They will remain a great resource on XLF. They will be used as links in the Sportsterpedia to allow exploration of some of the projects related to the subject being discussed.

However, there are many threads (including some sticky threads) with unhelpful and sometimes detrimental posts embedded in them. And those posts are not always easily identified as such by new users. The Sportsterpedia, because it can be continuously edited, allows incorrect information to be stripped out of those otherwise helpful threads and the true and accurate information placed into a linkable resource for future reference.

The Sportsterpedia allows all the good data from our thousands of threads to be placed in an organized format. It also allows additional, researched info to be added to the existing data to fully flesh out a subject so you don't have to look at 20 or more different threads to get all the data.

The Sportsterpedia allows for charts and tables of data that are difficult to create or maintain in a thread format.

The Sportsterpedia can produce PDF files of the collected data.

Here's the Main Screen - I have put arrows on this screen shot that point to the search box and the export PDF options... You can pick any of the subsections shown in the middle of the screen (or in the left menu)


Here's the Tech Section Screen - You simply click on the subsection listed on the page that you wish to read - when you get to the next screen, it will also have a Table of Contents on the upper right and you may pick a subject on the page to read - Or, you can simply scroll down to pick & read whatever you like on that page...

Sample listing of the EVO section on the Main Technical Menu:


The best way to get familiar with the data available is to simply click a link and see what is there...

As described in January when the Sportsterpedia project was first started, you can become a direct contributor by asking Bert for editing privileges and learning the formatting language.

Originally Posted by bplinson

I have set Sportsterpedia.com up so that only registered editors can do so in order to prevent vandelism.

Anyone can register and that puts you into the USER group. I then have to place you in the EDITOR group so you can edit or create pages.

After you register, please email me from the contact on the main page of Sportsterpedia.com or send me a PM here.

I encourage EVERYONE to contribute. You don't have to be an Sportster expert to do so.

If you don't feel comfortable doing the editing, you can make suggestions for content or format issues in the Sportsterpedia Progress thread.

And, of course, you can be helpful by pointing others to the great resource that the Sportsterpedia represents.


THE FUTURE IS UP TO YOU.


.....~\
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IXL2Relax
>>>> Build & Ride Reports Are Here <<<<

PS - I've edited this post to include more info (pics) about the Sporsterpedia based on the post by Hopper...
And updated the images of the SP pages as of 09-21-2017

[bgavin]

SP is not a waste of time.
However, it will be a thankless job, and you will be the Unsung Hero™

From the SP Broken Bolt Dept:
"First step is most important: WALK AWAY"

You must be a computer tech in your day job.
Good advice above.
Nobody is bleeding, nobody is dying.
Go to dinner. Chase the wife until she catches you. Etc.
Come back with a clear head, a night's sleep and a plan.

Use impact-remove tools on stubborn Phillips.
Mine is in my toolbox since my car wrench days last century.

[Hippysmack]

WOW, 52 views and not a word. That's OK. I am going to continue with my part until Bert kicks me out of it. I enjoy working on it. I figure if it helps one person then it's all worth it. It's already grown past the stickies into it's own entity with the history sections alone. If it dissolved even right now, it would be a loss to this forum. Remember, we are gathering information from outside as well as inside sources to one central, searchable location. This forum hasn't been that route so it complements or adds to this forum. There are many people, that Bert has given editor privileges to, who for whatever reason haven't been all that active but that's OK. For my part, I grew up turning wrenches but not on bikes (wrecked a lot em but not rebuilding/ maintaining) so I'm limited somewhat in certain areas and I have always admitted to that. I do have some skills that I feel may be helpful and I try to work in those areas. It is very helpful when someone offers up ideas for the wiki also. Some of you have helped me a lot with ideas and fact checking and that is very much appreciated. I do not pretend to know everything and I certainly don't want to write anything just wrong in it. There are certain subjects where facts are more important than opinions as well as subjects where opinions are the best that can be had. Like IXL2Relax said, it is a part of the forum. It is more like the grand puba of stickies where all the wealth of information from this forum can be easily searched. I've been working in the 'Reference Data, Tables & Charts' section and I know right now things are kind of all over the place in it. This section is NOT meant for reading it from top to bottom unless you chose to do so. All of these topics in this section will be referenced to from other sections in the wiki. For instance, a section on installing heads may tell you to use a torque wrench to a certain measure of tightness. The word 'torque wrench' may link to the reference data in case someone doesn't know what a torque wrench is or which is best or how to use it. The other section(that hasn't been written yet) may tell exact steps including bolt sizes, pics, experienced advice etc. with links back to the reference section on what type of anti-seize to use or the oil section I'm working on in case someone wants to learn how to choose their own oil instead of the garden variety of whoever answers their postings that day. Someone with more experience than I needs to write that section....I took on more than I could chew with the oil but I ain't stopping til I'm done with it. Mostly, I have a direction, good or bad, and I would greatly appreciate anybody fact checking what I've written cause it needs to be right. It's also appreciated to let the editors know that your alive. I'm not looking for medals and but I'm glad to be a part of it. I've always been a cog in the wheel and I've found you get more done in the background than up front. This is in fact all of the members responsibility to this forum to fact check if nothing else. We are including things that some of you wrote and I would sure let somebody know if they took me out of context. But, it is NOT a waste of time.

[Hopper]

I think you have a marketing problem. I have seen a reference or two to Sportsterpedia in varous posts but never knew it was part of xlforum.net, or what it really was.
And even looking around the site just now to see what your post was all about, I still can't find it.
Maybe if you educated us great unwashed on what it is, how to find it and how to use it, it might get used more.

On the other hand, many who post questions on forums are the type not to be bothered reading their workshop manual for themselves so probably will not look at Sportsterpedia either. They are looking for someone to tell them what to do.

[Hippysmack]

Originally Posted by Hopper

I think you have a marketing problem. I have seen a reference or two to Sportsterpedia in varous posts but never knew it was part of xlforum.net, or what it really was.
And even looking around the site just now to see what your post was all about, I still can't find it.
Maybe if you educated us great unwashed on what it is, how to find it and how to use it, it might get used more.

On the other hand, many who post questions on forums are the type not to be bothered reading their workshop manual for themselves so probably will not look at Sportsterpedia either. They are looking for someone to tell them what to do.

That's interesting. I've been in this since inception and your saying nobody knows about it? I didn't know that. It's on the left of the screen in the main menu, third heading down. Also in the forums section second heading of forum functions http://xlforum.net/forums/f...play.php?f=353. I usually go to the xfl portal to see all the posts. I guess some people just read certain sections. I just checked the thread that says "problems with Sportsterpedia" where I was having problems with the syntax. That thread has 9,073 views. People do know about.

[Hippysmack]

So, how do you market a section on the forum? I'm serious, some of you guys have a wealth of experience that's just waiting to be included in this and it just kills me when I add to the wiki, post it and nobody seems to care. Like he said, it just seems useless at times.

[Hippysmack]

Hey Hopper, remember this?
http://sportsterpedia.com/doku.php/h...tart#wrenching
Place your cursor over the numbers to the side to see the credits.

[Hippysmack]

Originally Posted by Hopper

On the other hand, many who post questions on forums are the type not to be bothered reading their workshop manual for themselves so probably will not look at Sportsterpedia either. They are looking for someone to tell them what to do.

I understand and see that also. But, at least they're wrenching. OK some just want to know who has the best seat or clothes and the Sportsterpedia is not in their future. I got that. But when it gets down to technical information, that's what this forum was built on. With thousands of threads on a subject, it's really hard to learn anything especially when we go off topic during a 100 page thread only to find out the op never finished the thread so you'll never know if whatever it was worked or not.

[XLXR]

A waste of time, no.

A work in progress, yep.

I have looked at it a few times and am generally impressed how well it has been progressing, and thanks to Hippysmack and the effort he, and others, seem to be putting into it.

I will help out and review the suspension and carb tuning sections, two things I have significant experience with. My time is limited, but I will be able to help a bit here and there.

[IXL2Relax]

Originally Posted by IXL2Relax

The Sportsterpedia is a collection of information related specifically to Sportsters. It is a work in progress but here's the link for you to look at what's already there: Sportsterpedia

Originally Posted by Hopper

I think you have a marketing problem. I have seen a reference or two to Sportsterpedia in varous posts but never knew it was part of xlforum.net, or what it really was.
And even looking around the site just now to see what your post was all about, I still can't find it.

That might be a valid criticism - Because even those who know about it aren't mentioning it ----
(I have now edited the first post to include screen shots and extra info - with highlighted link)

BUT...
The very first paragraph of this thread ends with the word Sportsterpedia - It's underlined - It's a direct link to the technical section of the Sportsterpedia...

Here's a link to the top menu of the Sportsterpedia <<<<< CLICK THE WORD

Spamming every single subsection with some kind of announcement thread would not be good forum behavior - Maybe one of the mods could place a banner (for a short while) with an explanation of what the Sportsterpedia IS (under the one for ReddTigger) so everyone sees it??

One of the reasons for starting this thread was to make sure people had the chance to know what it is .... But if people only stick to one section of the forum, I suppose they will never see what's going on elsewhere...

Here's a link to the MOST RECENT ACTIVE THREADS >>>> CLICK HERE <<<< --- That link will show you all the latest posts across the entire forum - However, if you are logged in at the moment, and you have blocked (in your profile) other forums from showing, then you'll still miss it...

As Hippysmack mentioned, in the Main Menu listing it's shown as 'Sportster Encyclopedia' - and it's been in that list since January...

.....~\
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IXL2Relax
>>>> Build & Ride Reports Are Here <<<<

Reference the XLForum Sportsterpedia
for additional technical information & advice