To the Mods - FrankTalk Wiki Proposal

[duke_cicero]

Hi FrankTalk Mods,

Like so many other posters and readers on this forum, this place has been an invaluable resource -- not only in a purely informative sense, but also emotionally and socially. I can't thank you enough for helping to maintain this community. And I thank all the guys here who've been so diligent in keeping this place so vibrant with your discussions, pep talks, debates, and shared experiences.


The challenge
One obstacle I think a lot of readers have when visiting this discussion forum is knowing where to begin. Like a lot of guys, I didn’t even know which questions I should be asking. When I first signed up for this website, I was experimenting with Trimix injections but had a sense that I needed something else.

It would have been nice to have a guided resource to help men like me understand if an implant is right for them, what kind of implant they should be thinking about, how to work with insurance (or how to manage self-pay if that’s the only option), what to think about to make recovery better and easier, precautions to take before cycling or having sex, and so on.

Without a truly organized guide to this information, new users who feel desperate to find help and don’t know where to turn create posts like “Hey I think maybe I want an implant but I don’t know what to do, does anyone have any ideas?” In response, users normally say, “Search through the posts and make your own judgment.” And this is what I did, for example—and it was helpful.

But the search function on the bulletin board system isn’t the greatest, especially since it doesn’t handle quotations in posts very well—so often, if you search (even if you search through a specific user’s posts) your search results often look like a giant mess of redundant posts.

The discussion forum is a great resource and I think it’s very important for FrankTalk users to be able to have open discussion. But, I think there’s an even better way to organize all this knowledge and experience!


A proposed solution
One way I think we could address this need and make FrankTalk even better would be to create a wiki or knowledge base, similar to Wikipedia. As with Wikipedia, the FrankTalk Wiki would be an organized compendium of all the knowledge and experience that FrankTalk users have gathered.

But, it would be edited to be highly readable and accessible. And we could provide sources for studies, information from manufacturers, links to videos, a place to download important diagrams or other information in PDF form, etc. There could also be an archived, organized reproduction of some of the most impactful stories written in the discussion board, with comments from the editors.

And it doesn’t have to just be about implants — we could also have dedicated pages for understanding general topics like: the causes of erectile dysfunction, using pills, using injections, using vacuum devices, and so on. There could be dedicated pages for every topic that’s addressed on the discussion forum.


How this can work
MediaWiki is a free piece of software that can be installed on servers. It’s the software that runs Wikipedia, actually. After installing, the mods could get in touch with specific users to serve as editors of the wiki — those users would make sure the information provided on the wiki is accurate, sourced, unbiased, as well as clearly and professionally written.

MediaWiki has good built-in search engine optimization for visibility on Google, and if the content was well-written, properly structured, and had good links coming in from other websites (which it will, in time), then it would only raise the profile of FrankTalk and create more of a positive impact.


Making it happen
Though I think it’s only best for the mods to decide who gets put on the editorial board of the wiki, I am volunteering a portion of my free time to contribute to the knowledge base. As a professional writer, I’ve had a lot of experience managing large written/multimedia projects like this, and I think I would be well-suited to help make this idea a reality.

I’d be willing to have regular email or DM discussions with the mods to discuss building out the knowledge base and finding other users to contribute to parts of the wiki that I don’t necessarily have that much expertise in. But I also think this is a great opportunity for there to be cross-pollination between the wiki and the discussion board, to propose ways to enhance the articles edited in the wiki.


What do we think?
FrankTalk mods and the greater community at large—what do you think? Should we make the FrankTalk Wiki a reality? Let me know.

Duke

[SWorks17]

Great suggestion Duke

It sounds like you have the smarts in that area to help FrankTalk grow and become easier for the average Joe to find the information that he's looking for.
It is a little tough to do searches on here, which are hit and miss. Thankfully a few of us guys hang around here on FrankTalk and can respond when they see someone they can help with the experience they've had.

SWorks says, thumbs up

[bldoink]

Why just in the Implants sub-forum?

[duke_cicero]

Why just in the Implants sub-forum?

Not just in implants! In my post I mention that there should be wiki pages and sub-pages for all the major topics here.

[bldoink]

Not just in implants! In my post I mention that there should be wiki pages and sub-pages for all the major topics here.

I sort of tried here https://www.franktalk.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9266 but without the special software. (Which you're welcome to play with during the interim.) There was apparently a lack of interest by the general forum populace. It would certainly be too much for one person on a continuing basis. Otherwise I obviously think it's a good idea. But again, why are you posting this in the Implants sub-forum when it should be of general interest?

[duke_cicero]

Not just in implants! In my post I mention that there should be wiki pages and sub-pages for all the major topics here.

I sort of tried here https://www.franktalk.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9266 but without the special software. (Which you're welcome to play with during the interim.) There was apparently a lack of interest by the general forum populace. It would certainly be too much for one person on a continuing basis. Otherwise I obviously think it's a good idea. But again, why are you posting this in the Implants sub-forum when it should be of general interest?

Oh wow! Nice, I had no idea. You make a great point, I think I posted it in the wrong spot. This is totally my bad.

[TANGERINE]

I know most of you know about this, but I wrote a miniature book documenting everything I know about implants. I have had an implant since year 2017. Everything is going great.

You can download a copy of the pamphlet at the following link:

https://sa1s3.patientpop.com/assets/docs/204787.pdf

Alternatively, I keep my overall progress updated at the following franktalk thread:

https://www.franktalk.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16298&p=190275&hilit=tangerine#p190275

feel free to distribute the pamphlet to anyone in any format.

good luck

Tangerine

[bldoink]

I know most of you know about this, but I wrote a miniature book documenting everything I know about implants.

The links are also referenced in the "Documents Worth Reading List" previously mentioned.