There's a resource on the web for the purpose of collaboration when
writing mathematical papers.
It is called http://Wikimization.org
Essentially, the idea is this: If two or more authors wish to
collaborate, they must set up some kind of personal semaphore system
to make sure all authors are not editing simultaneously. This can be
quite inefficient. Suppose there were a place on the web where all
the authors could go to edit their joint work. That place should
have
a history buffer to show who was doing what and when. It should also
have a LaTeX-style input so the work can be easily compiled later
when
ready for publication.
Wikimization is a meld of the two words Wiki (the Hawaiian word for
quick) and Optimization. The site is not only meant to be a
repository of finished work - rather, it is intended as a mecca for
work in progress, available to each author anywhere there is Internet
access. Pages can be protected so that your work is not hacked.
Like
a Wiki, comparison of any two previous revisions is instantaneous via
the History buffer, and reversion to a previous version is always
possible.
I think Wikimization's most powerful attribute is the ability to
write
math in LaTeX, a capability absent from most all newsgroups. Try it
out and let me know what you think.
Jon
