So, assuming the way forward is to build a new system to host this
information, what kind of features would people like to see? A few
things I've been mulling over:
* Search on part numbers, document numbers, keywords, etc. Globally
and per manufacturer.
* Interface through which documents and related data (TOC, etc.) can
be submitted, individually or in bulk.
* Some kind of moderation/approval system for above.
* Interfaces/scripts to (partially) automate submissions via feeds
from known archives.
* Replication of the entire
system to mirrors, or at least the ability
to pack the whole shebang up and move it to a different host with
relative ease.
* Ability to upload images of components/modules/machines.
As far as design goes, I'm thinking along the lines of a central
library that can be used by both a web-based front end and any scripts
necessary for maintenance.
Where do we go from here? I'd be happy to contribute in terms of
design, coding and hosting of a version control repository, maybe even
the finished system itself.
Cheers,
--
Steve Maddison
http://www.cosam.org/