Comments on: #WednesdayWrite: Review a WikiBooks Page

By: Katie

Katie — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 19:09:38 +0000

While I agree that this is much more reliable than the run-of-the-mill Wikipedia page, I am disappointed that this doesn’t have a list of references at the bottom. One of the main reasons that I use Wikipedia is because it’s a great jumping off point to find resources. It’s an open-source page, but I don’t have footnotes. This makes it much more difficult to use, and a whole lot more effort to cross-reference. If I didn’t already have other resources provided to me through this class, I would hesitate to use this over a normal page due to the lack of a sources cited section.

By: Faizal+Zulkifli

Faizal+Zulkifli — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 15:04:28 +0000

My own opinion is that the page from Wikibooks is just like a condensed version of the other resources given where information given in each of them is quite consistent between each other. However, because of the condensed structure so the Wikibooks page may not be an adequate resource as the information given eventhough it is accurate but might not be sufficient. It might be a good first reading to be more familiar with the proposal writings but to get more input about it might be a problem.

The surprising thing is that eventhough the Wikibooks page is not that detailed but it gave out one key point that is notbeing highlighted in the other texts which is about using proposals to protect ourselves as a writer and having limitations in listing out the solutions and outcomes. From my opinion, those key points are quite essential especially in making sure we are not making unrealistic proposals just for the sake of impressing the reader so every point to be written in the proposal should be given a careful thought before writing it out to avoid any circumstances.

By: Khang+Lieu

Khang+Lieu — Sat, 17 Mar 2018 00:02:32 +0000

The WikiBooks page contains many of the information found in the previous readings, most of it in a condensed form. The formatting on the page makes information easy and quick to find. The page does contain a section on how the proposal can serve metaphorically or legally as a contract, which I don’t recall seeing on the previous readings. Unlike the previous readings, the WikiBooks pages does not contain a section on the difference between internal and external proposals, as well as solicited and unsolicited proposals. While the WikiBooks pages does provide a starting point for researching proposals, I would still try to look into other readings to get a better understanding of how to write a proposal.

By: Benjamin+A+Beheydt

Benjamin+A+Beheydt — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 19:13:56 +0000

The first thing I would like to point out is that as far as free and unrestricted references go, the WikiBooks page about writing proposals isn’t bad at all. It includes a lot of details about what is involved in a typical proposal and mentions the main purposes behind each section. Descriptions give good insights into the subject matter at hand and pretty much give you a good understanding of the information you need to write a decent proposal. With that being said, there are a few issues. The first thing I noticed is the severe lack of discussion about audiences. This strikes me as significant because a proposal is meant to be an audience driven piece of writing — the whole point of a proposal is to encourage others to take action with a plan you created. The Purdue University outline “Planning and Organizing Proposals and Technical Reports” provides a much better review of audiences and their needs. The other thing I would mention is that the page references document design, but gives almost nothing on the subject. I wouldn’t say this makes the section inaccurate, but it does make it feel incomplete. And I think that is how I would ultimately describe the page: accurate but incomplete.

By: Ian+Addison

Ian+Addison — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 16:00:58 +0000

I thought that the Wikibooks page did a great job of explaining the purpose behind a professional proposal, as well as the heart behind it which helps me understand the main aspect of a proposal. I really appreciated the superstructure outline, which I can use when creating my proposal. On the flip side, I do not think that the Wikibooks page is useful by itself, and I think that the previous sources on proposals will need to be referenced as well, as they have some useful visuals that will aid in writing the proposal.

By: Mackenzie+Knox

Mackenzie+Knox — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 03:51:50 +0000

I would agree with everyone so far in that the Wikibooks page is the weakest of the proposal information that has been provided thus far in the course. As a typical Wiki page, it just scratches the surface and requires you to do conduct more research to get the full accurate picture. As some have previously mentioned, there is a lack of substantial vocabulary and just vague reference to concepts. However, I think that may suit the audience better. If one is seeking out a simple introduction for a proposal and find this on a Google search, they won’t be disappointed. Unlike a typical Wiki page, however, I trust that the information is accurate, especially since we have other articles to cross-reference.

By: Caed+Cunningham

Caed+Cunningham — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 03:33:58 +0000

As several people have already mentioned the WikiBooks openly editable collaborative platform is prone to potentially lacking information. This is more apparent when comparing to the plethora of resources that have already been shared with us. WikiBooks similarly to the other resources still has good and useful information on what the purpose and structure of a business proposal.

However WikiBooks does not have as much information as the other resources about different types of proposals its kind of general and all encompassing. There are also, unlike the other resources, no examples and the other resources dive into a little more useful theory such as the ethos pathos and logos of writing persuasively and other effective techniques.

Overall I think WikiBooks is still a useful source of information, a little more spread out in presentation relative to other consolidated resources but a great addition to look through as supplemental material for understanding how to best compose an effective proposal.

By: Kelvin Prempeh

Kelvin Prempeh — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 23:01:39 +0000

Though we’ve established that Wikibooks is not accurate or polished for that matter, I believe the page on Writing Proposals is well written. It carefully breaks down the general structure of a proposal and briefly describes what is expected in every section of the proposal. I agree with Katie on the fact that they went further to provide a checklist, and after going through it, it looks great and seems legit.
When compared to the previous resources, Wikibooks’ take on Writing Proposals lacks detail. The previous resources provide examples, explain the types, and provides effective strategies on writing proposals. I would also have to disagree with the Wikibooks article that an introduction should not reveal the full description.

By: Mark+Marut

Mark+Marut — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 22:11:56 +0000

Overall the main ideas of the Videos that we watched yesterday, and the WikiBooks page are similar. I think just in general the videos allowed for more information, and was easier to follow, because let’s be honest most of us prefer to listen/watch a video than read a book or text page. Some specific similarities in the videos and the Wikibooks page, are a schedule. This is important because it presents a timeline for the reader, and helps them determine if they have enough resources to invest in your proposal. Also having the objective of the proposal is important because this tells the reader why the idea will be useful, and who it will affect. One thing I noticed that the WikiBooks page did not have, is having a clear title, table of contents, and works cited. It mentions briefly having background information in the introduction, and maybe the authors were implying that works cited should be included here, but sometimes people may not catch that.

Overall, I think the WikiBooks page is a great place to start when drafting a proposal, and it poses questions that may help the author of the proposal think about and ensure to answer when drafting the proposal. That being said, I do not think this should be the only resource to use when writing a proposal, having good examples, and examples specifically geared towards your type of proposal will be useful. Another point the WikiBooks page brought up, is that when you are writing a proposal you are essentially writing a persuasive argument, which is the type of writing a lot of us have done in high school, so at the core, many of us have some fundamental experience with proposal writing.

By: Zack+Silverman

Zack+Silverman — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 21:35:47 +0000

Overall, the WikiBooks description of a proposal is pretty decent, and proposals are pretty straightforward so it’s not too difficult to provide the right information. That said, there are quite a few places this article could be better. One would be in the “Variety” section. This section doesn’t actually list the variety of proposals you might write, like the other articles do, and instead lists a few vague ideas that generally revolve around proposal writing. It would be better off listing out “solicited vs unsolicited,” “internal vs external,” etc, then listing what they have under “Variety” under something like “Things to Consider.” The Wikibooks page overall seems to be a bit disorganized and at times redundant, but the information itself is solid and useful. I prefer the other articles due to depth, organization, and the ethos that comes from not being a Wiki.