There are various approaches to running Windows progs now under Linux - I'm not an expert on this - including WINE, etc.

If there is a simple way of running simple DOS progs under Linux, that at least gets around the 'Linux-compatibility' issue - we would only then need the DOS version to get immediate Linux compatibility.

I suggest that most of those who have abandonded 'The Windoze Path of Enlightment' for Linux probably have enough basic 'technical nouse' to cope with getting the thing running with only basic instructions.

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I had thought of a 'Wiki-style' Approach with limited access to editing facilities - and I believe that you can 'queue' changes for 'moderation review' before permanent commital.

How difficult would it be to have the 'Wiki thing' implemented as a complete (downloaded and installed) 'standalone package' on each user's PC? (the nightmare of differing OSes rears its head...)

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"Dick...would it be possible or useful if the lyrics database were totally separate from the tunes?"
"Dick, in the meantime, I wonder if it would be worthwhile to go back to issuing a DOS version of the Digital Tradition on a regular basis, perhaps along with an HTML copy posted at Mudcat."

Personal opinions...

1) a web accessible format, especially if kept moderately 'up to date' would serve most users, even those of us on 'slow' dialup, to a degree of usefulness - this might be easiest to implement and update (as per the current format) in a pure HTML style.

2) Re: "It's easy enough to set up a program that will let one find lyrics by title--it's also a fairly useless exercise. Titles are an awful way to search for things. Full text and keyword searches are, in Susan's and my opinion, a necessity. So is the requirement of providing synchronized words and music--many of our users don't read music (either dots or abc), and realizing how the tune fits the words is by no means always obvious. These aren't frills--they're an integral part of the DT's concept. "

I suggest a seperation of the 'basic' and 'all singing, all dancing' formats - while I can see where Dick is coming from, and why, a workable version without the "synchronized words and music" would be easier to get started on and keep updated, and thus more 'useful' (even if not as useful to those with those limited musical technical abilities that he mentions) overall to a fair number of people.

If both versions use the same file formats etc, and the 'deluxe' one can cope with 'missing' (i.e unimplemented or unentered bits of the 'bouncing ball' format stuff) bits, then we have

a) a working more regularly updated basic system

b) an advanced 'deluxe' system that will gradually build up as more items are 'upgraded' (animated bouncing balls, etc) over time.

As per Andrez's suggestions re 'treating it as a real world IT development project' - if we just all sit and wait for the 'all singing, all dancing' Showboat to arrive before we do any implementation, then we won't have much that is useful for some time is my polite and respectful thought...

This suggested breakup of concepts helps to allow several independent teams to be working on related but seperated sections simultaenously.