DissertationOverDiscourse

A play on words meaning, of course, that DocumentMode is more important than ThreadMode but suggesting also to put Wiki:SummariesOnTopDiscussionBelow.

• : I have done my best to discourage dialog in favor of dissertation which offers a better fit to this medium. -- Wiki:WardCunningham on Wiki:WikiHistory

Over the course of time dialog has often been exchanged for "discourse" when referring to this now famous quote. It will be worth the reader's time and effort to read the full quote in context. Because the dictionary definitions of these terms fail to make a clear distinction between the two, the following definitions are humbly offered for purposes of Wiki:WikiOnWiki discussion:

• Dissertation: a unified presentation of ideas, as if from a single mind although joint authorship accepted and encouraged, in which arguments are made, information presented, instructions or advice given, etc., with concomitant assumption of authority over the chosen subject matter. DocumentMode
• Discourse: a multi-part exchange of ideas, information, advice, admitting questions and answers, in which two or more distinct minds interact in order to explore subject matter jointly, where authority is not an essential ingredient but when present is usually distributed and often conflicting. ThreadMode

On Wiki:WikiWikiWeb, Dissertation is generally more highly valued than Discourse because it is thought to be more readable. Discourse is seen by some as a means to achieve the more preferred end of Dissertation.

Source: Wiki:DissertationOverDiscourse