docs: update doc system framing

devdocs/devguide/_tosort/inspirations.md

@@ -1,12 +1,57 @@
-# Virtual DocSys
+# Docs Initiative
+
+UPDATE: for now, the zola static site generator is going to be used as a tentative docs platform.
+
+This pages describes the _docs endeavor_, a rebuild of NoSQLBench docs based on feedback from users.
+
+It is clear that the docs for NoSQLBench need to be better:
+
+* Easier to find
+* Easier to search
+* Easier to read
+* Easier to modify by contributors
+
+While the previous doc site was intended to be part of a cohesive docs+sandbox experience, this has
+come at the cost of a high barrier of entry for new users wishing to improve things.
+
+## Selection Criteria
+
+The docs system that replaces the current one must do the following:
+
+- Allow for community members to easily modify the content with little friction.
+- Render clean content, whether basic markup or syntax examples.
+- Provide a visually appealing, no-clutter, highly readable theme out of the box.
+- Allow for formatting patterns to be defined and re-used throughout.
+- Be easy to integrate into the build, CI/CD.
+- Provide a search index, preferably in-build and not externalized.
+- Provide a useful hierarchic navigation structure.
+- Allow for fenced code sections which are clean and syntax highlighted, with easy clipboard copy.
+- Avoid bringing in kitchen-sink dependencies and whole ecosystems just to render.
+
+To that end, several examples are listed for study.
 
 ## Inspiring Examples
 
-These are doc sites that have examples of good docs.
+These are doc sites that have examples of good docs. This list will be built out in more detail
+as time allows.
 
+- [Antora Docs](https://docs.antora.org/antora/2.3/install-and-run-quickstart/)
+  Antora docs are rendered nicely, have a responsive layout with useful cues and
+  details on the page, but the Antora system itself is overly complex to manage
+  relative to other SSG systems,  based on reviews. [Search: preview]
 - [Apache Groovy](http://groovy-lang.org/documentation.html)
+  Visually, this site is simple and appealing. However, it is written in Groovy, which is not very
+  approachable by most contributors as a documentation method. This is antithetical to the
+  goals of the docs initiative. [Search: google]
 - [Prometheus](https://prometheus.io/docs/prometheus/latest/querying/basics/)
-- [NetData](https://docs.netdata.cloud/)
+  These docs have a nice layout and a clean structure. This site is generated by nanoc, which is
+  a ruby SSG. Extension points seem to be very ruby-centric, with a thin layer of content helpers
+  built-in. At cursory glance, this SSG is probably not sophisticated enough for some
+  integrations needed without substantial coding. [Search: basic]
+- [NetData](https://learn.netdata.cloud/)
+  Layout and structure are nice, page themes seem flexible,
+
+  [Search: preview topic]
 - [Optimizely](https://developers.optimizely.com/x/solutions/javascript/reference/index.html)
 - [Elastic Step by Step](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/client/java-rest/current/java-rest-high-search.html)
 - [Javascript.info](https://javascript.info/strict-mode)
@@ -15,4 +60,8 @@ These are doc sites that have examples of good docs.
 - [stripe](https://stripe.com/docs/payments/integration-builder)
 - [tokio.rs](https://tokio.rs/)
 - [amazon ion](http://amzn.github.io/ion-docs/guides/cookbook.html)
+- bevy engine
+- docusaurus
+
+