Hi Lori! See my responses inline, as well.

A wiki

One platform can be the wiki as the anchor for our projects and conversations. Models include:

http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/ - Smithsonian 2.0 Wiki

http://wiki.museummobile.info/ - MuseumMobile

http://museums-social-media.wikispaces.com/ - Musesocial

I think it'd be cool to have our own wiki for this. A wiki built specifically for the project, based on MediaWiki, might be easier for not only Wikipedians, but for museum staff who are tech savvy and comfortable working in their own atmosphere. If museums professionals aren't going to come to us, we have to go to them :) Think of it as a GLAMWIKI INTERNAL or something.

Twitter

We can use Twitter for public conversations that bring Wikipedians and GLAM professionals together. Hashtag #glamwikius? A widget should be added to the wiki for recent updates.

I think #glamwiki is fine. I do love the idea of also having an #askaglampedian or #askawikipedian type of thing like museums do #askacurator or #askalibrarian.

Another cool idea: create a monthly or bi-monthly "GLAM-US Day" or something (they do that for the askacurator events)

IRC

An open chat platform used often by Wikipedians, but unfamiliar among most GLAM professionals. Arguments can be made for and against; so discuss away.

IRC is terrible, archaic, and uncomfortable for the majority of people. This is 2012, not 1992. People are welcome to have an IRC GLAM US channel but I bet, the majority of the people using it are the same old people who use IRC now. I think we should scrap any focus on IRC and communicate through social media, wiki, and mailing lists. I figure, if people want to have me involved in something or have a question for me, they will send me an email, wiki me, or Tweet me - and not sit around and wait for me on IRC.

We could always have an IRC office hours for GLAMWIKI but, again, that'd be just a strict ubergeek thing and that's not inclusive of the broader GLAM community (and those of us Wikipedians who hate IRC because we stopped using it when BBSes disappeared).

Email

The GLAM-US mailing list is likely the most efficient means of communicating on a platform comfortable for both Wikipedians and GLAMs. This makes the most sense in regards to ongoing discussions, announcing projects and events, asking general questions, and planning for other Consortium-wide activities (such as the above mentioned public chats/hangouts.)

+1

I also like the idea of a hangout - as long as we have someone serving as agenda/cat wrangler :)

-Sarah

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Sarah Stierch
Wikimedia Foundation Community Fellow
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