Two weeks ago, I created a new Facebook page for Wikisource,
http://www.facebook.com/Wikisource
You can watch that page, even if you don't have an account
on Facebook.
There were already some other pages and groups, but none that
was updated or where I could post updates. The new page is
different. Whenever I recognize a Wikisourcerer among the
new fans, I make them a co-administrator of the page. The
page now has 54 fans, of which 19 are administrators. An
administrator can add new admins, post official updates in
the name of the page, i.e. Wikisource, and see statistics for
the page and its audience. This "wiki" approach to Facebook
page administration is a bit risky. Any one of the admins can
remove all the rest, hijack the page or close it down.
I'm simply assuming good faith.
Of course, not everybody uses Facebook. But then again, not
everybody uses Wikisource. This page is one channel to reach
out with information about Wikisource (or book digitization in
general) to people who use Facebook. People who have nothing
more important to do than to watch Facebook, can learn that
a more meaningful hobby awaits them in Wikisource.We can
still need other channels for outreach, all used in parallel.
What's needed now is more updates (messages, links, pictures,
funny quotes, timeline milestones) from more of you, telling
the world (on Facebook) what you are doing in Wikisource.
Should all updates be in English? I don't think so. Let's try
to mix languages! Translations can be provided as comments
to the updates.
If you "like" the page (become a fan), it would also be helpful
if you would "invite friends" to do the same. It needs to
grow a larger audience.
Facebook has introduced a new "timeline" format, which has
allowed me (or any page admin) to add some historic milestones
that Wikisource has gone through, from its start in 2003.
This summer, we have the 5th anniversary of the Proofread
Page extension coming up. Perhaps a cause for celebration
during Wikimania?
Background: I'm user:LA2, a wikipedian since 2001. I was a
member of the board of the Swedish chapter 2007-2012, but
recently left this position. I'm also the founder of
Project Runeberg, the Scandinavian e-text project, whose
Facebook page has 1500 fans.
--
Lars Aronsson (lars(a)aronsson.se)
Aronsson Datateknik -
http://aronsson.se