Hi all,<br><br>just thinking out loud here - but following our brainstorming about beginning outreach work into schools, I wonder if there's any appetite on this list for discussion about Wikipedia's suitability in schools - and other peripheral issues which kinda surround the broohaha raging elsewhere (UK 'Virgin Killer' thing).<br>
<br>I had a very interesting chat with an editor yesterday, and we were sort of coming around to the view that within schools, students need to understand the nature of Wikipedia, and can learn a lot from engaging with it in various ways, but that we need to be clear that some material in the encyclopedia is reasonably likely to cause problems if accessed in school, and is likely to be considered unsuitable for minors by teachers and parents alike.<br>
<br>My answer right now to the question 'should wikipedia be available in schools' is 'no' - I'd be interested to hear yours.<br><br>I think it'd be great to lead the way on a community level in figuring out how best to communicate this - you know - accentuating the positives, communicating clearly the nature of the wiki beast etc.<br>
<br>Stuff that I've done in this area goes back a little way - primarily in 'project space' with;<br><br><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Advice_for_parents">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Advice_for_parents</a> and recently<br>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Sexual_content">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Sexual_content</a><br><br>On a side note, I believe Commons has a bit of catch up to do in terms of policy and practice in dealing with images best described as 'edgy' and uncharitably described as free porn, and whilst I'm happy to talk about that here, I guess the most 'on topic' matter in hand is how this (and indeed recent press coverage) impact our outreach work, and what we might be able to do to best work with schools etc.<br>
<br>cheers,<br><br>Peter<br>PM.<br>(who's chomping at the bit to send someone money for membership ;-)<br>