Thanks for your interest, Florence
This is the index page of one environment's forums. Please (try and ignore)
all the ads. http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/index.php
If you note the navigation bar at the top, it could be used to point to
Wikizine, Signpost and Wikipedia Weekly (as examples), or it could have a
"drop down' as an intro to individual projects. We'd need one for each
language.
If you scroll to the bottom you normally find around 3,000 on line 24/7,
many of who use skype or suchlike, so this is how many people find out if
their friends are 'hanging out'. I prefer forums that tell yo how many
people are reading on each thread as it makes it more like a library.
I could point to dozens of others. sitepoint is about 250 on Alexa's top
500, so it's pretty attractive to web designers and programmers. Not
surprisingly, the navigation is well designed (or they'd never live it
down).
I find any online environments pretty daunting the first time in, so to get
a feel I start with the people who are supporting the community as they, and
where they are positioned globally, are far more important. As an example,
click on 'Forum support' (down the bottom left) and note the second
"sticky". (in case you don’t know, a sticky is at the top of a thread and,
as the name suggests, doesn’t move). They have a good community team.
http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228223
Possibly, if you look at this web stuff as an evolution, forums are just a
way to bring a bunch of (google-type) groups together or open a bunch of
WMF-type elists up.
Regards, simon
Topics:
1. Re: more (wikizine) participation (Florence Devouard)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:00:21 +0100
From: Florence Devouard <fdevouard(a)wikimedia.org>
Subject: Re: [ComProj] more (wikizine) participation
To: Discussion list for the Communication Projects Group
<comproj(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
Message-ID: <478CAE65.1010200(a)wikimedia.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1250; format=flowed
I have not read all emails in that list, so my apology if my question
was already answered in the past (if so, please point out the right
mail), but could you clarify what you mean by "forum" below ?
Thanks
Ant
simonpedia wrote:
> Cary, casey,
>
>
>
> My Apologies to yu both.
>
>
>
> My eyes were bleeding from the huge number of emails I got in my
Simonpedia inbox from the WMF elists I?m trying to stay across, particularly
the Foundation?s. I?m reading Florence?s wish list, which is very nice,
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/10_wishes_for_2008 So tell me Casey,
cause you?re the one who seems to be across many of the WMF domains, is any
of what I?m suggesting useful?
>
>
>
> The big picture here, which the WMF has in common with all other
globalizing non profits, is trying to reorganise their communications,
particularly their real time stuff, around groups or committees.
>
>
>
> Florence?s wish list led me directly to the Council.
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikicouncil where the first thing that you?re
struck by is this comment; ?The power of information exchange between
Projects (examples of info exchanged, what is currently missing,
inconsistencies between policies of different languages, which ones would
benefit from being harmonized?. - info exchange is one thing but just
reading through the Talk:Wikicouncil page, it?s already overloaded
>
>
>
> BTW. If you wanted another non profit which resembles WMF?s communities,
this one seems mirrors WMF?s mission, so I?ve pointed to their approach for
a ?member?s? council. http://www.oclc.org/memberscouncil/default.htm
>
>
>
>
>
> We might improve WMF?s comms by getting a few editors to contribute to a
wikizine or a wikipedia weekly. But the main thing which is needed is a way,
after a person has read something, to be directed to a forum and/or virtual
room where they can gain/share an understanding and then perhaps vote for a
proposal, etc. The obstacle is, if the WMF take this approach, the forum
would no doubt become one of the ?most hit? very quickly, and so expensive.
Either a sponsor is needed or advertising is required.
>
>
>
> Now we know the response to advertising.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Perennial_proposals#Advertising
>
> We also knows it goes on all the time E.g http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Microsystems
>
> which amazes me when I consider how happy companies would probably be to
pay/donate around $1000/year for a (shall we call it) ?corporate listing?,
or sponsor the forum.
>
>
>
>
>
> Now I?d better stop as my eyes are bleeding again, regards simon
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>>> You're confusing Cary and I. :-)
>
> * I am [[m:User:Cborwn1023]]
>
> * Cary is [[m:User:Bastique]] and [[m:User:Cary Bass]].
>
>
>
> I understand the confusion, Cary and Casey are very similar names and
>
> both of our last names start with B. :-)
>
>
>
>
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.2/1224 - Release Date:
> 14/01/2008 5:39 PM
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> ComProj mailing list
> ComProj(a)lists.wikimedia.org
> http://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/comproj
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9:01 AM
Cary, casey,
My Apologies to yu both.
My eyes were bleeding from the huge number of emails I got in my Simonpedia
inbox from the WMF elists I’m trying to stay across, particularly the
Foundation’s. I’m reading Florence’s wish list, which is very nice,
HYPERLINK
"http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/10_wishes_for_2008"http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/10_wishes_for_2008 So tell me Casey, cause you’re the one
who seems to be across many of the WMF domains, is any of what I’m
suggesting useful?
The big picture here, which the WMF has in common with all other globalizing
non profits, is trying to reorganise their communications, particularly
their real time stuff, around groups or committees.
Florence’s wish list led me directly to the Council. HYPERLINK
"http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikicouncil"http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/W
ikicouncil where the first thing that you’re struck by is this comment; “The
power of information exchange between Projects (examples of info exchanged,
what is currently missing, inconsistencies between policies of different
languages, which ones would benefit from being harmonized”. - info exchange
is one thing but just reading through the Talk:Wikicouncil page, it’s
already overloaded
BTW. If you wanted another non profit which resembles WMF’s communities,
this one seems mirrors WMF’s mission, so I’ve pointed to their approach for
a “member’s” council. HYPERLINK
"http://www.oclc.org/memberscouncil/default.htm"http://www.oclc.org/membersc
ouncil/default.htm
We might improve WMF’s comms by getting a few editors to contribute to a
wikizine or a wikipedia weekly. But the main thing which is needed is a way,
after a person has read something, to be directed to a forum and/or virtual
room where they can gain/share an understanding and then perhaps vote for a
proposal, etc. The obstacle is, if the WMF take this approach, the forum
would no doubt become one of the ‘most hit’ very quickly, and so expensive.
Either a sponsor is needed or advertising is required.
Now we know the response to advertising. HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Perennial_proposals#Advertising"http
://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Perennial_proposals#Advertising
We also knows it goes on all the time E.g HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM
HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Microsystems"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Sun_Microsystems
which amazes me when I consider how happy companies would probably be to
pay/donate around $1000/year for a (shall we call it) “corporate listing”,
or sponsor the forum.
Now I’d better stop as my eyes are bleeding again, regards simon
>>> You're confusing Cary and I. :-)
* I am [[m:User:Cborwn1023]]
* Cary is [[m:User:Bastique]] and [[m:User:Cary Bass]].
I understand the confusion, Cary and Casey are very similar names and
both of our last names start with B. :-)
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5:39 PM
>>>Does Casey = me? If so, I don't recall wanting anything. :-) If not,
could you clarify?
Happy New year Casey.
I knew you never sleep. Thanks. Been lurking for a few years now, so I have
some (a little) idea of how much (whew!) you must be across and the
internal/external dynamics.
As per this one
HYPERLINK
"http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/comproj/2007-December/000486.html"http
://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/comproj/2007-December/000486.html
If you’re “adding it to the agenda”, it’s something you see as necessary to
revisit just now. I agree. As I’ve said, Wikizine is a natural place to
start in reforming to comms as per Eric’s proposal last year. WW is a
natural complement for those who prefer “radio”. I really would also like a
brain dump from you, especially if Eric’s got his feet under the desk now.
After 12 months of going around his head, he must have a pretty good vision
for how he sees things panning out.
I really don’t like skypecast because it’s just another comms island but at
least it gives groups an idea of the tools available. I don’t see we will
have to work very hard at introducing a few modern tools here. As we saw
over on the Wikimania threads, a month of discussing an appropriate time, at
an IRC place, stymies things initially, until a new routine falls into
place. Seems the chapters groups suffer the same complaint.
There are a number of tools and domains I could point to, but I’d like to be
strategic about this, so could you ask Eric and whoever to consider the OU
as a potential partner. It is, I’m pretty sure, the largest online uni in
the world, so they’ve got the same comms challenges and perspectives that
the WMF has. Labspace is an initiative funded by HP ($5M) and the guys have
a bunch of tools which would be useful, have legs, and are OPEN.
I always take a low key approach to these things, so here’s where I’m
starting over there. HYPERLINK
"http://labspace.open.ac.uk/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=20#p23"http://labspace.o
pen.ac.uk/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=20#p23 (at the bottom)
If you want to get a feel for the tools, and what msg is about, you’ll just
have to have a play. If you wanted to do a little outreach why don’t you say
a few words over there.
And please, either continue to talk or tell me to F*** off. I don’t want to
waste your time or mine. regards
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10:16 AM
Hey Guys,
Just making some points with the Wikimania group, where most of the
discussion is about improving communication. I put in “But inertia seems to
be in the wikimedia culture just now. I’m sure Casey will have the pulse
across remote groups better than I do.” I don’t want to appear as I’m just
criticizing for the sake of it, so let me note a few points.
Casey wants to put Wikizine participation on the agenda, which makes a lot
of sense as we sure need a few channels which are a bit fatter than elists
and IRC. You’ve seen I’ve flagged wikipedia weekly (WW) as well, underneath
the skypecast link, as from my perspective, all we are trying to do here is,
as Eric suggested last year, improve communications, primarily between
remote groups. HYPERLINK
"http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2007-January/026707.html"
http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2007-January/026707.html
I just suggested skypecast room as it’s a place to help the guys from WW to
have a place where different groups could assemble and while their having
their chat or being interviewed, have it combined with others, and perhaps
edited and WW podcast later. I,e link the input channels and output channel.
Wikizine is about much the same thing in text = One channel, a number of
editors. I’d really like to get a brain dump from Casey (after talking to
Eric) to see which buttons he sees as being the most appropriate to push.
And Sean, Michael, if you have a proposition, please put it our here, with a
header so we can talk it through. There’s so much going on at the moment in
which I would like to involve this group, particularly if you don’t mind
trying a few different comms tools, with some other global groups, most of
which are in academia. NB These guys are training the authors, journalists,
etc of tomorrow. Here’s a taste. HYPERLINK
"http://blogs.open.ac.uk/Maths/ajh59/"http://blogs.open.ac.uk/Maths/ajh59/
One of my groups - this domain is owned by the ministers of education in OZ
- HYPERLINK
"http://www.groups.edna.edu.au/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=19911"http://www.grou
ps.edna.edu.au/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=19911 really like my comment
'If Wikipedia has taught us anything; if the right tool, structured simply,
is offered to a world of learners, they'll find and share it.' After saying
it for a few years, it’s getting some acceptance now here and in a few other
global traps. The message is “All we are doing is trying to find the virtual
classrooms (the combination of comms tools) which could best complement the
WMF’s virtual libraries”.
So when Essjay says, “As a comcom member I've sent press releases to some
media people but I haven't seen them use those PR materials directly, if I
recall correctly. Rather they love to get AP, Reuters or BBC coverage and
then translate those worldwide famous press coverage”, you’ll understand my
comment on the Wikimania list about “vertical walls and narrow channels”.
It’s not so much that broadcast media are not interested. It’s just that
they, like most media people, are locked into “feeding the machine” and this
is the easiest, risk free, way to do it. Don’t take my word. Ask Sue
Gardiner. NB. In commercial media, content is there to separate the ads:-)
I sure feel for Aphaia when he says “in general Japanese media and academics
have criticized themselves "we import everything cultural but seldom
expert". (ExpOrt very little, yes?). The cultural cringe is not limited to
just Japan but the US is just starting its recession so the Asian focus will
change to China this year. And “While I don't think he can be the key figure
in a long term, if you are looking for someone who is noticeable a part of
both global community and part of ja to some extent, I think he may be a
good choice” “I trust Alexsh”. This really is the challenge, finding the
people that people trust, although we need to view things in terms of teams
or groups, which we join and leave as needs be, not “project leaders”, as
it’s the way of the interactive world. This CPG just happens to be the
founding one as it’s the meat in the meta sandwich.
Happy New Year.
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