On 11/1/05, Robert Scott Horning robert_horning@netzero.net wrote:

This is a reminder/formal notice that the voting period for the creation of Wikiversity is now over, and that the proposal to create Wikiversity as a new Wikimedia sister project is now being submitted to the Wikimedia Foundation board for a formal review..[snip]

I'd just like to thank you Robert for all the work you've put into this proposal, timetable, vote etc. I've been meaning to write up a proposal to the community on this, as Wikiversity is something that really energises me at the moment (mentally at least). (My lack of) time at the moment forbids me from going into everything I'd like to say about Wikiversity, but I'd liek to make some brief points.

It is clear that many people are afraid that the idea is too half-baked or not ready enough to be started. This is currently true - Wikiversity exists as many different ideas in many people's heads, with plenty of enthusiasm but not much to actually to show for it. But my counter argument to this is: *every* wiki project has developed from a similar position. Every wiki is an idea which is generated and created through the combined energy of its participants - you only have to look at the various listings of people at the vote or on the proposed projects page or on the meta Wikiversity talk page amongst others, to see that there is so much energy there waiting to be tapped, and rearing to go. That, surely, is the main thing. I think the crucial point is that Wikiversity, if created now, will not (in the main) be ready to actually go live as a learning centre *just yet*. It needs to have a creation period, it needs to be widely known about to generate a learner base - and *then* it can flourish. Just don't expect results yet (though some courses could be created quite quickly - and who's to say that we need to constuct whole courses in the first place? What about single lesson plans? What about collections of flash cards? etc.)

Another major concern is resources - both human and electronic (ie. financial). I don't know about the latter part (and I'd really like someone to tell us how much it would cost in server/work hours terms to set up a new project in comparison to what it would cost to set up a new language project on any other WMF project - hence crossposting to wikitech). But on the human resources side - i think, on the contrary, this will be an excellent opportunity for the projects to cross-pollinate (Wikipedia and Wikibooks especially) and draw in a huge sector of people that may have erstwhile have remained on the periphery of especially Wikipedia. I have a hunch that not only could we get a whole lot more poeple involved in setting up this project, but we could also get some major funding. UNESCO's ecucation for all campaign comes to mind - and I'd appreciate any other suggestions.

That's all time permits me to say for now, but suffice to say that i have been reading around Wikiversity for a few months now and, for one, am highly motivated to get this off the ground. I know of quiet a few more and I know that it could really take off. So if we could have some very clear technical issues that need to be dealt with, I think that's where we should be focussing our attention, rather than the fact that it isn't ready/finished yet - because it just needs a bit of time, space, and a steady stream of energy that i know exists.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Cormac / Cormaggio