[Foundation-l] Wikiversity=>Wikisophia

[Ray Saintonge]

Erik Moeller wrote:

> During and after our visit to the free software conference in South 
> Africa, Angela and I talked a lot about the Wikiversity project, and 
> the potential Wikimedia has to develop a truly global, free 
> institution of learning as a new project.
>
> As you probably know, these discussions are currently focused on
>     http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikiversity
> and the talk page.
>
> Don't panic: We're still a long way from launching anything. I'm not 
> going to push this until we have the server situation under control 
> and the existing projects have stabilized a bit. Nevertheless, there's 
> one issue that I'd like to resolve now, which is the naming of the 
> project. 

Good, I think that a lot of groundwork needs to be laid before we get there.

> Angela, Jimbo, Daniel Mayer and I agree that the name Wikiversity is 
> problematic in that it ties the project very strongly to the idea of 
> traditional universities. This may lead to certain expectations as to 
> its structure and the services it will provide (e.g. faculties, 
> degrees), but also limit the project in other ways, e.g., by being 
> perceived primarily or only as an institution of teritary learning. 

I still prefer the term wikiversity.  I don't feel the strong 
association with traditional universities, nor any of the other 
perceptions that you have of it.  There was a time when university was 
another name for a corporation.   What I find attractive about 
"wikiversity" of turning toward a totality in a more classical approach 
to learning.

> I'd like us to look at ideas for primary and secondary education as 
> well, and I don't want to run into a wall because the established 
> people of the Wikiversity community will say "It's an electronic 
> university, this doesn't belong here." 

Absolutely.  I believe that education is a seemless lifelong process.  
Separate buildings for different levels of education makes sense in the 
brick and mortar world.  Just as much as Wikipedia is not paper, 
Wikiversity is not bricks and mortar.  Certainly there will be people to 
raise the kind of objection that you mention, but I don't expect them to 
be very influential.

> Angela suggested the name Wikisophia.org/.com, which is currently 
> owned by Peter Danenberg (WikiTeX). I loved the idea immediately: the 
> Greek sophia means "wisdom", but also has many other meanings in the 
> area of
> learning. It is specific enough to be useful and vague enough to not
> limit the project very early in its nature or scope. 

I find "sophia" to be a little pompous, and I also link it with the 
concept of sophistry.  Teaching wisdom is a bit akin to teaching common 
sense.  There is also the possibility of confusion with "Sophia 
University", the Jesuit university in Japan.

> So, after discussing this in a small circle, I'd like to announce my 
> intention to move the relevant pages on Meta and edit the summary to 
> reflect the name change. 

This action seems premature.

Ec