[Foundation-l] new project proposal: Kunkelfruit Wiki

[George Herbert]

On 6/27/07, Husky <huskyr at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello Sean,
> i really like the idea of the website: knowing the details of 'how
> things are made' of products we use everyday is something that is
> definitely lacking in the information usually coming from  vendors or
> companies.
>
> However, i'm not quite sure if KunkelFruit is a Wikimedia project.
> Maybe Wikia or another wiki-like host is a better place for such a
> project? The topic seems to be quite specific while all the
> Wikimedia-projects are usually about more 'general' topics
> (encyclopedias, dictionaries, images, etc.)
>
> Another suggestion: while there is still little content maybe it would
> be an idea to think about double-licensing the content under a
> Creative Commons BY or BY-SA license as well? That certainly makes
> reproduction easier in non-digital media (i.e. print).
>
> -- Hay / [[User:Husky]]
>
> On 6/27/07, Sean Miller <editor at scriblerus.net> wrote:
> > Dear Wikimedia Foundation Volunteers,
> >
> >
> >
> > I write to pitch you on a project which I'm convinced would be an ideal
> > complement to your existing initiatives.  Using MediaWiki, I've launched a
> > site called Kunkelfruit Wiki.  The purpose of the site is to provide a home
> > for collaborative articles about how popular products are made.  Here is the
> > website address:
> >
> >
> >
> > http://www.scriblerus.net/kunkelfruit/
> >
> >
> >
> > There are currently about 20 articles on the site, including ones on the
> > Nintendo Wii, Starbucks Latte, Perdue Chicken Breast, Lord of the Rings
> > movies, and contact lenses, among others.  Currently, Kunkelfruit Wiki is a
> > one man show-with the occasional contribution from freelance writers.  But I
> > am a third-year PhD student who must devote the bulk of my efforts to
> > finishing my thesis.  I firmly believe that the long-term success of
> > Kunkelfruit Wiki depends on the development of a core group of volunteer
> > editors and writers willing to research and publish articles to the site.
> > This kind of organizational development is clearly something at which the
> > Wikimedia Foundation excels.
> >
> >
> >
> > My proposal: that the foundation take over the hosting and support of
> > Kunkelfruit Wiki as one of its projects.  I believe it merits serious
> > consideration, as it is something that would:
> >
> >
> >
> > *       serve as a forum for the further development of your volunteers'
> > research skills
> > *       provide a valuable source of information about products for
> > consumers
> > *       encourage more responsible production by companies
> >
> >
> >
> > I'd be happy to speak with anyone in more detail about Kunkelfruit Wiki.
> > Please know that I am not particularly attached to the name.  But I am very
> > much interested in giving this project the best possible chance of success.
> > I believe that Wikimedia Foundation can greatly enhance this very realistic
> > possibility.
> >
> >
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Sean Miller

I think it's a different type of project, but not one we should
automatically reject because of that.

It's encyclopedic - rather than describing the objects or things
themselves, going instead into the process of how they're built / made
/ done.  That is an entirely educational information goal, less
reference-material-y but still entirely educational.  That the
foundation has previously focused practically more on encyclopedic /
reference-material-y things doesn't mean that we aren't interested in
more educational/informational things (Wikibooks, Wikiversity).

The current name isn't useful for a larger project, but the concept
and content might be.


-- 
-george william herbert
george.herbert at gmail.com