[Foundation-l] Putting the Foundation back in WMF

[Andrew Whitworth]

> > People in the developing
> > world need practical information, and they can share it via wiki. Simple
> > things like the cheapest way to dig a reliable well, or how to efficiently
> > irrigate a crop are the things that interest them. Ways to incrementally
> > improve their standard of living because they learn something new.
> >
> We've had editors who believe that how-to articles are too POV to
> include in the 'pedia. :-)

Maybe not wikipedia, but Wikibooks has a large number of how-to books,
and actively encourages the creation of more. In fact, the how-to
cleanup template on wikipedia was expanded to mention wikibooks as an
acceptable destination for such articles. Wikipedia contains
information, Wikibooks and Wikiversity teach people how to put that
information to use. It's called "synergy".


> > I expect in 5 or so years Uruguay's economy will start to see the payoff
> > from investing in OLPC, and a significant percentage of the students who've
> > got the machines will rely on Wikipedia as well as contribute to it.
> >
> It will take much longer than that, and the effect will be gradual.

especially if they are editing via motorcycle :) More seriously, is
there a spanish Wikijunior? Children with laptops and a vested
interested in WMF projects should be encouraged to participate in that
project. Their teachers too. It would be an excellent resource for
Uruguayan schools, to use free textbooks on their OLPC laptops.

--Andrew Whitworth