[Foundation-l] Seeking clarification

Tue Jan 22 05:42:15 UTC 2008

Why should Wikiversity or Wikispecies or any other WMF project have to 
compete with another WMF project, with basically the same goals?

I am all for free collaborative content, but not if it means WMF 
projects have to compete against one another. Would that not defy the 
meaning of collaborative? Why not take what WMF has already and make it 
better. We know they have the capabilities to make new things like a 
collaborative video program...so why not?

Point is the projects are all supposed to be part of a community of 
collaborators. We are supposed to be part of a foundation that supports 
that. Not driving the communities apart.

Jason Safoutin
>
> I understood Erik was asked to join their advisory board since he was
> a Board of Trustees at WMF and both organizations were largely in a
> same mind (free content for educational purpose). I think Erik said
> something at the announcement of his appointment to Deputy ED  but not
> dig the archive right now (the network is a bit slow for me now).
>
> Btw I have no reason for making a panic -- sorry but it was my first
> impression in this thread, so sorry if I just misunderstood your
> reaction --- even if WikiEducator was a competitor of Wikiversity. Is
> our world so small not as to allow two or more online educational
> projects mainly for adult or in an advanced level? In real life we
> have several high educational institutions. In several layers they
> compete each others but still there are also collaborations in many
> levels: both officially and informally they share lectures, books and
> other educational resources and do research jointly etc. Can it be
> this case or is there no such room for online projects at all?
>
> On Jan 22, 2008 10:21 AM, Nathan <nawrich at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> For a conflict of interest, interests must conflict. How do the
>> interests of Wikimedia and WikiEducator conflict? That isn't clear to
>> me. The goal is the same - the proliferation of easily accessible
>> knowledge. Ideally, they could exchange content so that neither has
>> anything the other lacks (depending on licenses, which I don't know
>> the details of).  FWIW, Erik is the deputy executive director.
>>
>> Nathan
>>
>>
>> On Jan 21, 2008 8:12 PM, Jason Safoutin <jason.safoutin at wikinewsie.org> wrote:
>>     
>>> If I have to be the first to say it, I will. I know some of these links
>>> have been passed around here before, but for reference I will ad them,
>>> and then some.
>>>
>>> It has become clear to me, at least a few things anyway. One bing that
>>> there is clearly a conflict of interest on Erik Moeller's part. He is
>>> currently on the advisory board for Wikieducator:
>>>
>>>     * http://www.wikieducator.org/WikiEducator:Advisory_Board
>>>
>>>
>>> "/WikiEducator's Interim International Advisory Board was assembled by
>>> project founder Wayne Mackintosh to serve as a means of involving the
>>> community until the project has grown large enough to elect a Board
>>> through democratic means. Once 2,500 users have joined the wiki,
>>> elections will be held to select a successor Board./", says the website.
>>>
>>> Not only that, but Kultra has some involvement with Wikieducator, and if
>>> I am not mistaken Wikieducator is slated to be on WMF servers:
>>>
>>>     * _ Kaltura Collaborative Video Editing Extension Enabled:_
>>>       http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator/browse_thread/thread/345c056f8304e25c
>>>
>>>
>>> The way I see it, Wikieducator is the same thing that Wikiversity is.
>>> Wikieducator is not to compete with Wikiversity, it is a means to IMO
>>> eventually replace it. Don't believe me?
>>>
>>> Wikieducator:
>>>
>>>     * *planning* of education projects linked with the development of
>>>       free content <http://freedomdefined.org/Definition>;
>>>     * *development* of free content on Wikieducator
>>>       <http://www.wikieducator.org/Content> for e-learning;
>>>     * work on building *open education resources* (OERs) on *how* to
>>>       create OERs.
>>>     * networking on *funding proposals
>>>       <http://www.wikieducator.org/Metawikieducator>* developed as free
>>>       content.
>>>
>>> Wikiversity: /*Wikiversity* is a community for the creation of learning
>>> activities and development of free learning materials. Students and
>>> teachers
>>> <http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Wikiversity_teachers> are
>>> invited to join the project as collaborators in teaching, learning, and
>>> research. Wikiversity strives to be an open and vibrant community where
>>> you can explore and learn about your personal interests. Wikiversity
>>> hosts and develops free learning materials for all age groups. Please
>>> participate and help build collaborative learning projects and
>>> communities; at Wikiversity we learn by doing
>>> <http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Portal:Education/Wikiversity_model>, we
>>> learn by editing./
>>>
>>> So...what is different about the two? Nothing...other than a few more
>>> bells and whistles.
>>>
>>> We all heard about the wonderful amazing and quite eye catiching, The
>>> Encyclopedia Of Life - A collaborative encyclopedia to contain the
>>> entire earth's species....I thought that's what Wikispecies is? Not to
>>> mention that Erik is on their Institutional Council, which he also
>>> represents the Wikimedia Foundation. Again not another competition, but
>>> if you have been to their website, you will see what I mean about
>>> "replacement".
>>>
>>>     * http://www.eol.org/home.html
>>>     * http://blog.valuewiki.com/2007/05/09/encyclopedia-of-life/
>>>     * http://www.eol.org/partners.html#p3
>>>
>>> So let cut to the chase. What is going on in WMF? Why is the Executive
>>> Director involved with projects that are clearly designed to either
>>> replace or out do WMF projects? Why is the WMF involved at all? And why,
>>> is the Board of Trustees, the group the communities elected, not saying
>>> anything? Whats going on and who is making these decisions?
>>>
>>> In all respects, we have to right to know at least some things. As it
>>> stands, Kaltura is directly endorsing the WMF on its front page:
>>>
>>> http://www.kaltura.com/devwiki/index.php/Main_Page
>>>
>>> "/As recently announced
>>> <http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Wikipedia_Invites_Users_to_Take_Part_in_Open%2C_Collaborative_Video_Experiment>,
>>> the Wikimedia Foundation and Kaltura have begun a process aimed at
>>> bringing rich-media collaboration to Wikipedia and other wiki websites.
>>> The vision of this project is to enable the Wikipedia community to
>>> further enhance and enrich Wikipedia articles with rich-media content./"
>>>
>>> They mention Wikipedia three times in just the first paragraph...
>>>
>>> So who is in charge now????????????
>>>
>>> Jason Safoutin
>>>
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>>>
>>>       
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