[Foundation-l] Social networking (was: Analysis of lists statistics: community in decline)

[Pharos]

On Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 2:18 AM, John Vandenberg <jayvdb at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 5:24 AM, Marc Riddell <michaeldavid86 at comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>> On Sun, Nov 2, 2008 at 5:19 PM, Robert Rohde <rarohde at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> There are many who seem to feel that using Wikipedia for socializing
>>>> and fun is contrary to our mission, especially if it attracts people
>>>> who aren't contributors to the encyclopedia.  Personally, I think
>>>> that's nonsense, and the community benefits from increased cohesion
>>>> when there is fun and socializing to be had, but I realize that many
>>>> people don't see it that way.
>>>
>> on 11/2/08 1:40 PM, Milos Rancic at millosh at gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> * If the point is that a part of the community doesn't want to have
>>> social networking because of the principles...
>>
>> A sidebar: When The Apple Computer organization was created, a conscious
>> decision was made by its creators to establish a company culture that was,
>> by existing corporate standards, considered informal. This encouraged
>> creativity, reduced stress and produced a culture of tolerance and,
>> ultimately, a great product. Their mission was to create the best damn
>> computer a creative mind in a creative culture could produce. "Socializing"
>> among its employees was not only encouraged, but the ability to socialize
>> was almost a prerequisite for being a part of the team.
>
> I think we already have a very social environment, but this
> socialising is "focused".  We chat about topics that interest us all
> the time on the wikis, usually with people who are also similarly
> interested enthusiasts and often with people who are surprisingly well
> informed.  But, we are always doing it in a way that is also
> "productive".
>
> For example, we dont endlessly tolerate trolling and idle speculation
> on Wikipedia, because it isnt productive.  It isnt strictly forbidden,
> but if it is done on pages that others frequent, it will be viewed as
> an interruption, because there is more valuable discussions going on,
> and the rest of us want to focus on those, and we want to "clear the
> air" so that more valuable contributions are attracted.
>
> There is so much to learn and participate in on the wikis, that if
> someone is primarily socialising, they havent caught the "wiki bug".
> These are the people who would be fired from Apple because they didnt
> fit in.

I'm more-or-less satisfied with our online discussions of specific
topics, i.e. specific articles on Wikipedia.

I think the greatest benefit of social networking will be putting
people into contact with other Wikimedians in their cities, therefore
facilitating more real-life contacts in "productive" meetups, and the
more mature and humanized social environments and structures that can
hopefully foster.

Thanks,
Pharos

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