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

[Pharos]

On Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 11:11 AM, Gregory Maxwell <gmaxwell at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 10:20 AM, Brianna Laugher
> <brianna.laugher at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Cracking the whip doesn't mean much to
>> volunteers.
>
> Yet there are plenty of organizations which rely extensively on
> volunteer labor and yet manage to preserve a professional and focused
> working environment.

A number of universities have used tools like Elgg in fostering a
professional environment.  I don't think there have been serious
problems along these lines in academic settings.

> Unless you hope to argue that
> "social networking" would be a useful organization tool, but if so
> you're using the wrong word ("social networking" is a tainted word;
> linkedin doesn't describe themselves that way for example), and the
> wrong arguments (that some people would enjoy using isn't a good
> argument).
>
> I think Pharos is generally on the ball with respect to the genuinely
> useful uses: If the tools are generally on-topic then it's possible
> for it to be productive.

I think we have to draw a reasonable line with the scope of tools.
Obviously there -are- certain things that would be inappropriate for a
Wikimedian networking tool (these things are probably obvious to
everyone).

Still, I don't think allowing say, local Wikimedians in Los Angeles to
go bowling together, and organizing that through such a tool would be
such an unproductive thing.  It is social activities like this that
can lay the groundwork for future "productive" projects.

In this, I think we should try to follow the models for such tools as
used by university projects.  Certainly we should be aiming for a
compromise that is someway between Facebook and our userpage policy
with respect to such tools.

Thanks,
Pharos

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