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

[Milos Rancic]

On Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 9:13 PM, Anthony <wikimail at inbox.org> wrote:
> Well, I disagree.  I don't see how keeping users "at our sites" as long as
> possible is a method to meet that mission.  I don't see how having users do
> their social networking at wikiwhatever.org helps people develop educational
> content under a free license.  Getting users to come to "our sites" in the
> first place can be helpful, and creating plugins for sites like Facebook
> would do that.

* By making contacts with other experts from the same field by using
social networking possibilities of Wikimedia projects. While this is
alone a part of our goals, this would raise quality of their
involvement in Wikimedia projects.
* By keeping *their* knowledge (i.e. their personal work) inside of
their "Wikipedia advanced profiles" and sharing relevant references
with others. Conclusion is similar to the previous.
* By on site for a lot of time, like a lot of people are a lot of time
on FB and similar sites; which would enhance communication between
participants and work on new knowledge.
* By making a strong connection their scientific work (which don't
need to be free, or even public; which they would be able to keep
privately) with Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, which would
produce their higher involvement in the projects.
* By having [creative] fun at Wikimedia sites, which would produce
their higher involvement in Wikimedia projects.
* (And, possibly, much more reasons which one HR manager may list here
better than I am able.)

While I don't have anything against making such project out of
Wikimedia, I don't see that any project of that type has such
potential.