User:Mcktimo/on organizing the wiki

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problems with the current organization

part1

The current menu/ front end is a mess. Consider the Participate and Get Involved menus/pages.

the [[Particpate]] menu:
    1 Direct Action
    2 Participate Remotely
        2.1 Join this wiki
        2.2 Follow Us On Social Media
        2.3 Donate
            2.3.1 Donate Stuff
            2.3.2 Donate Money
            2.3.3 Adopt A Protester
        2.4 Outreach
        2.5 Ideas
    3 Volunteer On-Site

Here, your options are create a revolution yourself, participate remotely, or volunteer on site. It seems like the wiki isn't for the occupiers.

I'd assert that we succeed to the extent that we can connect occupiers and the_rest_of_the_99%. It's not either or. It has to be both.

Working Groups (WG) are hardly mentioned on the participate (menu) page. Working groups often include occupiers and people from the_rest_of_the_movement_not_occupying. Encouraging active working groups is a way to grow the movement. Having scheduled face to face WG meetings on site keeps the_rest_of_the_movement_not_occupying in crucial contact with the occupiers. The internet resources should work to strengthen that connection.

the Get Involved menu:
    1 General Information
    2 Announcements
    3 Get Involved!
        3.1 On-Site Volunteering
        3.2 Remote Volunteering
    4 Outreach Sub-Pages
    5 Contact Us

What is the difference between getting involved and participating? Why are they both in prime page real estate?

I'd suggest: just having 'participate' menu which points to a 'Help build the movement' page

Participate | Help Build the Movement

1. Support the Occupation
1.1 Come to the Site
1.2 Events every day
1.3 Current needs
1.4 Work at Dewey Square
1.5 Donate
2. Work with the Occupiers
2.2 Educate yourself, Share your Ideas
2.2 Join a Working Group
2.3 Contribute on Social Media
2.4 Follow Developments

I think this structure would include all that already exists. Mcktimo 13:33, 24 October 2011 (EDT)

/participate

create a more democratic space

Users and User(Working)groups can have their own page hierarchy, useful for collecting and sharing and organizing within that group but not in the main page space. The idea of a public face existing alongside a 'workspace'.

One might say the existing wiki is a collection of manifestos read only by their authors. Ok so now everyone has a personal set of pages where they can put their own stuff. Perhaps this is an important part of developing our community.

leave the hierarchy flat

Don't pretend to know how this space will organize. Allow it to organize itself. Rules about /WG/OBIT/littlebit are not really in the spirit of wiki. Look at mediawiki, millions of articles all in the main page space.

that being said...

put Working groups in the user: space

Consider the wiki as serving 2 functions. One is to present a compelling collection of ideas in support of the occupy movement. The other function is as a space that helps to grow this movement. This part is a little messier. I propose encouraging the user: space as the place for the latter.

Working Groups could reflect these 2 functions as follows:

  1. a public face that includes a presentation of the best and most succinct work of the group. The focus is on people not in the group per se.
  2. a workspace for the work group with random ideas, links, discussions and drafts that are mercilessly edited in good spirit.

Perhaps there could be a naming convention to differentiate Working Groups from regular users eg: 'WG-transparency'.

Another reason to be in a namespace instead of a made up / space is that you automatically get a link trail thingy to get back to the user page.

OBIT's role

(or the wiki subgroup of OBIT) (after putting out the transition fires) would be to...

  • decide on the sidebar menu,
  • maintain the main_page
  • create overall (css) look
  • decide on how much functionality we can uncover $wgturnWhichVariableOn or how come I can't see the image below on the page?
  • decide and act on extension requests
  • provide integration with other occupyboston websites
  • provide good training and help

wicker-dog-beds-choose-pets.jpg

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/help file

A draft help file.