Category Archives: wiki
Writing Wikipedia Articles: the online course
Last month, my colleague Sara Frank Bristow and I finished our first run of the free online course, Writing Wikipedia Articles: The basics and beyond. This course is part part Communicate OER, a project to improve the coverage of open … Continue reading
Wikipedia and an open government initiative
The Cato Institute, a think tank and policy research outfit based in Washington, DC, is designing a system for organizing and indexing bills going through the U.S. Congress using XML. And they have invited Wikipedians to the party. I will be … Continue reading
Why did Wikipedia change its license in 2009?
In September 2012, Vysakh Sreenivasan asked the following question on the web site Quora: Why did Wikipedia move from GFDL to Creative Commons? A core piece of what makes Wikipedia and similar broadly collaborative projects work is the concept of a free … Continue reading
Can I use Wikimedia Commons for my own purposes?
The following question was asked (anonymously in October 2012) on the web site Quora: Can I use Wikimedia Commons to host images, audio, and video for my blog or business? How does WC handle external usage of their public resources? … Continue reading
Pete Forsyth on openness and museums
Last week, I had the honor of talking on Brian Lehrer TV along with Seb Chan of the Cooper Hewitt Museum. We were asked about efforts among museums and cultural institutions to be more open and engaging in their practices, … Continue reading
Free Wikipedia workshop in Portland
Next Saturday (Feb. 9) in Portland, Oregon, I will be hosting an Introduction to Wikipedia and edit-a-thon. This is a great way to learn how the most successful peer-produced project in history works, and specifically, how it might relate to … Continue reading
Consumer Reports on the value of a Wikipedian in Residence
Last year, Wiki Strategies helped the respected non-profit Consumer Reports (CR) explore working with Wikipedia to advance the shared goal of providing factual, verifiable information to the public. As a result, CR launched a “Wikipedian in Residence” program in conjunction … Continue reading
I am a hacker.
Today was the funeral for Wikipedian and information activist Aaron Swartz. Rest in peace, Aaron. Aaron made substantial contributions to how the Internet functions as a young teenager, and continued his efforts to build the kind of world he wanted … Continue reading
Jamming on Wikipedia with the California League of Women Voters
This weekend’s Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon in Oakland was a big success! Wiki Strategies hosted this event, along with the California League of Women Voters, at Tech Liminal, a coworking space that generously donated the use of its space to bring people … Continue reading
Wikipedians in Residence and paid editing
Yesterday, c|net blogger Violet Blue wrote about conflict of interest in Wikipedia editing. She called into question the consulting services of Roger Bamkin and Max Klein, both highly regarded Wikipedians occupying positions of trust in the Wikipedia community. Above all, … Continue reading