Jtm-pnw-session-journ-wiki - Revision history

69.91.139.212: /* Who showed up */

2010-01-09T20:30:33Z

Who showed up

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:30, 9 January 2010
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	* Zani (sp?) Castillo, student at UW		* Zani (sp?) Castillo, student at UW
	* Charlotte Crawford		* Charlotte Crawford
	* Nancy White, ~~communications~~ consultant in Seattle		* Nancy White, [http://www.fullcirc.l\| Full Circle Associates] collaboration consultant in Seattle
	* Michael Andersen, Portland Afoot - building a wiki for people who live in Portland without a car		* Michael Andersen, Portland Afoot - building a wiki for people who live in Portland without a car

69.91.138.252: boldface added

2010-01-09T19:52:13Z

boldface added

69.91.138.252: /* Who showed up */

2010-01-09T19:46:00Z

Who showed up

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:46, 9 January 2010
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	* Zani (sp?) Castillo, student at UW		* Zani (sp?) Castillo, student at UW
	* Charlotte Crawford		* Charlotte Crawford
	* Nancy		* Nancy White, communications consultant in Seattle
	* Michael Andersen, Portland Afoot - building a wiki for people who live in Portland without a car		* Michael Andersen, Portland Afoot - building a wiki for people who live in Portland without a car

69.91.138.252: add notes

2010-01-09T19:44:35Z

add notes

Show changes

69.91.138.238 at 22:13, 8 January 2010

2010-01-08T22:13:57Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:13, 8 January 2010
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	The organizer, Michael Andersen (that's me) is a wiki amateur building a startup around ideas like [http://www.newsless.org Matt Thompson]'s about the importance and potential of contextually rich reporting online. It's going to be a resource for people who live in Portland without a car.		The organizer, Michael Andersen (that's me) is a wiki amateur building a startup around ideas like [http://www.newsless.org Matt Thompson]'s about the importance and potential of contextually rich reporting online. It's going to be a resource for people who live in Portland without a car.

	Though I want to make it possible for other people to contribute, I intend to be my site's main contributor. And that might be a secret about news wikis: the anyone-can-edit feature is potentially less important than approaching the news from a "resource page" perspective.		Though I want to make it possible for other people to contribute, I intend to be my site's main contributor. And that might be '''a secret about news wikis: the anyone-can-edit feature is potentially less important than approaching the news from a "resource page" perspective.'''

	We've seen this "resource page" idea pop up lately in the Google/NYT/WaPo "[http://livingstories.googlelabs.com/ Living Stories]" project. Cannily, Thompson has also [http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=101886 identified this] as the idea behind "The Giant Pool of Money," the celebrated This American Life piece that grew into NPR's Planet Money.		We've seen this "resource page" idea pop up lately in the Google/NYT/WaPo "[http://livingstories.googlelabs.com/ Living Stories]" project. Cannily, Thompson has also [http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=101886 identified this] as the idea behind "The Giant Pool of Money," the celebrated This American Life piece that grew into NPR's Planet Money.

	If you know wikis, let's talk about their best practices -- technologically and socially. If you know journalism, let's talk about creating a workflow that inserts relevant new content into an evergreen resource page. What sorts of information should go in an inverted pyramid ... but not in a news wiki?		'''If you know wikis''', let's talk about their best practices -- technologically and socially. '''If you know journalism''', let's talk about creating a workflow that inserts relevant new content into an evergreen resource page. What sorts of information should go in an inverted pyramid ... but not in a news wiki?

69.91.138.238: create page

2010-01-08T22:12:40Z

create page

New page

== How is journalism different when the tool is a wiki? ==

We're meeting in area H, which is right by the food table.

The organizer, Michael Andersen (that's me) is a wiki amateur building a startup around ideas like [http://www.newsless.org Matt Thompson]'s about the importance and potential of contextually rich reporting online. It's going to be a resource for people who live in Portland without a car.

Though I want to make it possible for other people to contribute, I intend to be my site's main contributor. And that might be a secret about news wikis: the anyone-can-edit feature is potentially less important than approaching the news from a "resource page" perspective.

We've seen this "resource page" idea pop up lately in the Google/NYT/WaPo "[http://livingstories.googlelabs.com/ Living Stories]" project. Cannily, Thompson has also [http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=101886 identified this] as the idea behind "The Giant Pool of Money," the celebrated This American Life piece that grew into NPR's Planet Money.

If you know wikis, let's talk about their best practices -- technologically and socially. If you know journalism, let's talk about creating a workflow that inserts relevant new content into an evergreen resource page. What sorts of information should go in an inverted pyramid ... but not in a news wiki?

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:52, 9 January 2010
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	=== Basic wiki characteristics ===		=== Basic wiki characteristics ===

	From a reader's perspective, wikis are especially useful to:		From a '''wiki reader's perspective''', wikis are especially useful to:
	* people new to a topic		* people new to a topic
	* people with low or passing interest in a topic		* people with low or passing interest in a topic

	From an editor's perspective, wikis are especially useful to:		From a '''wiki editor's perspective''', wikis are especially useful to:
	* people with a clear mission: "fix this buggy software!" "build a free global encyclopedia!"		* people with a clear mission: "fix this buggy software!" "build a free global encyclopedia!"

	Problems with wikis:		'''Problems with wikis''':
	* How to locate new content? RSS feeds don't work well with wiki edits.		* How to locate new content? RSS feeds don't work well with wiki edits.
	* How to find stuff you don't know you're looking for?		* How to find stuff you don't know you're looking for?
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	:: Can a wiki communicate its lack of reliability to readers, so their expectations are safely low?		:: Can a wiki communicate its lack of reliability to readers, so their expectations are safely low?

	Two strengths of wikis, which oppose each other:		Two '''strengths of wikis''', which oppose each other:
	* motivations to action		* motivations to action
	* collections of expertise		* collections of expertise
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	=== Recruiting and using volunteers ===		=== Recruiting and using volunteers ===

	If your project is awesome, people will want to help. A community project like a wiki should always include explicit information on how to get involved (~~rather~~ than ~~merely~~ editing).		If your project is awesome, people will want to help. A community project like a wiki should '''always include explicit information on how to get involved''' (more than just editing).

	Keep your barriers to participation low by doing usability testing: observe real people using your site. When it comes to design, fail early and often.		Keep your barriers to participation low by doing usability testing: '''observe real people using your site'''. When it comes to design, fail early and often.

	It's easier to get volunteers when the time commitment is limited. The lead-up to an event helps provide a finish line.		It's '''easier to get volunteers when the time commitment is limited'''. The lead-up to an event helps provide a finish line.

	Lure volunteers with the promise of career expertise in lucrative new skills like "community management."		'''Lure volunteers with the promise of career expertise''' in lucrative new skills like "community management."

	A tiny online community might expect 20 percent participation by its audience, tops. A big online community might expect 1 percent.		A tiny online community might expect 20 percent participation by its audience, tops. A big online community might expect 1 percent.
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	=== Wiki strategies ===		=== Wiki strategies ===

	Any media launch should start with two questions:		Any '''media launch''' should start with two questions:
	* What is the problem that needs solving?		* What is the problem that needs solving?
	* What is our desired outcome?		* What is our desired outcome?

	Should wiki content be non-commercially ~~licensed~~?		Should wiki content have a '''non-commercially license''', forbidding people from making a profit when they reproduce it?
	* Pro: may motivate people to contribute more if they can make money off it later.		* Pro: may motivate people to contribute more if they can make money off it later.
	* Con: may piss off your volunteers if someone else is making money off their unpaid work.		* Con: may piss off your volunteers if someone else is making money off their unpaid work.
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	=== Marketing your wiki ===		=== Marketing your wiki ===

	To get things rolling, seed a wiki with plenty of content in advance. Pam's wiki started with 20 to 40 pages pre-launch.		To get things rolling, '''seed a wiki with plenty of content in advance'''. Pam's wiki started with 20 to 40 pages pre-launch.

	Wikis die if they don't have a "heartbeat": the "push" function of email, blogs, etc. Without them, nobody knows what's new.		'''Wikis die if they don't have a "heartbeat"''': the "push" function of email, blogs, etc. Without them, nobody knows what's new.
	Can a local wiki get its "heartbeat" from the local news ecosystem, dominated by blogs and daily outlets?		:: Can a local wiki get its "heartbeat" from the local news ecosystem, dominated by blogs and daily outlets?

	One good audience for wikis: schools and educators. The mission fits.		One good audience for wikis: schools and educators. The mission fits.

	Wikis need community organizers who operate in meatspace, to build awareness in the target community and to strengthen it.		'''Wikis need community organizers''' who operate in meatspace, to build awareness in the target community and to strengthen it.

	On wikis where editing is restricted, it can be useful to temporarily broaden editing rights in the lead-up to a high-profile event.		On wikis where editing is restricted, it can be useful to '''temporarily broaden editing rights''' in the lead-up to a high-profile event.

	=== Tactics for managing a wiki community ===		=== Tactics for managing a wiki community ===
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	==== There will be trolls ====		==== There will be trolls ====

	Psychos will show up. Every wiki needs rules for dealing with them. Some sort of deletion policy is necessary.		Psychos will show up. Every wiki needs rules for dealing with them. '''Some sort of deletion policy is necessary.'''

	Good practice for taming trolls: incorporate some adversarial content into ~~the post~~. This co-opts troublemakers.		Good practice for taming trolls: '''incorporate some adversarial content''' into your wiki pages. This co-opts troublemakers.

	Instead of just letting everyone edit, consider opening comment threads beneath each piece. Pre-selected editors can then cull the comment threads for good ideas and promote valuable commenters to editorship.		Instead of just letting everyone edit, '''consider opening comment threads beneath each piece'''. Pre-selected editors can then cull the comment threads for good ideas and promote valuable commenters to editorship.

	==== A wiki needs facilitation ====		==== A wiki needs facilitation ====

	Good online community managers, aka "community technology stewards," offer praise by calling out good workers by name -- giving them that "I Rock" feeling.		Good online community managers, aka "community technology stewards," offer praise by '''calling out good workers by name''' -- giving them that "I Rock" feeling.

	Online community facilitation requires a balance of three sorts of tasks: content, social, and technical. Per [http://www.ewenger.com/theory/ Wenger], these can be described as the "domain," the "community" and the "practice."		Online community facilitation requires a balance of three sorts of tasks: content, social, and technical. Per [http://www.ewenger.com/theory/ Wenger], these can be described as the "domain," the "community" and the "practice."