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StartAWiki
MeatballWiki | RecentChanges | Random Page | Indices | CategoriesDuring WikiSym 2006, it became glaringly apparent that wikidom needed more large wikis out there to complement (and, admittedly, to provide a BalancingForce to) the WikimediaFoundation. It has also become glaringly apparent that wikidom has comed to a kind of consensus about how to create wikis successfully. We decided that what we needed to do now was reach out to new founders and would-be founders to help them with the CommunityLore of how to deal with the problems they will face. The WikiOhana initiative is meant to address that problem in a more sustainable, community-driven way (from 2000-2002, mostly it was just me wandering around to new wikis; currently it is a very few folks like MattisManzel and the WikiIndex project).
To complement such an initiative, I decided we needed a practical textbook on how to get a wiki up and running. I am aware of the WikiScience? book, but it's either dead, or the wikibooks.org site makes it impossible to follow what's going on. Plus, its mission is off target. Thus, I just registered http://www.startawiki.org, .net, .com. I also registered wikitutorial.org, wikitutorial.net. wikitutorial.com is currently being squatted. I am parking them for the moment as I have other things I need to do, but I'll throw up an OddMuse installation shortly unless someone else is keen to do it.
Because it's going to come up, I'm not in favour of using MediaWiki. Judging from the state of affairs at WikiSym, that would be counterproductive to the community spirit and the long term viability of the community, even if it would probably be better from the readers' point of view in the short term.
My ostensible starting MissionStatement roughly goes, Build a guidebook that will help more projects or companies get a wiki up and running from the ground upto a sustainable success so that there are at least ten large wiki organizations routinely represented at community events, such as WikiSym, RecentChangesCamp, and WikiMania?.
The guidebooks should be written in textbook style, with textbook-level knowledge, so I aim to direct all debate about new knowledge to MeatballWiki and its various MeatballAlternatives.
The project should have a MeatballLogo somewhere because we're going to host it and so we're responsible for it ultimately. It does not need to be nor should be a Meatball-only project, however.
As an aside, can you believe that wikisherpa.* are also gone? Good lord, I wonder what that's all about. -- SunirShah
- October 17, 2006 -- Ok, well, I've put an OddMuse wiki up, at http://www.startawiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki. -- SunirShah
These days I feel new Oddmuse wikis should install the Creole Markup Extension if at all possible in addition to whatever else they might want to install. I like the idea. How about deciding to put it all in the public domain, setting an appropriate edit and footer note? -- AlexSchroeder
That sounds like a good idea. However, I prefer the CreativeCommons Attribution [license], as I am now totally confused over whether I can assign works to the "PublicDomain" in Canada, and it's reasonable to believe that consultants or vendors may use the work in their practices if they wish. The attribution would simply be a prominent link back to StartAWiki, which is fair I think. Do you want to do this? I can give you the keys. -- SunirShah
I could update the engine, install modules, maintain Banned Content list, etc. CC Attribution is fine with me. -- AlexSchroeder
Hey, thanks a lot! I've emailed you the login details. -- SunirShah
What's the status of this project? The links to StartAWiki are dead. -- JustinShaffner
CategoryMeatball