WikiDirectoryProject

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The WikiDirectoryProject is intended to be a truly OpenSource and OpenProcess alternative to the OpenDirectoryProject.

This is a ShallowPage. Please help by chipping in with your ideas before the ball starts rolling.

Hierarchy

As with any directory, we need a main hierarchy (to start with at least - we can come up with cool ways to extend the model sideways as time goes on). Here are a few suggestions for the top level, loosely based on the existing ODP top-level categories.

: Arts, Business, Employment, Entertainment, Health, Home, Kids, Media, News, People, Places, Pursuits, Reference, Science, Shopping, Society, Technology.

"Pursuits" would cover things like sports, hobbies and so on.

Thoughts?

I greatly dislike the way ODP ghetto-ises anything not in the English language as "World". I suppose the eventual result will be multiple WikiDirectoryProjectÿ?0ÿ in various languages, much the way WikiPedia does it. -- EarleMartin

Sunir, what WikiEngine did you have in mind? MediaWiki seems to be emerging as the de-facto standard for this kind of project. -- EarleMartin

We can do MediaWiki. We can do InfiniteMonkey. We can do UseModWiki. We could do OddMuse. We could do MoinMoin. Anything. What would you like? -- SunirShah

I reckon, go with MediaWiki. Easy acclimatisation for existing WikiPedia types would be a plus. -- EarleMartin

Ok, do you want to just start? I don't know enough to install it for you. I can hand you the keys. -- SunirShah

Sure thing. I have work stuff during the day tomorrow, but should be able to make a start some time in the GMT PM. -- EarleMartin

My only request is to put a little MeatballLogo somewhere. And don't crash the server! ;) -- SunirShah

Sure thing - and not a problem, I hope. :) -- EarleMartin

Actually, I changed my mind. Don't put the MeatballLogo anywhere. Life here seems to be better the more we are only known by those who seek us out. ;) -- SunirShah

As it turns out, AerikSylvan beat us to it: http://www.wikidirectory.org. That means we should change our strategy from doing the technical stuff to helping socially. -- SunirShah

AerikSylvan writes back to SunirShah

I think we'll either replace the ODP, or they'll wikify themselves. Or, possibly, technology and goodwill will be squashed by self interest and vandalism - either way, this is a great experiment. It seems that the WikiDirectory? is now the only one of it's kind, TrulyOpenDirectory and wikia having folded up. I think it's because they had the wrong approach, and I believe I have the right one, but time will tell...

How can you help? I would welcome help at any level, ideas for improved functioning (technical stuff); and probably more importantly ideas and direct assistance with growing the directory. I figure the directory will grow in phases - the first phase is building decent quality content. I have been "marketing" it to small websites looking to promote themselves which really ends up being SEO guys and people would would read SEO resources. A critical part of phase 1 is keeping the quality of the entries decent and preventing the directory from becoming fill up with spammy links and self promoting marketing lingo.

I think the directory will probably need 10,000 or so entries to be a useful resource, which will be phase 2: marketing the directory as a useful resource for finding information. I envision that phase 3 will be the beginning of real organic, wiki-style evolution: as browsers begin to use the directory and edit the entries made by people promoting their sites, the structure of the the directory will change, the categories will grow and morph in ways that I can't imagine right now, but will need developers to support. If it gets that far :-).

So, right now I could use help with phase 1 activities, and planning for phase 2. I also have a backlog of technical projects to improve the software (principally hacking and testing mediawiki 1.5). -- AerikSylvan

I believe I have mentioned this before, I think that SwitchWiki is the DMOZ for wikis. DMOZ should just link there for that categoy, it only makes sense to me to use a wiki for that. I think it is the root of any directory project. IMHO -- MarkDilley

I'm not sure that I follow you on "the root of any directory project" but I wanted to clarify that what we're after here is a dmoz style (or not so much...) directory, in a wiki. Or, put better, a general directory, but as open as possible, where anyone can edit or add entries. Along the way, solutions to other dmoz shortcomings (depends on you point of view, I'm sure) may present themselves too - for instance, I believe the flexibility of wiki-style categories is much more useful and interesting than the rigid hierarchy of the odp. -- AerikSylvan

Not sure I am looking for a DMOZ style directory for SwitchWiki. Maybe that is a difference between the projects? I am currently talking with Ralf at SwitchWiki about what would be needed to keep it there. I also have talked to Sunir about moving it to the meatball society server. (which I prefer) -- MarkDilley

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