WikiNodeIdea

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The idea is to connect wikis around the world using a network structure of WikiNode-pages. The idea was developed by LionKimbro and brought to many wikis by MattisManzel, who is actively exploring and developing it. Because of the ConnectedGraphSquaringProblem a meta-layer has been added to the concept recently.

A WikiNode page should contain:

About the local wiki:

a short description of the wiki
a list of short descriptions of its most interesting places or topics (very much like a TourBusStop page)
- if nothing better is available refer to FrontPage, RecentChanges and ForumPage.

Links to the neighborhood nodes:

a list of the wiki-nodes of neighboring wikis (alternatives, expected to be of interest to the visitors or users)

the wiki reflecting the application and its special issues (for example "a wiki for city wikis") and collects all information about wikis and wiki nodes of that application (by Mattis named "Node Wiki", maybe better "Node Type Wiki", or as it has little to do with the idea of the WikiNode ApplicationWikiCentre?). This wiki will collect all nodes of a certain wiki application type and connect organisations of a certain type (for example "all schools"). Note that there won't be a unique wiki for this purposes necessarily.

the wiki used for reflecting all applications and all issues (by Mattis named "Wiki Nodes Wiki"). Note that there won't be a unique wiki for this purposes necessarily. In English you have the choice of WardsWiki, MeatballWiki, CommunityWiki, MetaWikiPedia. In German: GründerWiki.

Links to the other neighborhood:

a list of other neighbors (wikis, blogs, forum) lacking a node (maybe people create them)

Note that for non-English communities, reflection wikis typically exist in two languages (in the native language and English). This is necessary to separate language layers and to communicate experiences.

Optional:

a link to a page explaining the WikiNodeIdea, maybe a HowTo for participation.

a list of collaborative editing pages this is a favorite idea of Mattis, to make wikis more effective by using collaborative editors, like e. g. MoonEdit

Notes

So, in a way, it is comparable to the TourBus, but with a slightly different philosophy and implemented in a different way.

Advantages (compared to the TourBus):

it looks socially simpler at first sight, you need not ask to participate
create a page and look for other node pages where your wiki might fit, add your links there
the WikiNode system should grow faster
it naturally inspires the creation of meta-systems to advance certain applications.

Disadvantages (compared to the TourBus):

it is more work, because you have to update the node and search and update the neighborhood nodes on yourself
you have to care for being accepted at each single node (community) separately
there is no reason to talk and to build relationships, to ask for or get advice (e. g. about the neighborhood)
there is no-one who cares for the system as a whole
many wikis enter the WikiNode system that aren't interesting (ShallowWiki), so the system has more "noise" and nodes are typically of lower quality than TourBusStop pages

Advantages of the TourBus:

theoretically: Adding wikis is O(N) vs. O(N*N)
the meta-organization is simpler: currently handled at MeatballWiki

Hint: WikiNodeIdea and TourBus are similar ideas and are not in a competition against each other. Use them both to connect your wikis as good as possible. Don't forget to look for and enter the various directory systems (like http://www.worldwidewiki.net/wiki/SwitchWiki or [GründerWiki:WikiVerzeichnis]). It's much harder to get into WikiPedia or OpenDirectoryProject (maybe consider entering these as long term goals).

Discussion

Thanks Helmut for this page. TourBus and wiki-node are in no competition. I started putting a link to each othere if both TourBusStop and WikiNode exist on a wiki but I forgot recently. I have to take a look again, just hopped on the bus once in the beginning. On the open guide to london http://london.openguides.org/index.cgi?WikiNode I linked both systems, they combine pretty good I think. -- MattisManzel

: Mattis, you've still not answered, what WikiNodesWiki and NodeWiki? are all about! -- HelmutLeitner

Sorry, new idea about the node. It goes about like that:

The page RecentChangesOfOurNeighbors? shows the recent changes of the neighbors the community thinks are wikis in the neighborhood. It is triggered by a ranking of wikis on the list of neighbors on the wiki-node. Whoever, actively most likely the members of a community of a wiki sign neigbors they like. The neighbor wikis on the wiki-node get ranked by the number of their signs. On RecentChangesOfOurNeighbors? it lets you choose from how many neighbors you want to see the recent changes of. You choose 3 and get the three most favorite wikis of the community. Please see [s23-wiki: recent changes of our neighbors], please. + the discussion page, thx -- MattisManzel

: Mattis, I think I just understood the meaning of WikiNodesWiki and NodeWiki?. Maybe we should reconsider their naming. -- HelmutLeitner

Important yes. wiki-node, node-wiki, node-wiki-for-xxx-wikis (url NodeWiki?4XxxWikis), else small case what's small case: university, meat, ball, community. Big only what's really big-case: Berlin, Gründer (a German substaniv), Mattis-Manzel. The word "wiki" is always small-case. Use "-" a lot. It augments understandability. Kommunikations-Architektur-wiki, not Kommunikationsarchitektur-wiki, meat-ball-wiki, not meatball-wiki ;) K, to be thought about. But you'll admit that the first case it's usefull. How can we name node-wikis better? MattisManzel

: Instead of node-wiki-for-city-wikis why not use CityWikiCentre? (city-wiki-centre). Case and hyphens are of minor importance, just a matter of taste. MeatballWiki is basically a wiki-centre. GründerWiki a german-wiki-centre. -- HelmutLeitner

The node-wiki-for-...-wiki idea lames. We will have maps that show us where within wikilandia centre-wiki are in use and these maps will have a (graphical) history that shows us how conglumeration develops. It will be dynamic. Therefor node-wik-for... lames. But for the moment and as we have no working wikilandia-wide processing of WikiMetaData? (camelcasing and hoping it's a link) yet the idea will do. Titels can be changed later (EditableTitle). -- MattisManzel

MattisManzel, 2005-11-27: university-wiki-centre, city wiki-centre, sounds good to me, far better than node-wiki.