Touching base --
Hi Simonfj
Sorry about the short delay in response -- I've been on international mission.
- Oops sorry hadn't update my message link to use the "Start a new discussion" link.
User:Simonfj wrote: <<Notice you're on the advisory board (AB) to the WMF, which hopefully means you've met Sue Gardner or will shortly.>>
- Yip -- I have had the pleasure of meeting Sue Gardner at Wikimania 2007. I'm most impressed with the calibre of her leadership and she is an asset to the WMF community.
User:Simonfj wrote: <<Do you have a comms manager? I'm after someone like Sandy O from meta>>
- At WE we do not yet have a "formal" Comms "manager". However we are looking at ways to establish a community based Comms team. Randy Fisher has been steering our community building initiatives thus far and it would be good to get in touch with Randy. He'd done some amazing work in helping the WE community to grow in meaningful ways.
User:Simonfj wrote:
<<Im also interested in whether you have a syop/admin who is across the geek stuff (tools).>>
- Yip, we have a few folk with "Geek" status in our community. Try --
- User:BrentSimpson
- User:Phsi
- User:Kruhly
I try and help out where I can. Eloquence of course has guru status <smile> and he is on our Board and helps take the tough ICT decisions.
User:Simonfj wrote:
<<
The primary problem is that every conversation is split between a users talk page and a (let's call them) mentor's. (admin in wikispeak). You can see it if you want to leave a message on my user page. I'll reply on yours and so we can be certain that no one will learn a bloody thing. (the bloody is optional).>>
- Yip - communications can get confusing when folk reply on the User talk page (like me now :-)) when this should be part of a wider community discussion. Perhaps we should move these discussions to the Community Building Project page. Yeah -- I know it's hard to find <smile> -- we should be communicating better!
User:Simonfj wrote: <<So I can see where you're going with the Liquid threads. But I'm sure you have wider expectations than that if your on the WMF advisory.>>
- Where is Liquid Threads (LQT) going -- I'm not sure -- the wider wiki community will decide. I don't see LQT as a substitute for communication technologies. Folk should use what works best for them. I see LQT as a neat tool which conflates the power of the wiki model (you can still edit a user's post) and the structure of a threaded discussion which many educators and newbies find easier to use.
User:Simonfj wrote: <<A starting point? Just click on the Communication Projects Group. This is the attempt to bring the Wikifoundation Projects comms to a head, so if you'd like to encourage the movement to include WE you might ask a comms person to put a flag in the sand on this page.>>
- Not sure what you mean by bringing the Comms to a head -- but I'm typically supportive of initiatives which improve what we are collectively trying to do in an open and transparent way. I'll ask Randy to take a look. My personal vision -- which may not necessarily represent the WE community vision is for all the related Wikimedia projects working in the education sphere to come together and talk about the possibilities of how best to join forces in developing free knowledge for all.
User:Simonfj wrote: <<the [WMF] AB are going to see the need for a Forum as a wider approach to threads. So I'll point you at this one to ruminate on over Christmas. minus the ads of course.>>
Technologies which make it easier for us to communicate and work together are a good thing. Personally -- I don't see the AB's role as advising on operational and technological tools. From what I've seen VBulletin is a cool tool but is sadly a proprietary technology. The WMF is committed to using free software tools to support its work. This is the right thing to be doing and I wouldn't advocate otherwise. However, we should always look to the future and find ways of doing things better.
Simon, I'm looking for the communications projects group, and can't seem to find it ~ can you send me the direct link. Regarding the LQT, it's a bit cumbersome...now, it seems I have a ton o' messages that I've got to scroll through, and pronounce 'read'. We can communicate by email or skype - wikirandy - is my moniker. What specifically do you have in mind, for the comm's manager? Where are you based?
