Earlier this year, I helped organize and archive some of the past proposals for new Wikimedia projects on meta, and those with an education focus (including several for children's education) are collected here:
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Proposed_projects_-_education Perhaps these historical proposals might also be of some use. Thanks, Richard (User:Pharos) On Sat, Nov 19, 2011 at 1:54 PM, Mathias Damour <mathias.dam...@laposte.net>wrote: > Hi all, > > I've tried to compile some of the old messages and discussions about > this topic, which has been put in light time to time, notably (as far as > I know) three times on this mailing list from 2005 to 2010 (see below). > > I am a French wikipedian, and would like to tell you about this pretty > old project: a wiki encyclopedia designed for and partly maintained by > children. > The idea of a equivalent of Wikipedia for children was discussed in > particular in 2005-2006 on this page : > http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikikids > > Although it had no continuation as a Wikimedia project, wikis with such > a feature were launched first in Dutch: WikiKids > http://wikikids.wiki.kennisnet.nl ; in french a few month later: Vikidia > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikidia ( http://fr.vikidia.org/ ) and then > in Spanish ( http://es.vikidia.org ) for 8-13 years old children. I > opened Vikidia. > > WikiKids.nl and Vikidia in French are doing well and are quite alike in > size and activity, they are both 5 years old now, whereas Vikidia in > Spanish doesn't make it so well. (If you are Spanish speaker or if you > know people that would be interested in it, please tell them about this > wiki !) > > On Vikidia in French, we currently have a guest-book opened, and the > comments left on it > http://fr.vikidia.org/wiki/Vikidia:Livre_d%27or/Automne_2011 are quite > encouraging (Google translation: http://bit.ly/vfPP4m ). Children say > they appreciate the articles to be more readable for them than on > Wikipedia, their main reserve being that some article are not developed > enough, or that there isn't articles on every subject they would like to > know about... They clearly expect (and claim) some substantial content, > though it has to be easier than the Wikipedia's content. > > We have yet a bit more than 10,500 articles in Vikidia in French, and > about 250,000 unique visitors a month. > > This "Wikikids" question was mentioned again in the Wikimedia scope one > year ago firstly on this mailing list, and on the 2010 Wikimedia Study > of Controversial Content there: > > http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/2010_Wikimedia_Study_of_Controversial_Content:_Part_Two#Recommendations:_Controversial_Text > : > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Recommendations: Controversial Text > Because of the considerations outlined above, our recommendations > surrounding text in WMF projects are the following: > > It is recommended: > (...) > 3. That, however, the Foundation investigate the creation of a > “WikiJunior” version of the Wikipedias, aimed at children under the age > of 12, either as a stand-alone project or in partnership with existing > and appropriate educational institutions. > Explanations: > (...) > Recommendations 2 and 3 > (...) Much more successful, in our opinion, is a project specifically > targeted to children, and to the quite different needs of children in > different age groups. Some projects of this nature have already been > begun in the WikiJunior section of WikiBooks, but it is our feeling that > the scope of such a venture might necessitate the formation of > partnerships with institutions who have experience and resources already > devoted to this area. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > I of course agree, except on those points : > > * /"a project specifically targeted to children, and to the quite > different needs of children in different age groups"/ I would warn > against the idea of dividing the content for age group as restricted as > each year of age, following the pattern of school class. That point > could be expounded. > * /"the scope of such a venture might necessitate the formation of > partnerships with institutions who have experience and resources already > devoted to this area."/ Thats quite a conservative point of view, kind > of those that, if followed by Wikipedia, wouldn't have permit its > developpment. I mean that in such a project, one should try to > communicate with institutions, publicize what they do, share some points > of view, competence and so on, but he shouldn't wait for those > institutions as if they would have to approuve the project and its > methods, as if only them could tell what is good for the project, since > it deals with children. > > Another feature of WikiKids/Vikidia is of course that it let children be > involved in building the content, and does not "only" aim to produce and > offer content for children, for the same benefits that you can find in > Wikipedia-editing workshops for students. There is both some school > projects and volunteer (and often enthusiastic) children editing on > Vikidia along with teenagers, students and adult writers. > This project is not the same as Wikijunior. It is a Wikipedia-like > project, which Wikijunior isn't. > > I do have in mind that there is Simple English Wikipedia, whom no other > equivalent have been created in any other language. I guess that it > would make less easy to create a wikikids in english, as it would be > partly similar to simple. I would also say that the fact that this wiki > is not so big and hasn't been created in other language may show that > its aim would not be so clear, mobilizing and justifying. By the way, on > Vikidia, we do hope to be usefull not only to children but to people of > any age that would like a simple approach of a subject, or a shorter one > than on Wikipedia. We beleive that if its content were not relevant to > older people, it wouldn't be good either for children. > > Another thought, one may even link this projet with an article of the > convention on the Rights of the Child > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Child which > is the following: > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Article 13 http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm#art13 > 1. The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right > shall include freedom to seek, receive *and impart* information and > ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing > or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the > child's choice. > 2. The exercise of this right may be subject to certain restrictions, > but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary: > (a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others; or > (b) For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre > public), or of public health or morals. > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > I'm afraid that the main objection may be the opinion I can read on the > 2010 discussion on this list, which is to assume that anything that > deals with children should be exclusively conducted by certified > professionnals, and thus can not be an open collaboration project. Since > I can't see any legal grounds to it (do you need a licence to write a > book for children ?), I guess it has some sociological or cultural > grounds... > However, the point of this message is to address the "I don't think it > can work well" objection, associated with issues such as vandalism, > censorship, defining the appropriate content, children motivation and > ability to edit articles... since it does work well at least in two > language, where there is children, teenagers and adults working together > to better the wiki. And thousands of readers every days. > > Previous discussions on this mailing list : > http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2005-January/015108.html > January 2005 > > http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2007-May/thread.html#30511 > May 2007 > > http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2010-June/thread.html#59456 > June 2010 > > On the wikis : > http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikikids > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo_Wales/Archive_86#New_Wikipedia_for_Kids > October 2011 > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Village_pump_(proposals)/Archive_79#WikiKids_-_Vikidia:_encyclopedia_for_children > October 2011 > http://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Proposal:Wikipedia_exclusively_for_Kids > http://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Proposal:Wiki_for_kids > http://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Proposal:Wikipedia_Junior > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Village_pump_%28proposals%29/Archive_30#Wikipediakids > and July 2010 > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Village_pump_%28policy%29/Archive_78#NOTCENSORED_and_content_control > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Village_pump_%28proposals%29/Archive_78#Summary_Pages_NOT_Childrens.27_Pages > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Village_pump_%28proposals%29/Persistent_proposals#Abbreviated_Wikipedia_or_Childrens.27_Wikipedia > > Greetings, > > -- > Mathias Damour > [[User:Astirmays]] > 49 rue Carnot > 74000 Annecy > France > 00 (33)4 57 09 10 56 > 00 (33)6 27 13 65 51 > mathias.dam...@laposte.net > > _______________________________________________ > foundation-l mailing list > foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l > _______________________________________________ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l