Re: [Foundation-l] Looking for stories of readers affected by Wikipedia
On 11/11/2010 08:50 AM, John Vandenberg wrote: On Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 6:47 PM, Nikola Smolenskismole...@eunet.rs wrote: On 11/11/2010 07:31 AM, Sue Gardner wrote: * Ideally, they would be stories of people who pre-exposure-to-Wikipedia would have had circumscribed access to information. Because they grew up in a small town with no library, because their school didn't stock certain kinds of books, because materials in their language are of limited availability, because their government limits access to certain types of information -- in general, because their economic/political/socio-cultural circumstances somehow impede(d) easy access to information. I have an anti-story, about a critically useful information that was available in a home library, yet would not be allowed on Wikipedia per its policies. Anyone interested? I am. Back when we were under sanctions, it was impossible to buy antifreeze (or it was prohibitively expensive). So, my father remembered that in one of the books in our home library he once read that it it is possible to make antifreeze by mixing glycerine, alcohol and water in appropriate amount. It took him weeks to search through the home library, but he eventually did find the book and made his own antifreeze. Now, I have actually found a bit of the needed information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol : The minimum freezing point temperature is at about -36 °F / -37.8 °C corresponding to 60-70 % glycerol in water.[11]. But the problem is, I would not feel comfortable with making my own antifreeze from a single sentence (for example, does it matter if you pour water in glycerine or glycerine in water?) but if more detailed instructions would be added to Wikipedia, they would be removed per WP:NOTHOWTO. The book also included a table with the freezing points of various ratios of glycerine, alcohol and water (the point was to make the cheapest mixture that would not freeze at the lowest temperature we could expect) and for this too I don't see where in Wikipedia it could be added. It sounds like it would be allowed on Wikisource. It probably would be allowed on Wikibooks. But for one reason or another, people simply aren't interested enough in working on Wikibooks; Wikibooks don't show high enough in Google because the articles are not highly interlinked; and the Wikibooks howto in the opposite fashion could not have encyclopedic information in it (for example the very important section Historical cases of contamination with diethylene glycol that is present in the Wikipedia article and that would obviously be very important to someone who needs to make his own antifreeze). ___ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
Re: [Foundation-l] Looking for stories of readers affected by Wikipedia
Hello, Megan might want to contact Valérie75 http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilisateur:Val%C3%A9rie75, who ended up writing books about the topics she contributed to on Wikipédia. The books are not under a free license (I don't think), but have received good press in their domain (ornitohology, history of naturalism and such). Her mini bio does mention Wikipedia, and my take is that Wikipédia (and the amazing contribution she made to it) was a breakthrough in her career as an author. She has more than 5 edits on fr wp. Not sure if you're looking for that kind of stories, but it's a nice editor/volunteer/amateur becomes professional story. http://valerie-chansigaud.fr/index.php/accueil/mini-bio Cheers, Delphine On Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 7:31 AM, Sue Gardner sgard...@wikimedia.org wrote: Hi folks, Megan Hernandez on the staff is looking out for me, for stories of readers whose lives have been impacted by Wikipedia or the other projects. (Donors often send us stories like that, and I am often looking for stories to tell people about the projects. So I've asked her to send good ones to me.) I was writing her a set of criteria for the kinds of stories I want, and it occurred to me that you might yourselves have some good stories of exactly this kind. So I am sending along the criteria here too :-) If you have stories that fit many/all of these criteria, please send them to me, onlist or off. And please forgive my cross-posting to several lists at once. Thanks, Sue * Ideally, they'd be along the theme of how Wikipedia made my life better. This might be an anecdote, or bigger-picture (ie, 'how Wikipedia makes my life better every day'). * Ideally, they would be stories of people who pre-exposure-to-Wikipedia would have had circumscribed access to information. Because they grew up in a small town with no library, because their school didn't stock certain kinds of books, because materials in their language are of limited availability, because their government limits access to certain types of information -- in general, because their economic/political/socio-cultural circumstances somehow impede(d) easy access to information. * Ideally, the information that Wikipedia gives them is important, and directly, immediately useful. Like, it helped them better understand a health issue they were having, or it equipped them to do some important task better; it helped them understand a new situation or some aspect of themselves, or enabled them to solve an important problem. Maybe it helped them get a job they otherwise couldn't have gotten, or enabled them to avoid some specific danger or risk. * And/or, the information fed a general curiosity and desire to understand the world better. It got them interested in going to college which nobody in their family had done before, it helped them develop a more thoughtful position on a public policy issue, it stimulated them to travel or read more widely, or to question assumptions they had been making. * Ideally, their lives are better today because of the information they are exposed to via Wikipedia. Maybe this would be better in some really specific way -- like, Three months later I persuaded my doctor to let me try the new treatment, and it worked. Or, it might be much more general. * It is fine if the information they found on Wikipedia might otherwise have been kept from them, either deliberately or through lack of easy opportunity. It is fine if the information is considered risky or controversial in some way. -- Sue Gardner Executive Director Wikimedia Foundation 415 839 6885 office 415 816 9967 cell Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate ___ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l -- @notafish NB. This gmail address is used for mailing lists. Personal emails will get lost. Intercultural musings: Ceci n'est pas une endive - http://blog.notanendive.org Photos with simple eyes: notaphoto - http://photo.notafish.org ___ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
Re: [Foundation-l] Looking for stories of readers affected by Wikipedia
In a message dated 11/10/2010 10:32:00 PM Pacific Standard Time, sgard...@wikimedia.org writes: (Donors often send us stories like that, and I am often looking for stories to tell people about the projects. So I've asked her to send good ones to me.) I would be interested in seeing someplace where you would share these stories (you imply above that so far you're sharing them only verbally, in-person), or alternatively where people could share their own stories. Would there not be a reasonable place in-world where things like this could be put up? WSJ ___ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
Re: [Foundation-l] Looking for stories of readers affected by Wikipedia
Well, I know I'm boring, but Eco said something related to this topic. He started the interview stating: I am a compulsive user of Wikipedia, also for *arthritic* reasons: the more my back hurts, the more it costs me to get up and go to check the Treccani, so if I may find someone's birthday on Wikipedia it's all the better. [...] Of course, it's a matter of time. When I write, I consult Wikipedia 30–40 times a day, because it is really helpful. When I write, I don't remember if someone was born in the 6th century or the 7th; or maybe how many *n's* are in Goldmann... Just a few years ago, for this kind of thing you could waste a lot of time. Nowadays, with Wikipedia and Babylon, which checks the spelling, you can save a lot.[1] It's not much, but one could infer that Wikipedia is useful for old famous bestseller philosphers... Aubrey [1] http://it.wikinews.org/wiki/Interview_with_Umberto_Eco 2010/11/11 wjhon...@aol.com In a message dated 11/10/2010 10:32:00 PM Pacific Standard Time, sgard...@wikimedia.org writes: (Donors often send us stories like that, and I am often looking for stories to tell people about the projects. So I've asked her to send good ones to me.) I would be interested in seeing someplace where you would share these stories (you imply above that so far you're sharing them only verbally, in-person), or alternatively where people could share their own stories. Would there not be a reasonable place in-world where things like this could be put up? WSJ ___ 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
Re: [Foundation-l] Looking for stories of readers affected by Wikipedia
Dear Sue, Better yet, check this out: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Vapmachado#Block Warmest regards, Virgilio At 06:31 11-11-2010, you wrote: Hi folks, Megan Hernandez on the staff is looking out for me, for stories of readers whose lives have been impacted by Wikipedia or the other projects. (Donors often send us stories like that, and I am often looking for stories to tell people about the projects. So I've asked her to send good ones to me.) I was writing her a set of criteria for the kinds of stories I want, and it occurred to me that you might yourselves have some good stories of exactly this kind. So I am sending along the criteria here too :-) If you have stories that fit many/all of these criteria, please send them to me, onlist or off. And please forgive my cross-posting to several lists at once. Thanks, Sue * Ideally, they'd be along the theme of how Wikipedia made my life better. This might be an anecdote, or bigger-picture (ie, 'how Wikipedia makes my life better every day'). * Ideally, they would be stories of people who pre-exposure-to-Wikipedia would have had circumscribed access to information. Because they grew up in a small town with no library, because their school didn't stock certain kinds of books, because materials in their language are of limited availability, because their government limits access to certain types of information -- in general, because their economic/political/socio-cultural circumstances somehow impede(d) easy access to information. * Ideally, the information that Wikipedia gives them is important, and directly, immediately useful. Like, it helped them better understand a health issue they were having, or it equipped them to do some important task better; it helped them understand a new situation or some aspect of themselves, or enabled them to solve an important problem. Maybe it helped them get a job they otherwise couldn't have gotten, or enabled them to avoid some specific danger or risk. * And/or, the information fed a general curiosity and desire to understand the world better. It got them interested in going to college which nobody in their family had done before, it helped them develop a more thoughtful position on a public policy issue, it stimulated them to travel or read more widely, or to question assumptions they had been making. * Ideally, their lives are better today because of the information they are exposed to via Wikipedia. Maybe this would be better in some really specific way -- like, Three months later I persuaded my doctor to let me try the new treatment, and it worked. Or, it might be much more general. * It is fine if the information they found on Wikipedia might otherwise have been kept from them, either deliberately or through lack of easy opportunity. It is fine if the information is considered risky or controversial in some way. -- Sue Gardner Executive Director Wikimedia Foundation 415 839 6885 office 415 816 9967 cell Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate ___ 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
Re: [Foundation-l] Looking for stories of readers affected by Wikipedia
Check this out: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/26/kenya-plane-homemade Regards, Abbas From: sgard...@wikimedia.org Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:32:46 -0800 To: devnation...@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: [Devnations-l] Looking for stories of readers affected by Wikipedia Hi folks, Megan Hernandez on the staff is looking out for me, for stories of readers whose lives have been impacted by Wikipedia or the other projects. (Donors often send us stories like that, and I am often looking for stories to tell people about the projects. So I've asked her to send good ones to me.) I was writing her a set of criteria for the kinds of stories I want, and it occurred to me that you might yourselves have some good stories of exactly this kind. So I am sending along the criteria here too :-) If you have stories that fit many/all of these criteria, please send them to me, onlist or off. And please forgive my cross-posting to several lists at once. Thanks, Sue * Ideally, they'd be along the theme of how Wikipedia made my life better. This might be an anecdote, or bigger-picture (ie, 'how Wikipedia makes my life better every day'). * Ideally, they would be stories of people who pre-exposure-to-Wikipedia would have had circumscribed access to information. Because they grew up in a small town with no library, because their school didn't stock certain kinds of books, because materials in their language are of limited availability, because their government limits access to certain types of information -- in general, because their economic/political/socio-cultural circumstances somehow impede(d) easy access to information. * Ideally, the information that Wikipedia gives them is important, and directly, immediately useful. Like, it helped them better understand a health issue they were having, or it equipped them to do some important task better; it helped them understand a new situation or some aspect of themselves, or enabled them to solve an important problem. Maybe it helped them get a job they otherwise couldn't have gotten, or enabled them to avoid some specific danger or risk. * And/or, the information fed a general curiosity and desire to understand the world better. It got them interested in going to college which nobody in their family had done before, it helped them develop a more thoughtful position on a public policy issue, it stimulated them to travel or read more widely, or to question assumptions they had been making. * Ideally, their lives are better today because of the information they are exposed to via Wikipedia. Maybe this would be better in some really specific way -- like, Three months later I persuaded my doctor to let me try the new treatment, and it worked. Or, it might be much more general. * It is fine if the information they found on Wikipedia might otherwise have been kept from them, either deliberately or through lack of easy opportunity. It is fine if the information is considered risky or controversial in some way. Sue Gardner Executive Director Wikimedia Foundation 415 839 6885 office 415 816 9967 cell Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate ___ Devnations-l mailing list devnation...@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/devnations-l ___ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
Re: [Foundation-l] Looking for stories of readers affected by Wikipedia
On Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 6:47 PM, Nikola Smolenski smole...@eunet.rs wrote: On 11/11/2010 07:31 AM, Sue Gardner wrote: * Ideally, they would be stories of people who pre-exposure-to-Wikipedia would have had circumscribed access to information. Because they grew up in a small town with no library, because their school didn't stock certain kinds of books, because materials in their language are of limited availability, because their government limits access to certain types of information -- in general, because their economic/political/socio-cultural circumstances somehow impede(d) easy access to information. I have an anti-story, about a critically useful information that was available in a home library, yet would not be allowed on Wikipedia per its policies. Anyone interested? I am. It sounds like it would be allowed on Wikisource. -- John Vandenberg ___ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
