[okfn-discuss] Joining OKF - Heather Leson

Tue Oct 1 13:55:49 UTC 2013

Hello Christian, Heather, and others,

To review, I am proposing the establishment of historical records. I am
proposing the Wikipedia article on "Open Knowledge Foundation" as the most
accessible place for these records. To create a history there we have to
comply with Wikipedia community guidelines.

Wikipedia works because it depends on citations rather than the
qualifications of the authors. This means that all good Wikipedia articles
summarize the best sources.

*What I need more than anything else are the best third-party published
"reliable sources" describing aspects of the Open Knowledge
Foundation.*Wikipedia defines reliable sources as whatever respectable
third-parties
have published on a given topic. In practice, this upsets a lot of
organizations, because it means that any given organization's brand is not
defined by their PR department, but rather by all published media exclusive
of an organization's own PR and their direct allies. Organizational
representatives can get their perspective into the historical record by
giving interviews if respectable journalists care to take them and publish
them.

Can you please help me find or share with me all significant publications
which have ever covered an OKFN project or the OKF itself? Some examples of
what Wikipedians want include the following:

   - third-party media covering major OKF projects
   - moderated interviews with OKF staff in which some control of the
   interview was out of the interviewee's control, and especially when the
   interview designates an individual as being affiliated with OKF
   - all criticism, complaints, and negative information in published media
   about anything which OKF has done
   - partnership records in which other organizations say that they are
   doing something with OKF, including collaborating, funding, or receiving
   funds

Also, to supplement the article, can OKF point to at least one
freely-licensed instance of non-text media which can be inserted into the
article to illustrate the OKF in some way? It would be ideal if every major
OKF project featured in the article has an associated item of non-text
media. For example, if CKAN is to be listed as an OKF-supported project,
then could someone arrange for a single representative screenshot of this
copyrighted software to have a free license applied to it so that it could
illustrate the article and so that journalists wanting to talk about it
could have an image for their reuse? In general - all major concepts
covered are best covered when they have one illustration to go with them.

Let's start with sources first! Nothing else happens without identifying
all media coverage!

Thanks,

On Fri, Sep 27, 2013 at 10:03 AM, Christian Villum <villum at autofunk.dk>wrote:

> Thanks Lane, I think this would be a brilliant community activity within
> the Local Groups network. Maybe you would be up for suggesting it on the
> Local Group coordinator list once we've looped you in? (sorry for delay on
> that, the OKCon dust is still settling and we're working to get back up to
> date on all fronts).
>
> -Christian
>
>
> Message: 1
>> Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 10:38:40 +0100
>> From: Heather Leson <heather.leson at okfn.org>
>> Subject: Re: [okfn-discuss] Joining OKF - Heather Leson
>>
>>
>> Hi all, thank you so much for the warm welcome. Lane, thanks for the
>> thoughts on community, outreach and communications. The local community
>> team have been building plans to meet those needs. I certainly look
>> forward
>> to contributing.
>>
>> One thing I do know about wikipedia pages is that it is always better to
>> co-create them following the lead of community members. Perhaps you are
>> just the person to help on that?  We are nearing our 10 year mark and,
>> indeed, you are spot on that now is the time to get our history
>> documented.
>>
>>
>> As I am very new, please know that I will sync with Zara, Christian, Neal
>> and the Team. This is something that could be a great community adventure
>> too.
>>
>> Heather
>>
>>
>> On 24 September 2013 14:54, Lane Rasberry <lane at bluerasberry.com> wrote:
>>
>> > Hello Heather,
>> >
>> > I know you are getting settled in but I would like to have a chat with
>> you
>> > sometime. I also am a community organizer and my own job would be
>> easier if
>> > OKF supported its own community in a way relevant to me. In short - I
>> would
>> > like for an OKF history to be compiled and I would like to work with
>> others
>> > to integrated that into Wikipedia.
>> >
>> > Right now OKF has a sub-par Wikipedia article. I often have to explain
>> > concepts related to "open knowledge" to various people and I think that
>> the
>> > place of the OKF should be in acting as stewards of cultural standards
>> in
>> > the open movement. When I am explaining concepts like "open science" and
>> > "open access", I would like to be able to cite an authoritative
>> > organization which can be a proponent of the philosophy on which demands
>> > for openness can be made. OKF should be that authoritative organization,
>> > but right now if someone searches online for information about OKF it
>> is my
>> > opinion that a thoughtful person would not find a history and
>> explanation
>> > of the organization's scope that would make them sure that OKF was that
>> > authority. I say this because I am not aware of any organization which
>> is
>> > positioned for or which desires to even have that authority, and even if
>> > OKF does not want the authority I feel that it should take the
>> > responsibility anyway.
>> > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Knowledge_Foundation>
>> >
>> > I do not know the entire media strategy for getting recognition, but
>> > considering OKF's digital base and community outreach strategy,
>> promoting
>> > the development of its Wikipedia article would not be an unreasonable
>> > compliment to whatever else is done because whatever the Wikipedia
>> article
>> > says other journalists will repeat and people who do genera search
>> engine
>> > queries about the organization are likely to find the Wikipedia article
>> as
>> > well.
>> >
>> > No one should promote bias into a Wikipedia article and organizations
>> > should not write about themselves, but in the long term and with
>> > maintenance, I would like for there to be increased communication
>> between
>> > the OKF community and the Wikipedia community such that major projects
>> of
>> > the OKF are noted on Wikipedia and general information about broad
>> issues
>> > which flows through the OKF community also finds its way in general
>> > interest Wikipedia articles, which again for example could be the
>> articles
>> > on "open access" and "open science".
>> >
>> > Congratulations on your position as community manager. As a member of
>> your
>> > community a look forward to being managed by you.
>> >
>> > yours,
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>
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>

-- 
Lane Rasberry
206.801.0814
lane at bluerasberry.com
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