[okfn-discuss] Joining OKF - Heather Leson

Sat Oct 5 04:13:52 UTC 2013

Welcome, Heather.

Lane, please, see

http://wiki.okfn.org/Open_Knowledge_Foundation_and_Wikimedia

Suggestions welcome!

P. S. for the Portuguese Wikipedia, I was afraid to create the Open
Knowledge Foundation article, since it would seem self-promotion of an
organization I am creating a chapter in Brazil. In fact, when I
mentioned my concerns to some very active editors, they said that
would be self-promotion justifying with its good causes. (Even with
the subject "OKF" appearing several times in the Brazilian media
because of the local community activities. ; ) But that is just an
example, for sure improving articles such as "open science", "open
education", "open access" is more important than the article about an
organization.

Tom

2013/9/24 Lane Rasberry <lane at bluerasberry.com>:
> 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,

-- 
Everton Zanella Alvarenga (also Tom)
OKF Brasil - Rede pelo Conhecimento Livre
http://br.okfn.org