Premise: I really want this idea to come true, but sadly I don’t have enough time to make it happen. If anyone is interested in this idea and pick it up as a real proposal, thank you very much.
Basic idea: A wiki runs like Wikipedia, but exclusively for online activism and social media sphere around the world.
More detail: Like Wikitravel for travel. Not everyone can easily understand a country’s latest online buzz if one have no background knowledge of the country. Most of the time we add limited information in the first paragraph in GV articles, but I think it is not enough.
And for people who want to retrieve information in a more systematic way, GV’s aricles are not so friendly, even we are the only place anyone can go. And because we are only one, we should do better.
I think it is also a way to involve more contributors. Anyone can just come and edit a link and leave, or translate a single phrase and leave.
How:
- Build a wiki system. (I recommend local wiki)
- Organize a team
- Start adding entries
- Spread the word
Expected result: Becoming the most resourceful and authoritative source of online activism and social media around the world.
Good idea Portnoy. It is actually a project that will not cost much and that will probably sustain itself very quickly. I have no idea how to start a wiki so I’m afraid I can help with that but surely when the wiki is up, I’m sure we can all help fill it with the appropriate content. Good luck!
We can have entries like:
When did blogging begin to be popular
Famous bloggers
Main offline events / actions influenced by online activism
Freedom of expression Online state
It’s a really interesting idea to make a GV encyclopedia (wiki) of relevant issues and countries. I think the very big challenge would be to keep it updated and expanding over time – especially given how much and how rapidly the social media sphere continues to grow. We’ve had ideas in the past of maintaining lists of “top bloggers” in countries, local blog aggregators, etc. and this idea reminds me a bit of that.