Wikibooks:Wikiprojects
From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection
A WikiProject is a metadata page that serves as a reference point for those who wish to be involved in a specific project to create a set of highly-related books.
Structural principles for a WikiProject page
-
- defines the scope of the particular project
- establishes the formatting conventions for individual modules and books eg: how each individual item should be structured.
- establishes the formatting conventions for hierarchical descendants
- lists participating contributors
- provides subject specific forums
Contents |
[edit] What are the advantages?
-
- Standardisation of look and feel. There are existing page that deal with standardisation, but they cannot be applied generically. The conventions for entries on mathematics or chemistry are worlds apart from the conventions for 'foreign languages'.
- Allows the development of special interest communities within the Wikibooks. This has already happened of course, but the WikiProject page formalises the process.
- Permits strategic planning and consensual discussion. by centralising the talk forums to predictable locations, we minimise the fragmentation of discussion into multiple locations.
- Allows controlled dynamic evolution. The inherent problem in any communal project is that without central authority chaos emerges. But with excessive central authority, stagnation sets in. The WikiProject is a 'central authority' (thus providing the benefits of stability), but the WikiProject page itself remains consensual and dynamic. Where evolution occurs, the process can be centrally managed.
- a convention for information management. Participants in the overall Wikibooks will have a convention defined for creating new projects, and they will know where to go to find existing framework definitions and discussion forums for the framework.
- A resource for standards and comprehensiveness. Numerous attempts have been made to document what has not been achieved and give suggestions for areas needing attention. This merely formalises the process.
- Provides a forum for 'Endorsement', without closing off editorial freedom. Each WikiProject can evolve a definition of "minimum required standard". As entries achieve this status, they can be documented on the WikiProject page. Dissenters can always remove the status, or upgrade the entry in question.
- Helps to build community among users, by creating common goals that people can work towards. Wikibookians tend to be focused on their own books and their own pet projects, and wikiprojects allow users to get together and work collaboratively on greater goals.
[edit] What a WikiProject is not
A WikiProject is not a place for subject information or book content. It is not a place to write a book, but it can be used to help plan a book, or to organize the authors of a book.
[edit] Is it worth the effort?
The value of such a metadata management model increases with the volume of contributors. In a case where only a handful of contributors are working on a project the actual value of a WikiProject page is negative - it only adds additional work. However, as the volume of contributors increases the work required to maintain the WikiProject pages is substantially less than the work required to correct the fragmentation of style and content, and the duplication which will otherwise occur.
Some wikiprojects are valuable in that they provide a centralized discussion location, so that discussions are not fragmented. Discussions that occur in busy places, such as the Staff Lounge will eventually be archived, and archived discussions are difficult to find.
[edit] How to Start a Wikiproject
Use {{Wikiproject}} on your page. Wikiprojects should have a clear objective in mind, and should work to meet some goal. Once a new wikiproject is started, it can be advertised on the staff lounge or the bulletin board. It is currently advised that Wikiprojects's hyperlink be in the form of: Wikibooks:Wikiprojects_YourProjectName
[edit] List of Current Wikiprojects
This is a list of current wikiprojects. Wikiprojects do not need to have the word "wikiproject" in their page name. See also Category:Active WikiProjects and Category:Dormant WikiProjects.
- Wikibooks:WikiProject Macintosh
- Wikibooks:Counter-Vandalism Unit
- Wikibooks:Wikipublish
- Wikibooks:Wikiproject Editorial board
- Wikibooks:Wikibooks Gazette
- Wikibooks:Volunteer editors
- Wikibooks:Wikiproject languages
- Wikibooks:Chess
- Wikibooks:WikiProject History
- Wikibooks:Wikiproject Unix
[edit] Proposed Wikiprojects
The following are proposals for new wikiprojects, or proposed conversions of old meta-data pages into wikiprojects.
- Infobox (maintain the infobox template, properly implement infoboxes).
- Wikibooks:Userboxes
- Book categorization (ensure books are properly shelved, properly categorized, etc. maintain alphabetical list of books, card catalog office, other organizational tools).
- Templates wikiproject (work to improve existing templates, create new templates, and remove old templates).
- Help wikproject (fix and expand the Help pages)
- Community Wikiproject (welcome new users, send newsletters, etc)
- Policy wikiproject (work to improve, suggest, draft, and implement policies and guidelines).
- Bookshelves wikiprojects
- Foundational books (creating a set of books on "the basics" to serve as a basic foundation).
