[Foundation-l] roadmap for WM affiliation ; a name for self-identified affiliation

Fri Jul 15 08:11:19 UTC 2011

On 14 July 2011 23:33, Nathan <nawrich at gmail.com> wrote:
> I can envision something like an Open Knowledge Project or some other
> umbrella initiative, aimed at forging links between like-minded
> organizations who wish to associate without losing independence or
> explicitly taking responsibility for the work of others.  It could be
> set up pretty simply:
>
> * Establish the fundamentals of a broader identity with a statement of
> shared values and a general intent to cooperate in the world
> * Host a portal to communicate broadly common goals and and provide
> information to both prospective colleagues and the general public
> * Arrange formal and informal opportunities to create collaborative
> ties between people and organizations and to develop a sense of shared
> purpose
>
> If you could get to that point growth would be pretty organic;
> participants would suggest mutually agreeable and beneficial goals and
> initiatives to be undertaken as a group, such undertakings would drive
> closer cooperation and legitimate the concept of a free content / open
> knowledge movement, and so on.
>
> Organizations like PLoS, FSF, Creative Commons, the EFF, Wikimedia and
> others have naturally overlapping interests and philosophies. It would
> only make sense for those organizations, and the many smaller ones who
> share their broad values, to cooperate as a group in a more formal way
> than I believe they do currently.

I think this is a good idea (and better than trying to get all Free
Content/Open Knowledge/etc. people to badge themselves as somehow part
of our Wikimedia Movement, which though (hopefully!) welcoming and
inclusive is not as wide as the whole topic.

I'd note that there is of course the excellent Open Knowledge
Definition[0], penned in part by our very own Erik Möller, which gave
rise to the Open Knowledge Foundation[1]. Perhaps working with them on
this might be a good move?

[0] - opendefinition.org
[1] - okfn.org

J.
-- 
James D. Forrester
jdforrester at wikimedia.org | jdforrester at gmail.com
[[Wikipedia:User:Jdforrester|James F.]]