[Wikipedia-l] hacker.wikipedia.org

Thu Jan 30 20:11:03 UTC 2003

Hello, everyone

I am not interested in the policy of wikipedia at all. While 
it can be better still, I think the current policy (NPOV, 
for instance) and the syntax (wiki-markup language) are 
adequate and have no intention to discuss them.

My concern is about the administration of wikipedia, or the 
server, database stuff and the development of wikipedia. It 
seems there is a lot of problems and they are goind to be 
even worse.

In theory, yes, CVS of wikipedia code is open for anyone who 
is willing to contribute and should be work just like wiki. 
Alas! the reality is different, if not totally. As we know, 
quite a few of people are actually coding, compared with the 
number and diversity of wikipedians. Unlike the article in 
wikipedia, 

I posted this for responding to the advice by Jimbo. 
However, if here is not appreciate place to submit this kind 
of mail, please let me know and I will seek another place to 
conduct the discussion.

Therefore,

I would like to proposal:

1. Disclose more information

While none of details are hidden, surely strangers have 
almost no information to hack. ("How to become a wikipedia 
hacker" in meta-wikipedia has a lack of critical information 
and is heavliy underused.)

2. Organize the development system

See UseMod. It has a far better developer community then 
wikipedia software.

We should stop immediately relying on the individual 
efforts. For example, many people simply post a bug to 
Brion, knowing he is responsible for the wikipedia software. 
Even he encourages people to report a bug to *him*. I don't 
blame him as well as others like him but really appreciate 
them. But such a case is not ought to be in wikipedia.

3. Make wikipedia software more visible and independent

Maybe we need a nice name for wikipedia software to make it 
more recognizable.

-- Therefore, --

the practical solution (I think but should not be limited 
to) is probably:

set up hacker.wikipedia.org or sister project dedicated to 
development software tools for wikipedia. In additon to the 
server software hosting wikipedia, the software programs may 
include another useful tools for wikipedians (maybe chat 
tools, if someone would like to persuite )

The site can embrace services for the sites hosting 
wikipedia software other than wikipedia.org (actually I am 
planning to switch the wiki program of my wiki to wikipedia 
software).

If you know UseMod and meatball, my proposal is akin to the 
relationship among UseMod and meatball.

Yes, there is a meat-wikipedia. But as we know, meta-
wikipedia doesn't work well. There are plenty of dead stuff, 
which look weird and make strangers difficult to 
participate. There are even non-English stuff. Meta-wiki may 
be good place to put a draft, submit a proposal but it is 
not suitable for developers.

What do you think?

Best wishes,
Takuya Murata
takusi at manjiro.net