User:FOSS0001/instructions

Assignment: Wikipedia as Journalism: Online Collaboration
Due: February 23, 2004 11:59 p.m.

Go to Assignment Grades for your wikipedia grades.

YOUR ASSIGNED TOPIC

INTRODUCTION

In this exercise, you'll be working in groups to create a comprehensive and informative entry into the Wikipedia. (A Wiki is a collaborative software application enabling multiple people to edit web pages. Ease of use is the key.) The Wikipedia is an open content encyclopedia that uses Wiki software to allow anyone from around the world to add, modify or delete content from the site. The theory is that "with enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow," or in other words, the more people who work on the Wikipedia, the more accurate and acceptable it will be. It is also called "open content" because it is meant to be free and readily copied by anyone. This is in contrast to other for-profit encyclopedias, such as Britannica, Microsoft Encarta or World Book.

ASSIGNMENT GOALS

The goal of this assignment is to experience first-hand, how to use a collaborative editing system with multiple people working towards the same goal. In this case, it is to help build the largest public encyclopedia in history, working with strangers from around the world to share knowledge. You'll be concentrating on working with your fellow classmates, and you will interact with them only on Wikipedia -- there will be no face-to-face meeting or email correspondence, at least not by design.

Most organizations in this world are hierarchical, meaning there is a boss, an editor, or someone who has final say or authority over others. In a Wiki this is not the case. Everyone has equal power to change things, so how do you self organize and collaborate to create content? Is it an effective process and how are the results?

The main location for Wikipedia is: http://www.wikipedia.org All the work for this project will be done on the public Wikipedia server, out in the open, for others to see. In fact, your group does not even "own" the subject since others on the Internet can go in and change your information. Your group should interact by each of you adding, editing, corrrecting, deleting whatever each person thinks will make the Wikipedia entry better. Every time you change something, you should leave a "Comment" which describes what you changed. This way others can see what you've done. If there is an issue people want to talk about, every page in the Wikipedia has a discussion page. Use the "Discuss this page" button to explain or debate changes or how to go forward.

PROCEDURE

1. Make sure you obtain a Wikipedia login name and password. Make sure you create one that is based on your group number and name - for example T1Cholf. Failure to follow this will result in a failure for this project.

2. Find your entry in Wikipedia by searching for it and reading it.

3. Start editing and adding information by doing research on the Internet or simply by writing what you know. Please follow the guidelines at the site. It's important that you stay focused, balanced and fair. The most important concept for this site is to keep a NPOV, or neutral point of view. See: Policies and Guidelines

4. Once you are used to editing and saving files, you can view the differences between versions and view logs of changes by looking at the "Page history" button. Track modifications to entries you have worked by clicking on the My watchlist button.

5. You must check your Wikipedia entry at least twice a day (morning/evening) just like you would check your email. This assignment cannot be left to last moment because the more editing cycles you go through, the better it will be. Because this is done on the public Wikipedia server, the instructors can view and track all your activity. There are no excuses -- this site is online, 24x7. Sometimes it goes down for maintenance, so that is why you must check it often.

6. Be aware that people from the outside world can contribute and edit too! Don't be alarmed. Work with those people as well. This is part of the experience of working on a real, live global server.

SIMPLE GUIDELINES

Use link to create a link to another item internally. Observe how people link externally too using the same method. Take a look at other well done entries to learn from them.

You can paraphrase and summarize other information, but outright copying is not allowed. The only exceptions: you get permission of copyright holder (text, images, etc) or if it is short excerpts of material, or things are in the public domain, meaning the government or agencies have released it for public use, or if the content is older than a certain amount of time. And of course, the easiest way to avoid copyright problems - take your own pictures.

GRADING

Your grade will be the same for all the group members. It will be determined by the following:

Quality of content, facts, images, internal links, external links, thoroughness
Editing and coherent style
English spelling/grammar
Respecting copyright
Quality of page history change log (list the additions/changes)
Participation: everyone must contribute substantially

SUMMARY

Get excited about this project - you will be contributing to the largest public encyclopedia in the world. This is an exercise to experience the creation of decentralized, participatory journalism. This is one way innovative projects tap the resources of massive numbers of individuals.

WRITING GUIDELINES ... watch out for...

1. FIRST PERSON. Please try to observe the style used in the rest of Wikipedia, in terms of writing. Do not use "I think" or "Now I will tell you why..." which is not appropriate for an encyclopedia. Don't use first person (I, we, us), but instead use third person (he, she, it, they).

2. CHINESE. Please observe how other folks have incorporated Chinese into the Wiki. Use the English words in the text, but put Chinese in parenthesese.

3. LEARN FROM OTHERS. You'll observe that others outside your group will go in and edit your entry. These are individuals around the world who constantly look for HK or Chinese entries to contribute to. Instead of viewing it as an 'intrusion' embrace it! These other folks can help you improve your text. This is part of the magic of the Wiki, that people pitch in and help in whatever way they can.

4. USE DISCUSSION. Use the "Discuss this page" button to help explain some of the bigger or more substantial additions/deletions you've made. This will help others understand how to proceed, or will prevent folks from being too upset about changes. You can sign your name simply by putting four ~ signs, like this: ~~~~

5. USE IMAGES. Some topics would be helped tremendously by photos. Be imaginative and use your legs - go out and take them yourself. Education, dim sum, tram, etc. They would all benefit. See this page for uploading: http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Upload

6. IDENTITY. You *must* log into Wikipedia to make sure your changes are being registered as YOURS. If you do not log in, then your computer address is used (ie. 147.8.33.87) which will not count towards your grade. Check the upper right hand corner of your Web browser and make sure it always has your ID there. If not, log in.

7. COPYING. Outright copying information from other sites or government brochures IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. You can use facts from other places and rewrite them in your own words, but you cannot completely lift other peoples' words. One, it is unethical. Two, a government brochure's style is not appropriate for an encyclopedia. In short - don't do it.

8. WATCH LIST. The easiest way to check what things have been changed is to use the Watch List, in the left hand side of the Wikipedia. Add the topic and the Talk board using "Watch this page" option, and then when you click on "My Watchlist" it will automatically show which things have changed recently. Feel free to also add other things to your watchlist, including other groups and related topics.