Wednesday, August 27, 2008

A Wikipedia Article Is Not Your Org's Home Page

People sometimes forget that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia and not a place to promote an individual, organization, point of view, or cause. The word is dispassionate. As Joe Friday used to say,"Just the facts, ma'am."

For example, Wiki editors will quickly remove your eloquent discussions of the importance of pep rallies at your school or the sizable impact the new chef has had on school lunches. Those sorts of testimonies belong on your school's home page, at MySpace or Facebook, or on a community bulletin board of some sort. Think instead about the school's founding and important turning points -- who, where, when, how, and why? Think about the what -- What does the school teach, how many students, ethnic mix, major legal challenges or public events? What does the school sponsor? Don't slip into team promotions but links to the school's sports conferences and accreditations are appropriate, and championships are often mentioned in such articles. Don't forget famous alumni and prominent teachers or administrators. Provide details about the school's building, renovations, relocations, mergers with other schools, etc. Add a box with information about the name of the school's yearbook, school mascot, principal, etc. Add a photo.

As for advocacy of issues, good pages to read to get a sense of how people struggle between passion and dispassion are the Islamic Terrorism talk page and the Abortion talk page. Just keep in mind that a balanced discussion is difficult because of the biases we each carry along with us. Some pages remain locked in battle, so for those with high-blood pressure it might be best to keep your distance and find something less controversial to assuage your Wiki needs. Again, if you want to advocate for a cause, establish or participate in a web page designed for such advocacy. Facebook groups are a good place to start -- search and you're liable to find a number of advocacy groups where you can post your thoughts. Or you can create your own group. I've done it -- it's easy enough. The Web and Blogosphere are always good places to look. Remember, Elton John fans, Saturday nights are alright for fightin'. But, as Jon Stewart might say, "Wikipedia -- not so much."

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