User:Erkan Yilmaz/observations

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observations from Erkan Yilmaz for 2008 August

You are invited to add your comments (e.g. but my perception of this issue is different) - please sign anything you add (howto Wikiversity:Signature).


[edit] August 24 - Wikiversity the Movie

Trying to revive Wikiversity the Movie.
What is the story behind this ? It began with being unhappy because there is always first the cry for the delete button. Made one edit here. Still felt unhappy. Found now a better way to let things flow out by joining Wikiversity the Movie: [1].

[edit] August 6 - switched priorities

I was going to continue with the course on copyright Kurs:Urheberrecht, but I find it atm more fascinating to participate at: Social psychology (psychology). observations from Erkan Yilmaz for 2008 June

You are invited to add your comments (e.g. but my perception of this issue is different) - please sign anything you add (howto Wikiversity:Signature).


[edit] June 17 - words and their magic

It is funny (was my first thought) then it became the feeling "interesting": to see, how a possibility - which is open since long - is not used until a new name is born for this - and suddenly: all people wanna join the road trip. Change can be dependent on so many things or sometimes: just a few easy things.

Agreed Change needs catalysts, I think joining wikiversity is letting your self become that catalystThuvack 05:36, 17 July 2008 (UTC)

[edit] June 16 - why is the German Wikiversity research page going to be updated ?

So, how did I spend the last 2h ? Setting up a first version of the new Wikiversity-Research page Wikiversity:Forschung (the current page is still from 2006 and has not all info implemented) on de.WV. And now people have to be informed so they can implement their ideas/views. This was the reason for all of this. Sometimes you just have to read and that what you wanted to do for some time will happen finally.

[edit] June 8 - something Wikiversity related at Wikimedia Foundation's board election

Candidate' plans for Wikiversity are to be found here: meta:Board elections/2008/Candidates/Questions/3#Wikiversity. There are still about 2 weeks for the election. Here you can see the votes so far. I will vote on the last day, when I have all info available.

Voting is still possible until 23:59 21 June 2008 (UTC):
Wikimedia Foundation's Board elections 2008 statistics from Wikiversity (data until 16th June 2008)
select your home wiki (see the requirements):
Special:Boardvote
fr:Special:Boardvote
de:Special:Boardvote
betawikiversity:Special:Boardvote
it:Special:Boardvote
el:Special:Boardvote
es:Special:Boardvote
Voting has finished, so how was the participation ?
(please keep in mind: these are not the only Wikiversity contributors who voted – some used also their user accounts in the other Wikimedia projects)
Here is the data from Wikibooks, when just looking at the values, "seems" Wikibooks participants were not so motivated to go to election[1]:
Wikiversity Wikibooks
Accounts eligible to vote 48 114
Filtered by email address
(each valid address counted once)		 31 92
User accounts which voted [2] 12 16
voters per filtered email 38,7% 17,4%
  1. ↑ (keep in mind: these are not the only Wikibooks/Wikiversity contributors who voted – some used also their user accounts in the other Wikimedia projects)
  2. ↑ (keep in mind: these are not the only Wikibooks/Wikiversity contributors who voted – some used also their user accounts in the other Wikimedia projects)

[edit] June 2 - When did you read ALOUD the last time ?

was written back in August 2007 - I am talking here about an additional book for Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War

I am reading a foreign language book - aloud.
I remember the last time reading aloud - over a longer period of time - was in school, when we read set books in class.

Why am I doing this now (again) ?
Perhaps to get more of my senses activated ? Could also be because of the topic of the book - it is about ancient times. And as you know: stories sound better, when they are told.

I noticed that this slows me down (when comparing to “normal” silent reading). Could be because:
- now I read REALLY the complete text instead having read some parts (quickly)
- sometimes also the pronounciation/accentuation seems not correct to me and I stop and think how it would be correct
- perhaps I see more with my mind’s eye ?

The book has >500 pages - I wish all my neighbors fun listening :-) observations from Erkan Yilmaz for 2008 May

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[edit] May 31 - improvement possibilities for German Wikiversity - by an "outsider"

Had a phone call with a friend - we talked also about German Wikiversity (WV) and this is a very short resume after it:

  • we talked about mission of WV and he knows it now :-)
  • some improvement potentials from his side about the topics of his study and PhD (no comment by me, just stating):
    • more categorizing - after structures from real life, something like that people can see easily: this resource is for 4th class schools, this is for 1st semesters from university
    • materials are like scripts - this he can have also at university - he misses explanations/descriptions at begin - that is why he searched at 1st place

background info:

  • a few months ago he just knew Wikipedia, he uses Wikipedia regularly, but doesn't contribute
  • initial assumption after that by him: Wikiversity = Wikipedia

[edit] May 24 - What can motivate to give away "their" stuff to all - more willingly ?

move audio files to commons

During the OER course I uploaded some audio files to commons. But honestly: since it took much time to upload and add a category, description - my motivation sank to do this soon. But 2 days ago I rediscovered the CheckUsage button on commons and saw that one of the audio files was used at Chinese Wikipedia. That blew my mind. I didn't expect that.

Well that gave me a boost to upload now all 123 audio files (in German, Turkish and French). Let's see in the future where they will be used.

I think if we could see (more) easily where a (learning) resource is used, that could help that people more willingly give away "their" stuff to all.

[edit] May 19 - OER last week: Comments, reflection, peer evaluation and feedback

So, the course Composing free and open online educational resources has finished (as the time schedule says). But I am sure the next cycle of the course will happen. And hopefully some of the participants will contribute here also in the future.

[edit] questions and answers

Someone send me these questions, so I will answer them here openly.

[edit] What is the most important thing you've gained through participation in the Wikiversity course?

  • That I was "forced" to see Wikiversity from another point of view/role as usual. This could benefit future learning projects here at Wikiversity.
  • (Even though the question asks for one thing: We got a new custodian: User:Jtneill - though I am not quite sure, if this was the only influencing factor (for him))

[edit] Were you involved with Wikiversity before taking this course?

  • Yes :-) Wanna stalk (only English Wikiversity) ?

[edit] Did you or will you complete this course? What factors have influenced your completion status in this course?

  • Completed
  • Factors:
    • being familiar with the topic/Wikiversity
    • I am regularly at Wikiversity - so also seeing how other participants contributed here gave a motivation.

[edit] Will you continue to take an interest in Wikiversity after this course? Explain.

  • Yes. Reason: I like it here.

[edit] Does this course fit in with other courses you are taking? Or are you doing it out of professional, personal or other interests?

  • It is a different course than I usually do/did (see also point 1). Reason I invested some time is: that the course is also of interest for Wikiversity.

[edit] Feel free to comment about any other aspects of your experience in this course

  • See other contributions during the course time (but don't judge too hard :-) I must still look at them also for the final review of the course.)
  • or just ask - time is money :-)

observations from Erkan Yilmaz for 2008 April

You are invited to add your comments (e.g. but my perception of this issue is different) - please sign anything you add (howto Wikiversity:Signature).



[edit] 2008 April 29 - Week 9 (and 10): Comments, reflection, peer evaluation and feedback

[edit] todo

  • read blog + assignment
  • visit each other blogs and comment the posts in there:
  • done also at least at begin of class
  • todo: visit some more
todo: read again my posts from the past weeks to find some more input for above


[edit] thoughts

[edit] 2008 April 28 - How important is a page ? (previously titled: what is a page ?)

At the moment I am thinking mostly that it is...

... just a page, it is mostly static, not live. If you have the opportunity: go for the live thing. Same goes here: after writing/reviewing, this forms already other ideas which are not even included in it. So, and now try to stop the new ideas from being developed :-)

"...let's say carelessly this is WV (though it consists of many individuals - note: I don't say pages)..." Talk:Vandal Fighting, ----Erkan Yilmaz uses the Wikiversity:Chat (try) 21:36, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] 2008 April 22 - Sharing Video(s) (OER - week 8)

[edit] todo

read assignment + blog

[edit] thoughts - in progress

  • I have finally created an intro tutorial for German Wikiversity:
Short intro video for German Wikiversity.ogg
video: short intro about German Wikiversity
(4:52 mins, resolution: 1136x752, size: 16.6 MB)


Before I encountered following probs:
I have created a 475 MB avi which goes about 5 mins. Since commons allows only a specific video format (see commons:Help:Converting video) I had to find a converter. And here the problem begins: either the tools:
brought during conversion an error or created color problems:
German Wikiversity - short intro video.ogg
video with color problems


So, I uploaded the latter one and will try to solve this color problem. If this doesn't help I will convert it a reduced avi and upload it on a non-Wikimedia-project as listed in the assignment (which I don't prefer actually).
  • In September 2007 I created videos for the Wikiversity screen saver - see commons:Category:Wikiversity videos
  • In Nov. 2006 I created a "video"-tutorial (with not so good sound quality) for a Wikiversity course with the tool Wink (tutorial software). Since it is interactive swf it is bad to convert in a format which commons accepts easily (again the prob that only a certain video format is accepted by commons), so I just quote in next chapter.
  • I wonder why I didn't use/create since then more videos (though they are a good medium to transmit info) ?
  • time resources: perhaps too much effort to create them ?
  • the restrictions by commons ?
  • less interested persons in it ?
  • ...


[edit] video tutorial

about: graphic display of algorithms in source code
video tutorial: in German, still under review (requires: Shockwave-Player).

SNIP

In the following tutorial you will see, how the appropriate graph to a source code looks like.
In detail: With the tool jGRASP there is created for the Java source code MergeSort.java from the Wikiversity course algorithms and data structures (Algorithmen und Datenstrukturen) the CSD (Control Structure Diagram).
Reason of this tutorial: To show you, how fast such a graph can be created. It should show you that there is nothing complicated behind this - with a tool this is done automatically and easy.
Here you can see the Shockwave-Tutorial <- German version (I will create an English version soon) and still under review (condition: Shockwave-Player).

SNIP

[edit] 2008 April 19 - Sharing Audio (OER - week 7)

Places of articulation

[edit] todo

read assignment + blog

[edit] thoughts - in progress

  • Adding the picture on the right: while listening to music now (which changes my mood): I think before sharing audio one needs to have the ability to do so - there are many people who can not speak.
  • Instead of uploading one podcast, I have done following: I have converted one of my pages to wiki syntax, see User:Erkan Yilmaz/translations with sound files and the available 123 sound files will be uploaded to commons so more wikis can use them
  • Well, what was a little hindering is: I have to convert the mp3s first to ogg to upload on commons :-( After finding 2 nice freeware tools, also this was solved quick. Now I just have to upload the files to commons and edit the page here with the file names.


[edit] 2008 April 7 - Taking and Sharing Pictures (OER - week 6)

[edit] todo

read assignment + blog

[edit] thoughts - in progress

move pictures to commons
  • While reading the assignment I checked how much pictures I have uploaded so far on commons - it is 107 (either self created or from other wikimedia projects brought to commons). Click here to see how often a bot told me to fix something. Here you can also see some pictures still being at Wikiversity. I must use one time the Move-to-commons assistant to move them to commons.


  • Well I don't have a digital cam, so let's see how this will be.
  • >Maybe you can improve the photo
Well I remember having done an improvement in the past for this photo: commons:Image:Alliances in the Pelopennesian War, 431 B.C. 1.JPG. More info here.
  • Besides this I have lately started to use some more pictures in the posts here to relax more the text
  • Recently here at Wikiversity was a group of more than 100 students taking part in the Design for the Environment. Since new users can only upload pictures here at Wikiversity after 4 days of account registration there was done this edit to help them upload faster pictures to commons.
  • Well I know Flickr too - but somehow I prefer all my pictures to be on one place - which is commons. In case you don't know, commons has also imported pictures from Flickr, see commons:Category:Flickr
  • I dare you to read an old post of mine here regarding commons. :-)
  • on 9th April I was possessed by the "devil" and tagged some pictures regarding licence and informed the uploaders - how dare I ?

[edit] feedback

Hi Erkan - may I ask you a bold question? Why isn't there an obligation to tag images with a whatsoever copyright flag when you upload it? Is that on purpose or because it just doesn't work this way in wikis? --- Barbara Braun

Of course and btw: that is an interesting question.
Well, there are some wikis which oblige for a tag - otherwise you can not upload. One problem with that is, that if the user doesn't know or doesn't read the licence background info, the user would just select one (which might be not appropriate). But that problem of selecting a wrong licence consists also here at Wikiversity - but at least with the possibility to select no licence we can ask the user again to reselect and provide more help.
I am not sure exactly why it is like it is - but most wikis I am in are like this - I guess it is a standard option by the Wikimedia foundation ? I can ask someone later in the evening.
There was some recent discussion also if users should upload only at commons, see Wikiversity talk:Licensing policy (because since it is software we could disable the upload (partly) here ) ----Erkan Yilmaz uses the Wikiversity:Chat (try) 06:33, 14 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] 2008 April 4 - German Wikibooks + Wikiversity: creating together a flyer

That is a signal to all others: German Wikibooks and Wikiversity love each other and are creating together a flyer. Wanna look ? de.Wikibooks

[edit] 2008 April 1 - OER: Wikipedia and Wikimedia - week 5

[edit] todo

[edit] still in progress

  • try to find (perhaps) answers to these questions:
  • What do you think about the Wikimedia projects?
sunrise
Great idea. I am part of it - you can also be - why don't you try it ?
You need most of the times just a sparkling idea.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:
If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders.
Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.


  • What do you think will be the future of the Wikimedia projects?
They will certainly extend and produce many new projects, as long as people don't forget that it is about the P (P stands for people and not - pages or process - see examples below)
  • How do you see the future of OERs when you think about the Wikimedia projects?
Let's hope they will grow the same way. Though they certainly will introduce some tools to check for quality, see e.g. Wikipedia:Flagged revisions. I hope we can influence people's minds to reserve some of their time to this idea.

[edit] thoughts

1. So, the article is from about 2 years ago. People should keep in mind that some things might have been changed/old
2. a story about addiction and the word "their":
I brainwashed finally a friend of mine who uses de.Wikipedia just for consuming. So that he also contributes to it. He made an edit at de.WP about topic xyz (he studied that) - as IP. And another seasoned editor removed it. So what happened next ?
A few days later the friend told me: "Hey, my edit got reverted. But I don't understand why. It was correct." Thank God there is a version history in Wikimedia projects and I could find his edit. The summary comment was not satisfying for my friend. I told him then that he can write on the talk page and to the editor in what aspect the information which was reverted was correct.
Guess what ? My friend still did not do it. Think about why this is.
Some editors forget that you need for the goal to succeed the P (and P stands for people and not pages).
3. About deletion of pages:
people forget or don't know that every edit can be restored again form the database. And if you want this edit/page can be brought to Wikiversity, see Wikiversity:Wikimedia Garbage Detail
4. admins / custodians / sysops / janitors / gardeners / ...
Is being admin a "big deal" or "not a big deal" ?
What does the admin and the non-admin think about that (over time) ?
btw: WV uses the term custodian and is more relaxed than some other projects, see Wikiversity:Custodianship#How does one become a custodian? about WV's approach. Here also counts: it is about the P (and P stands for people and not process).
5. My answer to "What's the best way for a researcher to get started?"
Just do it, EXPLORE ! You will learn easily the wiki syntax and be bold !
6. 'anyone can edit' model:
Great thing, keep it simple please. A bad edit can be reverted later on, but to get someone to share her knowledge is not so easy as it seems

observations from Erkan Yilmaz for 2008 March

You are invited to add your comments (e.g. but my perception of this issue is different) - please sign anything you add (howto Wikiversity:Signature).



[edit] 2008 March 30 - OER week 4: Copyright and Alternatives

[edit] todo

[edit] thoughts

copyright ?

cartoon about GFDL + CC - do you agree with this point of view?


  • copyright consists of two words: copy and right. Right alone can mean that someone or some people have a right (e.g. to copy) and others not. Someone is making here a distinction between haves and have-nots, insiders and outsiders to a certain group. How to get this right ? How long you have that right ? Is that right binding to anyone ? Copying can be done by more people - also by people who have not a certain right. How are the goals of the copying people and the right-owners identical or not ? Can these groups merged to one (some day) or does the struggle continue (see below in 557 A.D where 3,000 men were killed) ? What kind of change does this require in peoples heads ? Who can help to bring this change of mind ?
  • "Try to ellaborate why the copyright is as it is and why Lessig is claiming that we need "Free Culture". Try to also contextualize these ideas in your own work and country."
Lessig (btw: great presentation) seems to point that the "individual" (we) have done nothing to prevent that "others" control the creativity/freedom. Perhaps because lawmakers, lawyers,... are too strong and/or indviduals are not interested, lazy, not organized, ... ?
So, what have I done recently to enable freedom/creativity ? Examples:
  • All my contributions are e.g. at
  • en.WV under GFDL and
  • de.WV under CC-BY-SA 2.5
but I quote myself:
"my edits here are under GNU FDL - but hey, just ask me and you can use it under another licence - what's the big deal ?" (source)
"Anything, as long as it helps you achieve your learning (goals) and if also others can participate in the learning process: even better (so, that comment probably will cause now a lot of heat :-) ) One good thing about Wikiversity from my point of view (POV) is the freedom it offers in comparison to other Wikimedia projects. So, just be bold !"
Probably that is not all listed, but if any of us does a little something, it will work. We are more people than a few people at critical, powerful positions (I hope that does not sound aggressive ?). Just be creative and find a way through the bottleneck.


  • Probably some of you know "The Cape Town Open Education Declaration" (see here)
Figures from Germany are:
31st March 2008: 108 signatures are from Germany (from a total of 1512 signatures by individuals) - that makes about 7% of all signatures
on 3rd Feb. 2008 it was 89 signatures from Germany, which was about 6.8% of all total individual signatures (see here)
Did you sign it already ?
TODO: check how the figures are for other countries
  • Unfortunately many people (especially newcomers in wikimedia projects) don't know (or care) much about copyright. It seems easier for them this way, but causes more effort/trouble later on to correct. How does this bring the Wikimedia foundation into legal trouble ?
some pages which might help then:
  • ...

[edit] other participants
  • Let's ask the participants what kind of licence they release their stuff on their blogs (see also: here)
I started writing to some blogs, but since this may be interpreted as spam and I also have not the time, I posted this at the course blog here - hope some people read it.

[edit] still brainstorming

[edit] History of copyright law

557 A.D.:

"One of the earliest copyright disputes reputedly took place in 557 A.D. between Abbot Finnian of Moville and St. Columba over St. Columba's copying of a Psalter belonging to an Abbot. The dispute over ownership of the copy led to the Battle of Cúl Dreimhne (also know as Battle of Cooldrumman), in which 3,000 men were killed."[1]

14th + 15 century developments:

  • increase of mercantile trade
  • secular universities appear
  • movable type by Gutenberg

Copyright origins in Britain:

"This statute first accorded exclusive rights to authors (ie, creators) rather than publishers, and it included protections for consumers of printed work ensuring that publishers could not control their use after sale. It also limited the duration of such exclusive rights to 28 years, after which all works would pass into the public domain."[2]

international:

  • 1887:
  • "Internationally, the Berne Convention in 1887 set out the scope of copyright protection, and is still in force to this day."[3]
  • "As soon as the work is "fixed", that is, written or recorded on some physical medium (e.g. words written on page, music recorded onto tape, etc.), its author is automatically granted exclusive rights to the distribution of the work and any derivative works unless and until the author explicitly disclaims them, or until the copyright expires."[4]


  1. ↑ Gantz, John and Rochester, Jack B. (2005), Pirates of the Digital Millennium, Upper Saddle River: Financial Times Prentice Hall, p. 30-33; ISBN 0-13-146315-2
  2. ↑ History of copyright law. (2008, March 31). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:30, March 31, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_copyright_law&oldid=202271568
  3. ↑ History of copyright law. (2008, March 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:03, March 31, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_copyright_law&oldid=200041378
  4. ↑ History of copyright law. (2008, March 31). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:44, March 31, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_copyright_law&oldid=202271568

[edit] 2008 March 29 - German Wikiversity has its 1000th article

Learning content in de.WV is separated into courses ("Kurs") and projects:

  • Kurs: 831 pages
  • Projekt: 641 pages
  • Kurs Diskussion: 156 pages
  • Projekt Diskussion: 119 pages

Since we have now a number 1000 let's celebrate this:

The German Wikiversity has now its 1000th article.Thanks to all who helped achieving this.
Wikimedia project UTC time of data collection users total
pages[1]		 articles files custodians total edits[2] software version
Wikiversity (Greek) 2008-Μαρ-29, 22:48 (UTC) 84 860 97 31 3 5.207 1.13alpha (r32485)
Wikiversity (Spanish) 2008-mar-29, 22:46 (UTC) 3.228 2.853 571 6 9 21.151 1.13alpha (r32485)
Wikiversity (beta) 2008-Mar-29, 22:50 (UTC) 896 4,126 1,355 126 7 22,209 1.13alpha (r32485)
Wikiversity (Italian) 2008-mar-29, 22:44 (UTC) 789 4.863 542 57 8 28.745 1.13alpha (r32485)
Wikiversity (German) 2008-Mär.-29, 21:26 (UTC) 2.281 8.951 1.000 565 9 89.134 1.13alpha (r32485)
Wikiversity (French) 2008-mar-29, 22:41 (UTC) 1 893 12 208 3 752 44 10 118 573 1.13alpha (r32485)
Wikiversity (English) 2008-Mar-29, 21:38 (UTC) 18.985 50.304 6.880 4.130 23 233.631 1.13alpha (r32485)
Wikibooks (German) 2008-Mär.-29, 21:35 (UTC) 8.674 37.293 10.859 6.162 16 373.411 1.13alpha (r32485)
Wikibooks (English) 2008-Mar-29, 23:09 (UTC) 85,710 95,858 28,695 8,679 32 1,174,227 1.13alpha (r32485)
Wikipedia (German) 2008-Mär.-29, 21:33 (UTC) 537.665 2.062.694 730.132 135.345 303 46.023.640 1.13alpha (r32485)
Wikipedia (English) 2008-Mar-29, 21:40 (UTC) 6.771.419 12.585.439 2.309.692 774.412 1.530 212.275,946 1.13alpha (r32485)

That is all numbers and doesn't have to mean anything - also in comparison to other figures. But it is a small start. Help us grow !


  1. ↑ This includes also "talk" pages, pages about Wikiversity, minimal "stub" pages, redirects, and others that probably don't qualify as content pages.
  2. ↑ since WV was set up

[edit] 2008 March 27 - Usurpation is against assume good faith ?

background info with SUL:

  • 0-edit-contributors: why take from them back the faith we put in them ? Did they do something that provoked this ?
  • will the new owners of that account contribute here more ? if so, why didn't they so far contribute or noticed that the account was gone ?
  • more to come, during that, feel free to think loud here
edit 2008-03-30: see Wikiversity talk:Changing username#Usurpation is against assume good faith ?

[edit] 2008 March 27 - a journey into the past

If you wanna go back ca. 2400 years back in time this Saturday, 29.3. click here.

[edit] 2008 March 24 - importing pages from other projects: Wikiversity:Wikimedia Garbage Detail

Today someone else than me suggested to import pages into de.WV :-) see de:Projekt:Fundstücke aus anderen Wikimedia-Projekten

[edit] 2008 March 23 - Wikimedia Foundation & Google Summer of Code™

Wikimedia Foundation is taking part in the Google Summer of Code™ as a mentoring organization.Student application period is from 24.-31. March. Join and please also tell others ! See the list of project ideas which surely will help the wikimedia projects.


2008-04-02: extended until 7th of April

[edit] 2008 March 17 - OER week 3: philosophical background of the OER movement

[edit] Todo

  • read
  • assignment for this week: read mostly articles on WP, discuss them, e.g. show similarities and differences
  • I think I will start with the German WP articles first and read then the English ones - I guess with this I can help also WP: optimize both articles, ...

[edit] thoughts

  • How many of the participants edited a Wikipedia article while reading or wrote a comment on the talk page there ?
  • I wonder how many course participants signed The Cape Town Open Education Declaration ?
  • It is tiring to read all always the same topics on all the blogs - I pity the facilitators :-( So I made a fun section
Perhaps it could be better to "force" people to do something collaboratively (e.g. reviewing + optimizing a Wikipedia article together) ?

[edit] still brainstorming

[edit] Age of Enlightenment

What is it that brings enlightenment/changes ?
(age of) people ? "correct" mindset ? emotions ? (new) technologies ? disasters ? luck ? other factors ? All together ?

  • Doubt everything at least one time, even if it is the sentence: 2 x 2 = 4 („Zweifle an allem wenigstens einmal, und wäre es auch der Satz zwei mal zwei ist vier“)[1] (Lichtenberg)
  • "Knowledge is power." (by Francis Bacon)
  • tolerance (e.g. against religions); human is naturally good, you just have to show him, that he realizes it
-> Wikiversity:Assume Good Faith, Wikiversity:Please do not bite the newcomers
  • Categorical imperative: often forgotten
  • w:de:Lesegesellschaft -> see also Wikiversity:reading groups
  • new method of book printing (Gutenberg) -> Mediawiki software (initial release: January 2002)
  • Enlightenment was primarily done by the wealthy, especially by the economically successful bourgeoisie. ("Die Aufklärung war vor allem Sache der Wohlhabenden, namentlich des ökonomisch erfolgreichen Bürgertums."[2])


  • timeline of some important persons during the Age of Enlightenment (in general I like the French article better, because it gets relaxed with pictures, where you can catch the atmosphere from back then)
  • famous persons from the Age of Enlightenment: de.WP, en.WP

[edit] Standing on the shoulders of giants

I have here a picture in mind what we do normally with kids. Parents put them on their shoulders, so they can see more. So, they see the world from a different angle. Also some kids have the wish to climb on trees (which probably have seen many things in all the years, but don't tell to us). Becoming tall needs time. Change in position needs some effort, force to fight (against gravity), which kids don't have yet.

Isn't it most of the times easier in the wiki-verse to continue an existing page than creating a new one ? Don't most of the Wikipedia readers just consume (without giving back) ?


  • when reading the intro following associations popped up in my head:
dwarf -> Snow White
giants -> Titans

when searching in commons