Encouraging Semantic Mediawiki use with non technical people: Difference between revisions
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Prepared for http://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Spring_2010_SMWCon | Prepared for http://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Spring_2010_SMWCon | ||
* See notes at [[Semantic Mediawiki Spring 2010 conference]] | |||
== Who is a non-technical person == | == Who is a non-technical person == | ||
* Their focus is not technology, but they can contribute | * Their focus is not technology, but they can contribute | ||
* Never learned programming concepts | * '''Never learned programming concepts''' | ||
* Didn't realize Wikipedia can be edited | * Didn't realize Wikipedia can be edited | ||
* Maybe used a web content management system, blog, Facebook | * Maybe used a web content management system, blog, Facebook | ||
* Busy with their own concerns | * Busy with their own concerns | ||
== Why non technical people == | |||
* Under-served and under-represented | |||
* Helps understand many issues of usability | |||
* Create a more comprehensive Web with more voices, organized semantically | |||
* They are the domain experts in their field. | |||
== Types and motivations of participants== | == Types and motivations of participants== | ||
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# To solve their problem, often a "one of those" web site with some special requirements | # To solve their problem, often a "one of those" web site with some special requirements | ||
# Something that looks good - '''design is still paramount''' | # Something that looks good - '''design is still paramount''' — ''Results indicate that first impressions are most influenced by the visual appeal of the site. Users gave high usability and interest ratings to sites with high appeal and low usability and interest ratings to sites with low appeal. User perceptions of a low appeal website were not significantly influenced by the site’s usability even after a successful experience with the site.'' — http://www.surl.org/usabilitynews/112/aesthetic.asp | ||
# To learn about the participatory web | # To learn about the participatory web | ||
# To have more control over their own site but keep things simple | # To have more control over their own site but keep things simple | ||
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# To work with someone they trust | # To work with someone they trust | ||
# Don't really seem concerned about "silo" and re-use aspects | # Don't really seem concerned about "silo" and re-use aspects | ||
== Typical tasks == | |||
=== Today === | |||
* Put narratives and media on graphs (time, place) | |||
* Event management | |||
* Link narratives by theme | |||
* Better organization of content, avoid tangly mess | |||
* Qualitative, develop databases — demographics, statistics | |||
* Easy sharing of information | |||
* Message through wiki, terms of use to other organizations | |||
== What do I want == | == What do I want == | ||
<blockquote> | |||
...the student population is about evenly divided between technologists who care about aesthetics and artists who aren't afraid of machines, which makes it a pretty good place to see the future. — [http://www.shirky.com/writings/situated_software.html Shirky] | |||
</blockquote> | |||
# Avoid per client custom code, fit things into the developing picture | # Avoid per client custom code, fit things into the developing picture | ||
# '''Promote digital literacy — filling out forms isn't it, stop treating computers as a typewriter''' | # '''Promote digital literacy — filling out forms isn't it, stop treating computers as a typewriter''' | ||
## Reference-able statements, reusable data under fair terms of re-use | ## Reference-able statements, reusable data under fair terms of re-use | ||
## Help organize masses of data | |||
# Get people to consider issues of site design and how to organize information without overburdening | # Get people to consider issues of site design and how to organize information without overburdening | ||
# '''Promote transparency and co-development''' | # '''Promote transparency and co-development''' | ||
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## Don't be fearful and build hidden compromises, open it up | ## Don't be fearful and build hidden compromises, open it up | ||
# Grow my own skills based on relevant requirements | # Grow my own skills based on relevant requirements | ||
## Focused on small groups '''http://www.shirky.com/writings/situated_software.html Users By The Dozens]''' | ## Focused on small groups '''[http://www.shirky.com/writings/situated_software.html Users By The Dozens]''' | ||
### Connect them in the future? | |||
# Lots of value of working with cross-sector interests | |||
= Success= | = Success= | ||
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# Basic editing using forms | # Basic editing using forms | ||
# Wiki markup, categories | # Wiki markup, categories | ||
# Sharing knowledge, creating more converts | # Sharing knowledge, editing each others pages, creating more converts | ||
# Creating templates/queries/classes | # Creating templates/queries/classes | ||
# Understanding of good class design, distributed data, licensing | # Understanding of good class design, inferencing, distributed data, licensing | ||
# Reuse ontologies and web-based content | # Reuse ontologies and web-based content | ||
# Distributed applications, creating standards | # Distributed applications, creating standards | ||
== Examples == | |||
* [https://intranet.fungalgenomics.ca/intwiki/Main_Page Genomics Lab] multiple sites (private and public) (programmers) | |||
* [http://www.innovationcell.com Hospital research group] (open minded, dedicated co-developers) | |||
* [http://www.quescan.info Special interest group] (tasked group) | |||
* [http://www.asiancanadianwiki.org Arts group] (maybe — get-togethers, dedicated contributor) | |||
* [http://oq.zooid.org Non profit group] (maybe — heavy use of forms) | |||
= Failure = | = Failure = | ||
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* Misunderstood requirements, not really listening to what they want | * Misunderstood requirements, not really listening to what they want | ||
** Learning experience | ** Learning experience | ||
== Examples == | |||
* General spread to community workers (they know easier specialized systems, didn't help guide structure enough) | |||
** [http://ced.zooid.org/wiki/WikiCED_manual some success] | |||
* [http://wfg.zooid.org Gardening site] (chose to get programmers to build custom system around Wordpress) | |||
= How = | = How = | ||
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</div> | </div> | ||
Lots and lots of guiding | * Lots and lots of guiding | ||
* Reassure - built on Mediawiki, always exportable | |||
* Inspire - self empowerment, learning culture, creating, leading, "coolness" (graphs), "where the web is going," open source and transparency, participatory web | |||
* Blow past increasing complexity of security to simpler wiki model (all private or all public) | |||
* Threaten - others are doing it, loss of leadership | |||
* Really enforce importance of discussion tab, history, diff, learning from others ('''view source''').. site evolution as an interest, lead of Mediawiki | |||
* Magic — Exhibit example of copying filtered data and pasting to spreadsheet | |||
** Too much magic (hypergraphs) is confusing and doesn't work everywhere | |||
* The importance of design | |||
** promote the cues of Wikipedia but provide something original | |||
* Appoint leads based on interests, give them responsibilities | |||
* Peer helpers — spread the virus | |||
* Focus on people's abilities - detail oriented, annotator, gardener, storyteller, communicates with offline world, etc | |||
* Translators for those who can't directly contribute | |||
* People like visualizations and they can help with shaping and debugging data | |||
* Always focus on their goals rather than ideals, but try to explain the vision, the two should come together | |||
* Use lots of meaningful examples | |||
** Placeography, DiscourseDB, sites related to organization | |||
** Good distributed examples would help too | |||
<div style="magin: 15px"> | <div style="magin: 15px"> | ||
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* SMW site will need a UI (immediate functions) inside a UI (MW) | * SMW site will need a UI (immediate functions) inside a UI (MW) | ||
* Learning curve is constant on wordpress, gets steep fast using SMW | * Learning curve is constant on wordpress, gets steep fast using SMW | ||
* '''Can recreate a blog in SMW but tasks are more manual''' | |||
** But you work in a reusable semantic space | |||
= Summary= | = Summary= | ||
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** 'Class' editors work with existing elements | ** 'Class' editors work with existing elements | ||
** Visual form editor | ** Visual form editor | ||
== Questions == | == Questions == | ||
* What are the best extensions to make the site easy to use? | * What are the best extensions to make the site easy to use? | ||
* | * Can SMW be a good "universal platform?" — is information a nail? | ||
= Notes = | = Notes = | ||
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* Need more white papers instead of mountain of data | * Need more white papers instead of mountain of data | ||
* Find meaningful ways to connect to well known solutions (SQL, etc), use it as an integration platform | * Find meaningful ways to connect to well known solutions (SQL, etc), use it as an integration platform | ||
* In gov't — "people don't want to collaborate" wan to install wiki but still use Word | |||
* Burden of proof, show how easy it is, fast examples | |||
<headertabs /> | <headertabs /> | ||
Latest revision as of 15:37, 5 June 2010