FamilySearch Wiki:Community Dialogue Chronological

Introduction

This is a month-by-month listing or summary of conversations between Wiki contributors which take place in meetings and forum threads. The purposes of this list include:

• Help the Community stay informed quickly and easily
• Document decisions: When they were made, how they were implemented and by whom
• Track the updating of guidelines. This includes Help content, Manual of Style, Projects, and more
• Call attention to ideas and concerns not yet decided, allowing the Community to prioritize action

May 2011

17 May 2011 New since last week

• Wiki goals or targets Suggests getting a strategic plan.
• Foreign Titles in User Guidance/ linking to Foreign Language editions Among other comments, one suggests that English is a foreign lanquage in some countries.
• FlagPage extension makes it EASY to add templates Have you ever wanted to add a template like the Delete template to an article and just didn't because you didn't want to have to slog through the wiki to look it up or remember what its code is? If so, take a look at Extension:FlagPage.
• An extension that makes discussion pages easy
  

Comments added since last week

• Wiki User List Includes suggestions about a welcome template that informs users how to fill in their user page and with what.
• Connections between Historical Record Collections pages and the rest of the Wiki Suggest links from other pages in the Wiki to the appropriate Hist Rec Coll pages.
• Recognition: Adopters, moderators, and contributors Another widget suggested.

10 May 2011 New since last week

• Connections between Historical Record Collections pages and the rest of the Wiki A potential project -- to be sure these are updated in the appropriate localities.
• Wiki User List A high percentage of users have not added to their user page. Includes some clarification of etiquette and content.
• Empty Category Link Mentions a support case where the person may need more training. "there is still a problem since the suggested link goes to the portal page for the US not the Category page at all"
  

Comments added since last week

• Tab Header Templates Recent posts indicate a maximum of ten tabs can be used and pointed to an example at Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD).
• Template for new users to add User page Response to a previous post about logins.
• Recognition of contributors Creative ideas for recognitions. Also a request for storing such ideas on moderator [or adopter] help pages.
  

Decisions made or items resolved during the week

• Searching templates Searching for a specific collection ID (Historical Record Collections)
• Citation Proposal - Vote Now! The change was implemented.
• How best to add "Help" for contributors here "... we finally renamed the Tech Support forum to Contributor Help!"

3 May 2011

• Template for new users to add User page Mentions the Welcome template, which gives ideas to users for adding to their user pages.
  • Related thread User Pages
• Recognition of contributors Pointing to Utah and Virginia pages for ideas.
• Require Adopters to edit a page before Adoption sign is posted? Although the poll passed with a vote of 11 to 9, nothing has fully been decided. (With such a close vote, should it be vetted more? AdkinsWH)
• Proposed edit of guiding principles "Free" area Link to "Creative Commons" website has been updated.

Have these decisions been acted upon?

• Citation Proposal - Vote Now! As requested in last week's meeting, Evancol asked the person proposing the change to actually make the change.
• Maximum period of inactivity of Moderators and Adopters
• "Three strikes" communication policy for moderators and adopters
• Should we subscribe new Adopters and Moderators to this forum by default?

April 2011

Polls

• Citation Proposal
  • Poll closes April 26.
  • Before you vote, scroll to see the actual proposal.
  • To read the forum thread leading up to this poll, see Working Reference Citation Proposal
• Should we subscribe new Adopters and Moderators to this forum by default? Only 4 votes, all "Yes." The comments made were insightful about keeping current and inclusive.
• Should Adoption sign be @ top or bottom of adopted pages lacking infobox/topic box? 17 votes, 12 Top, 5 Bottom. Discussion (22 posts) is interesting.
• Should adoption of a well-developed page be decided by its original contributors? 8 votes, all yes. No discussions posted.

Forum threads started
April 13 - 19

• Forum badge test Testing placement of a badge to increase traffic to the forums.
• Long Pages How to make them easier for users. Need your ideas and suggestions in this thread.
• Good change on Wiki home page Suggesting that the home page also needs some community re-thinking.

Added comments on existing threads

• English Contributors Discussion this week (posts 15-19) has turned to links to the FHLC and even to the purpose of the wiki.
• Proposed edit of guiding principles "Free" area Dicussion this week turned to "Creative Commons"
• Tab Header Templates Includes how to find a list of existing templates, and wish lists, including font sizes and other tweeks.
• How best to add "Help" for contributors here Continuing ideas and suggestions
• Greenup County, KY - links act like text Issue added to "known issues" list for engineers. Also discovered why it was happening.

April 6 - 12

• How best to add "Help" for contributors here Please "help" discuss and decide.
• Greenup County, KY - links act like text This is a known problem.
  • Where would contributors look for answers to questions like this? Just by posting a forum thread?

From the Feedback Forum

• Forums Facelift Includes suggestion to increase visibility of Forums.
• ...not responsible for the content of external... Suggestions to make the Terms and Conditions of use or disclaimers more visible. Can engineers change it's placement?
• Title for FHC (Family History Centers)
  

March 30 - April 5

• Working Reference Citation Proposal 8 posts. A continuation of the Citations thread with 18 posts.
• Recognition: Badges users can earn
• Greenup County, KY - links act like text A plea for help.
• Proposed edit of guiding principles "Free" area Suggested slight changes to a guiding principles page. Cottrells made the change.

March 2011

Polls

• Should we subscribe new Adopters and Moderators to this forum by default? Poll closed April 5th.
• Should adoption of a well-developed page be decided by its original contributors? Poll closed April 3rd.
• Should Adoption sign be @ top or bottom of adopted pages lacking infobox/topic box? Poll closed April 3rd.
• Require Adopters to edit a page before Adoption sign is posted? Poll closed Saturday, March 5
  • Results: 55% voted yes, 45% voted no.
  • For updates and further actions, see Require edits before placing adoption signs
• Maximum period of inactivity of Moderators and Adopters Poll closed Saturday, March 5
  • Results: Remove them after... 44% voted 6 months, 33% voted 3 months.
  • For updates of further actions, see Inactivity
• "Three strikes" communication policy for moderators and adopters Poll closed Saturday, March 5
  • Results: Remove them after... 40% voted 4 weeks. 26% each to 2 weeks and 6 weeks. Additional comments were made after polls closed.
  • For updates and further actions, see 3 Strikes
    

Forum Threads Started
March 23 - 29

• Tab Header Templates Interesting templates were found in Wikipedia that give great display options.
  • This needs to be added to the Wiki where contributors can find display options and suggestions for what they can add.
• [Display on a page the number of edits made by a group of users? Wanting to know if there is software that will do this.
• Pennsylvania page Links are now working.
  

March 16 - 22

• Wiki Talk — Dialogue summary: Need for your input
  • Creating a summary of the dialogue from Forums and meetings. Need your ideas and suggestions
• Question of procedure and policy
  • Question arose about procedures when much information may be wrong or offensive (Using American Indian example)
  • Suggestion: contact the project manager (Jimmy Parker in this case)
  • The Wiki is all about making additions/corrections
  • User decided to make changes (did not mention contacting the project leader
• Citations
  • Wants Community guidelines for citing sources in the Wiki
  • A person is digesting what is written and needs updating
  • The Utah page has a good example. So does State of Franklin
  • Comment: There are quite a few different citation styles.... subsequent users can edit the citations if necessary. Don't make it an issue
  • Comment: it should be clear that the form of the citation is not as important as the content
  • Comment: Advanced professionals need great citation guidelines
  • Suggestion: Inform writers of purpose, where guidelines are found, at least type out the basics that others can fix
• Weekly Thumbs up, Thumbs Down Report
• English Contributors
  • Who is being invited to submit? Few contributors for England.
  • Suggested the person and others in England start
  • Suggested that they start with digitized records for England on FamilySearch.org

March 9 - 15

• Over 100 pages of individual histories added Discusses that information about individuals is not appropriate for the Wiki. Suggestions include:
  • Ways to contact a contributer who adds individual names
  • Need to clarify guidelines in Wiki.
  • Meeting discussion (3/15/11) suggested that Welcoming point to the Guidelines.
  • Alternative places to post their information WeRelate.com, BiographicalWiki.com, and GenerationStation.com. Link to your information from the Wiki
    • One place to look concept: As you become aware of others sites to post such information on the Internet, please update Try another wiki

March 1 - 8

• Entries containing references to FamilySearch.org
• User Pages
• Continuum of Engagment
• Getting more information on photos that are upload
• Purpose and Appropriate Topics Calls attention to need for reviewing/updating these pages.
• Start of Moderator Handbook already on Wiki
• Recognition Rewarding Wiki accomplishments
• Genealogy's Star writes about the wiki
• Family Tech posts an article about the wiki

February 2011

Polls

• Proposed: Link from adoption sign to adopter's user page

Forum Threads Started

• Help vs. FamilySearch Wiki namespace

• Should we have substantial prerequisities for moderators?
• Maximum period of inactivity of Moderators and Adopters
• Require Adopters to edit a page before Adoption sign is posted?
• Recruiting Moderators
• "Three strikes" communication policy for moderators and adopters
• Sandbox category
• Another advertising question
• Proposal: Remove sandboxes from search results
• Maintenance Templates/Policy
• Creating Video Trainings

January 2011

Note: This is the month the Wiki Contributor's meeting began. It was an outgrowth of the Tech meeting.

• Proposed: Link from adoption sign to adopter's user page
• Community Center, Village Pump, or something else?

December 2010

Forum Threads Started

Moderators and Adopters

• Relative stewardship of moderators and adopters
• Qualifications of adopters and moderators
• Encouraging User Participation on Adopted Pages
• Page Adopter category
• Moderators and Adopters: level of activity

• Forum Digest: a plan for reaching decisions, implementing ideas

• Affiliate links?
• FamilySearch Wiki Affiliates Logo
• Record Search Updates Archive
• How to account for Indexing when writing wiki projects?
• Welcoming

Display

• Tennessee page restructure proposal
• Why the green border and { ?

Technical problems

• We're going to roll back the database. Recent changes will be lost.
• Vanishing edits

November 2010

Note: This is the month the Wiki Contributor's Corner forum began.

Forum threads started:

Moderators and adopters

• Should we have separate forums for Moderators, Adopters and contributors?
• Moderators - Sharing best practices
• Replacing a moderator or adopter?
• Technical Volunteer duties
• Limit number of pages for moderator or adopter?

All contributors

• Term limits?

• Avoiding Redundance while Meeting User Needs
• Recognition: Adopters, moderators, and contributors
• The Wiki Audience

• Is this Advertising

Display

• Is your image (or map) too wide for a wiki page? Try making a scrolling image!
• Table too wide on a wiki page? Make a scrolling table!