I'd suggest you print out this page to refer to as you work.
Changing Writing
- This week's WritingTheWikiProject theme: How does writing on a wiki or blog change writing? This is not a question of how it changes your writing, but draws on questions concerning how writing in e-spaces such as blogs and wikis changes writing-at-large:
- writing's place and role in society,
- what people need to know in order to take part in writing in these spaces
- what people write in these spaces
- how people write in these spaces
- what makes an effective blog posting effective
- what makes an effective wiki topic effective
- what people read and how they read
- ...
questions such as those.
Some of you are looking at free lancing, so you're in a position to talk about how blogs and wikis might intersect with freelancing: issues, topics, strategies.
Some of us are in education, which opens questions of what we teach about writing and questions of what makes effective use of the media.
Some of us are involved in scholarship, and both blogs and wikis are having significant impact on what and how scholars go about their work.
Blogs and wikis are having an impact on writing in marketing, PR, journalism, interpersonal relations: on how marketing uses writing, on how journalism gets done...
All of us are heavily invested in matters of language and literacy, the effective use of writing, what and how people read, what counts as writing and what doesn't. We have plenty to say about this, and can write from a position of experience.
I've created two topics to start in: Take your pick and you are invited to start alternative, related topics.
I'll make a few staring notes and maybe in some possible headings to address. Work with these topics, or create new ones, or cut or modify those I've started. They are seeds, not oaks. Grow them.
writing the wiki
As you did with the RespondingInThreadModeExercise, start in ThreadMode to get some voices going. About mid-week or so, start refactoring into DocumentMode. At any time, create new topics as needed in your discussion. I could see the discussion becoming more focused on topics such as FreelanceBlogging, and the like.Over the course of the week, I may interject as TheEditor, giving suggestions for refactoring sections, suggesting directions to pursue, things to check on ... whatever else a wiki editor might do. I set up the first sketch of the page as TheEditor. (Actually, anyone may interject as TheEditor. Just use TheEditor WikiName and make editorial suggestions.)
The Goal
By the end of the week (Midnight, Friday 3 Mar), I'd like to be able to read a pretty well organized, re-factored, tight, insightful consideration of how WikiChangesWriting and how BlogChangesWriting - some in DocumentMode, but probably including some continuing threads. Aim for that. We'll see how it goes.Pluses
In developing the topics, drawing on outside sources (print or online) can be a plus (not just for the topic, but for you as a contributer. It's often easier to get started by responding to something already written.) Also good: linking to other pages on the wiki and linking to other pages on other wikis, and creating new topics (WikiWords) - even if they are left open for now.Points
I won't grade individual contributions to the wiki. I'll give you some feedback on what you've contributed so you get a sense of how what you're doing seems to fit in with other doings - and to let you know that I'm still out here, reading.But rather than assigning grades to the contributions, you'll earn points for participation.
Sign your contributions with your WikiName and 'keep a list of topics you worked on and when you worked on them so I can total things up.' (Something like this: Monday: thread comments added to WikiChangesWriting, and refactored a little on BlogChangingWriting ... ) The RecentChanges page lists what's been worked on, too, so there's no need to fear refactoring out someone's work.
I'm watching for 1000 - 1500 total words or 3 - 5 hours of closely worked time 'well-distributed over the week.' I assume that everyone is going to spend the time on this, but I want to encourage repeated visits so that the topics can develop over time. So you earn points by making repeated visits over the course of the week.
* 50 - one visit, 250 - 500 words or so
* 75 - 2 visits over the course of 1 - 2 days
* 150 - 3 - 4 visits, spread out over the week
* 200 - 5 + visits from Fri 23 Feb - Fri Mar 3
* extra points for being the first to edit (starting Fri Feb 23) and the last to edit before midnight Fri, 3 Mar.
I'll pay daily visits to the pages to make some notes on who's visited and what changes have been made. 'But keep track on your own WikiName page of what you worked on and when.' That's what I'll be going by.
Have fun.
CategoryExercise
