Dear Ray Anne and Kjersti: Thanks very much for your inquiry and tips about Wikipedia. I have been considering editing (or even initiating) a couple of Wikipedia articles and would appreciate any additional advice anyone who has done this can give. Joan ----- Original Message ----- From: <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, June 03, 2011 11:53 AM Subject: Re: [ARLIS-L] FW: Wikipedia Dear Ray Anne, This will not be a long answer, as my Norwegian-English dictionary is not at hand. :) I became a "wikipedian" almost two years ago, and in July I am going to Wales to give a presentation at the annual ARCLIB confence on my Wikipedia experiences, as an architecture librarian. The only article I have written/edited in the English language version of wp, is this one, on a "real person" - and it has not been deleted yet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terje_bjørklund Most of my wp activity is in the Norwegian language version. I understand there are differences in wp culture between the various language versions, and some of them one gets to know the hard way, like when a wikipedia nerd deletes an article that you know is correct and of encyclopaedic value! My advice is to use the "discussion page" that excists for every article (look at the top, above the article text), and explain there why this article is of importance. It also helps if you register and make a user page that says a little about your background and knowledge of the subjects you are going to write about. You do not have to use your real name even if you register. When you are registered, you may follow "your" articles and correct "stupid" things that dogs or others do to the article - and explain on the discussion page why you have done it. I must say I have been very lucky and have found three wp-"consultants" whom I ask about this and that when in doubt. I edit in Wikipedia both as part of my job - and as a hobby now. I recommend it. It is so rewarding (and frustrating!) and one may learn a lot from it! I hope you get answers from colleagues that write in the English language version, and I encourage you - and my other colleagues - to help Wikipedia get better on art and architecture. "Google loves Wikipedia", and with your knowledge you may add references and information to many of the articles that are already there and write new ones! Good luck to you all! Kjersti Siterer "Lockard, Ray Anne" <[log in to unmask]>: > Dear Colleagues, > > I am interested in knowing if any art librarian or VRA colleagues have > done any editing or writing on Wikipedia and how you have fared. I am > thinking about re-doing the really skimpy and useless article there about > Agnolo Gaddi on whom I did my MA thesis. And also working on others if > that experience goes well. I know the deadline for conference papers has > past, but this may be a possible topic for a paper in another year. > > Thanks for your comments in advance. > > Ray Anne Lockard > > Bibliographer and Public Services Librarian > Frick Fine Arts Library > University of Pittsburgh > Pittsburgh, PA 15260 > Voice-mail: 412-648-2410 > E-mail: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> > "A book should be a ball of light in one's hands." Ezra Pound > > > From: Consortium of Art and Architectural Historians > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of marjorie munsterberg > Sent: Friday, June 03, 2011 9:14 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Wikipedia > > After the discussion on caah about editing Wikipedia, I thought this > article would be of great interest: > http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/academics-in-new-move-begin-to-work-with-wikipedia/31523 > > Reporting on my own experiences, I have to say they were mixed. I edited > a handful of articles about lesser 19th-c artists I happen to be working > on so I had the necessary information at hand, and it took longer than I > had expected. Some of my articles were edited or queried at once because > I hadn't followed the proper form, or hadn't given clear citations for > information. The second meant that I had to rethink how notes worked - > since someone else may edit the article, including any part of any > sentence, the notes have to be attached to the specific information > given, as opposed to a single one for a section, for example. I also had > to figure out how the tabs at the top worked, which took me longer than > I'm sure it should have! > > My experience with my students was not a success on this round, although > I will make it a highly structured required assignment in a course about > 19th-c art I'm teaching at CCNY in the fall. The few who decided to give > it a try as an extra credit project simply were not able to understand > the problems fast enough or get the correct information quickly enough to > make it a feasible project. One of the students took on the article > about Titian's Venus of Urbino, but didn't have time to change it as she > planned (although she may be able to do it over the summer). Another one > posted an new article about a 20th-c Russian artist, which was deleted at > once with the comment: Article about a real person, which does not > indicate the importance or significance of the subject. > > I'd be interested to hear how others have fared. > > Marjorie Munsterberg, Ph.D. > Independent scholar, NYC > www.writingaboutart.org<http://www.writingaboutart.org> > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about joining > ARLIS/NA see: http://www.arlisna.org/join.html Send administrative > matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc) to > [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance: > http://lsv.arlisna.org Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy > Dyki) at: [log in to unmask] > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about joining ARLIS/NA see: http://www.arlisna.org/join.html Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance: http://lsv.arlisna.org Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about joining ARLIS/NA see: http://www.arlisna.org/join.html Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance: http://lsv.arlisna.org Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~