Template:Wiki websites
Wiki websites (praise of and learning their culture)[edit]
Forms of communication such as wikis represent major social trends and offer new ways of sharing Bahá’í perspectives, precepts, and experiences[edit]
"The Internet is one of this age’s most revolutionary and transformative technological developments. New terms, such as wikis, RSS, podcasting, blogs, FOAF, VoIP, and folksonomies2, while virtually unknown a few years ago, are rapidly becoming common currency among millions of Internet users. These new forms of communication technology represent major social trends that offer new ways of sharing Bahá’í perspectives, precepts, and experiences.
"As existing institutions and social practices disintegrate around us, the Bahá’í teachings indicate that there is a parallel process at work of creating new structures and tools that enable unifying patterns of collective life to emerge. The Internet appears to be playing a catalytic role in breaking down longstanding geographic, cultural and institutional barriers while facilitating the formation of new communities of interaction that are increasingly global in nature.
"2 Wikis are a form of publicly editable web site; RSS (Really Simply Syndication) is a communications protocol being used by blogs and podcasts; blogs are online journals; FOAF (Friend of a Friend) describes social networks such as Facebook and Friendster; VoIP (Voice over IP) is the use of the Internet for telephone service; and, folksonomies (or social tags) are systems by which the author and/or users classify content based on keywords.
- (Bahá’í Internet Agency, "Bahá’í Participation on the Internet: Some Reflections"; also mirrored at https://bahai-library.com/bia_bahai_participation_internet )
Entering "participation age" with cooperative content generation and knowledge generation among the most noteworthy manifestations; this has been anticipated by the Baha'i teachings and provide a context for operation[edit]
"We are now witnessing another transformation from the previous model of persons or organized entities being independent producers of content to what is now being called the “participation age.”
"The “participation age” is principally distinguished by its ethos of collaboration and sharing. One of the basic aspects of this new ethos is that the collaborative efforts of a group of ordinary individuals can lead to perspectives and outcomes not possible for an individual, even a recognized expert. Cooperative content generation and knowledge generation are among the most noteworthy manifestations of the participatory trend.4 [Wikipedia.org is a prime example of collaborative content generation and open source software development illustrates the impact of focused innovation driven by a global community of participants.] With the emergence of interactive media, readers of news are no longer passive recipients of information, but participate in how that information is distributed and ultimately interpreted. Although the concept and feasibility of new modes of global participation and collaboration may represent a startling change for many, the Bahá’í teachings have anticipated this collective awakening and empowerment of peoples around the world, and provide a context for successfully operating in these new paradigms."
- (Bahá’í Internet Agency, "Bahá’í Participation on the Internet: Some Reflections"; also mirrored at https://bahai-library.com/bia_bahai_participation_internet )
Important to learn culture of each medium and function within it, even if not endorsing all tenets of a culture (e.g., Wikipedia); should be committed to Wikipedia policies and use patience, perseverance, commitment to fairness, and much wisdom[edit]
"Each Internet space has its own norms and context of participation. Learning the culture of each medium requires observing how people behave. It usually does not take long to determine the characteristics and assumptions associated with a particular Internet space. One need not endorse all the tenets of a particular culture, but it is essential to understand the environment in which one operates, just as one does not need to approve of all the characteristics of a society in order to function within it.6"
"6 For instance, each article on Wikipedia, whether on the Bahá’í Faith or some other topic, has a community of participants that determines the content of the article. Each article essentially reflects a community of interaction--a community that may consist of both sympathetic and antagonistic voices. If the content of any particular Wikipedia article causes enough controversy, higher level editorial intervention can occur, but this usually involves trying to ensure that all perspectives on a question are being fairly represented. Wikipedia "administrators" adhere to the idea of “rough consensus” in deciding whether material should be removed. In short, while Wikipedia may utilize some of the consultative mechanisms familiar to Bahá’ís, its overarching principles guiding such decision-making are quite different. Thus, patience, perseverance, a commitment to fairness and Wikipedia policies, and a great dose of wisdom are required when contributing to Wikipedia content."
