Links for managing group wikis, lurking, and feeding others while building your vocabulary [indubitably!]

Creating a Participatory Knowledgebase: 3 Best Practices
From Michael Idinopulos's Blog on Social Software in the Enterprise

This falls under the keep it simple model of thinking about structuring online group projects and resources in a wiki:

1. Structure by topic, not by org chart.

2. Lead with what you want, not what you have.
Don't let your wiki be only a dumping ground for everything you know already. Create space to allow insights to be shared, trends developed, a space where new thinking can take place.

3. Link link link.
Cross-link to broaden your reference sources.
 

Lurking cont'd

Online Social networking as Participatory Surveillance by Anders Albrechtslund

From First Monday Volume 13, number 3, 3 March 2008

A fun, somewhat academic romp through social networking and the social aspects of surveillance. Albrechtslund notes that the concept of social surveillance is not necessarily negative nor is it free from danger. Rather, he argues that online social networking presents us with an opportunity to rethink acts of participation, observing, and being observed:

"What can we learn about surveillance through social networking? Characteristic of online social networking is the sharing of activities, preferences, beliefs, etc. to socialize. I argue that this practice of self–surveillance cannot be adequately described within the framework of a hierarchical understanding of surveillance. Rather, online social networking seems to introduce a participatory approach to surveillance, which can empower – and not necessarily violate – the user."

Social Action -- FreeRice.com: Tiny App, Big Idea

From Web Social Architecture-The Mad Science of Online Community:

"FreeRice is really elegant. It's not trying to do too much: Users take a vocabulary quiz. Correct answers add to the user's score and to the size of the donation. Each question loads a new ad. The revenue from the ads funds the donation. Perfect!"

FreeRice's mission is two-fold: feed people, improve your vocabulary. Seriously! And the site seems to be working.

Simple. Elegant. Fun. Practical. This site feels like a model for entrepreneurship for all the right reasons.

[Note: Triggering Town is the title of a brilliant book by the poet Richard Hugo which I encourage you to read, even if you don't write poetry, but love writing.]