Why ToledoWiki

Kelly McGilvery

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Nov 14, 2012, 1:20:29 PM11/14/12

to toled...@googlegroups.com

Hi guys,

Here is a draft of our 250-word response to "Why ToledoWiki?" Please let me know what needs to be added, subtracted, flipped and kicked.

There is a disconnect between the public impression of Toledo and the Toledo we know and love. We are creating ToledoWiki to shorten that gap. We want to make available all the community knowledge we can find about Toledo, so that everyone feels like a city insider with the help of this digital liasion to Toledo. Our hope is that ToledoWiki will grow into a site that shows Toledoans and visitors the depth and breadth of community resources, people, institutions, and cultural attractions that would take a long time to locate and learn about on one's own.

ToledoWiki gives us the opportunity to capture community knowledge that is not presently available in any local commercial website. We also want to capitalize on the Wiki's usable interface to help connect people with local services and programs. It is our hope that ToledoWiki is also a repository of data offering answers to recurring questions, arguments, and discussions about the city.

Rachel Richardson

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Nov 14, 2012, 4:11:45 PM11/14/12

to Kelly McGilvery, toled...@googlegroups.com

This is great, Kelly! My only thing is that I don't think we need to focus on the disconnect or the public misperception at all. Let's not give either of those things any power by acknowledging they exist. Let's just start from the positive step we are currently taking. Does that make sense? I know I can be nauseatingly optimistic. But, acting like pessimists don't exist has made me a MUCH happier person and I think the site can operate the same way by just being a consistent positive force from the jump.

My thoughts, anyway...

yours, Rachel

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Kelly McGilvery

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Nov 14, 2012, 8:56:53 PM11/14/12

to Rachel Richardson, toled...@googlegroups.com

Great point, Rachel! I will revise tonight and re-send.

Yrs in positivity,

Kelly

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Brian Zelip

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Nov 15, 2012, 8:42:30 AM11/15/12

to toled...@googlegroups.com

Hey. Below is some editing for your review of Kelly's initial post and Rachel's feedback.

Nathan Mattimoe is now on this list. Nate - to make a long story short (we'll get to the long story soon), there's an opportunity to secure a year's free hosting for ToledoWiki via http://brigade.codeforamerica.org/pages/race-for-reuse. Submitting this short memo "Why ToledoWiki" is part of the requirements to getting the hosting funding.

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We are creating ToledoWiki so that everyone can feel like a city insider via this digital liasion between the people, institutions and ideas of Toledo. By launching this dynamic digital space to freely share all local knowledge about Toledo, our hope is that ToledoWiki will show Toledoans and visitors the depth and breadth of community resources, people, institutions, and cultural attractions that would take a long time to locate and learn about on one's own.

ToledoWiki gives us the opportunity to capture community knowledge that is not presently available in any local or commercial website. We also want to capitalize on LocalWiki's usable interface to help connect people with local services and programs. It is our hope that ToledoWiki will be a repository of data offering insight, answers, and discussion to recurring questions, debates and the direction of Toledo's future.

Nathan Mattimoe

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Nov 15, 2012, 9:43:55 AM11/15/12

to Brian Zelip, toled...@googlegroups.com

Cool. The "short essay" looks great. Let me know if there is anything I can help with. I haven't had a whole of time to get into the site, but definitely plan on it soon.

Thanks for including me.

-Nathan

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Brian Zelip

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Nov 15, 2012, 10:59:42 AM11/15/12

to toled...@googlegroups.com, Matt Taylor, Nick Chelmu, tob...@yahoo.com

this is more like it: http://toledowiki.net/Why_ToledoWiki

we can all edit it there; at some point later today it should get submitted to Code for America

[Matt, Nick, Toby - see the info at the very bottom about subbing to the google group.]

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This email list is new and fundamental for projects. Easier to send to multiple people at once, a simultaneous archive is created, others can join automatically, etc.

I know we're all sensitive to too much email from shit. Because of the ToledoWiki Launch & Learn event on Sat 11/24, this list will be active for a couple weeks; probably less so after. Hope everyone is cool.

brian

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Kelly McGilvery

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Nov 15, 2012, 2:41:04 PM11/15/12

to toled...@googlegroups.com, Matt Taylor, Nick Chelmu, Toby Fey

Brian just made a great point that I wanted to pass along. He suggested that it would be great if "Why ToledoWiki" was an evolving explanation of the project, as more and different people gradually get involved.

I just submitted "Why ToledoWiki" to Code for America, so that's taken care of.

Onward and upward!

Rachel Richardson

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Nov 16, 2012, 10:31:23 AM11/16/12

to toled...@googlegroups.com, Matt Taylor, Nick Chelmu, Toby Fey

It all looks fantastic to me! Good job, everybody!

R

Rachel Richardson

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Nov 16, 2012, 3:24:27 PM11/16/12

to jo...@toledo.com, Brian Zelip, toled...@googlegroups.com

Hey Brian! Meet John Eikost! He's with Toledo.com and I've added him to the conversation about ToledoWiki and have forwarded him this email so he can get up to speed.

R

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Kelly McGilvery

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Nov 16, 2012, 3:26:18 PM11/16/12

to toled...@googlegroups.com, John Eikost, Brian Zelip

Hi John!

Welcome to the party!

You might want to check out http://arborwiki.org/ and https://trianglewiki.org/ for some ideas.