What is LocalWiki, and why is it so much fun? Let's edit it!

Accepted Session
Short Form
Scheduled: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 from 2:30 – 3:15pm in B304


LocalWiki, a very friendly and inclusive cousin of Wikipedia, is a project hosting region-specific open-content wikis where a community can write about local topics in as much detail as they like. I've had a ton of fun with this recently, and I'd like to explain to you why you might like it too! We can work on some first edits together.


Over the past year or so, I’ve been editing LocalWiki for San Francisco and Isla Vista, California, and it’s helped me grow into an increasingly serious amateur local historian. I’m a longtime Wikipedia editor, and it’s been a lot of fun to start writing on a community-oriented open-content (and open source) wiki with fewer restrictions, where I can make articles about less “notable” topics and go into more detail about local things I find interesting.

On LocalWiki, a community can write about the history of all the buildings in the neighborhood, document favorite lost businesses, explain the stories behind murals, make a list of the best places to see cats in shop windows…the more the better. You can write from your personal knowledge, not only based on formal published sources.

I’ll explain some background on LocalWiki itself, and I’ll explain how I established a new LocalWiki region (for Isla Vista) – how I’ve done research for it, how I’ve encouraged other people to get involved, and how I’ve promoted it to local readers. (I’ve written a few updates about this aspect of the Isla Vista LocalWiki in the discussion group for the project if you’re curious.)

Then I’ll show you how to edit LocalWiki, and we can all do some hands-on editing of the Portland LocalWiki or your favorite region. If people are interested, we can also brainstorm together about how to build more interest and activity in the Portland LocalWiki.


open content, local content, wiki, community building, civic participation

Speaking experience

This is new! Speaking experience:

* Open Source Bridge, "Civilizing IRC and forums: moderation strategies for mutual respect" - description (http://opensourcebridge.org/sessions/1290) and slides (http://opensourcebridge.org/wiki-raw/images/b/b6/Osbridge_-_britta.pdf).
* Write the Docs, "Strategies to Fight Documentation Inertia" - video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EIj2-n6raA) and text (http://jeweledplatypus.org/cgi-bin/blosxom.cgi/text/writethedocs-2014.html).
* JailbreakCon, "What is this Reddit thing?" - video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icp0LRg7MwE) and slides (http://jeweledplatypus.org/britta/jailbreak-subreddit.pdf).

* JailbreakCon, "Why I care about jailbreaking" - video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te-uIolpNqA) and text (http://jeweledplatypus.org/cgi-bin/blosxom.cgi/text/jailbreakcon-2013.html).
* Lightning talks at AdaCamp and Community Leadership Summit.