The Pitch Pipe - October 2008 - (Page 5b) details and delays caused by getting the right information from members to our webmaster for updates. We drew a line between content that belonged on the general site and content that is more suited to a collaborative environment. Because some members have told us that they are not always sure who is on the RMT or what the RMT roles are, one of the first goals for the wiki was to create an area for each function (Communications, Marketing, Education, etc.). The respective RMT coordinator and her managers “own” these areas, and members can find job descriptions, information about on projects, contact lists, and other general information. Perhaps more importantly, on every page in the wiki site registered users can post questions or comments. Next, we wanted a place to put “hot” items, so we created a page called BREAKING NEWS. For example, at our recent educational event, participants needed to download a learning track. Here’s an example of the one-two punch of combining e-mail and wiki. Information on how to download the learning track was first sent out with a mass e-mail to the region; then by posting the information n the site, we created a reference and archive for the membership. The hope is that the “Breaking News” page will be the first stop for members when they visit the site. Because many member are not familiar with wiki, we also have an extensive “how to” area that explains concepts such as how to set up a profile, how to post a comment, how to determine what’s been updated on the site, how to navigate between pages, etc. This area also has a couple of essays about wiki sites and collaboration with a request for feedback. Speaking of feedback, the wiki site supports “widgets” (small applications that can be posted to the page) such as maps, calendars, YouTube or opinion polls. We use the poll widget to ask quick questions like “what part do you sing?” and “will you go to the quartet workshop?” After a user answers the question, she can instantly see the summary of responses to date. Our wiki also includes a series of pages for “chats” across the region. There are pages dedicated to topics such as quartetting, CAL, inspiration, vendors (share or find a recommendation for printing, costumes, risers, etc). Any member who becomes a registered user can post questions or comments, creating a dialogue across the community. Members who don’t wish to register can read all the content, but cannot post questions or comments. Registered users can also sign up for weekly e-mail “digest” that keeps them informed of changes on the site — combining the best of push and pull communication. Results So Far As of this writing, our site has been open to the membership for about a month. In that time, over half our membership has visited the site at least once (the site allows us to track unique visitors based on IP address, even for anonymous visitors). Additionally about 10 percent of members have elected to become registered users and are participating in building the community. We are still on a steep learning curve on how to best use the site, and not everyone is comfortable with the technology. But, overall, the response has been extremely positive. We welcome visitors to the site; you can find our wiki at reg23.wetpaint.com. Want to Pursue Wiki for Your Region or Chorus? One of the first steps is deciding what kind of wiki you want. The wiki site described here is a public site with registration required for comment. You can also create a private (password protected) site where individuals must be invited to participate, and the public cannot access the site. Or, on the other extreme, you can create a public site that allows anonymous comments (user must register to edit the pages, but anyone can leave a comment or question on any page). Next, you’ll need to decide where you want to build your wiki. There are a lot of wiki sites, and there’s even a helpful site that compares a wide variety of options at wikimatrix.org. Region 23 chose a company called WetPaint (the name is because “it’s never dry” — a wiki site is always changing). They have almost a million wiki sites and an extensive support area. The site is free, so there are advertisements on it, but they are relatively unobtrusive. As mentioned above, WetPaint also allows site statistics to be captured via Google analytics, so we can get reports on the number of users, page hits, length of visit, etc. Finally, you need to set up the organizational structure of the pages and navigation. WetPaint suggests a main menu of five to eight topics with branching subtopics from there. There’s no right or wrong way to set up the wiki, and keep in mind you can change it any time if a better idea comes along. Based on our experience, we suggest starting with a team of five to 10 people to build out some content before you invite the general users. You want to give it enough structure so that everyone can see the value of the site, but leave it raw enough that users feel comfortable jumping in and adding content. Although some pages may be static (for example, an announcement for an upcoming show), for the most part the site will always be a work-in-progress. Iwarn you that wikis can be addictive (and some people have re-named me the Wiki Witch of the West), but I hope you’ll consider how a collaborative social Web site can work for you, your chorus, or your region. Digital Edition Feature http://www.wikimatrix.org http://www.wetpaint.com http://www.wetpaint.com
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