Task force/Expanding Content

The task force process is completed. Some task forces may be reconstituted to discuss incomplete issues. Please discuss on the Village Pump.

Relevant Wikimedia-pedia Articles

Participants should be sure they're familiar with the relevant background material. They should also work to identify gaps and collect and summarize more information as it becomes available.

• Expanding content
• Fan History

Recommendations

Recommendations should be based on Template:Recommendations. The following are stub pages for this task force's recommendations:

Task force/Recommendations/Expanding Content 1
Task force/Recommendations/Expanding Content 2
Task force/Recommendations/Expanding Content 3

Members

• Iván
• Juha
• Austin
• Valerie Stone

Supporting: John Fowler and Philippe Beaudette

Note: research and analysis has been moved to Expanding content.

Mandate

Wikimedia, through Wikipedia and its other sister projects, has already expanded beyond encyclopedic content into several other content areas. This has occurred in an ad hoc manner based on participant drive and support. The goal of this task force is to take a step back and consider how Wikimedia should approach expansion into different types of content areas going forward.

1. What role does expansion into content beyond core encyclopedic information have in advancing Wikimedia's vision of "the sum of all knowledge"?
2. How, if at all, could expansion into other content areas (both within Wikipedia and through sister projects) detract from the quality of the core encyclopedia and Wikimedia's brand? How could it improve the quality of the core encyclopedia and brand?
3. Does Wikimedia have a role to play in providing content in areas where it already has established projects (beyond Wikipedia)? Specifically:
   • Topical information (Wikinews): Given that Wikipedia already provides topical content, does its presence preclude the need for Wikinews? If not why not? If so, what should be done with Wikinews?
   • Educational content (Wikibooks, Wikiversity): What content beyond encyclopedic content can/should Wikimedia offer? What are the implications for editing principles and wiki-platform if Wikimedia is to provide educational content?
4. Are there other types of content that Wikimedia should expand into? Should this expansion happen within Wikipedia or through new projects? What process, tools, and supports would be needed to make this happen?
5. What 2-4 recommendations for investment in expanding content would help Wikimedia work toward its vision of the "sum of all knowledge?"
6. Who is needed to support this strategy (e.g., Wikimedia Foundation, chapters, individual volunteers, external partners), and what do they need to do?