Wikipedia page update: it seems some Wiki admin types (there are apparently thousands of dedicated volunteer Wiki folk) decided to do some research on me and redo the page on my work. Im pretty flabbergasted with the breadth and scope of it, and also of the way Wiki is a mutating, vibrating wrack line between data and what the collective mind finds relevant. An incredibly messy, but elegant democratic process in action. Like watching cells divide and mutate. I have had scores of emails and messages and hundreds on my personal website. Its flattering, but also largely not about me: its about this Wiki process, but its also been humbling because it has shown me how many people value my work. Its also become clear that creative types, as artists and writers and journalists are called, dont really know whats going on in Wiki, or how it works. Ive been asked by a handful of admin people to consider over the next year getting to know who to work in Wiki and helping to make pages on poets and writers and other literary things, because the creative types need people who know the professional issues in these areas to actively work on things. Now, I dont have a ton of time, but I intend to get involved over the next year. One of the things I learned is that as writers, we think our work is what is important, but to the Wiki world, its how many document able considerations of our work is out there: reviews, blogs, interviews, criticism, how many libraries our work is carried in, and something called authority control, which is linked to uncotenstable archives in libraries, etc. Finally, it is also about building context and connection to other sources, influences, political, cultural, societal referential material, etc. So, boy, I have learned a lot, and am grateful for the huge swelling of support from those who know me, as well as to the massive response from people who dont know me, many who went in and made the Wiki page reflect things I almost didnt even know about myself. There are SOSOSO many poets and writers who deserve that kind of attention much more than me, and I hope to rectify that, in the small time I have to volunteer, over the next year, to help other poets sites be enhanced and expanded. Maybe all of you will consider learning Wiki (I will admit is scares me and seems complicated!) and helping the various arts fields be better represented. Namaste, all.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 19:13:17 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015