Ukulele Wiki Project?

ukeeku

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I am at a point where I can pull the trigger and make a real wiki that will have all the accumulated knowledge of ukuleles (Players, sites, makers, history, clubs....). If I did this I would need maybe 5-10 people to help get it going, and keep it up. There seems to be a lack of information in one place. I love the UU forums, but the same questions over and over get a little old. If we had a place to collect the knowledge and point people to it would be so awesome. a site for uke players, by uke players.
OR
Should I (or we) just make an effort to update Wikipedia?
any thoughts welcome.
 
That sounds like a wonderful idea (and one I'm surprised hasn't already been done).

I don't think I would be of much help because not only do I not have the time needed to dedicate to this, but I am woefully devoid of any expertise in music theory, uke specifics, or history/pop-culture knowledge.

Of course, I am an endless well of opinion, speculation, supposition, and completely uninformed rumor and slander, which does make me perfect for a wiki.
 
I'm happy to help. I used to be involved with a different Wiki project.

The founder didn't exersize much editorial control. Didn't curate. Lots of data gets lost after a while if you're not on top of it.

But let me know how I can be of service.
 
I'm happy to help. I used to be involved with a different Wiki project.

The founder didn't exersize much editorial control. Didn't curate. Lots of data gets lost after a while if you're not on top of it.

But let me know how I can be of service.
Thanks!!
Is it a good idea? Will it be worth having or just another site?
Be honest with me people. I am thinking of a site that is edited by you, for you. with every topic under the sun. You want to know all custom makers and what they do, or ukulele clubs anywhere in the world, maybe stores that sell ukes in a specific area. That is what I am thinking. To make it work I need people to be involved and care.
 
Well I've started my Database of Ukulele Manufactrers if that is any use? - http://sites.google.com/site/ukulelemakers - I did start a seperate forum on it a couple of days ago I have some time at the moment, (obviously) if you have something else in mind let me know otherwise feel free to link, poach or even port if you think anythig is useful.
It's all set up on Google sites so I can give anyone with a Gmail login greater access right's?
 
Watching history repeat is great. I think you should do it, you will pick up some new things for sure and a lot of great old stuff.
My only comment is that most of the wiki type things I have seen are about stuff. Stuff like laminates, woods, strings, sizes. Which is not a bad thing even if the wikis do get a bit opinionated. I would recommend a focus on music and what you want to do with the uke in a communication way, not forgetting the stuff, but helping new players realise they have purchased a versatile musical instrument that is about having lot of fun and communications. The stuff forms a body of great talking points when you run out of music or are in a place where it is not possible to play or you need a rest, and then you go back to the music. And you do need to know some things to be able to get a uke and get started. Some examples are some song writing pointers, some permissions to play what you feel like, maybe a sort of time line syllabus thingy for going from starter to good player with some activities etc. So the timeline syllabus is an outline of a path to good playing and the index to the wiki, instead of an alphabetic list of stuff. Maybe like a game format, with levels you can reach as you get better, or an app.
You win the app or game by becoming a free thinking independent uke player, confident to play whatever you like whenever you like, even if you are not a virtuoso yet.
End of brainstorm. I hope there is something useful there.

A wiki can be many things.
1) a place to collaborate projects and ideas
2) a place of facts and information

I want to make it just a place of information with little opinion. There will not be comments, just pages that lead to other pages with references of where that information came from. I am thinking very academic.
As an example; someone comes to the site and is looking for custom builders to make a ukulele for them. they can go multiple places. Country, state, builders, maybe even wood. all of these will be linked. As an example, I want to look at a ukulele made of Purple Heart. I look at purple heart and read about it and its qualities and possibly similar woods, and at the bottom I will see things like countries found in, ukulele brands and models that use it, and builders that use it. From there I can look at the builders.
That is what I would like to see.
 
I agree with Ukeeku -

There's no reason at all to limit a wiki to something like the music aspect of it. In fact, that actually makes very absolutely no sense. A wiki is something that can be completely all-encompassing. Sure, there should be something about music, but to omit things like construction, history, materials, etc would be completely daft and, you know, sort of defeat the entire purpose of the wiki.

As far as the opinions, misinformation, cliques, etc, well a good wiki can limit those things as well, even more effectively than a community like UU. Something as basic as restricting access to editing articles or entries, or at least a review process where potential edits are screened, takes care of that.

At the heart, a wiki should be more than a narrowly constrictive site that only allows one very minor aspect. Throw the gates open and discuss any/all elements is much better. Different tunings, the characteristics of koa vs acacia vs monkeypod in the sound. The pros and cons of getting a mass-produced Asian factory uke vs a handmade Hawai'ian. Tenor vs soprano debates. Are baris really just parlor guitars with identity issues. Should a Braguinha or a cuatro be considered in the uke family, or are they just the unwanted Banquos at our dinner party?

The more wiki the more better.
 
Yeah. . .ditto what PoiDog said. . .all of it!
(Except that a braguinha is not an unwanted guest at my dinner parties. . .even though it may have to eat with the staff.)

How's about parking the wiki at www.wikilele.org?


Dan

Okay, Bolly...let's fire up the cuatro!
 
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