New wiki plan (Wed. 7pm ET)

[Deanna Zandt]

Hey all,

Based on conversations we've had about expanding the wiki and how to handle the increase of info that will come with additional storms, attached is a new architecture/mind-map that I put together based on what folks talked about.

The idea would be that each page has to be Categorized (I'll post a brief how-to on the wiki itself) to distinguish geography (this might not always be applicable), what type of resource it is, and what timeframe it applies to (pre, during, post storm.) I realize that's a lot to chew on, but it'll go a long way to keeping the info from overrunning itself.

I'm going to start taking a swing tonight at breaking up the current site and creating a new structure. I'll post updates here as that's happening, but for the most part, task management for the wiki will be managed there with updates, calls for help, and discussion happening over here.


dz

[Nancy White]

Nice Deanna! Thanks for the visual. It REALLY helps me, and in fact, it might offer a different way to navigate the wiki by hyperlinking the main page links!

Reading some ideas on Ed Vielmetti's blog, he suggests also identifying campgrounds, rest stops and hotels on evacuation routes. Not everyone goes to a shelter (and this is not simply a socio economic issue). So perhaps a link off of shelter or make that Temporary Housing with a stub of shelters and another for other options.

[White African]

Deanna, I'm very interested in this. It's something that we (at Ushahidi) have been thinking a lot about too, so wondering how we can be involved.

[Brad Banner]

"Reading some ideas on Ed Vielmetti's blog, he suggests also identifying campgrounds, rest stops and hotels on evacuation routes. " Yep, I thought of that too. Lists of lodging and campsites and RV parks should be easy to find. Fastest way to input will take some thought.

[Deanna Zandt]

wait, campgrounds *not* in the hurricane zone, right? i'm not sure we (at this point) could go that far out, we'd have to go beyond impact zone, guess where people would go, etc. i would put this down the list after we do this overhaul.

Brad Banner said:

"Reading some ideas on Ed Vielmetti's blog, he suggests also identifying campgrounds, rest stops and hotels on evacuation routes. " Yep, I thought of that too. Lists of lodging and campsites and RV parks should be easy to find. Fastest way to input will take some thought.

[Deanna Zandt]

we're working on classification of resources at the moment-- how to create a flexible system with wiiiiiide open info.

White African said:

Deanna, I'm very interested in this. It's something that we (at Ushahidi) have been thinking a lot about too, so wondering how we can be involved.

[Deanna Zandt]

Hi everyone, quick update -- John Walling and I have been trudging thru some deep architecture planning, and have much of it finally worked out. It should provide us with the expandability we need moving forward; I need a little bit more time to implement it but should be able to start doling out assignments again by Thu early afternoon ET. Thanks for your patience, y'all...

[jogany]

Hi we've been testing mashups and news aggreagting around a vigile we held during Madagascar cyclone Ivan earlier this year. it was a great experience since we got dizains of people in the touched regions involved and reacting more quickly than the mainstream media . Using sms texting, blogging, videos (which were intensively spread all over the web) and of course networking we dispatched news and even got to help people looking for relatives. http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=ca&ie=UTF8&msa=0...
Anytime you need help we will join our forces to yours!

Joan from Foko Madagascar
http://www.foko-madagascar.org/

[Brad Banner]

Right, not in the impact zone, but along or near evacuation routes and in and near regional population centers where shelters are being set up. Campgrounds - I'm thinking about state and municipal parks that offer RV hookups and such.

Deanna Zandt said:

wait, campgrounds *not* in the hurricane zone, right? i'm not sure we (at this point) could go that far out, we'd have to go beyond impact zone, guess where people would go, etc. i would put this down the list after we do this overhaul.

Brad Banner said:

"Reading some ideas on Ed Vielmetti's blog, he suggests also identifying campgrounds, rest stops and hotels on evacuation routes. " Yep, I thought of that too. Lists of lodging and campsites and RV parks should be easy to find. Fastest way to input will take some thought.

[Earl McGehee]

I created a Maps team page to track to-do's, links, and discussions for the Interactive Maps Wiki team. I have added this as a to do on that page. Much of this data should already be available we just need to load it into our maps. Time, time, time...

[Andrew Turner]

Who is actually administrating the Wiki software? I would like to find out how to get the GeoRSS MediaWiki extension installed so all of the geographic data is syndicated.

[Deanna Zandt]

that would be me, good sir. send me a message with your contact info and we'll talk.

[Deanna Zandt]

A quick morning update before I run off to meetings for a few hours:

-- John Walling fleshed out a fantastic set of info architecture that I'm working on implementing today. If you're an IA nerd and you want to check it out: http://www.gustavwiki.com/wiki/Category_Team

-- Most notably changed so far with the new structure are Helplines and Shelters; have a look there if you're interested.

-- This means that a bunch of structure will be changing, and eventually the front page will get reorganized to reflect the awesomeness of the structure.

-- This also means that us worker bees have to start being vigilant about what info goes where, and what it's relevant to. I'll be posting a full-on tutorial to get everyone on the same page, but this is just an advanced notice.

-- Folks who have some time today can start on updating Shelters. There's a lot of Gustav info in there that needs to be verified if it is or will be available for future storms. Info needs to be added for the new-path states: N & S Carolina, Virginia, etc. (We'll integrate campgrounds as requested, but I want to get existing info cleaned up first.) If you verify info: please make a note on the Talk page that you've done so, and sign it with ~~~~. And thus follows: Check Talk pages to find out what's been done already. ;-)

More when I get back in the saddle this afternoon.


cheers
dz