Better maps of all the movement work

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(English) This is an essay. It expresses the opinions and ideas of some Wikimedians but may not have wide support. This is not policy on Meta, but it may be a policy or guideline on other Wikimedia projects. Feel free to update this page as needed, or use the discussion page to propose major changes.
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Here's an idea. Let's map out everything we (Wikimedia movement) are currently doing, have previously done, and could collectively (potentially) do in the short/medium/long-term futures. Let's connect it all together more efficiently.

Explanation version[edit]

We want mid-term-future software visions, to explain to ourselves (the movement, expansively-defined):

  1. What we are working on, and also not working on (but could be)
  2. what ideas are potentially feasible & encouraged (but epic, and not achievable soon),
  3. where we should go to discuss & refine them, over time (to reduce the "you have n weeks to respond" issue),
  4. why the Foundation and Affiliates seek financial and personnel growth (there's a hell of a lot to do)

To clearly show the spectrum/scope of work we could be doing, vs are already doing. E.g. What features and resources could we be working on in 3+ years, if we keep working on what we're currently working on?

We should have a more comprehensive list of future product/idea pages, similar to IEG pages, that can be slowly refined over the years. The items/pages could be used as a source list for volunteer/external developers, WMF teams, Affiliate teams, or even for external grantors. Something they can (nearly) pick-up and run with, with confidence. Shovel-ready projects.

I.e. We use the WMF's Product Management and Technical and Design expertise, to help organize and refine the hundreds of good ideas that come up.

  • We commit to interacting with each other on improving all our ideas, some towards eventual fruition, with a clearer understanding that WMF can't code or lead everything epic, but they can help make more things "shovel-ready"
  • We commit to mapping and partially-managing the entire taxonomy of Wikimedia-software and endeavours (past/current/future).


Linkdump version[edit]

Feature map, circa 2011. We need an updated & expanded version. In any format.

We want something to fill the gaps, or better integrate, between these pages that list our past, present, and future work...

Big Picture of existing technical environment
Big picture of past and near-future goals plans
Planning and development and communication
Ideas and proposals
plus look further into the long-term future and the wider world

We need an easier system to make proposals, and establish support, and gather participants, and slowly make progress on, the hundreds of other good ideas we have, but don't have time to do all at once.

Notes[edit]

  • There are many ongoing efforts to create or improve the resource hubs and listings. Some of the pages linked above are being improved, and others being worked on include the WRC, which in turn has incorporated the Communications Resource Center and more.
  • We must avoid duplication, which creates an upkeep nightmare.
  • An earlier page which started to cover some of this ground, is Innovation.
  • See also Phab:T149948 - "IdeaLab for Wikimedia Foundation projects"
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