Introducing Demopedia: The collaborative information clearinghouse from DU

[Skinner]

In our continuing efforts to make Democratic Underground more useful for our visitors, today we are unveiling Demopedia, a collaborative, information gathering system based on the popular Wiki software. Demopedia allows DU members to create an entire encyclopedia of information on any subject imaginable. The pages are created using "open editing" so any DU member may add information to any page on any topic. Demopedia is available here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/demopedia

There is also a permanent link to Demopedia at the top of every DU page.

Demopedia is currently available as a BETA VERSION. We encourage members to log in and start writing articles and collecting information. We do not know how long this BETA testing period will last: It may be a week, or it may be a few months. Once the BETA testing period is over, we may have to shut down Demopedia for a while in order to implement changes. Anything that you add to Demopedia during this BETA testing period will be saved as part of our permanent collection of information. Do not be alarmed if we make changes to Demopedia or to the user database during this BETA testing period.

How to register to use Demopedia

In order to use Demopedia, you must have registered as a member of the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums before December 7, 2004. We have imported the entire database of usernames and email addresses from our Discussion Forum into Demopedia, but we have not imported your passwords. During this BETA testing period, we are not accepting new Demopedia registrations.

Instructions for logging on to Demopedia are available on the Demopedia Main Page: http://www.democraticunderground.com/demopedia

We think that Demopedia will make it much easier for DU members to collect and organize information on a variety of topics. We encourage you to go try it out right now!

-The DU Administrators

[bearfan454]

1. Thank you Skinner.

This will be very useful to a lot of folks..........bearfan

[eleny]

2. Thanks, it was easy to get registered!

[NashVegas]

3. come on all you newshounds

I just know you're dying to contribute!

[snot]

4. Yay!

[Eloriel]

5. This is just FABULOUS, Skinner

I say that sight unseen.

Congratulations and thanks. You guys are really putting the pedal to the metal these days. For a long time DU has been THE premier place in cyberspace -- in the world. This only makes it even better. I've literally been pining away the last several days about the fact that some of the incredible research that gets done here doesn't get lost, exactly, but it does get buried. No more!

Boy, have we DUers got a lot of work to do -- mining that old but still all too relevent data.

Off to take a look -- .

[steely]

6. Just when I thought I had this habit under control!

This'll be cool.

[kiwi]

7. E-mail address was wrong

Skinner,
E-mail on file for me was wrong. Updated info, but now I can't get my password sent to the updated address. How do I fix this?
Thanks,
kiwi

Another great service - thanks!

[wwwdothello]

8. join us!

[e-mail]

dot, moderator

Help to correct this years election! dot

[Barrett808]

9. Pretty cool. Can we link to existing pages at Wikipedia?

I ask because I just started messing around with Pearl Harbor, Robert Stinnett and Day of Deceit, which led me to mention FOIA. Wikipedia has a great page on FOIA, so I'm thinking we shouldn't denormalize the semantic web by reproducing content.

[EarlG]

10. By all means

I don't think there's a problem linking to Wikipedia pages.

[Barrett808]

11. I guess I mean something more like "syndicating" Wikipedia pages

So, for example, when we click on FOIA within Demopedia, we get the Wikipedia page embedded in a frame. Or something.

Do we have a style guide? That could helpful.

[goobergunch]

12. Syntax

To add a Wikipedia link, just type <[Wikipedia:WikipediaPageName|>] (where WikipediaPageName is the name of the page you want to link to).

[Barrett808]

14. Excellent, thanks. n/t

[central scrutinizer]

13. A request regarding Congressional matters

If anybody starts a topic on Congressional actions, please include the bill number so we can find it easily on thomas.loc.gov and we can then also reference the number in LTTE's and other places. I have found this very effective in writing letters - the more facts and references you have to support your argument, the better.

[Just Me]

15. I greatly admire those who empower others.

:hug:

Now, maybe,...I won't have to buy anymore 3" notebooks into which I shove all my printed materials.

Of course,...I humbly confess that, I'll likely not take advantage of this means to organize materials until AFTER the holidays,...and, then, I must cause myself to make a commitment to being more organized *giggle* *sigh*.

Beyond that,...ya'll totally ROCK!!!

:yourock:

[bamacrat]

16. Y no page on ALABAMA

[Skinner]

17. Because nobody has started writing it yet.

Why don't you get it started?