On Integrating the Communitarium Wiki with Blog Posts
We have perhaps reached the point at which, besides talking about the world in various ways, we must attempt to change it.
The Basic Idea: The Wiki Expands On the Blog Post
As part of the ongoing effort to develop and refine the ideas behind the Communitarium Project, I’ve decided to incorporate a wiki into the process of writing and publishing blog posts. Bare blogging, while useful for outlining thoughts and communicating ideas, doesn’t always lend itself to the more structured and evolving nature of what we’re working on. By adding a wiki, I’m hoping to create a better fit between the nature of these explorations and how we document and elaborate on them.
This integration reflects the experimental nature of the Communitarium Project itself. The wiki is being introduced as an auxiliary platform to help organize, deepen, and interconnect the various ideas, terms, and discussions that have come up in posts, allowing us to build a more coherent and accessible resource over time. Whether or not this proves to be a workable solution remains to be seen, but it’s a step toward a more organized approach to the project.
Here’s what this means in practical terms:
1. The Communitarium Wiki as a Supplementary Resource
The wiki will serve as a central repository where key concepts, terms, and critical discussions are documented and gradually expanded. This includes terms like “information ensembles” and “interpretive frameworks,” which, rather than being repeatedly explained in blog posts, will now be defined and elaborated upon in their own dedicated pages.
This approach also allows us to refine definitions and perspectives over time as discussions progress. The wiki will be an evolving tool, structured to grow with the project rather than offering a static set of definitions and ideas.
2. Reducing Redundancy in Blog Posts
One of the main benefits of integrating the wiki is the ability to link directly to detailed discussions of specific terms or topics rather than having to re-explain them in every post. This should reduce redundancy in blog content while allowing readers to dive deeper into certain ideas if they wish to.
For example, instead of revisiting what an “information ensemble” is in each post, I’ll simply link to the wiki page where it’s already defined and discussed in full. This frees up the blog space to focus on new developments or applications of the concept without sacrificing clarity.
3. Wiki Maps for Transparency and Navigation
As the wiki grows, maintaining a clear structure will be important. To aid in this, I’ll be creating wiki maps that show how the different pages are related and where new content fits into the larger framework. These maps, which will be shared periodically, should help readers (and me) navigate the wiki as it becomes more complex.
4. Coordinating Blog Posts with the Wiki
Going forward, blog posts will be written with the wiki in mind. This means:
Links to Existing Wiki Pages: Blog posts will include links to existing wiki entries wherever relevant. These links will help readers explore background information, definitions, or in-depth discussions on key terms.
Placeholder Links for Future Pages: When a post introduces a new idea or topic that hasn’t yet been covered in the wiki, I’ll insert a placeholder link to a future wiki page. This indicates that the term will be further elaborated upon in due course.
Suggestions for New Wiki Pages: As new concepts arise in blog posts, I’ll suggest corresponding wiki entries. For instance, if a post touches on a new theoretical angle, I’ll propose that it be expanded in the wiki and draft an entry for it.
This approach allows for the blog and wiki to evolve together. Blog posts will inform wiki entries, and the wiki will provide the necessary background for more complex posts, creating a feedback loop between the two platforms.
5. A Forum for Deeper Discussion
I’ve also been experimenting with using NodeBB as a platform for more in-depth, structured discussions. The idea is to move away from the quick, often superficial commentary typically found in blog comment sections, which I’ve found doesn’t suit the kind of engagement these ideas require.
By linking blog posts to corresponding discussions in NodeBB, I hope to encourage a more thoughtful and sustained dialogue around the topics we’re exploring. WriteFreely, which I’ve been using for blogging, doesn’t offer any built-in commenting functionality, and this shift to NodeBB is part of an attempt to address that gap in a way that aligns with the broader goals of the project.
6. A Tentative Step Forward
All of these developments—integrating the wiki, creating wiki maps, coordinating posts with future entries, and experimenting with discussion platforms—are part of an ongoing process to see what works. There’s no guarantee that this approach will be the best fit, but it’s worth trying as we continue to develop the Communitarium Project.
This is very much an experiment in finding the right tools and structures to support the research, prototyping, documentation, and eventual packaging of these ideas for wider use. The goal, ultimately, is to create workable frameworks for building communitaria—initially through online platforms but always with an eye on real-world implications.
I look forward to seeing where this leads and will keep you updated on how these experiments unfold.