WikiProject group

This page is devoted to responding to and organizing Wikimedia Wikiprojects, which are generally special interest groups on specific wikis. On Wikipedia, Wikiprojects are often focused on producing content in a specific subject area.

New project ideas often start as meta-pages on an individual wiki, and are slowly noticed by the members of other similar projects and eventually encouraged to use similar formats and nomenclature. Parallel projects can exist for months before their contributors realize it, leading to parallel category schemes, conflicting article templates or style guidelines, and similar fun.

Other project ideas are mentioned in passing on mailing lists, discussion pages, or Village Pumps. See the new project proposals group for comparison. Many new project proposals are well-suited to being wikiprojects on an existing wiki. Others can start life as a wikiproject to demonstrate interest, before launching a new domain with its own policies.

Wikiproject types

Some broad outlines of wikiproject types:

Community coordination -- community-focused projects, aiming to provide better feedback, organize related efforts, and make contribution more rewarding.
Idea integration -- projects aiming to make a cluster of discussions more centered and productive; for a specific project or class of projects.
Content creation -- projects focused on creating and unifying a particular type of content.
... (and many more; help complete this list)

Suggested project formats

Wikiprojects have developed in very different ways in different parts of Wikimedia; here are some examples:

English Wikipedia content projects
English Wikipedia coordination/other projects (w:WP:FUN, stub-sorting, other active examples)
Polish Wikipedia portal project
German Wikipedia content wikiprojects
German Wikipedia meta/other projects (CD creation, Writing contests, Gift exchange...)
Indian wikipedia linguistic project (research & observing different languages)

Reforming or unifying project identification

It is currently quite hard to find the set of wikiprojects one is interested in; there are dozens of places to look in English alone; with few interlanguage links or links to multilingual meta-pages. Few multilingual pages even exist, with a couple exceptions on commons.

Suggested changes:

w:Template:Wikiproject to replace w:Template:WikiProject - discuss
...

Issues and complications

Technical logistics

For wikiprojects which will require significant new infrastructure and development, or an outlay of cash or other resources, describe them here.

Wikipedia IRC enhancements - Technically challenging, but do-able with no additional cash outlay required. Involves coordination with freenode and probably should have some blessing at least, from MediaWiki and the Foundation. see IRC and follow the links.

Other repositories of wikiproject ideas

Wikipedia:

Meta:

Revision review group
Communitas!

Non Wikimedia:

Interested members

Please add your name below if you would like to join this group