WikiQueer:Soft launch

From WikiQueer, the free encyclopedia and resource for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, and ally communities
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WikiQueer officially began it's soft launch on July 25th, 2011. A soft launch allows for the technical infrastructure of WikiQueer to be tested and modified while initial content is developed and inaugural partners and advisors are recruited.

WikiQueer's Inauguration will occur on February 29th, 2012 - marking the public launch of the wiki.

All are welcome to participate in WikiQueer during this soft launch. While the site may experience some glitches and outages during this process, we've taken step to protect any content you create or edits you make.

Contents

Message from Lead Administrator

As the lead administrator of WikiQueer, it is my honor to welcome you to the soft launch of WikiQueer! After months of conversing, planning, dreaming, borrowing and building - I'm thrilled that the world's online encyclopedia and resource hub specifically about the queer communities is finally ready your participation.

I've found myself explaining the mission of WikiQueer in many different ways - but the fundamental idea is simple:
Provide a free website where people around the world can document and share their knowledge about the expansive world of the queer communities.

The more people I spoke with, the more I realized this simple idea had an almost infinite amount of possibilities.

  • Policy wonks appreciate the power of public education and advocacy tools like talking points and political briefings.
  • Researchers understand the value of an easy and interactive mass distribution of their work.
  • Bloggers and vendors have already heard the buzz about the opportunities active online communities possess.
  • Organizations are intrigued by an opportunity to share their story and work while seeking new supporters - especially when that opportunity is free.
  • Techies are eager to continue the Internet's amazing impact on the progress of the queer communities towards full equality.

I began this journey as a Wikipedian eager to see the technology used to broaden the wealth of knowledge about the queer communities easily and freely available online. Unfortunately I was quickly faced with many barriers. While I continue to support Wikipedia - I recognize its mission comes with necessary and appropriate limitations. WikiQueer is an effort to supplement Wikipedia's existing LGBT content - especially with valuable information not currently allowed by Wikipedia's guidelines. Information like talking points, accounts of historical events not yet captured in textbooks and the work of local organizations is critical information worth documenting and sharing.

The history being made in New York, challenges brewing in California, threats growing in Michigan, progress being made in our nation's capital, exciting news that public acceptance of same-sex marriage is on the rise paired with tragic news that one in four queer youth are homeless - all leave me increasingly confident that the time is right, maybe even past due, for WikiQueer.

However, the extent of WikiQueer's success depends on individuals such as yourself. Without the support of volunteers, donors, vendors, organizations and leaders - WikiQueer will not gain the momentum to reach its full potential.
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For our part, The Aequalitas Project, WikiQueer Global Advisors and Content Partners are committed to seeing this endeavor through. On the date of WikiQueer's soft launch, over 11,000 pages - consuming almost 350MB of database space - were prepared to assist you with things like creating new articles, seeking help, using templates and respecting copyrights. Now it's up to you to join us with contributions of your time, knowledge, talent and dollars.

I sincerely hope you enjoy time spent at WikiQueer and feel compelled to participate in whatever ways you'll enjoy the most. Through our collective efforts we will achieve the simple yet vast idea of providing a free website where people around the world can document and share their knowledge about the expansive world of the queer communities.

--Gregory Varnum
Lead Administrator, WikiQueer
Lead, The Aequalitas Project

How You Can Help

Your participation in WikiQueer during the soft launch is both welcome and encouraged! Here are some ways in which you can help.

To-Do List

This list is specifically for editors. For the complete list, see WikiQueer:Soft launch/ToDo.

Feedback

Your feedback and ideas are especially welcome during the soft launch!

Please feel free to:

Progress

The overall progress and development of WikiQueer is being tracked at WikiQueer:Milestones. More frequent updates will begin during the soft launch as a method of streamlining how to update WikiQueerians on our collective progress.

Here are some of the most recent milestones:

30 December 2012

29 December 2012

21 December 2012

20 December 2012

22 November 2012

17 August 2012

  • 500th article added

10 August 2012

  • 40,000th page added

10–15 July 2012

22 May 2012

17 May 2012

  • 250th article added

4 May 2012

  • 30,000th page added

2 May 2012

  • Upgrade to MediaWiki 1.19.0
    • Conversion of extensions to git based version tracking

28 April 2012

27 April 2012

19 April 2012

10 April 2012

2 April 2012

  • 200th article added

22 March 2012

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