Wikinfo:Vision
From Wikinfo
An organization exists for a reason. Wikinfo's reason for existence is to fulfil a vision. Fred Bauder is Wikinfo's founder. He states Wikinfo's vision.
Wikinfo was created to address fundamental policy problems which existed on Wikipedia. Foremost was the struggle which exists there to control article content in order to advance a point of view. Wikinfo addresses that issue by insisting on a positive point of view for the main article on a subject, supplemented by articles setting forth critical or alternative points of view. Thus there is no advantage or prospect of winning the struggle over content. All viewpoints are expressed with a positive or sympathetic viewpoint occupying the position of main article. (Much of this was developed during a struggle over the article Chiropractic medicine on Wikipedia, see History.)
Encouragement of original research and reformulation of knowledge in ways which differ from the standard canon also originated in problems encountered while editing Wikipedia.
Likewise, a number of the considerations raised by W:Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not and other unproductive policies resulted in the insight that "turning Wikipedia on its head" offered opportunities for a better information resource.
Vision over Policy
Whether called vision or called a goal, Fred's statement is the reason for Wikinfo's existence and its direction of development. Wikinfo intends to produce useable knowledge. Its policies are its methods. Founder, sysops, editors and authors collaborate, producing methods to bring vision into policy. These are our Wikinfo:Policy. A full list of policies can be found at the Wikinfo:Library.
Policies are broad general statements of intent. They are to be understood and followed but can be changed to make a better encyclopedia. Wikinfo serves as a central point for finding information, not as a vessel containing all knowledge, thus external links to other resources and further detailed reading should be maximized.
Policy over Guideline
Guidelines are a how-to. How to make text bold, how to use talk pages and how to create edit summaries, are examples of guildelines. A full list of guidelines is found at Wikinfo:Library. Vision is the stable datum which the Wiki is built on, whereas policy is to be understood and followed. And guidelines are the how-to-do-it. Policy and guidelines might change to reflect new-found or better ways of creating articles. As the wiki develops new and better ways of creating information, policies and guidelines might develop. So be bold in editing, but if you have a good idea, discuss it with other editors. Other people might like your ways of doing things, might like your ideas, might expand your efforts across parallel projects.
The top left Navigation box contains a link to Help, it takes you to a Help Menu. It is an abbreviated list of the Wikinfo:Library.
