User:Erkan Yilmaz/observations/2008 January

observations from Erkan Yilmaz for 2008 January

You are invited to add your comments (e.g. but my perception of this issue is different) - please sign anything you add (howto Signature).

2008 January 29 - You are kidding ? Wikiversity is (also) about learning (?)
Some learning mechanisms:
 * habituation
 * classical conditioning
 * operant conditioning
 * 1) exploring/game (Spielverhalten)
 * 2) imitation -> learning by observing
 * 3) recombinant behavior -> cognitive learning
 * imprinting
 * tradition

Thanks for the references, this is great information about learning about learning! --Ncouture 11:21, 2 February 2008 (UTC)
 * great to hear :-) Erkan Yilmaz uses the Chat + Identi.ca 11:14, 22 October 2011 (UTC)

edit 2011-10-21:
 * made this into a table with links to other languages
 * the user from above: did not edit more here, why?

2008 January 28 - German WV participates in the "year of mathematics" by the "Federal Ministry of Education and Research"
In Germany the year of mathematics has started (more info here by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung)). Not only because of this German Wikiversity has initiated a project called Mathematics is everywhere (Mathematik ist überall). German WV applied for the event and participates now as sole non-profit organization so far and got also the logo for usage at WV.

Mathematics is everywhere at German Wikiversity

edit 2011-10-21: no results

2008 January 27 - history of WV

 * While reconstructing the history of German Wikiversity (for the history of en.WV see here, for el.WV see here) it seems that from the initial 5 members of Wikiversity only two are actively participating. Perhaps we might get the others back again on board ?
 * earliest known written evidence (please update, if you find earlier evidence):


 * {| class="prettytable"

!Wikiversity !date !where ?
 * en.WV
 * 2003 August
 * Wikibooks
 * de.WV
 * 2004 September
 * meta (Wikibooks 2005 February)
 * it.WV
 * 2004 November
 * Wikibooks (meta 2006 September)
 * es.WV
 * 2004 November
 * Wikibooks
 * fr.WV
 * 2005 January
 * Wikibooks (request on 2006 August)
 * beta
 * 2006 August
 * betawikiversity
 * el.WV
 * 2007 July
 * meta
 * }
 * 2006 August
 * betawikiversity
 * el.WV
 * 2007 July
 * meta
 * }
 * }

edit 2011-10-21: all gone now

2008 January 23 - whiteboard feature for Sandbox Server 0.5

 * Imagine a student, sitting in her chair and watching the board where the teacher has just written something.
 * Sounds boring ? Well, perhaps not:
 * if your chair is located not in the school building and
 * the board you see is a whiteboard on your notebook and
 * your teacher is 500 miles away :-)
 * a 2 mins test and it seems to work: Image:Whiteboard feature - test with Coccinella.jpg (another example)
 * needs to be tested more (e.g. with more than 2 people) - how to log in on the Sandbox Server 0.5

edit 2011-10-22:
 * did not succeed due to Sandbox Server never getting really off the ground
 * the only thing which survived over the years is the WV:Chat

2008 January 19 - new WV main pages & status of reading group "Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War"

 * new main page layout
 * The French Wikiversity has a new main page since 16th January. Also recently en.WV and www.wikiversity.org got a new layout.


 * status of reading group "Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War"
 * So far some people showed interest in the reading group:
 * Sundance (took part in one session)
 * Mirwin
 * interested people on German WV: 1, 2, 3


 * Unfortunately the announcement in various WVs and WBs did not bring new participants. Therefore there could be thought about how to improve this situation, since the heart of the group still consists of two people (thanks Daan). We will continue and hope for more people to join.
 * Some reasons which might hinder others to participate more could be:
 * no time or too much to read in total (per session so far 25 aphorisms were to read) and therefore too longterm project ?
 * not interesting enough ?
 * language difficulties ?
 * a desire to be entertained instead of doing something that appears to be like homework ?
 * please add :-)
 * edit 2008-Feb.-4: who would have thought this to happen

edit 2011-10-21:
 * layout of main page: hard to find consensus, though one could do several entry points depending on user's choice
 * more about Thucydides in my PLE: User:Erkan_Yilmaz/PLE

2008 January 15 - Wikipedia Signpost and Wikiversity & I must be crazy, really :-)

 * What might be written about Wikiversity and other wikimedia projects in the future issue: see here


 * I have now publicly offered a recently registered de.WV member that for each new member he woos, I will invest x mins of my lifetime to review articles: . Let's see the reaction to this marketing initiative

edit 2011-10-21:
 * There was also: w:Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2008-05-09/Wikiversity interview
 * I think I shocked that de.WV guy with my offer :-(

2008 January 14 - translation status Wikiversities + what you can find on commons
translation status of not yet established Wikiversities:
 * ...can be seen here, e.g. for the Turkish Wikiversity it is (request page on meta):


 * {| class="prettytable"

!Most often used messages !Extensions used by Wikimedia !MediaWiki messages !All extensions
 * 93.35%
 * 12.13%
 * 69.36%
 * 3.35%
 * }
 * }


 * From all the languages only the following have for all 4 values good percentages (I am not sure if the values from above link are updated - but if it is uptodate not for all 4 fields are needed high values to found a WV - when looking at the values from the so far six established WVs): ar, en, fr, gl, hsb, nl, oc, sk.


 * edit 2008-Januar-28:
 * Question: How can I help ?
 * Answer: Slave, you dare to ask ? Your punishment therefore is: start translating (see here)

what can you find on commons?


 * {| class="prettytable"

!click !usage on wikimedia projects
 * Image:Ass.jpg
 * 
 * Category:Nude women
 * Category:Nude men
 * Category:Nudity
 * }
 * Category:Nude men
 * Category:Nudity
 * }
 * Category:Nudity
 * }
 * }
 * }


 * You may ask yourself, why I searched for this of course :-)
 * Don't get funny ideas now, we were talking about a contest on IRC and then I searched for a keyword and found the above. I wonder what else you can find in the large commons archives (commons statistics). But interesting is: I did not try this special keyword before, because somehow I assumed on commons I would not find "such" things :-) You can always be wrong in your thinking patterns.

edit 2011-10-21
 * commons: still there ;-) I love commons attitude
 * Turkish WV: never got off the ground

2008 January 13 - votes for sysops and bots
Since the Greek Wikiversity is now launched, there are votes already going on for sysops and bots. Unfortunately not all requests are in English available :-( I also have some questions. If you want to vote, click here.

2008 January 12: request for Greek Wikiversity has been approved !
Don't forget to vote :-)

2008 January 07: cooperation with robots.wikia.com ?
Let's see what kind of cooperation can be with Wikiversity.

edit 2011-10-22:
 * nothing much more, I guess that guy was expecting something else