Wikiversity:Sonic user interface

Imagine strapping on a set of phones, clicking a listen link in the toolbox and hearing a sonic version of Wikiversity that automatically tracks your preferences and learning needs as you traverse the growing body of content here at the World's first community-built online learning environment. Imagine activating a hands-free microphone and chatting in real time on context-sensitive channel with other Wikiversitans who happen to be tuned to the same pages that you are.

Impossible?

Music
Imagine tuning in to live realtime sessions of musicians who are Jamming Online as you browse casually through Portals, speaking into your mic to request a tune, genre or style that you can sing along with. Imagine Wikiversity's own selection of classical ensembles, garage bands, chamber groups, choral groups and maybe someday even the Wikiversity Choir and Philharmonic. Will Wikiversity attract this kind of talent and energy?

Who knows?

We do. You are here. We are here. Others are scouting us out or joining as we think. Exponential growth or biological growth curves start small and grow slowly until overnight ... we are gigantic and polished and still growing and ever improving.

Engineering Challenges
The Wikiversity Way allows enormous potential for social interaction on many levels. Adding a sonic user interface that is transparent, easy-to-use, context-sensitive and uniquely innovative to Wikiversity is not going to be an easy task. However, even the most brief look at Wikibooks, Wikipedia, the Wikimedia Commons and other MediaWiki Engine users shows that the collective knowlege-base of this metacommunity is well on its way to meeting the challenge, especially considering outstanding credibility in the general area of Computer Science, Engineering and Technology. There is little doubt in the minds of Internet prospectors that the Multi-media demands are there. Wouldn't it be great if Schools could collaborate on pulling such a resource together?

Ideas?

News and Information
The new School of Journalism and Speech Departments can go farther, faster with a streamlined multi-media platform from which to operate. The broader Wikimedia Community could benifit from an expansive Internet Audio and Video application layer super-imposed upon the existing MediaWiki application. This technology can place Wikiversity in a leadership role and increase Wikimedia's visibility as an online metacommunity. New divisions and departments could spring up with unprecedented levels of practical focus in specialized areas such as Public Speaking, Background Music, Podcasting, Media Project Management, Current events and many other fields producing free multi-media content for a Global Free Internet public.

It's closer than you may think

Get Involved
Be bold Let's talk!