User group meeting agenda & minutes 11 June 2008

= Proposing ideas for this agenda =

To propose or discuss ideas for this agenda, please use the Discussion tab above. As the meeting draws near, we will review the items proposed on the Discussions page and decide which ones should get highest priority on the agenda.

= Agenda =

Administrative items

 * 1) Prayer
 * 2) Assignment of time keeper and note taker
 * 3) Introduction of new members: 10 seconds for name and desired takeaways.
 * 4) Review of Minutes
 * 5) Today's agenda preview

Information items

 * Server Problems -- Forums
 * From James Anderson: Here's another example of a wiki to take a look at how they structure things. http://ccgwiki.vpl.ca/index.php/ccg_wiki/

Carryover from Last Week

 * Encouraging new contributors -- Darris Williams


 * "Articles Needed" Page: Is the timing right to do this? -- James Anderson


 * Moderators, etc.

This item is from one of the May meetings:


 * 1) What should we be doing to help with user needs?
 * 2) Cleanup states (Categories?)
 * 3) Add links, cleanup old research outlines, update links to "this section of the outline" (Research outlines)
 * 4) Involve genealogical societies in cleanup?
 * 5) Each portal has a things you can do box. This needs to be updated! Do we need to change the placement of the box on the portal page? Move it towards the top?
 * 6) Have state, country, county coordinators. Could we advertize this need on a portal page? Coordinators should have genealogical experience? Have a way to give feedback on coordinators/moderators so those that are not effective can be evaluated and changed as needed.
 * 7) Volunteers for moderators


 * Jimmy Parker: Idaho, Indians of North America
 * Lisa McBride: Tennessee
 * Darris: Wales
 * David Samuelsen: New York, Oregon, Luxembourg, Germany
 * Baerbel Johnson: Germany

New Items

 * Criteria for posting 'Useful Websites' in wiki pages? -- Phill Dunn

= Minutes =

Facilitator was Jimmy Parker, Note taker was Fran Jensen, Time keeper was Mollie Forbes.

Prayer by [Add name here]

Items Discussed
Ideas to encourage new contributors
 * Focus on a specific area of research.
 * Work with a group of people in an ongoing way, with at least semi-frequent contacts.
 * Look at who is contributing content to the area you are interested in? Contact them, encourage them with what they are working on now in the wiki.
 * Start a dialog with current contributors to the wiki. Can use the option to send an email through the link available on an article they created or edited.
 * Create a link on the patron desktop at the Family History Library to the Wiki.
 * In the industry it's known that 1% of the users will actually become contributors, so increasing our contributor base would naturally help grow the number of contributors.
 * Create a link on FamilySearch.org that goes directly to the Wiki.
 * Send information about the Wiki to the Family History Centers.
 * Is the content robust enough to invite the general public into the Wiki? In some areas it is, but in other areas we are short on content. Do we work on developing the content before we invite people in? Or, do we invite people in so that they can help improve the content?
 * If we get as many people in as we can now, we can start to get material in the wiki where it's lacking right now.

Action Items

 * Add information items to share in upcoming user group meetings.