Japanopedia better explained (hopefully)

On February 20, 2008 in #The Japan-related Web Debate, Japanopedia, Suggestions Please

Some background in case you are new: Japanopedia is a project on wikia.com (from the creators of wikipedia). Here are some previous posts about it, more explanation to come.

I think I have confused some people with the Japanopedia project. Thankfully Shane has pointed that out:

I applaud you for starting this project and maybe I missed something - what is the goal? Who is it geared toward? Is it meant to be a ‘click-through’ resource pointing to more detailed information or the source of the information itself?

I am having a hard time figuring out how little ‘ol me can support the project?

First, Shane is complete right about me not explaining the project very well. Thanks Shane! I forget that you cannot read my mind to find out.

Here is what I’d like Japanopedia to be, in a nutshell:

A tool for people to use to collaborate on projects to enhance Japan-related information online.

Ok. That is a pretty short, general explanation and I am bound to be pounced on in the comments for it. If you like short explanations you can skip down to the bullet points below and get a good overview of what Japanopedia is/isn’t. For those who like detail, to redeem myself, I am going to answer each of Shane’s questions now:

#1 What is the goal?

The goal is to give the Japan-related web community a central place where they can collaborate on whatever projects they’d like.

For example: Let’s say you want to start a page to compile a list of all the best beginner Japanese lessons from Youtube. You could start the page and then tell other interested people about it. With several hands doing the compiling it should make for a bigger list.

#2 Who is it geared toward?

The site is a little more geared towards webmasters and bloggers (especially at this point) than to general readers. It is not really meant to be [only] an encyclopedia, so maybe the name should be changed. At some point it would be nice if it had articles on everything under the sun but that’s not the only goal.

#3 Is it meant to be a ‘click-through’ resource pointing to more detailed information or the source of the information itself?

I’m glad you asked this question, and I was planning on mentioning it. Mainly it will be click-thru. That’s because Japanopedia is supposed to be a support to all of the projects and sites out there and not a copy or competition.

That said, it has the potential to offer some of the most complete guides available on a topic. Wikipedia only includes encyclopedia-worthy information. So although we would not copy the wikipedia article (just link to it) , we could add information that wikipedia does not (extra related links and video, for example) .

#4 I am having a hard time figuring out how little ‘ol me can support the project?

There are two things that I recommend we all do: stay curious, and let your imagination run wild.

Stay curious because more and more will be going on with Japanopedia as it progresses. New projects are going to come up and you might find some that interest you.

But don’t just wait hoping for interesting projects to come up, suggest them. Let your imagination run wild! I know Shane likes kotowaza and mentioned maybe having a page to compile them on Japanopedia. I can start a project for that (and I am working on a page to make it easier for people to start projects on their own). If you want to start something and you want my help just ask!

Some extra tips on Japanopedia

• don’t think of it as a launched site (a finished project). More as a work in progress
• don’t consider it an information destination in itself, just a guide
• consider it a behind the scenes project that fuels collaboration
• consider it a project to highlight and help other Japan-related projects

Let’s hear from you (a.k.a I’m talking too much)

The comment section below is just screaming for you to write your thoughts!

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions about the project please ask them and I will post them along with an answer in subsequent “Q and A” posts (if you don’t want me to post them write “don’t post”).

Do you have a project you would like me to help you start?

Fire up the imagination factory, come up with an idea, and then let me know about it in the comments. I will post it and everyone can contribute feedback to get the project started.

That’s all the typing I can take for now.

As always let me know what you think

And have a great day!

DailyJ

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