User talk:Lugon

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Hi Lugon. Regarding the avian influenza material you added (to avian influenza), I'm not sure that there's a place for it in Wikipedia. All the articles should be just factual information that are derived from other reference material. There are other sites on the Internet for discussion or speculation. If you want to leave a note for another person click the "Discussion" tab and edit their talk page rather than leaving it on their main page. Also if you're not sure about what to add to an article, click the "Discussion" link and leave a question there. Regards --Lee Hunter 01:32, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Lee

Thanks for the explanation.

The risk of an influenza pandemic is not speculation, so I will document that. The fact that many countries are working on their preparedness can also be documented. So I'll do my homework.

What societies can or should do is not especulation but rather a very important exercise in serious, vital creativity. Official planners can and must do their homework too. I work in that kind of job, so I feel that's what we must personally do. But official response is not enough. If wikipedia is not the place for that then I'll find where. I would appreciate any suggestions you have in that regard.

Again, thanks!

Lucas Gonzalez (aka lugon)

I have not received further comments from Lee.

My letter has been published at promedmail.


and I've received several emails of encouragment, a specific correction for the avian influenza page (someone got a subtype wrong).

I'm afraid promedmail readers may have the impression that I created the content for that page and they can't change it themselves - both are wrong.

In fact, the page was initially created by someone else and we can all edit it - within the rules of what's acceptable in wikipedia. Please see the history of the page here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avian_influenza&action=history

Now, I'm not sure how to proceed. Here's my current thinking:

  • We can try to have as much "factual" information as possible here on wikipedia. We can, and should, document existing plans. We should also link to important places. I wrote above: The risk of an influenza pandemic is not speculation, so I will document that. The fact that many countries are working on their preparedness can also be documented. So I'll do my homework. I need help with this!
  • We can find some other place to host our "open preparedness plans". Wikipedia software can be hosted somewhere else, so we would only need someone to host it for the rest of us.
  • We can find some other place, create a yahoogroup, etc.


Ok, I've "factualised" avian influenza. Let's see if I can get some help with that. Let's also see how we can go on with the "social preparedness" part, either inside wikipedia or elsewhere - help needed!

Please let's continue this discussion at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Avian_influenza which is a public place to talk about how to improve avian influenza page. Thanks!

Hi Lucas,

I've publicised your project (which I think is a great idea) at the Wikipedia Village Pump - see Wikipedia:Village pump (news)#Wikipedia to save the world?. By the way, you can sign your comments by adding four tildes (thus: ~~~~) at the end. Signing comments makes it much easier to tell who is saying what and when.

Feel free to ask me if you have any more queries about getting started here! -- ChrisO 22:49, 7 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your encouragement and help! I'm happy to use this small corner in the huge wikipedia whiteboard to start this off. After that, others are suggesting we would need to move to some other place - not sure.

Maybe this project has two sides to it:

  • one would provide the "factual information" (work-in-progress initiatives included)
  • and another would provide room to "co-imagine ways forward" (things like plastic "walls" like those inside taxis, but to be used in medical offices + gloves-across-the-wall for exploration, etc, etc, etc).

I feel there's great need to imagine practical ideas that are

  • scientifically sound,
  • humanly doable,
  • and practical for all - along the many months until vaccines are ready for the majority of the population on this planet. Something like some of the ideas that make it to http://www.worldchanging.org

The information about the ocurrence of a pandemic would spread itself quite fast. We need to make sure there's more "information for appropriate and useful action" than "useless and damaging fear". For as many people on this planet as possible, which is also tricky. Some of us understand a flash mini-movie while many others have access only to village gossip, etc.

That's the kind of project I would envision. I'm not sure it can be set up permanently in wikipedia, but I'm glad it can start here. Any further comments and help is very much appreciated!

(Of course there's the big "if/when" all over this page: "if/when the pandemic strikes".)

Again, thanks! -- Lugon 10:35, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Saw this up on Boing Boing. Great idea, I wonder if there's scope for a general global warning wiki - Wiktastrophe? Captainmax 06:51, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)


I'm understanding how to work at wikipedia: just objective, backed up facts (there are enough of those). In case of a pandemic, we people will have to find our way creatively and locally, so it's better if we have a solid foundation of checked information - which is what the wikipedia is really good at. Lugon 23:26, 15 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I deleted something Lee had written and he's re-entered it himself (about Canadian vaccine production). I would have done it myself but it was late at night here. :) Gaining a common understanding takes some work. :) Lugon 09:29, 16 Jun 2005 (UTC)