Submissions/Democratizing Access to Our Nation's Founding Documents

From Wikimania 2012 • Washington, D.C., USA

This is a rejected submission for Wikimania 2012.

Submission no.

708

Title of the submission
Submission/Democratizing Access to Our Nation's Founding Documents
Type of submission (workshop, tutorial, panel, presentation)
Presentation
Author of the submission
Julie Silverbrook,
E-mail address
julie.silverbrook@consource.org
Username
JSilverbrook
Country of origin
United States
Affiliation, if any (organization, company etc.)
The Constitutional Sources Project
Personal homepage or blog
www.consource.org
Abstract (at least 300 words to describe your proposal)

The Constitutional Sources Project (ConSource.org) provides a venue for millions of users to build a comprehensive database of Constitutional sources. Users add to the ConSource Research Department’s efforts to upload source transcriptions and images. Users proofread images, create constitutional cross-references, and create transcriptions. Users can also build a discussion around the source documents through blogs, through posting of resources and links, and through user profiles. This increased accessibility to civic related concepts will generate an unprecedented repository of Constitutional sources, accompanied by refined discussion of the source materials contained therein. This forum brings new meaning to the constitutional phrase, “We the People” because it provides new opportunity for community involvement. Mass collaboration within the ConSource database will generate the best ever democratization of America’s history. Previous to ConSource, Constitutional source documents were only accessible to those with the time and resources to travel to housing institutions holding the documents. ConSource brings these invaluable holdings to everyone with Internet access and the concepts contained therein may be disseminated to all the heirs of the American government, the People. Similar to newspapers at the time of the Founding, the ConSource database will spread public opinion and the discussion around the documents will engage a whole new group of individuals.

The driving forces for volunteers to contribute to ConSource.org are 1) sociality 2) passion 3) networking and 4) public interest. User profiles and blogs create social opportunity through active interaction with those of similar interests. Some volunteers are simply passionate about the content on the site and relish in the chance to ingest more. Quality contributions will attract the attention of others who recognize their merit and create networking occasions. Lastly, ConSource is free and will never contain paid advertising; it is strictly to increase Constitutional literacy. Wikipedia’s effort is to make an Alexandrian type library of knowledge for its users, for free. Similarly, ConSource is designed to accomplish this goal within the context of the Constitution.



Track
Length of presentation/talk
25 Minutes
Will you attend Wikimania if your submission is not accepted?
Yes
Slides or further information (optional)
Special request as to time of presentations


Interested attendees

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  1. '----'JSilverbrook.
  2. CutOffTies (talk) 15:23, 13 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  3. Your name here!
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