MediaWiki

Greenhouse experiment

If we imagine the Movement, and the projects that comprise it, as a forest of interdependent ideas, then we imagine the Greenhouse Experiment as a small network of greenhouses amongst the old-growth trees.

Generated greenhouses
Generated greenhouses


Inside these greenhouses, a few of us are collecting nascent ideas and curiosities so that they have opportunities to grow into something that can eventually benefit the wider forest (read: Movement).

There are infinite "plots" available, so if experimenting with nurturing a practice of pursuing what you are curious about resonates with you, please read on about how to join us and build a greenhouse of your own!

Objectives and hypothesis

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The Greenhouse Experiment has two objectives:

  1. Identify what we need to think freely enough to conjure up potential futures for the Movement's projects
  2. Develop ideas that will benefit the Movement in ways that align with its objectives, values, and priorities

The Greenhouse Experiment is built on the hypothesis that:

  1. Consistently taking note of and naming the tiny ideas and curiosities in the moments they occur to us
  2. Locating these ideas in a public place, proximate to where volunteers and Wikimedia staff are already spending their time, and
  3. Iterating upon these "gestures of mind" with input and support from other people

...will cause new ideas that are durable and valuable to take root in the Movement.

Building a greenhouse

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To join the Greenhouse Experiment and create a greenhouse of your own, follow these steps:

  1. Make sure you logged in to mediawiki.org
  2. Visit: Special:MyPage/Greenhouse
  3. Click or tap the Create link that appears at the top of the page
  4. Add an image of a greenhouse from Commons that you like (or upload one to Commons yourself!)
  5. Click the "Publish" button to create your greenhouse
  6. Come back to this page and add a link to the Greenhouse you published to the "Greenhouses" section below
  7. ✅ That's it! You're now ready to starting planting ideas ^ _ ^

Greenhouses

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Activity

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What are people planting? Below is a feed of activity from around the greenhouse network:

No changes during the given period match these criteria.

Background

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We are using the "greenhouse" and "forest" metaphors to help us create a shared language around the practice of developing ideas and the experiences that come along with it.

To this end, we find the "greenhouse" and "forest" concepts as helpful for establishing:

  • Ideas are living organisms with finite and varied lifespans. We expect a small percentage of what we plant in our greenhouses to outgrow them and take root in the wild.
  • Ideas start out fragile. We understand that young ideas require special care before we can expect them to be valuable and definitive enough to thrive in the wild.
  • Location matters. Ideas need to be nurtured and grown proximate to the environments they are meant to eventually thrive within.
  • Ideas need sunlight. We recognize that greenhouses need to be clear so that sunlight can make its way inside. This means we accept the vulnerability that can come with anyone being able to see what we are attempting to grow in our greenhouses at any point in time.
  • Ideas need fresh air. We commit to bringing ideas into contact with the outside world, else pathogens may accumulate that will harm their development and make them unfit for life in the wild.

References

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Volunteers across the Movement have long been working to incubate new ideas and develop shared language around the practices involved with doing so. This experiment would not be possible without them.

Some of the projects and writing we have been inspired by are listed below. If there is a project and or resource you think we should be aware of, please add it here:

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