Talk:Wikidelphia Meeting 2025 September

Action Items

To Do: JPS

• Build out the "neighborhood pages with embedded maps" which are "visually useful" and "highly informative and user-friendly".
• Add more pictures.
• Take every opportunity to add a See Also link, which "enhances discoverability".
• Make a template showing my standard layout.

To Do: SRP

• Do research into mobile-optimization (which would greatly benefit ON, too).

To Do: TH

[nothing yet]

To Consider Doing

Top Priority

• Site Design
  • Correct the "critical flaw" that "the site is not optimized for mobile devices."
  • Modernize the whole site's "outdated design".
  • Make the site more visually engaging.
  • Correct the "absence of standardized [page layout] templates" which leads to inconsistent information and inconsistent branding. ... Standardize page templates to include essential fields".
• Scope
  • Stop adding national/global pages. Having them "dilutes [our] Philadelphia-specific mission. ... [M]aintaining a broad scope is unsustainable." "Wikidelphia should focus exclusively on the Greater Philadelphia region (Philadelphia and its surrounding counties, e.g., Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks). ... Limit content to Philadelphia and surrounding counties to maintain relevance and manageability."
  • "Move non-Philadelphia pages to OtherNetworks.org to streamline Wikidelphia's mission." "Migrate these pages to ON:
    • "Pages on national/global organizations or digital alternatives (e.g., “Other Networks” content).
    • "Pages on non-Philadelphia-specific advocacy or issues (e.g., global human rights, environmental initiatives not tied to Philly)."
• Other
  • Drum up an actual volunteer community.

Other

• User-Friendliness
  • Since the Where-Philadelphia infrastructure is considered "highly user-friendly" and "intuitive", make "Where" refer to physical location so that more pages can be attached to the structure.
  • Devise and implement "tooltips" and "onboarding guidance" to help users navigate the WCS's complex, "multi-dimensional structure".
  • Learn about accessibility standards, such as screen reader compatibility or high-contrast modes, and implement some.
• Up-To-Dateness
  • "Add a visible 'Last Updated' timestamp [as on every page of SGOL.org] to each page to signal content freshness."
  • "Add a prominent 'Report Outdated Content' button on each page, allowing users to flag stale information for the staff editor to prioritize."
  • Focus updates on high-traffic pages [if we can find out which pages get high traffic].
  • "Use a free tool (e.g., Broken Link Checker) to identify and flag dead links for the staff editor to fix."
• Categories
  • Explain categories more clearly. "The multi-dimensional structure (e.g., 3,000 categories for 2,553 pages) can confuse users without clear guidance."
  • Give the WCS a "visual hierarchy (e.g., collapsible menus, sidebar navigation)" or a "user-friendly interface (e.g., filters like Yelp).
  • Correct this: "Long lists of categories at the bottom of pages can overwhelm users; consider collapsible menus or a sidebar."
  • "Category Wizard Tool: Develop a simple form or checklist for editors to select all relevant categories when creating/editing pages, ensuring consistency without manual expertise."
  • Find a way to apply categories more consistently.
  • "Category Explanations: Add brief descriptions or tooltips for each Top Level Category on the main WCS page to clarify their purpose."
  • "Automate Category Suggestions: Use basic AI or keyword analysis to suggest relevant categories based on page content, reducing editor workload."
• Other
  • Correct "varying heading styles".
  • Open an Instagram account.
  • "Introduce a 'Sponsor a Neighborhood' program, where local businesses or organizations fund specific neighborhood pages in exchange for subtle branding (e.g., a logo at the bottom)."