WikiWays: a Wikimedia poem

by Matt Harvey

What is a Wiki and why? Is it more
Than the Communal Wok of the Woke
Who's it for? The workaday woman
and bog-standard bloke?
 
It's my understanding each Wiki's a gift
That exists to be given to
And to keep giving
 
So those who stand
On the shoulders of giants
Can with the boldness
Of midges share science's
Teachings and riches
 
Make what was hidden
Accessible, ordered –
No Forbidden Forest
But an Orchard of Knowledge
 
Make reaching the fruit of the orchard
Less awkward
And where it's applicable
So much more pluckable
And all wisdom's windfalls
A bit more pick-up-able
 
Hence this invitation
To join in the making
Share facts and processes
Show where the gnosis is
 
So don't let the past mount in twisty ways
and become solid
At the last count there must be fifty ways
To share your knowledge
 
Begin to chip in, Finn,
Stick your oar in, Maureen
Add your two penn'orth, Kenneth
Share what you know
 
Cos it's people like you, Sue,
You start by just startin', Martin
Watch a YouTube tutorial, Oriel
And off you go
 
Fill the gaps in the maps
They're not at capacity
Scratch the itch
To sew a patch in the tapestry
 
It isn't a trespass
You don't need a guest pass
Knowledge is restless
It's seeking release
 
Make it plain, Lorraine
Then make it plainer, Elena,
Make it clear, Amir
And then even clearer, Indira
 
The latest conclusions aren't even conclusive
They may be elitist but they're not exclusive
 
So tap those keys, Louise,
Put flesh on the bone, Joan
Stick up a graph, Garth
It doesn't have to be yours
 
Each Wiki can play host
To ALL sources, well almost,
So long as you signpost
To the Primary Source
 
& give three Notable Citations
 
It's not a no-go zone
It's your home from home
You've a right to roam
And a right to speak
 
So share the facts, Max
Give 'em something to ponder, Wanda
Add weight to the Wiki, Vicky
Or give it a tweak
 
Don't let knowledge go AWOL
Behind a high Paywall
Insist on disclosure
Resist the enclosure
Of data, participate
In its updating, curating,
And in co-creating...
 
...not just Wikipedia
All Wikimedia
 
Collate a factsheet, Lakshmi
Add nuggets of truth, Ruth
For Truth is Beauty, Shruti
(Citation needed)
 
Give it away, Faye,
It's time to share, Claire,
You can contribute, Knut
All unimpeded
 
Because you have the how to
The IT, the why to
It's time to pay heed to
What's growing inside you
The one unique window
That you see the sky through

And do what you need to
 
Answer the call, Paul
Knowledge has no owner, Shona
Open the gate, Kate
Let it go free
 
From the rarest rhizome
To the human genome
Understanding
Was meant for you and me