Submissions:2025/A dozen visions of the future of wikitext
This submission has been noted and is pending review for WikiConference North America 2025.
Title:
- A dozen visions of the future of wikitext
Type of session:
- Lecture (15-30 min)
Session theme(s):
- Future of Wikipedia
Abstract:
Let's talk about wikitext, the markup language authors and editors use to express not just words for humans to read, but all sorts of information about the structure, processes, sources, taxonomy, organization and reliability of our work. What would you like to express, but find difficult? What would you change if you could? What rough edges and unexpected behaviors trip you up?
In this lecture I will present in rapid-fire fashion a dozen different visions for the future of wikitext, including syntax changes minor and major, new templating mechanisms, replacing wikitext entirely with markdown, not writing wikitext at all ever, annotations everywhere, composition grammars, and a language for page layout.
Hopefully we can be inspired and start building consensus around some of the more promising ideas!
Author name(s):
Wikimedia username(s):
- cscott
Affiliated organization(s):
- Wikimedia Foundation
Estimated length of session
- 25-30 min
Will you be presenting remotely?
- I will present in-person
Okay to livestream?
- Livestreaming is okay
Previously presented?
- I have submitted a panel discussion on this topic to Wikimania 2025 in Nairobi; if that is accepted I might be able to bring back ideas from the panel to include in the wikiconference version!
Special requests:
- As mentioned, I've submitted this as a 60 minute panel to Wikimania, with the idea that I briefly introduce a dozen or so different ideas for the future of wikitext and then open the topic up for general discussion.
I've submitted it here as a 25-30min talk, where I will present different ideas (and whatever ideas the panel in Nairobi contributes), but there will not be time for general discussion. If there is a longer slot in the schedule, or a "lunch in a room with a slide projector" sort of thing, I'd be happy to have additional time for general discussion of the topic and to hear other attendee's views.