AFS Wiki - Past, Present, and Future
From AFSWiki
The Past
In the fall of 2006, when the initial plans for replacing AFS-Online and OPUS with Global Link were being made, we realized that there were a number of key features (especially the library and reference material) that were not able to be migrated to Global Link. Since AFS-Online was a key system for our volunteers, a small group of volunteers began meeting to discuss how these key features could be replaced with newer technology that would be more user-friendly, easier-to-use, and would meet the needs of the volunteers. Out of these informal meetings was born the idea for the AFS Wiki - a system that would utilize newer web-based software and which supported easy change, not only by the AFS staff, but by the volunteers as well. The initial load of the software took place in December 2006, the decisions on how to structure it were made in February 2007, and, after much time in loading content from the AFS-Online library and other sources, it was made available to all AFS-USA volunteers and staff in the fall of 2007. (For more information on the history of the AFS Wiki, see About_this_Wiki).
The Present
The number of pages in the AFS Wiki has continued to increase. Not only has all the content of the old AFS-Online Library been migrated over, but you may now find notes on the various National Council Committees and Advisory Groups, information about the various AFS functions, etc. A recent check of the AFS Wiki statistics showed that there are 2075 content pages, 2325 attached files, and 2400 registered users. Over 30,000 page edits have been made since the AFS Wiki was established. The AFS Wiki has become as indispensible to the working of the AFS-USA volunteer as AFS-Online was previously. We have made the AFS Wiki and Global Link a critical pair of systems - with Global Link containing all the transactional material (students, host families, volunteers, placements, etc.) and the AFS Wiki containing training materials and reference materials on how AFS-USA operates. There are continual improvements being made to both systems as we seek to make the organization even better.
Every system and process can be improved. We have listened to the comments that many of you have made about the AFS Wiki. We have heard that you don't like having to have two separate logon IDs and passwords, that it's too hard to find material in the AFS Wiki, etc. We are working to address these concerns. In April 2009 the National Council made a decision to "open" the AFS Wiki, i.e. to allow read-access to the AFS Wiki without requiring a separate logon ID and password. Since then, a small group of volunteers (many of them the same ones who helped build the Wiki in 2007) has been hard at work to prepare for this change. We have examined the content of every one of the above pages and attached files to ensure that in making this change we do not expose material to those outside of AFS that should be kept proprietary. We have also tested the changes to ensure that there are no inadvertant problems being created. In January 2010, following a detailed analysis of the consequences of this change, the National Council reconfirmed their decision of last year. Effective March 1, 2010, volunteers who only wish to read material in the AFS Wiki will no longer need a logon ID and password. However, there will be certain parts of the AFS Wiki (user contact information and other "private" pages) that will be inaccessible without a logon ID and password. (For further details, see AFS_Wiki_now_open).
The Future
With this major effort behind us, the AFS Wiki team has begun looking at other changes that will improve the experience of everyone using the AFS Wiki. Since we do not yet know the effort required for these changes nor whether they are technically feasible, or how long they will take to implement, we will not list them here. However, we do value your input into how we can improve the AFS Wiki. Please send your comments to wikihelp@afsusa.org.
