The HabForum

Okay guys, I have a project for us all. I do not know how many of you all are familiar with Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, but I'm quite sure that most of you have used it at some point. Wikipedia is a free, online encyclopedia that is open to anyone for editing. It is a collaboration of tons of contributors.

Well anyways, I am an editor there, and I was surfing the 'pedia this weekend and realized there is NO article for U.S. Space Camp. There are articles for the movie, for the museum, etc., and references to the camp, but the camp itself had no article. So naturally this means I had to create one!

So now we have a job . . . you guys on this forum are some of the most knowledgeable folks on the subject, so I think no one is better suited to write an article about the camp.

Because wikipedia is a Wiki, anyone can edit the article, and re-edit it, etc. You can add, subtract, edit, correct anything as you see fit. It is a collaboration of everyone! That having been said, the article is located here. By clicking "edit this page" at the top, you may make changes to anything on the page. The end result (though these things are never technically finished) is a complete mix of everyone's contributions. So I encourage everyone to go over there and contribute, whether you're just correcting someone's spelling or grammar, or whether you're writing a whole huge section on space academy. if it'll improve the article, then do it!

Wikipedia is one of the most popular sites on the internet, space camp needs a great quality article there.

I started the article now, but it's really poor because it's late and I'm tired. But here are some things I'd like to see added:

• History for each of the programs, and a history section for the camp.
  
  Statistics like dates, number of alum, attendees each year, etc.
  
  Expanded overviews, etc.
  
  maybe a short section about the movie (theres an article on it already) and
  
  space camp in pop culture
  
  etc, etc, etc!

remember, though, since its an encyclopedia article, it has to be written like one. no personal opinions or anything that sounds like one. (so we can't write omg space camp is the best ever omg!!!1!!!) and no copyright violations (i.e. no cut and pasting etc.) but other than that, go crazy! you can use this thread or the "discussion" tab over there to discuss the article's progress.

Here's what SpaceCanada (primarily) and I (moral support, mostly) came up with for the Space Camp program specifically...

orion definitely has an ambitious outline for the Wikipedia article, but it all seems like it'd be a great addition to such a great resource of knowledge.

Neato Vincent, I've never seen that page before . . .

do you (or anyone) know where I can find good, citable statistics about camp , like number of campers each year, etc?

i would email the head administrator of camp their email address can probably be found on spacecamp.com

orion8 wrote:do you (or anyone) know where I can find good, citable statistics about camp , like number of campers each year, etc?

Where do you think you are?!

(2004 USSRC report as well as the breakdown by state should provide some of the wanted data)

Added "External Links" section with links to Space Camp home page and, uh, well, this one (hey, why not)!

haha I knew that Hab1 would (and should!) end up as a link there . . .

"Community Site for Space Camp and Aviation Challenge Alumni"

nice!!

btw that link will make a really great reference . . . awesome

Great thinking Matt! Great contributions everyone else!

I'll see if i can add anything later tonight!

well im workin on putting up something for ac now

hey MAYTAG (et al.) . . . do you think Aviation Challenge is notable enough for it's own article? What do you guys think?

Also, great job writing about AC . . . I've never been to AC so I know nothing about it. Well written and non-point-of-view . . . looks good!

Anyone know where we could get some good pics for the article? They can't be copyrighted, or if they are then they must be released. I'd like to see the article have two or three pics that show more of the camp experience . . .

orion8 wrote:hey MAYTAG (et al.) . . . do you think Aviation Challenge is notable enough for it's own article? What do you guys think?

Why not?

Vincent wrote:Here's what SpaceCanada (primarily) and I (moral support, mostly) came up with for the Space Camp program specifically...

I will be writing more of those Space Camp programme descriptions (for Hab1.com) once I get back from my wedding and honeymoon and all that stuff in early October...

Great idea to start a Wikipedia article - I can't wait to watch it develop over the next while. I think aviation Challenge deserves its own article too, since it is a separate camp. However, keep a link between the two since they are 'sister' camps in a sense.

Yes. AC is worthy of its own article!

I added a link to the Wikipedia article on the SpaceCamp movie Wiki listing.

Oooh. Good thinking!