Just an observation - OKC's Wikipedia page has no information regarding its neighborhoods. This is a fairly common feature of wiki pages for cities, and it is a feature on which I frequently rely when researching and/or traveling. If there are any OKC Talkers who live in any of the following areas, please post something about your neighborhood to Wikipedia.

Heritage
Mesta
Paseo
Plaza
Jeff Park
Edgemere
Crown Heights
Lincoln Terrace
Deep Deuce
Capital Hill
10-Penn
SOSA
Midtown

I'm sure there a many I left out. I just thought of these off the top of my head. My neighborhood is about 1200 miles away, so I can't help much.

There are a lot of talented writers on this forum. The more info (and pics) out there, the better it is for OKC!

I was just looking at this. They need someone from the city assigned to just keep the Wikipedia up to date. Still has the old Ford Center photo and a lot of other old stuff. I could do the photos... but have no idea how to edit Wiki articles.

There has always been a link on the main page that links to this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighborhoods_of_Oklahoma_City) page.

I confess to editing that neighborhood page before. I think I recognize a couple of other OKC Talkers on there too.

this is something that I have been thinking about putting some time into

This is a great idea. Glad others are interested in making sure our city's well-represented online.

this is something that I have been thinking about putting some time into

Do it!

Do it!

Honestly, the idea of putting a lot of time and effort into updating Wikipedia was a cheap imitation of what I really wanted to do, which is something that I am still committed to doing, but it will be a long term project. The boss at my downtown job actually put me on the phone with Steve about it (not sure if he remembers that December conversation).

The idea was to show community pride and be educational while showing those non-believers just how great and historical this city is, was and always will be. Thanks to my wife, the idea evolved into something completely different and wonderful. Something that will require equipment, resources, time and money... none of which we currently have.

So for now, we just have to be content with improving Wikipedia. I'm still working on the original project (which is why I haven't really done anything to Wikipedia yet) because it will help organize the ideas as to where to begin doing the research.

As far as the original project goes, before anyone asks, I would love to share it with all of you, but until I'm a little further along with it I'm just going to keep it to myself (since it is constantly evolving... mostly because of my wife).

I don't think anyone needs to write a lengthy article - just a paragraph covering the highlights and a photo (albeit an iconic photo). Some of the better writers might be able to whip out a few a day until all notable neighborhoods are represented.

Chicken In The Rough, although I understand that your focus is on Oklahoma City neighborhoods, I've already written a lengthy article on Chicken In The Rough itself at http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2006/07/north-on-lincoln-chicken-in-rough.html. I've not done Wiki stuff before and don't think I care to go down that path -- it's just a matter of how I chose to spend my time. My article was first published July 20, 2006, and was most recently updated July 21, 2010.

Of all blog articles that I've written, it holds the record for the most comments made in my blog -- 77 from around the country as this reply is written -- it is a topic that goes well beyond Oklahoma City. While I doubt that justice to Beverly's can be served in a paragraph or two, someone who might want to try to do so for an abbreviated Wiki Chicken In The Rough piece might find some helpful information in the article and that would be fine with me, no credit required.

As to OKC neighborhoods, per se, I recall that Nick Roberts (Spartan) worked on exactly that project in the past and some of his work is probably around here somewhere. Whether Nick was involved in the Okc Neighborhoods Wiki page, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighborhoods_of_Oklahoma_City) I don't know, but the existing Wiki page is not too shabby. No need to reinvent the wheel ... just work on what is there already.

I don't understand the bloggers that do great work on your personal blogs to promote OKC, but don't do it for the wikipedia page. Don't misunderstand me, all contributions are appreciated and you can do whatever you want with your time... But, wouldn't you reach 100 times more people, and make a way bigger impact on perceptions of OKC, through the wikipedia page? I might be way off base though...

Kilgore, I understand, and there was nothing way off base about what you said. But, there are time limits as to what one can do, and I'm finding that to be increasingly true. Wikipedia is cool and everything, but it's my choice to spend the waking time that I have in other ways, and one of my goals is not to reach 100 times more people, even though that's a fine goal for someone to have. It's just not one of mine. That said, nothing prevents you or anyone else who has the time and/or inclination from using anything that I have done (as an example) or what anyone one else has done and using your own time to formulate a Wiki post. That's your and everyone elses' call, not mine. My own intent and time is simply to put together what I can, either historically or locally politically, and not be particularly concerned about how many or who wants to read it. Content is my object, not readership (although I'm very gratified when readers do visit my blog). I'll leave it to you and others to do what you will do, according to your own choices as you see fit. Plenty of room exists on the internet (Wiki or otherwise) for anyone and everyone do undertake a task that he/she deems worthy and then do it. In the big picture, everyone benefits by each following their own individual nose, I think.

Doug, I must say that I respect you a great deal, and your blog is outstanding and something I frequently take a look at. I appreciate everything you do, and it gives me alot of insperation. As far as the Wikipedia page is concerned, you are right, it's not too shaby, but for a while it was. I had been monitoring it and my wife and I talked about how to improve it. About the time I was ready to start with the basics, I noticed a huge change in those pages. I even turned to my wife and commented that someone beat me to it, which is fine with me. Whoever updated that page, thank you. But there is still alot of good historical stuff that could be added. That's what I've been looking into. What should or should not be added. As you said, Doug...


No need to reinvent the wheel ... just work on what is there already.

Well put, Doug. I, like everyone here, respect your contribution.

Is the section on crime not disproportionate to the rest of the article? I know the neutral thing is to not gloss over real issues with that sort of thing, but it reads horribly in contrast, like a pulp novel on a law library shelf.

Chicken In The Rough, although I understand that your focus is on Oklahoma City neighborhoods, I've already written a lengthy article on Chicken In The Rough itself at http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2006/07/north-on-lincoln-chicken-in-rough.html. I've not done Wiki stuff before and don't think I care to go down that path -- it's just a matter of how I chose to spend my time. My article was first published July 20, 2006, and was most recently updated July 21, 2010.

Of all blog articles that I've written, it holds the record for the most comments made in my blog -- 77 from around the country as this reply is written -- it is a topic that goes well beyond Oklahoma City. While I doubt that justice to Beverly's can be served in a paragraph or two, someone who might want to try to do so for an abbreviated Wiki Chicken In The Rough piece might find some helpful information in the article and that would be fine with me, no credit required.

As to OKC neighborhoods, per se, I recall that Nick Roberts (Spartan) worked on exactly that project in the past and some of his work is probably around here somewhere. Whether Nick was involved in the Okc Neighborhoods Wiki page, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighborhoods_of_Oklahoma_City) I don't know, but the existing Wiki page is not too shabby. No need to reinvent the wheel ... just work on what is there already.

Was not involved in the wiki page..only wiki I've ever tried updating was one on OU, to correct a building, and some "quasi-pro wiki editor guy" kept removing my edit, insisting that I source it, so I did. After that experience, and given that back then my life was only 1/10th as busy as it is now, I just have no desire to get involved in editing a wiki page again.

BUT I do applaud anyone who wants to try, it is certainly an important portal for our city given what a valuable resource it has become in our society of lazy academics. I know of a great many neighborhood resources, just let me know if there's anything that you might be looking for, and of course you can have free reign over any of my photos or graphics, although I'd just ask Will about that since his are the best.

The sports section, specifically the Thunder section, needs to be updated too. The entire damn section is about Seattle, the relocation, and lawsuit. That entire episode should probably take up a paragraph at most, given there's an entire page dedicated to the topic. I may work on that later tonight, but if any of the other sports people on here want to give it a shot, go for it.

The sports section, specifically the Thunder section, needs to be updated too. The entire damn section is about Seattle, the relocation, and lawsuit. That entire episode should probably take up a paragraph at most, given there's an entire page dedicated to the topic. I may work on that later tonight, but if any of the other sports people on here want to give it a shot, go for it.

I altered it a year or two ago, but someone had the page saved and would just reload it when changed. Hopefully that won't be the case this time.

These are things that the article needs:


More sourced information. Entire sections lack sources.
Point of view/voice should always be neutral.
I could be mistaken but some of the information may be incorrect.
The huge lists at the bottom of the article need to either be sourced for each line or the lists should be moved off to their own 'list page' and then that page referenced from the OKC page.
Article doesn't flow well/consistently. Some sections are too detailed or too short compared to others.


I'll try to help when I have time. Those types of things have to be fixed before the article can progress up to the next level.

Maybe a Journalism, English, Geogrpahy, or Political Science teacher at one of our many local universities can assign wiki articles, then publish the best.

So has anything been accomplished on the OKC wiki while this dialogue is taking place, or all we all wasting our time?

The "history" page shows there have been ongoing edits. I'd suggest some might want to make use of the "talk" page if they are thinking about a massive rewrite or taking charge in some fashion. Notable at the top of the "talk" page is the link to this group: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Oklahoma