It's difficult to reduce what this site does to a single phrase or
buzzword, because it combines elements of a blog , online journal,
discussion forum, and news site. Certainly, it is inspired by slashdot and the system we're using is the same as
kuro5hin, my favourite web log. Rusty Foster, the founder
of K5, has described his system as "Collaborative Media" - who am I to
argue? It's catchy and says a lot about what can be done with his system.
Whichever way you see it, urania.info is for people who like to
read, write, and discuss astrology. If you're one of those people,
this site is for you.
Now for the challenge. To start, read the "Challenge Box" on the "Front Page"
to get an idea of it. Simply put, the datestamp of the first article published to the
Front Page of Urania.info within 7 days will mark it's birth. This is
only fitting since the entire point of this site is the community
publishes, not a few individuals or a single individual. The process
for submitting an article is simple: write, format, and submit. Once
an article is submitted, members vote on it. The first article to
reach the required score will get published and bump this introductory
piece off the top of the page. The submitted article will have given
birth to Urania.info.
So far, we don't know how many people will register so the required score for publication of the first article is unknown. We've decided to set the score high at 70 to begin with. Each of the first 5 days after our announcement, the required score will be reduced 10 points, and then 5 points for the last 2 days if an article has not been posted. If we get many more members than we initially expect, this may change, but we think this is sensible.
To get people started, we've written
section introductions, which will should give you an idea what to write about. We hope you enjoy the site and invite you to participate in its
creation.
For those who have not read our announcement, here it is:
We are pleased to announce the launch of Urania.info, an experiment in
"collaborative media" that is one of a kind in the world of astrology
online. Urania.info combines elements of an online journal, weblog, and
discussion forum in a powerful new way that can build bridges between
astrologers of all stripes and inclinations. All articles submitted to
Urania are written and chosen by our members, who are almost entirely
responsible for the content of the site . Once an article is submitted,
it is subject to peer review and a vote. If the article passes the vote,
then it is published and members can participate in a topical discussion
on it. Members may rate comments in all discussions, contributing to a
higher "signal-to-noise" ratio than can be found in newsgroups, mailing
lists, and web forums.
All areas of astrology can be discussed at Urania. There are some 16
topic areas and 7 sections covering as much ground as we could possibly
think of, though we're certain our members will think of more. While
this would be impossible to manage on a mailing list or newsgroup, the
system employed by Urania makes this very easy. In short, it is our view
that Urania.info offers a solution to the proliferation of mailing lists
into very specialized areas of astrology, and provides an easy method
for astrologers and serious students to write and read about astrology
in all its diversity.
We do not currently have a birthtime, having been in a period of
gestation for the past winter, but are putting a challenge to
astrologers and serious students. We are marking the birth of
Urania.info with the first story published to our Front Page by a
member. The date stamp of the first story to get the required score will
be used to erect the chart for the site, set for Montreal. We will then
create a special page where the chart will be published and can be
discussed by our members.
Anyone can be a member, and memberhip is entirely free. The only
information members are expected to provide is their e-mail address, to
prevent abuses. No other information is asked for. Urania.info is not a
business and its only affiliation is with the Hirsig Society, a
charitable institution dedicated to building an astrological
library in Montreal, who were kind enough to provide us with
the domain.
