Looking for a research partner: Universal Knowledge Platform and Wikipedia’s role

Hello,

I’m looking for a research partner to explore the following topics:

1. Universal Knowledge Platform — its rationale, scope, and key components
2. Wikipedia as a foundation for a Universal Knowledge Platform

I am a hands-on builder, and I have already created a working prototype of
a Universal Knowledge Platform (see Research Question #6 below). I’m
seeking help with:
(1) exploring and formalizing the theoretical concepts (see Research
Questions #1–5),
(2) analyzing and quantifying the outcomes of implementing a Universal
Knowledge Platform,
(3) presenting results in an academically appropriate format, and
(4) writing and submitting grant/funding applications (e.g., to the
Wikimedia Research Fund or other programs).
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RESEARCH QUESTION #1
If Wikipedia were defined not as an online encyclopedia, but as a universal
knowledge platform, what would it look like?

Research areas:
* Define a Universal Knowledge Platform:
  * Rationale
  * Scope
  * Key components

* Wikipedia as a local maximum of a Universal Knowledge Platform
* Wikipedia as a foundation for a Universal Knowledge Platform

* Wikipedia as a forum rather than an encyclopedia:
  * Talk pages as forums
  * Mainspace articles as a transient output of talk-page discussions
  * The creation of an editor community as the most valuable outcome of
Wikipedia’s existence
  * The editor community as valuable in itself, separate from its output
(articles for readers)
  * Where does the editor community go if its volunteer role in knowledge
organization is reduced or replaced by AI?
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RESEARCH QUESTION #2
Is a humane social networking service an essential part of a Universal
Knowledge Platform?


Research areas:


* Define a “humane” social networking service
* Show that a humane social networking service is an essential part of a
Universal Knowledge Platform
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RESEARCH QUESTION #3
Is a focus on knowledge an essential basis of a humane social networking
service, as a way to shift attention away from social-comparison races?

Research areas:
* Social comparison, mimetic desire, self-esteem
* How integral these concepts are to human psychology
* How these should be managed and accounted for in a humane social
networking service
* Addictive feeds/streams — what makes a stream addictive vs. useful
* Identify main methods to “detoxify” social networking services, such as:

* shifting focus from unproductive social comparisons to knowledge
organization
  * removing like/follower counters as ego metrics
  * providing customizable, non-addictive feeds aimed at
professional/educational growth and real-world connection
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RESEARCH QUESTION #4
Is outsourcing most of the knowledge collection and organization to AI
required to compile a Universal Knowledge Platform?

Research areas:
* Estimate the need to outsource some of the knowledge collection and
organization to AI
* Consequences of outsourcing a substantial part of knowledge collection
and organization to AI
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RESEARCH QUESTION #5
What types of users exist in a Universal Knowledge Platform, based on
motivation (intent)?

Research areas:
* User types by motivation (intent)
* Funding and business model of a Universal Knowledge Platform: how
motivations of different user types could be used to support it
* How to make development and innovation in a Universal Knowledge Platform
sustainable
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RESEARCH QUESTION #6
Implement a working prototype of a Universal Knowledge Platform with humane
social networking capabilities.

Partially done and available for review. Example:
https://www.hubbry.com/University_of_Lviv

Research areas:
* Hubs — collections of pages organized hierarchically, used to collect and
organize knowledge:
  * Personal hubs
  * Common hubs:
    * Wikipedia articles as seeds for common hubs

* Subpages — enabling hierarchical knowledge organization
* Standard ways to describe rules for knowledge organization and
verification per page and its subpages
* Standard ways to describe requirements for perspectives / points of view
to be represented on a page and its subpages

* Page types by content:
  * Media pages — collecting media as an independent page type
  * Notes pages — collecting text snippets as an independent page type
  * Notes pages — use cases for quick knowledge organization and
unstructured data organization
  * Notes pages with columns — use case for work coordination (Kanban-like
pages)

* Comments on pages:
  * Impact on readers’ perception of knowledge presented on a page
  * Impact on editors’ motivation when comments are present
  * Separate discussion spaces (forums and chats) related to—but not
directly attached to—a page (hub-level forums and chats)

* User profiles with extended functionality (subpages, discussion channels)
— “personal hubs”
* Impact of extended social profiles on editors’ motivation

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If you’re interested, I’d be happy to share additional details, discuss
possible research directions, and align on what a collaboration could look
like.

Kind regards,
Bohdan