Getting Involved with ISKO UK

ISKO UK is committed to being a member's organization. We recognize that some people are content to be 'lurkers', but also that others have a great deal to contribute given the opportunity. Here are some of the ways in which you can get involved. If you have ideas on other ways of getting involved, do please let us know via the ISKO UK mailing list.

Events

  • propose themes for ISKO UK events
    We can only guess what themes you are interested in - unless you tell us!
  • organize events
    ISKO UK Secretariat are happy to provide advice and support for any member wishing to organize an event for ISKO UK.

ISKO UK Blog (http://iskouk.blogspot.com)

Use this blog to read or post news & events items of general KO interest. You can make new posts by registering with the Moderator. Anyone can post comments. You can contribute in various ways:

  • share items of news, upcoming events, and reports of events you have attended
  • submit reviews of books, articles and papers or links to them
  • submit comments on blog items

KOnnect Blog (http://iskouk.wordpress.com)

Use this blog to keep up with specific topics in KO and related disciplines (see the drop-down hierarchy of categories in the right side-bar). You can contribute in various ways:

  • comment on an existing topic
  • join a KOmmunity as an Author
  • volunteer to be a KOmmunity Editor
Anyone can post a comment to an existing item. If you are an ISKO UK member and would like to author your own posts or be a KOmmunity Editor, you need only to register with WordPress (free) and then email the KOnnect Administrator bbater[@t]infoplex-uk.com (remove '--antispam--' from email address) saying which KOmmunity you want to join or start and whether you want to be an Author or an Editor.

Currently we have three KOmmunities:

  • Classification: Comprises one sub-group on Tagging & Facets. Editor is Jan Wyllie.
  • Knowledge Representation: Comprises two sub-groups, RDF and Topic Maps. The Topic Maps sub-group is edited by Bob Bater.
  • Subject Identity: this KOmmunity is currently without an Editor.
The KOMMUNITIES area of the KOnnect blog invites ISKO UK members to become Editors of their pet topics.

How to Keep Up

How do you keep up with developments on the KOnnect blog without having to remember to visit it regularly? The answer is RSS. When you subscribe to a site which offers an RSS feed, you can get automatically updated summaries of new content. Both of the most popular browsers, IE7 and FireFox, have RSS readers built-in or available as add-ons. With the KOnnect blog, you have two options:

  • subscribe to the site RSS feed, which alerts you every time a new post is published on the blog
    • Go to the KOnnect Home Page.
    • Scroll-down to display the MISCELLANEOUS block
    • Click 'Entries RSS'.
    Your browser RSS feature will be activated and guide you through the process

  • subscribe to a specific post and all subsequent comments
    • select the post
    • beneath the post, locate the post data, point to 'Permalink'
    • Right-click and select 'Copy Link Location'
    • Create a new Tab in your browser
    • Paste into the Address Bar
    Your browser RSS feature will be activated and guide you through the process

KOnnect Digest

In addition, we will from time-to-time, post to the ISKO UK mailing list a very brief digest of recent posts to the KOnnect blog. Please join us in making ISKO UK the organization YOU want it to be.

KOnnect Blog - A Brief Guide

On first entry, the main column displays a list of the most recent posts, in descending order of date. In the right side-bar, you'll see a number of blocks, arranged vertically:

KOMMUNITIES is where you can view what's being written and discussed within the KOnnect KOmmunities. You can leave a comment on any post.
RECENT POSTS this is, well, a list of recent posts!
CATEGORY CLOUD this is the well-known 'tag cloud' showing the most popular tags searched - except that this relates to KOnnect categories, rather than tags. What's the difference between categories and tags? Well, tags are uncontrolled; anyone can apply whatever tag they want to a post. Categories are managed. When you create a new post (rather than a comment) you can select one or more categories for it from a list on the right of the browser window. If nothing suitable is listed, you can create your own category.
CATEGORIES (ALPHABETIC) is a list of all KOnnect categories in alphabetical order, irrespective of their hierarchical relationships.
CATEGORIES (HIERARCHIC) is a list of KOnnect top-level categories in alphabetical order. Lower-level categories (sub-categories) are listed indented and in alphabetical order within each top-level category.
BLOGROLL is a common device for listing related blogs. Registered KOnnect users can suggest items for inclusion in the KOnnect Blogroll by making a post.
SEARCH if you need an explanation of this feature, then you shouldn't be on the KOnnect blog in the first place!
MISCELLANEOUS this provides access primarily to means of setting-up an RSS feed to all posts to the blog, or to comments on selected posts. Don't know what an RSS feed is? See the first four introductory paragraphs at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS.