Perhaps you remember Derek Gordon who resigned from the Grand Lodge of Arkansas after they gave him so much unwarranted grief. Here is a great mind with assets that would be of great benefit to any Lodge. His latest venture with the assistance of the masterful genius of Brother Dave Daugherty, is the development of a Masonic Wiki, http://www.masonicwiki.info.
Now if you are like me and the only Wiki you have heard about is Wiki Leaks and you have little idea of what a Wiki is all about, don’t be intimidated by past perception or prejudice. The concept is one of sharing. Not only do you get to enjoy all the information on the website but you also have the opportunity to add material. That’s what a Wiki is all about – shared input.
This Wiki project is based on the exact same software of that popular, worldwide information site, Wikipedia. It is easy to use, friendly to search through and has unlimited potential in Masonic research and scholarship. To post something you simply search and create a page detailing whatever it is you seek to discuss.
There are a few other English speaking Masonic Wikis but they are not well maintained. They are full of spam because they are not a secure site. You won’t find that at masonicwiki.info. First of all you have to be a Mason to post and then only after you have registered with the site. Gordon & Daugherty have five moderators working the site and they block all spam and malicious content. You won’t find the flaming screaming that you can experience on many Masonic Forums. Gordon particularly emphasizes this point.
“Users can read, edit and add content so long as they are registered. Modified content will show with revisions and is reviewed by one of five moderators to ensure it isn’t scathing. Our contact page offers a method to E-Mail us when something needs review. Our platform is monitored to protect the sanctity of Masonry and to avoid attacks between bitter foes.”
This is important because Masonic Wiki is open to all Obedience and Jurisdictions across the board. This site is not an arm of Mainstream Masonry’s Conference of Grand Masters nor will it get involved in issues of who is a legitimate Mason and who is not. It is beholden to no one but open to everyone who will enter its portals in peace and harmony and respect for divergent views.
The Site offers a breakdown by Continent and then by country. It also offers headings of Masonic Poetry, Articles, Websites, Blogs and Supplies. In addition you get a list of topics. Here are only a few examples:
Masonic Libraries & Museums
Research Lodges
Prince Hall Freemasonry
Feminine Obediences
Allied Masonic Degrees
Grand College of Rites
National Sojourners
Daughters of the Nile
And many, many more, or create a topic of your choice.
Gordon has smartly also scooped up domains for www.masonicwiki.com, www.masonicwiki.net and www.masonicwiki.org. If you are looking for Masonic Wiki they all take you to the same place. The site also has the ability to upload images and audio and Gordon will put in video too if there is a demand for it. It has an international flavor as you can also choose Spanish and French languages in addition to English. Gordon told the Beehive that he is trying to put together an agreement with a German Masonic Wiki, some sort of merger or co-operative effort.
It is obvious that Masonic Wiki is here to build bridges of understanding. Once again Gordon tells us the purpose of Masonic Wiki,
“…is to bring all sorts of information about Masonry together in one location, to share information among Masons of all backgrounds and in all places so that we can gain further light and understanding about one another.”
Most Freemasons will tell you that Freemasonry is universal. Masonic Wiki lives and practices that concept proving it to be true. Won’t you join them?
There appears to be something wrong in the Masonic Wiki. Either the pages have garbage on them or the links are broken and you are taken to a “Search Assist” page with all of the usual ads. I did not try everything but several. Some of the garbage print is like a test page.
I like the idea and look forward to seeing it work.
Also,the link http://www.masnicwiki.com has a typo.
Derek should contact Brother Jens Rusch at jensrusch@gmx.de as he is the moderator for the German based Masonic Wiki at http://www.freimaurer-wiki.de
Brother Jens has worked hard with Phoenixmasonry and others to help build his site and his personal expertise would be a great asset to the new American Wiki website.
I’ve tried some searches and all works well for me. Pages load fine.
Some users have created holding pages with nothing on them as of yet. For example: one user created a Jesters page and hasn’t built content on it. All it shows is “ssssss.” Is this something you are referencing?
We don’t delete a users legitimate page just because it has jibberish. Many times that user, or someone else, comes along and adds content to the page later on.
I would invite anyone and everyone to add content to those holding pages as well.
I am excited about the establishment of Masonic Wiki. It could provide an opportunity for Mainstream Masonry in America to finally recognize that there are ligitimate and true Masons outside the 51 Grand Lodge jurisdictions in the United States. It will also give those U.S. mainstream jurisdictions that are practicing the true principles of Freemasonry an opportunity to speak out and voice their opposition to those few states that are giving mainstream Masonry in the United States a bad name. Friendship, Morality, and Brotherly Love can never be sustained as long as legitimate Masonic Jurisprudence is ignored. It is imperative that discipline of the Craft be returned to the Brethern of the Lodge, and once and for all be taken away from the few sinister Grand Masters that have tarnished the fraternity with illegal suspensions and expulsions. I hope this most important issue will be discussed openly and honestly on Masonic Wiki.
Bro. Lettelier: I’m working with Bro. Rusch already. We’re planning a connected community for the two systems as his is a great German resource and we’re poised to become a great English-primary resource so long as Brethren contribute knowledge for all.
I have corrected the typo, inserted new pictures and Brother Gordon has responded to questions about the site. anything else Brethren and friends?
I’ve been trying to put one of these together, unsuccessfully. People are either suspicious of it, or not interested in the work. Either way, I’ve had too little support to make it happen.
Thanks for the work.
BUT: please keep your eyes open, and the Wiki well tyled.
Masonic Wiki, what about MasoniLeaks ?
Bro. Brettell: I appreciate your input and desire to see it succeed. The project cannot survive without the help of Masons worldwide contributing to and using the site. I’m glad to say the Wiki has well over 100 registered users and at least 200 pages created WITH content. I hope to see a growing number of research lodges and knowledgeable brethren jump on-board to educate Masons.
Bro. Jacques: There is a misconception that a WIKI is a leaks website. Wikileaks doesn’t properly use the idea of a Wiki. Originally, the site may have had a Wiki intention. Lately, it has vastly drifted from that standard and morphed into something else. A Wiki is generally an open forum for collaboration for general learning and sharing of information. We advocate the latter, and proper, understanding. MasonicWiki isn’t designed to provide a forum for “dirty laundry.” In fact, we strive to remove any bit of that we find or that is brought to our attention.
MediaWiki is just a software package for data management. A “Wiki” can be whatever you want it to be. There are hundreds if not thousands of small Wiki pages around the internet.
Very true Wayne! And, we want MasonicWiki to be a Wiki similar to Wikipedia dedicated to all Masons and related institutions.