Mixedink
Encyclopedia
MixedInk is a startup
that provides web-based, collaborative writing software enabling large groups of people to create text that expresses a collective opinion, such as a mission statement
, editorial
, political platform, open letter
or product review
.
MixedInk was first used publicly by a group of progressive online activists, the Netroots
, to draft a political platform, a piece of which was subsequently included in the 2008 Democratic Party Platform. MixedInk formally launched in January 2009. The tool has been since been used to gather community input by media
organizations, including The Associated Press and Slate Magazine, as well as political and government offices, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
. It has also been suggested that MixedInk's software would be useful in teaching writing skills, though the company does not highlight this application on its website.
MixedInk's platform attempts to combine elements of a wiki
with a democratic rating system to ensure that the final text reflects participants' collective voice and cannot be hijacked by any individual editor. The collaborative authoring process occurs during a fixed time period in which contributors write original, complete versions of the text; edit others' submissions; remix segments of different versions together to create new ones; and rate different submissions on a 5-star scale. At the end, the version of the text with the highest average rating is meant to reflect participants' shared viewpoint and is intended to be interpreted, published, or promoted accordingly.
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
that provides web-based, collaborative writing software enabling large groups of people to create text that expresses a collective opinion, such as a mission statement
Mission statement
A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
, editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
, political platform, open letter
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
or product review
Review
A review is an evaluation of a publication, a product or a service, such as a movie , video game, musical composition , book ; a piece of hardware like a car, home appliance, or computer; or an event or performance, such as a live music concert, a play, musical theater show or dance show...
.
MixedInk was first used publicly by a group of progressive online activists, the Netroots
Netroots
Netroots is a term coined in 2002 by Jerome Armstrong to describe political activism organized through blogs and other online media, including wikis and social network services. The word is a portmanteau of Internet and grassroots, reflecting the technological innovations that set netroots...
, to draft a political platform, a piece of which was subsequently included in the 2008 Democratic Party Platform. MixedInk formally launched in January 2009. The tool has been since been used to gather community input by media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
organizations, including The Associated Press and Slate Magazine, as well as political and government offices, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Office of Science and Technology Policy
The Office of Science and Technology Policy is an office in the Executive Office of the President , established by Congress on May 11, 1976, with a broad mandate to advise the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs.The director of this office is...
. It has also been suggested that MixedInk's software would be useful in teaching writing skills, though the company does not highlight this application on its website.
MixedInk's platform attempts to combine elements of a wiki
Wiki
A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
with a democratic rating system to ensure that the final text reflects participants' collective voice and cannot be hijacked by any individual editor. The collaborative authoring process occurs during a fixed time period in which contributors write original, complete versions of the text; edit others' submissions; remix segments of different versions together to create new ones; and rate different submissions on a 5-star scale. At the end, the version of the text with the highest average rating is meant to reflect participants' shared viewpoint and is intended to be interpreted, published, or promoted accordingly.