Frequently Asked Questions about Folklore
last update: January 23, 2004

Q: What is Folklore.org?

Folklore.org is a web site devoted to collective historical storytelling. It captures and presents sets of related stories that describe interesting events from multiple perspectives, allowing groups of people to recount their shared history in the form of interlinked anecdotes. See the About Folklore page for more details.

Q: How is Folklore.org structured?

Folklore.org is structured as a series of projects. Each project contains a set of related, interlinked stories, as well as information about the characters and topics associated with the stories. Projects can also contain an optional image gallery. A project has at least one editor, usually the creator of the project, who is reponsible for accepting or rejecting stories and comments.

Currently, the Folklore site only contains one project, about the development of the original Macintosh, but soon it will host more.

Q: Are you still adding stories to Folklore.org?

Yes, I am still adding new stories, and plan on continuing to add them indefinitely.

Q: Does Folklore provide an RSS feed for notification of new stories?

Yes, the url is http://www.folklore.org/folklore.xml.

Q: Can I add a story to Folklore.org?

You must first sign up for a free Folklore account before you can add stories or comments, and then log into your account. Click on the "Add New Story" link in the command bar to get a form for adding a story.

Initially, a newly added story will have "draft" status, which means that only the author and project editors can read and change it. When you're satisfied with the story, you can change its status to "submitted". One of the project editors will eventually either mark it "accepted" or "not accepted". If a story is not accepted, the editor will usually add a comment to it, explaining why. The author can change its status back to draft and continue to work on it, possibily resubmitting it later.

Q: Can I add a new project to Folklore.org?

Currently, the Folklore site only hosts a single project, but soon it will be able to host multiple projects. Registered users will be able to apply to create a new project, by clicking on a "Create a New Project" link to fill out a form describing the project. You will receive an email from a Folklore administrator who will set up the project for you or explain why your request was rejected. The project acceptance policy is up to the administrator running the site. If your project is accepted, you will be the initial project editor, but you can also grant editing priveleges to others.

Q: How do I report bugs that I find on Folklore.org?

You can report bugs by sending an email to bugs@folklore.org. As always, it's helpful to include step by step instructions for reproducing the bug.

Q: Is the Folklore site edited? Are objectionable stories censored?

Yes. the Folklore site is intended to be a credible historical record, so we must occasionally exercize editorial control to maintain its integrity. Stories are submitted to the project editors; it's up to them to accept them into the project. Comments are automatically accepted, and will appear immediately, but they may be occasionally deleted by the project editors if necessary.

Q: Are the Folklore stories copyrighted?

Yes, by default, the stories are copyrighted using the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, although authors can also select other options. This allows anyone to copy and distribute them for non-commercial purposes as long as credit the original author. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/1.0 for more details.

Q: Can I copy Folklore stories to my site or print them in my newsletter?

Yes, as long as your site or newsletter is non-commercial. If you want to use them commercially, you must contact the project creator to obtain additional rights.

Q: Do I retain commercial rights to the stories I submit? How about the comments?

When you submit a story to Folklore, you can choose between a number of license alternatives, varying from the public domain to retain commercial rights via a Creative Commons license. See the Folklore Licenses page for more information.

Q: What software is used to run Folklore?

Folklore is implemented as a set of CGI scripts written entirely in Python. The software is still under development, but soon it will stabilize enough to release. It will be free software, licensed under the GPL. Eventually, if there is enough interest, we will set up a mailing list, cvs repository and other resources for the development community.

Q: Is the Folklore software finished?

No, the Folklore software is still under development. Soon, it will be capable of hosting multiple projects per site. There are many other features that may eventually be added. The Folklore developers are interested in hearing about things that aren't working properly, or features that you'd like to see; send bug reports to bugs@folklore.org and new feature requests to features@folklore.org.

Q: Can I run my own site, using the Folklore software?

Yes, once the software is initially released (perhaps in March 2004), you will be able to download it and install it on your own server to run your own version of the site.