Event:WikiCon Australia 2024/Reports/PriyadharshaniK

Conference Participant Report

I am deeply grateful to the organizing committee for awarding me a scholarship to attend the conference. As a student, this support was essential in enabling my participation. Additionally, I greatly appreciate the assistance from the organizing team in arranging my visit to Adelaide, especially considering I had to return to Canberra after presenting my research findings in Melbourne and then fly to Adelaide on the same day. As an academic by profession, I attended with a strong motivation to contribute to the community through knowledge sharing, both personally and through my future students. I hope to achieve this by implementing innovative teaching strategies, such as incorporating Wikipedia page creation as part of student assignments, similar to the system adopted in the United States, Wikipedia Education Program.

Things learned at the conference

I greatly appreciated all the sessions, and below is a summary of the key takeaways for me.

Plenary panel discussion by Ingrid Ngoorlak Cumming

I learned about Noongarpedia, the first Wikipedia site dedicated to an Aboriginal language, Noongar. The discussion on the challenges faced during its development, how these were overcome (e.g., through initiatives like Wikibombs and the involvement of Wikimedia residents), and the eventual success of the project was truly inspiring. I was particularly drawn to the local sessions, where university students collected samples from the surrounding area, while other team members gathered culturally relevant information for contribution to Wikipedia. This approach could be adapted by our research team in future studies.

First Nations content and community engagement, including information for the recent NT Environment Project by Tenniscourtisland

This session was valuable in understanding the dynamics of negotiating with approvers and how rules and regulations are sometimes interpreted by them. It also emphasized the importance of providing technical support to resource-limited settings, enabling people in those areas to share their stories. Correct spelling, accurate images, and the proper handling of pages after a person's death highlight the importance of awareness in editing and cultural sensitivity.

A brief introduction to Wiktionary and how to use it for First Nations Languages by Aliceinthealice

I learned about Wiktionary for the first time and am eager to gain hands-on experience with it. Additionally, I discovered that the ESEAP Conferences are being held to train editors.

How to find and upload taxon images from public websites by MargaretRDonald

It was great to learn how to find and upload taxon images, as well as how to link to other wikis. Due to limited time and technical issues during the session, I would love to attend a similar edit-a-thon focused on uploading images.

Measuring the progress of Australian content with Wikidata by 99of9

We were introduced to Wikidata queries, which is particularly important for me as I plan to organize edit-a-thon sessions for undergraduates in the next 1-2 years.

Introducing 'Standardised Data on Initiatives' (STARDIT) and the partnership with Wikimedia Australia by Jacknunn

It was a valuable opportunity to learn about STARDIT, which enhances ethical practices.

Where do the gender stats come from? By Oronsay

The introduction was excellent, and I also learned about new concepts and projects, such as bots and Women in Red.

Recognising and Managing Conflicts of Interest by Bilby

I greatly appreciated this session. The detailed explanations and discussion provided a clear understanding of policies, guidelines, and procedures related to conflicts of interest. I appreciate the brief introduction to addition of images. Additionally, the management of non-public information was an aspect I was previously unaware of.

Improving Wikidata one Wikipedia category at a time by Oronsay

I greatly appreciated this session, as it highlighted the importance of statements. I would like to request a workshop on this topic, combined with one or two other areas of interest.

Using new learnings/skills

After the conference, I continued editing Wikipedia by refining sentences, adding links, and incorporating citations. I also researched terms like 'wikibombs' and 'Wikipedia residents' to deepen my understanding of these concepts. While I enjoy adding images, statements, and words to Wiktionary, I feel somewhat constrained by the lack of guidance. This motivated me to seek out training sessions on Wikipedia editing. I appreciate one-hour online edit-a-thon sessions hosted for many of the topics discussed during the conference.

Comments about the conference

I appreciate the idea of running two separate sessions, as this would help prevent participants from becoming disengaged.

Suggestions for future Wikicons

I suggest allocating more time for each topic covered, allowing for workshops with hands-on experience. Also, I suggest 40-60 minutes, once a month, online workshops on Wikipedia editing including following topics.

Add images
Add tables
Wiktionary
Improving Wikidata

Response

PriyadharshaniK