Grants:TPS/Nicola/International Cycling History Conference/Report

Event name: 24th International Cycling History Conference in Lisbon, May 15-17th 2013

Description of your participation:

On Wednesday 15th May 2013 I hold my speech at the ICHC in Lisbon. The conference took place in the National Sports Museum of Portugal, the Palacio Foz. The topic of my speech was „How to become a Wikipedian“. I had a lot of material with me, brochures, pencils a.s.o., from the Wikimedia Foundation and the German WMDE. The material was quickly gone. There were around 80 participants, mostly from the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Brasilia. The speech was 20 minutes and after that we discussed and I answered questions. But the speech was obviously not the most important point: For the rest of our conference many conference attendants came to me to talk with me about Wikipedia and had many questions. I tried to meet some Wikipedians from Lisbon, but they do not meet very often like we do in Cologne, so I did not succeed, because nobody answered my request. (In Cologne we meet every month, 20 people come, in Lisbon they meet once the year, 3 to 5 people come!) I found out in conversations that it seems that many Portuguese, especially scientists, do not edit in the Portuguese Wikipedia, but mostly in the English one. They told me that the Portuguese version is dominated by the Brasilians. I myself took many photos in Lisbon and loaded them up or will load them up.

TU Lisbon, Professor Ana Santos
TU Lisbon, Professor David Vale
Pryor Dodge, cycling historian
David Herlihy, cyling historian
Mayor of Torres Vedras, Carlos Manuel Soares Miguel
Submayor of Torres Vedras, Carlos Manuel Antunes Bernardes (he gave me a cup with my user WP name "Nicola" as a present!)
Mayor of Lisbon
Submayor of Lisbon
Cycling Museum in Caldas da Rainha
Vice-President of the Portuguese Cycling Federation, Artur Lopes

Articles:

Museo do Ciclismo

Federação Portuguesa de Ciclismo

Subida à Glória

addtiton to Torres Vedras

New Users:

Anaejoana

(there will be more)

What lessons were learned that could help others in similar events?

I was quite satisfied with the reactions to my speech. But it is not enough just to explain Wikipedia. The conference lasted 3 days, and within these days people addressed and addressed me again. So this was an important time, the speech was just a catalyst.

Nearly all the material I received was gone. The pencils are most wanted!

What impact did your participation have on the Wikimedia Mission goals of Increased Reach, Increased Quality, Increased Credibility, Increased and Diversified Participation?

I cannot guess about new editors. The audience consisted of cycling historians of all ages and from many countries. Indeed cycling historians are mostly men, but there were also some female students from Portugal and Brasilia, who were much interested in Wikipedia. My aim was mostly, that these historians improve articles instead of complaining about mistakes. I think they now understood that and how it is possible. And in future they will have a new view on the credibility of articles.

Another effect especially concerning the Portuguese people I met that they found out for the first time that Wikipedia is working with volunteers. The knowledge about Wikipedia in Portugal seems to be very small. And when I took photos a.s.o. they were very proud and wanted to receive the links. So I am sure that my many conservations will have a long term effect one some people. One sign for this is the cup with my Wikipedia name as a present from the submayor of Torres Vedras. Like this I felt like a Wikipedia ambassador in Portugal :)

Detail of expenditures:

Hotel 250,-- Euro

Flight 258,-- Euro

Conference fee 150,-- Euro

Amount underspent/left-over (please specify currency):

658 Euro/292 Euro

Many, many thanks

for your support! I had a very nice interesting time in Lisbon and feel that also could make some good public relation for Wikipedia, more than I actually expected to.

--NicolaCologne (talk) 22:05, 30 May 2013 (UTC)