Grants:TPS/Shujenchang/WikiSym 2012

User name

Shujenchang

User location (country)

China

Event name

WikiSym 2012

Event Web site

http://www.wikisym.org/ws2012/bin/view/Main/

Event date(s)

August 27-29

Event location (city)

Linz, Austria

Amount requested (remember to specify currency!)

about USD 1230 (before July 29) or 1260 (after July 29)

Endorsements

Budget breakdown

• Travel: about USD 800
• Accommodation: EURO 43 per night x 4 nights = EURO 172 (about USD 210)
• Registration
  • USD 220 if approved before July 29
  • USD 250 if approved after July 29

Proposed Participation

I am an active Wikipedian on Chinese Wikipedia (3,531 edits and 2787 edit patroling). Besides that, I'm also active on many sort of activities related to Wikimedia, online or offline, local or international, such as local meet-up and Wikimania 2012, and do volunteering in these events.

Now, I'm going to attend WikiSym 2012 by following reasons:

1. Wiki-related activities is always helpful for me and for my further contribution to Wikimedia Projects and other wiki-related projects. For example, after I attended a local Wikipedia meet-up in Shenyang, my frequency of editing improved rapidly, because I learn a lot of skills and experience that help me edit on Wikipedia; in Wikimania 2012, I asked Jimmy Wales the way to improve and develop Wikimedia Projects under internet censorship such as Chinese Wikipedia, and then posted Jimmy's suggestion to the community of Chinese Wikipedia and talked with other Chinese Wikipedians about it, besides that, I also talked to Jack Herrick, the founder of wikiHow, about the suggestion of creating Chinese wikiHow, and that engaged the launch of Chinese wikiHow. So, I can be confident that after I attend WikiSym 2012, there will be some significant effect to Wikimedia projects and other wiki-related projects.
2. Now I'm getting involved in the translation work of Chinese wikiHow, and caught some technical problem and glitches during my work, such as the Simplified-Transitional Chinese covariant problem. I believe I can talk with other attendees and solve my problems after the conference. If my problem solved, it will improve the development of wikiHow in China. As a result, this will engage more Chinese individuals know about wiki communities. It maybe indirectly promote the development of Wikimedia projects in China.
3. The conference is more concern on research of wiki. At present, there are a few wiki communities in China. However, I can see that there's a potential of wiki community in China. I think after listen to their researches about wiki community, it will help me to analysis why the wiki community is undeveloped in China and how to improve wiki communities in China, making the potential to reality.

Goal and Expected Impact

I believe after my conference, I can help China develop the wiki communities. The establishing of many wiki communities in China will engage more Chinese individuals contribute to free cultures, including Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. China is a country with the largest population in the world, but the lack of contributions to free culture is really a pity. Engaging more percents of Chinese people to aware free culture, and get involved in it, will be a great milestone in the history of human beings.