Wikimedia-Lontar for Indonesian writer begin with the initial idea of Wikipedia editing training for The Lontar Foundation Staff. However Lontar Digital Library is also expressing interest in opening access and releasing their pictures to a more share alike license.
This is the first time that Wikimedia Indonesia tested its communication (training) materials to train an organization outside university students. Since the request for training was very specific, WMID design a module specific audience, and identify whether the modified training materials are better understood or confusing. A session to prepare and coordinate the writing materials before the actual training conducted helps. The trainer come equipped and prepared. The trainee respect the tailored the materials specifically to their need, by allowing themselves to follow the step by step guide prepared by the trainer so the pace of the learning experience is manageable - despite the raining questions and the "I want to know how" demand.
We learn that managing their expectation and communicating this expectation - to a realistic measure - is important. We began the training with something similar with the university students/ writing competition participant. However unlike the "usual" writing class participant, the trainee for English Wikipedia contributor asked more questions much more in advance for a higher level of knowledge than offered to be given to a beginner. This contrast to the trainee for Indonesian Wikipedia contributor who is more "acceptance" to what is given. English Wikipedia contributor trainee felt as if they "demanded more" and they "demanded it fast". This demand however, also translate to contributions.
We also think it is important to pace the "learning" experience to a manageable one ("not so fast"). We find it crucial to allowed mistake to happened in second and the third training, such as letting the participant break the rule or instruction from the trainer and wait for the English Wikipedia community react by putting tags and drop a line in the talk pages. We realize these action discourage the contributors, therefore the contributors are warned in advance and need to be able to experience it as a common happening and not traumatize and stop editing. Physically available trainer that allowing this "mistakes" happened and help fixing it without involving themselves too much (the urge to "do it faster by fixing it yourself by a wikipedian is pretty hard to resist if the trainer expect a person to contribute and fix the mistake themselves) is very valuable.
Chris also helped by setting up a writing guideline and copyright rule after the participants are able to contribute technically and learn the basic "how to".
Noting Wikimedia Australia's success for their cooperation with The State Library of Queensland, Wikimedia Indonesia contacted Wikimedia Australia for Lontar Foundation Digital Library offer in elaborating the possibility of opening license of their content. John Vandenberg from Wikimedia Australia did a conference call with the Lontar Foundation and discussed:
dbPedia and linked-data, and explained some of the limitations of dbPedia, i.e. many pieces of information about authors and books wont appear in dbPedia. However Lontar was happy that dbPedia would contain the information that Lontar is most interested in, being authors name, dob, isbns, etc, and decided that literary works would be linked to the author for simple cases.
Explained that the Community will be especially happy if Lontar can provide images of notable writers as our community isn't good at obtaining photos.
Compatibility between CC-Zero licenses and Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL). John think ODbL license looks appropriate for Lontar need and suggested that it can be combined with CC Zero. John refer back to Siska for Creative Commons application in Indonesia.
Wikimedia Indonesia send Ivan Lanin and Nita from Creative Commons Indonesia project to met with the Lontar Foundation.
During the project closing meeting on December 1, 2011, The Lontar Foundation have expressed their interest in extending the project life. To complete 300 articles, they realize they will need more volunteer writer and have contacted The Indonesian Heritage Society and HB Jassin, also advertised this need on their website.
For Indonesian Language Wikipedia more volunteers has been scheduled to be trained in contributing i.e. Mike, Rima, Hellen, dan Sylvia.
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This effort is our passion, for this we don't want to limit ourselves in the project lifespan. This is a life time project
We realized the intense training paid off, The Lontar Foundation employee able to contribute aligned with EN & ID WP rule with minor formatting here and there, and monitoring and conversation can be done online.
participant contribution - Number of article are significantly lower than writing competition participant. However their contribution are in better quality, although it is slower.
It is unlikely that the project will resulted to 300 articles in December, the new article addition has been slow, however improving quality of an article is quite significant.
We are still waiting for Creative Commons adaptation decision from The Lontar.
Sustainability based on the lesson learn, we are confident that the Lontar Project will be the first sustainable project that we ever accomplished (not limited to project lifespan). It grows to have its own life and infrastructure independent from Wikimedia Indonesia resources. Thank you Lontar Foundation!
The project is definitely is a result indicator of Wikimedia Indonesia success in increased reach. The organization is contacted to helped by outside organization instead of Wikimedia Indonesia trying to reach them.
WMID also excited about the possibility of Lontar begin link up their website to Dbpedia when harvesting their hard work in during the articles writing drive, since it'll add the value of being widely available information.
The project directly increased articles quality. However we're still struggling to have more substantial quantity alongside of this quality and seeking creative ways to enable this.
The participant diversification happened not only organization-wise (from University to NGO/ Library) but also nationality-wise. It is interesting to look at how different nationality responded to our training program. The trainee are mostly female, both the trainee and trainer and come from different background and nationalities - American, British, Canadian, Indian, and Indonesian.
Our glamorous token of appreciation to Chris Woodrich as English Wikipedia Volunteer
For taking the time to find bilingual language Wikipedia volunteer (EN/ID) who lives in Indonesia with similar interest (or just lucky!) and engage in a conference call with the Lontar Foundation about open license for data library (1). For making himself available on a regular basis to come to Jakarta to do training - passionately follow up - and write in Wikipedia signpost about the project while given valuable input (2). For making themselves available to do communication materials, selecting information, documenting and follow up with the participant (3&4). The Lontar Foundation participants (1-5) for making this project possible.
