Talk:Meetup/Belfast/1

Please add your suggestions for place and date below:

South of the border

There may be interest from Wikipedians south of the border attending this meet up. There was a met up at least once in Dún Laoghaire previously. I'm probably a little too far south, but a Belfast venue or a venue along the Dublin-Belfast rail-line may be helpful.

An announcement on the Wikimedia Ireland mailing list may pull folk in as well. -- RA (talk) 22:32, 17 June 2013 (UTC)

Could you do that please? Philafrenzy (talk) 22:40, 17 June 2013 (UTC)

I was talking to Jon Davies by email about links between Wikimedians in Ireland and Wikimedians in the UK.

Essentially, the gist of my side of the conversation is that, for practical purposes of numbers and being on the same island, it works for Wikimedians in NI and RoI to work together while respecting that NI is in the UK. Likewise, it's helpful for folk in the RoI to lean a little on WikiMedia UK since we share an archipelago. WikiMedia Ireland — or at least so far as there is one — has done so a bit in the past (e.g. the wikimedia.ie domain, which WikiMedia UK registered on our behalf) and I think everyone appreciates that.

Jon suggested that if things get off the ground that there be alternating meets North and South of the border. The last island-of-Ireland-based meet up was a few years back and in RoI so it's NI's "turn", so to speak. It would be great too if things did get off the ground for an Irish contingent to travel to GB and meet some folk from Wikimedia UK.

With regards to having an editathon, etc. first, I agree with that suggestion. But one problem, I feel, from earlier efforts with trying to get a MediaWiki Ireland off the ground, was connecting interested and willing people. Face-to-face meetings between people can help in that regard. I know there's a relatively vibrant hacker space movement in Ireland, including one in Belfast, with potentially willing people. That might be a way to connect with like-minded people and venues.

-- RA (talk) 12:13, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

Count me out. I prefer the anonymity of not knowing what my colleagues/rivals look like.

Without tooting my own horn, I'd regard myself as being amongst the most prominent Northern Irish editors here. Whilst I accept that there are not many NI editors here to maybe even have a viable meetup without having foreign editors come as well, does everything have to try take on an all-Ireland dimension on this site? It works for NI Wikimedians to maybe do some things by themselves.

I also don't think the 2009 meetup could even be considered an all-Ireland one - did a single Northern Irish editor turn up? I know I didn't, and whilst I claimed at the time it was too for away for me, the real reason was simple... hopefully this time though there won't be personal invites given to selected editors whilst neglecting those editors who may have been interested... Mabuska (talk)

Can we concentrate on this event please. This is a meetup to happen somewhere in NI to which every Wikipedian in the the world is invited if they can make it! The more the merrier. Philafrenzy (talk) 14:36, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

Location

Could we start with an Editathon at a local museum or institution and then have the wikimeet afterwards? WMUK don't have a singe member in Northern Ireland yet so we need to work out how to attract people. Jon Davies WMUK (talk) 08:13, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

UK City of Culture 2013

Derry/Londonderry is UK City of Culture 2013.

http://www.cityofculture2013.com

Philafrenzy (talk) 09:01, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

Ulster Museum

Ulster Museum is reckoned to be one of the best in the UK. It is located next to Belfast Botanical Gardens. Philafrenzy (talk) 09:08, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

Wikimedia Ireland

http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Ireland Philafrenzy (talk) 12:19, 19 July 2013 (UTC)

Getting the ball rolling again

Since the first proposal for this meetup didn't seem to bear any fruit, I have now refreshed the page with some firmer suggestions, but it's still subject to change. Hopefully this can be made mode definite soon. Bazonka (talk) 20:41, 27 September 2013 (UTC)

Looks like it's taking shape nicely. Thanks to Philafrenzy for his help. Bazonka (talk) 09:19, 29 September 2013 (UTC)

Encouraging to see four sign-ups already. Philafrenzy (talk) 17:27, 1 October 2013 (UTC)

I haven't been very active on Wikipedia over the past few months due to travel and projects I'm working on, so have not kept up with the discussion. I may have a gig next Saturday, and there's also the rugby game in Dublin, so the odds are that I won't be going. However, that being said, I am still interested in discussing Wikipedia and related issues with fellow Wikipedians, and Rashers Tierney and I have met informally and discussed meetups on several occasions. The problem is, there appears to be little or no interest on the part of Wikipedians, north or south of the border, in meeting up. And it looks like there won't be anyone there from Northern Ireland on Saturday, which is discouraging. Hohenloh (talk) 20:34, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

Yes. It looks like we may have to cancel it anyway. Was the date wrong? When would be a good date to re-schedule? Probably January now at the earliest. Philafrenzy (talk) 22:00, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

A postponement would certainly suit me better. Can't make this one unfortunately. RashersTierney79.97.64.159 12:47, 21 November 2013 (UTC)

After our lack of success in attracting support for a meetup, in Dublin and Belfast, I'm a bit cagey about committing to a date - if I'm going to a meetup, I'd like there to be more than one or two people present. It might be a better idea to first contact individuals to see whether they would be willing to participate, and then set a date. Perhaps an incentive of some kind might help.Hohenloh (talk) 12:51, 21 November 2013 (UTC)

It's still going ahead, even if it's just me there. Non-refundable flights booked, so I may as well use them. A real shame, but hopefully I'll still have a nice weekend away... Bazonka (talk) 22:46, 21 November 2013 (UTC)