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Latest comment: 7 years ago by MediaWiki message delivery in topic Learning Quarterly: October 2017

Issues and Concerns

Latest comment: 13 years ago16 comments9 people in discussion

Scope

moved here from Wikimedia District of Columbia

The DC metro area is big, one of the biggest in the US. So the question is, how far out do we extend it? It would be simplest to extend it to all of Virginia, Maryland, DC, and West Virginia. Problem is, there are people in the southern areas of Virginia and West Virginia, who aren't really DC accessible. So, should we attempt to include them under the scope? Or can we specifically target parts of northern Virginia, and northeast West Virginia? The benefit of specific targeting is that it allows for the eventual creation of a Virginia chapter, or for example in the north, a Pennsylvania or Delaware chapter that wouldn't be competing with the DC area chapter. On the other hand, there's no guarantee such chapters will exist, or that they couldn't be better served by being part of the DC area chapter anyway. It's significantly easier to just say "the entire state". For clarity, Maryland, District of Columbia, Vriginia and West Virginia would avoid any ambiguity.

How to relate with other US-based chapters?

moved here from Wikimedia District of Columbia

How does the Wikimedia DC chapter want to relate with other chapters in the United States, such as Wikimedia NYC. There is a proposal to form a Wikimedia United States Chapters Council that can coordinate things like obtaining group tax exemption, and provide assistance to yet-to-be-formed chapters.

Geographical scope

The DC metro area is big, one of the biggest in the US. So the question is, how far out do we extend it? It would be simplest to extend it to all of Virginia, Maryland, DC, and West Virginia. Problem is, there are people in the southern areas of Virginia and West Virginia, who aren't really DC accessible. So, should we attempt to include them under the scope? Or can we specifically target parts of northern virginia, and northeast West Virginia? The benefit of specific targetting is that it allows for the eventual creation of a Virginia chapter, or for example in the north, a Pennsylvania or Delaware chapter that wouldn't be competing with the DC area chapter. On the other hand, there's no guarantee such chapters will exist, or that they couldn't be better served by being part of the DC area chapter anyway. It's significantly easier to just say "the entire state". So what to do?⇒SWATJester Son of the Defender 16:58, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

I suggest the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area - this includes much more of Northern Virginia, and even a bit of West Virginia; essentially it covers suburbs within 90 minutes or so driving time to D.C. It's well-defined, and selecting it let's us move on to more important matters - such as what the chapter would actually do. If we should, in the future, run into issues with the scope being too big or too small, or overlapping with other chapters, I think that then would be the time to address that. Right now, I think a quick decision would be best, and using an official standard seems a good way to do that. -- John Broughton (♫♫) 17:06, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
That's basically where I was going. I'll go ahead and make that change now, since I agree a quick decision is best, and an official standard is even better. ⇒SWATJester Son of the Defender 17:32, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

How about we keep it simple and declare the scope to be Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia and West Virginia. If more chapters emerge in the future, we can cede some of the outlying areas? Racepacket 18:48, 28 February 2011 (UTC)

We should add Delaware, which is not part of WM NYC. Then between us and WM NYC, we have Connecticut to Virginia covered, with no gaps. Aude 18:56, 28 February 2011 (UTC)
Pennsylvania is officially part of the WM NYC chapter, which really is a regional chapter with "New York City" as the official name. Their name doesn't necessarily convey the regional scope, though means the NYC region in a very broad sense. In the past there was discussion about there being a Wikimedia Pennsylvania chapter, but don't think it will happen anytime in the near future but who knows. Aude 19:02, 28 February 2011 (UTC)

BosWash Chapter?

Rather then trying to form a New York and a DC Chapter, why not form one for the BosWash Megaopolis? The Placebo Effect (talk) How's my editing? Please contribute to my editor review. 17:31, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

Goes wayyy too far north for people to be able to effectively attend meetings. Boston is an all day trip, NYC is a half-days transit. Plus, NYC is big enough that it should merit its own chapter, that would cover the NJ area as well. Likewise for Boston, probably doing a Mass. area chapter. Part of the goal here is to make sure we're small enough to be manageable, as well as not taking away from other chapters, which can more effectively benefit their own members. ⇒SWATJester Son of the Defender 17:34, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
(Edit conflict.)That might be too large to be feasible - meetings would have to be somewhere in northern PA to minimize driving time for everyone, and that's still several hours for those of us in Baltimore and those in Boston. I think each of these areas should be large enough to support their own chapters. Hersfold (t/a/c) 17:39, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

Bylaws writing

I'm pretty sure that I can find an attorney to write the bylaws pro bono either at my work (I intern at a major international law firm's pro bono department), or at my law school (my IP professor specifically is a huge fan of Wikimedia). ⇒SWATJester Son of the Defender 17:57, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

As another note, Newyorkbrad attended at least one of the DC meetings, (maybe 2? I can't remember) and is signed up for the next one. He's an attorney and might be willing to help out.⇒SWATJester Son of the Defender 17:59, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't believe NYB will be available to help out with such matters. Kirill (prof) 18:23, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion, I would like to recommend that whatever elections that are held by the group be conducted using instant-runoff voting. I do not recommend proportional representation because it's more of a hassle than it's worth for small groups.
--NBahn (talk) 18:39, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

I am officially volunteering, as an attorney who has incorporated and written bylaws for a number of non-profirts, to incorporate and write bylaws for the chapter. Racepacket 18:49, 28 February 2011 (UTC)

Huge help! :) Happy to work with you and help work this through the Wikimedia chapters process. Aude 18:57, 28 February 2011 (UTC)
Here are the draft bylaws, copied from Wikimedia NYC: Wikimedia DC/Bylaws. harej 08:11, 2 March 2011 (UTC)

Move to meta?

Latest comment: 16 years ago5 comments3 people in discussion

Love the idea of a DC chapter. One suggestion, though: could you maybe move this to meta? I think you'd get better participation from non-Wikipedians there. - Jredmond (talk) 17:49, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

No objections whatsoever, I just wasn't sure if it should be userfied at first, in case it got deleted at meta. ⇒SWATJester Son of the Defender 17:57, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
I'd just as soon keep it here or there. Just let everyone know if it gets moved :-). I'd personally say keep it here until we've got a stronger proposal to put on Meta. ^demon[omg plz] 19:06, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
That's kind of my thoughts, and as well it lets people spend some time setting up meta accounts. If anyone wants to take it out of user space here though, into wikipedia space, I'm ok with that as well. ⇒SWATJester Son of the Defender 19:38, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

I've copied this over to Meta so the appropriate pages can be updated, however the copy in my userspace on en.wp is still there for the time being. Swatjester 20:50, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

Latest comment: 16 years ago10 comments4 people in discussion

Might be slightly premature, but I was tinkering in Inkscape just now trying to put together the Chapter logo. I've almost got it, but I'm not sure what to put for the subline. "WIKIMEDIA" is required, of course, but under that in smaller print goes the name of the chapter. This page is titled "Wikimedia DC" but "DC" looks somewhat silly on the logo being so short. Alternatives could be "District of Columbia" (would necessitate two lines, breaking after "of"), "Washington, DC", "Washington DC" (no comma), just "Washington" (although that could get confused with Washington State). My personal favorite of these is "Washington, DC" because that just happens to be the same length as "Wikimedia" when formatted according to the guidelines and so looks nice and neat, but it's up to the working group as a whole. Hersfold (talk) 18:48, 2 May 2008 (UTC)

I just want to thank you for actually knowing where that page is and taking that into account before you created your logo design! Too many people spend a ton of time on a pretty logo and are then told they cannot use it. :-( Just a comment though, other chapters have only two letters (Switzerland) and others even span two lines (Serbia). All of that being said, I share your favorite of "Washington, DC". Cbrown1023 talk 21:25, 2 May 2008 (UTC)
Sample images have been loaded onto the Wikipedia version of this page - I'm keeping it there for now so I can delete the composite when we're done with it. Hersfold (talk) 06:40, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
Note that this discussion was originally started on the Meta talk page.

Might be slightly premature, but I was tinkering in Inkscape just now trying to put together the Chapter logo. I've almost got it, but I'm not sure what to put for the subline. "WIKIMEDIA" is required, of course, but under that in smaller print goes the name of the chapter. This page is titled "Wikimedia DC" but "DC" looks somewhat silly on the logo being so short. Alternatives could be "District of Columbia" (would necessitate two lines, breaking after "of"), "Washington, DC", "Washington DC" (no comma), just "Washington" (although that could get confused with Washington State). My personal favorite of these is "Washington, DC" because that just happens to be the same length as "Wikimedia" when formatted according to the guidelines and so looks nice and neat, but it's up to the working group as a whole. Hersfold (t/a/c) 00:14, 3 May 2008 (UTC) (NOTE: IMAGES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA PAGE)

[[Image:Wikimedia DC Composite.jpg|thumb|800px|center|Some possible logos to choose from. Note that we are required to use the standard logo - what's up for debate is the particular subline we want to use. Hersfold (t/a/c) 06:28, 4 May 2008 (UTC)]]

Wikimedia Washington, DC looks the best, but at the same time, I think Wikimedia DC is the better name. Perhaps the two are not incompatible. If I'm correct (I may not be), Wikimedia DE is, fully written, actually Wikimedia Deutschland. So, the two are not necessarily incompatible with each other. PS amazing work!⇒SWATJester Son of the Defender 06:30, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
Germany's chapter is written out in full, but then there's others that only have two letters. I like the longer title, because only two letters seems a tad silly, and is also less descriptive of where we're located. Not many people outside of the US are going to know where "DC" is, and I'm sure there are many even within the US who would be confused (sadly). Hersfold (t/a/c) 06:35, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
Can we also create a Wikipedia logo variation? I think Wikimedia best represents the group's goals and purpose, but the sad fact is that the Wikipedia logo is more recognizable. Zidel333 (talk) 23:32, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
Unfortunately no, not without the permission of the foundation, which is not likely. The chapter represents all Wikimedia projects, not specifically Wikipedia. Also, the guidelines adopted by the chapter committee require that it be the Wikimedia logo. ⇒SWATJester Son of the Defender 23:51, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
Ok, just so we have something to show the world that yes, we are actually doing this, I've uploaded the logo shown on the main page to Commons. Should we wish to change the byline later on, that can be done fairly easily. Hersfold (talk) 17:36, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

Expectations

Latest comment: 16 years ago2 comments2 people in discussion

From the m:Local chapter FAQ:

Chapters exist to further the goals of Wikimedia. They do so by engaging in a wide range of activities, which includes but is not limited to the following:

  1. Promoting the Wikimedia projects so that new and different people join them or use them (academics, scientists, college students, schools, libraries etc.)
  2. Investigating and negotiating partnerships on a moral or financial basis to support the Wikimedia projects.
  3. Helping outside organisations use Wikimedia content, possibly for their own benefit (eg. help publishers of local history Wikireaders, of a Wikipedia DVD in a given language)
  4. Organizing local and national events and initiatives (eg. participate in trade shows, set up Wikipedia parties, give lectures etc.)
  5. Taking care of PR and lobbying in a given country, give the press an interlocutor in their own language and culture.
  6. Enabling (where applicable) tax-deductible donations in the country they are based in.
  7. Promoting Free Content and wiki culture in their respective territory.

I'm a bit concerned that we're going to look at the above items and get grand ideas that aren't really practical. The FAQ really is written for national chapters - organizations that have some leverage with a particular language version of Wikipedia (say, German or French) because they represent that community, to the extent anyone does. A local chapter in the U.S. has no such charter - we're not ever going to be the "go-to" guys for press quotes, or working with New York publishers to put out an English-language Wikipedia on DVD.

What I'd personally like to see is our trying to find things that will work for other local chapters in the U.S. - partnering with local academics that want to teach a course that involves improving Wikipedia articles, holding our own classes at local libraries, booths at county fairs - whatever takes only a relatively few people, and is replicable for other chapters. Fundraising - I really think not; the Wikimedia Foundation is now hiring three full-time people for fundraising. Testifying before Congress - I don't think so; we're just a chapter, not the Foundation itself. Working with other local chapters to create a sharing network - yes, definitely. In short, let's be realistic, and start with some goals that we're likely to be successful with. -- John Broughton (♫♫) 18:34, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

Potential starting areas

This is in response to the above items posted by John Broughton. One of the benefits of the DC area is we can do much of this on a local level. For instance:

  1. Promoting the Wikimedia projects: the DC/Baltimore area is home to dozens of universities, including, American University, Georgetown, GWU, George Mason, Catholic, Northeastern, Marymount, U of Maryland, Gaulledet (sic), Johns Hopkins, and is close proximity to UVA, Virginia Tech, VMI, and several more. We can do a lot to promote the Wikimedia projects on a local level.
    DC is one of the fundraising capitals of America, especially given it being the seat of government. There are governmental partnerships, library of congress partnerships, university partnerships, philanthropist partnerships, etc.
    Similarly, we can help these other organizations use Wikimedia content as well.
  2. . Organizing events and initiatives is something that we can do locally, especially in common with the university, governmental, and educational programs available in DC.
  3. . Taking care of PR: not an issue for us, WMF can do that. Lobbying, however, is something that we are able to do in DC. I have some lobbying experience, and finding other lobbyists to work on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation via the DC chapter is certainly doable (especially given that DC is the lobbying center of the US). Interlocutors are unnecessary in America; however DC and Baltimore do have their own "culture". There is a Baltimore culture, an inside the beltway culture, and it's something that we can identify with more easily than San Francisco can (which has its own culture).
  4. . Enabling tax deductible donations: not an issue for us, however, we can expand the WMF's donation base by doing our own fundraising within the DC area.
  5. . This goes along with lobbying. There is no better place to efficiently promote free content and wiki culture than in DC -- the center of the nation's government and an example of collaborative politics in action.

Along with this, I suggest some important places for us to start off and focus.

  1. .: Building membership and outreach. This enables us to perform all other tasks. This can be performed on-wiki (by identifying and recruiting Wikimedians to join the chapter) and off wiki (by outreach to people in the DC/Baltimore area to learn more about Wikipedia, and to join the chapter).
  2. . Develop relationships with educational institutions. Educational institutions are all over DC (as mentioned above) and much of our work and their work synergies well together. This also helps us develop a pool of experts in academia from which we can assist the foundation as a whole.
  3. . Develop relationships with governmental institutions. Governmental institutions, specifically the ones that can most benefit the foundation, are heavily centralized in DC, and as such we are in the best situation of all the US chapters to help benefit the foundation. In this task, we would work with the Foundation towards achieving their goals with government, as well as developing our own relationships with governmental institutions. This can help with fundraising, outreach, PR, partnerships, exposure to the Wiki culture and free content, etc.
  4. . Continue to hold meetups and other events for our membership. The DC wikimedians have been pretty active in having meetups and we want to continue to support and nurture that activity.

These 4 activities are a good place to start. They are tasks that will never be "completed" and we will continue to work on them as long as we exist as a chapter. They are tasks that not only support the WMF, but support the chapter. They are tasks that make our other activities easier (greater membership, more partnerships, etc. all make work easier). And they are tasks that we can begin working on as soon as we become a recognized chapter (and in the case of the 1st and 4th tasks, even before that time.). ⇒SWATJester Son of the Defender 00:15, 5 May 2008 (UTC)

Knock, knock

Latest comment: 15 years ago3 comments3 people in discussion

Anybody here still? I just started being an editor, but I love it and am, well addicted. Would love to come to next meetup. Thanks. Lwoodyiii 13:17, 31 December 2008 (UTC) Anyone home? I'm on vacation, so sort of have an excuse for being silent, but is anyone else active on this? Hersfold (talk) 00:20, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

I'm here, but I'm not really "active" - although I am willing to help out if someone tells what I should be doing. I'm a grad student at Georgetown, so I could help out with the academic part there. But I think we should get people together first. Maybe at the next meetup? Staeiou 15:00, 15 June 2008 (UTC)
Answered on the en.wp page, but yes I'm still here, and also am on vacation. I think we should have a sitdown at the next Wikimeetup with a group of people who want to hash out the officials and the structure of this chapter, and lets get it laid out and planned out and the decisions made, and then we can move on towards getting bylaws written. Swatjester 04:41, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

DC Meetup 5 being planned

Latest comment: 16 years ago4 comments3 people in discussion

Hi guys, we're getting ready to start the planning for DC meeting 5, at which point I hope we can have a serious sit-down and hash out as many of the issues around the chapter as we possibly can. I think we could have our usual dinner, and then immediately afterwards, we get straight to work coming to a sort of consensus as to the main issues for the formation of the chapter. If this sounds good, please let me know (we're planning on holding the meeting regardless -- August is about that time, 3-4 months since last meeting.) Please see en:User talk:SchuminWeb, where we're setting up the planning. Swatjester 23:14, 11 July 2008 (UTC)

Why is the meet up planning taking place on a user's talk page instead of here? - LA @ 22:59, 25 July 2008 (UTC)
Actually it usually goes on its own page, Wikipedia:Wikimeetup DC 5, but nobody has made it yet. Swatjester 06:13, 29 July 2008 (UTC)
Is there any real discussion about the August meeting at Wikipedia:Wikimeetup DC 5? Do we need to canvas previous attendees? 74.93.201.114 17:55, 8 August 2008 (UTC)


Meetup 9 Agenda Items

Latest comment: 15 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Please take a look:en:Wikipedia talk:Meetup/DC 9#Agenda and provide feedback. Sadads 16:31, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Wikimedia MidAtlantic

Latest comment: 13 years ago6 comments4 people in discussion

Should we merge/redirect this abandoned proposal?--Pharos 20:20, 2 March 2011 (UTC)

Abandoned? Spoken like a true New Yorker. We haven't abandoned it; in fact the Wikimania bid has breathed new life into this chapter and we will be pursuing it once the bidding process is complete. harej 22:20, 2 March 2011 (UTC)
I think the Wikimedia MidAtlantic page can be redirected here. Now, it's a relevant question whether we want to consider a name for our chapter that encompasses the region more, like Wikimedia MidAtlantic Region. Personally, I like Wikimedia DC better but open to ideas, consensus, etc. Aude 00:26, 3 March 2011 (UTC)
"MidAtlantic" is also rather ambiguous—the US is hardly the only country with an Atlantic coastline. "Wikimedia DC" might be understating our scope somewhat, but it has the advantage of immediate clarity. Kirill Lokshin 00:50, 3 March 2011 (UTC)
I think Pharos was suggesting merging the MidAtlantic proposal here, not the other way around. ;-) Kirill Lokshin 00:50, 3 March 2011 (UTC)
Er, yes. I apologize, Pharos, for the disparaging remarks. harej 03:27, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

Collaboration with Local Organization

Latest comment: 13 years ago4 comments3 people in discussion

Hi! I work for the United States National Research Council here in Washington DC. We have a wealth of public domain content that could enrich Wikipedia articles -- and are interested in encouraging our scientists to contribute to Wikipedia. Any advice on how to get started/who to talk with? Earlgrey101 17:03, 11 August 2011 (UTC)

Earlgrey101 -- shoot me an email using the Email User feature, and I'll get you situated. ⇒SWATJester Son of the Defender 14:44, 24 August 2011 (UTC)
He came to my enwiki talk page and we have someone working with him now. Aude 15:02, 24 August 2011 (UTC)
Or that. ⇒SWATJester Son of the Defender 15:14, 24 August 2011 (UTC)

Spanish

Latest comment: 10 years ago5 comments4 people in discussion

Do you have plans to have a limited number of Spanish translation pages?

While projects in non-English speaking countries have English translation pages, as a collary I think WP DC should have a limited number of pages in Spanish Thanks, WhisperToMe 00:00, 19 October 2011 (UTC)

Pues, WhisperToMe, en mi caso, lo que pasa es lo siguiente. Hablar el espanol no sigifica escribir bien, ni tampoco dominar la gramatica y ortografia. Si tu conoces a un(a) editor(a), quien este dispuesto(a) a corregir mis errores, es posible traducir una informacion basica sobre nuestro grupo. Solo hay que poner un mensaje en mi pagina de usuario.
Si hay muchas oportunidades para una collaboracion mas estrecha con los hispanohablantes en EEUU, ojala que tengamos mas personas, quienes quieren involucrarse in eso. Muchas gracias, es una sugerencia muy buena!
[Translation: Well, WhisperToMe, in my case, what's happening is this. Speaking Spanish isn't the same as writing it well, or mastering grammar and spelling. If you know of an editor who'd be willing to correct my mistakes, it's possible to translate some basic information about our group. Just leave a message on my user page.
Yes, there are many opportunities for closer collaboration with the Spanish speakers in the US. I hope we'll have more people who want to get involved in this. Thank you very much, it's a very good suggestion!] Djembayz (talk) 02:18, 22 July 2012 (UTC)

Most of the project pages and reports do not mention language issues at all. Just to be sure: has WMDC run any projects on non-English Wiki projects, like Spanish Wikipedia? --Oop (talk) 08:17, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

We have not yet pursued any projects outside of English-speaking projects, or multilingual projects such as Wikimedia Commons. harej (talk) 16:56, 28 April 2014 (UTC)
Thanks for clarification. --Oop (talk) 18:24, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

Large LGBT conference coming to DC/Baltimore in January - wiki interest?

Latest comment: 13 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Curious if any folks are attending this year's Creating Change conference for LGBT organizers/activists this January in DC/Baltimore. Considering a booth for LGBT wiki outreach efforts. Wondering if others are interested in that and/or perhaps a meet-up at the conference? For folks in the DC area, might be possible to do some things as non conference attendees, if you're interested, let me know - I'd have to check on details. --Varnent 21:06, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

Old Weather Project

Latest comment: 12 years ago6 comments4 people in discussion

Hello. My name is Kathy Wendolkowski and I am working on Old Weather, a Citizen Science project that involves transcribing weather data and also narrative information from WWI era Royal Navy ship logs. As my fellow transcribers and I have progressed thru the pages, we have uncovered information that either expands on or corrects articles here on Wikipedia (and other sites). For example, please see the article on Cadmus Class Sloops. After some discussion, the Wiki Powers that Be have concluded that the information gleaned from the logs is not original research and fits the verifiability requirement. I have left messages at both the Military History and Ships project pages, but have had no response. I propose a joint project between Old Weather and Wikipedia. We are uncovering a lot of information, for example, we have found an hour by hour account of the 2nd Battle of the Heligoland Bight in the log of a ship that was there, but is not even listed in the Wiki article. I live in the DC metro area which is why I am also coming to you with this proposal. I invite you to visit the Old Weather site (Old Weather.org). My user name there is wendolk. Thanks for your time.216.15.44.249 12:01, 3 January 2012 (UTC)

I have seen Old Weather and think it's a fantastic project. I'm not sure what a joint project would be but sounds interesting... maybe there are US ship records somewhere around DC that people want to digitize? I think few Wikipedians are interested in digitizing, so we're still figuring out how to make digitization projects work. We are meeting at the National Archives (College Park) on Saturday afternoon, if you want to come join us and we can chat more? Otherwise, we can chat another time? Cheers. Aude 22:21, 5 January 2012 (UTC)
I'm sorry I missed the meeting on Saturday - I had several prior commitments this weekend. What I had in mind for a joint project was not so much that Wikipedians digitize records - even though, they are more than welcome to come aboard and work on a ship. Rather, if those of us working on Old Weather find information in the logs that expands or corrects articles; or if we find ships that don't have wiki articles, for example HMS Foxglove, which didn't have one until this project, then we pass that information on to a group here at Wiki that expands/edits/creates the articles. Kwendolk 11:46, 9 January 2012 (UTC)
w:Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Ships on Wikipedia is probably the best place to share information and connect with the right people interested in ships. There's also w:Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Military history. Those are good places to start, though I'd be happy to help guide you further. Cheers. Aude 16:24, 9 January 2012 (UTC)
I approached those groups before I approached this group - so far, I have gotten no response from either one. I was hoping that perhaps the folks in charge of those groups would be more inclined to talk to established members of the Wiki Community. Kwendolk 12:07, 10 January 2012 (UTC)
Hi Kathy, I'm a WikiDC person who works on WikiProject Ships. Have been on other projects lately. Just added HMS Aphis link to Old Weather under sources. Once a source link for Old Weather is added for a ship, the thing to do would be to put a note on that ship's talk page describing what you've spotted there for the article. Or you can always add the info to the article yourself. Since I'm local, I could also meet up with you and show you how the Wikipedia piece works. Give me a shout at English language Wikipedia talk page anytime. Djembayz 18:52, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

Request for comment

Latest comment: 12 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

I am drafting a proposal at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Pine/drafts/ENWP_Board_of_Education and would like input from chapters. I would appreciate comments on the talk page. Thank you! Pine(talk) 10:45, 4 May 2012 (UTC)

Washington Post / public art project

Latest comment: 12 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

had a productive meeting today with Maura Judkis w:User:Mlj1985, at the Washington Post, (with w:User:Aude & w:User:Lisa N Marrs). they're planning a special online content project (online and mobile app) for this summer. they will combine our dc public art articles; AU mural art content; pink line project streetart. they will have a way for readers to upload to their website instagram photos. stay tuned this could be a great opportunity for collaboration. Slowking4 (talk) 00:38, 27 June 2012 (UTC)

Wikipedia Takes America

Latest comment: 11 years ago2 comments2 people in discussion

Is there any interest in creating a DC event for Wikipedia Takes America? Andrewman327 (talk) 13:14, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

Every single NRHP site in DC is photographed on Wikipedia, so we do not have a planned event this year in DC. However, we are organizing an event in Baltimore. harej (talk) 13:56, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

Wikimedia LGBT

Latest comment: 11 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion
Wikimedia LGBT+
Wikimedia LGBT+ is a proposed thematic organization that seeks to promote the development of content on Wikimedia projects which is of interest to LGBT+ communities. Proposed activities include outreach at LGBT events, Wikimania and other Wikimedia events, an international campaign called Wiki Loves Pride, and work on safe space policies, among other collaborations and interwiki projects. Active Wikimedians are welcome to join this cause! Please consider adding your name as a participant/supporter. Current tasks include translating pages, building a strong framework here at Meta, and achieving user group status (with the eventual goal of becoming a thematic organization). Your feedback is welcome on the discussion page.

--Another Believer (talk) 17:27, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

Latest comment: 10 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Hi All, I'm looking for people with specific skill sets to do trainings/workshops/lectures in New York but am having some difficulty locating the right people. I'm looking for someone to give a presentation/demo or introductory training to a group of information professionals (librarians, archivists, data scientists) about Wikidata, and to describe some potential points of entry and applications for Wikidata. I'm also looking for someone to give a presentation/demo about Creative Commons and other open licensing options for different types of publications (i.e. academic, blogs/websites, images)... I loved this article and would love to have someone give a general overview that branches from some of its central topics. Ideally these people would have experience giving such talks/presentations in some professional capacity. Any ideas? Write on my Wikipedia talk page to communicate further and please feel free to forward this message to anyone that you think might have experience in the described areas! OR drohowa (talk) 16:41, 10 December 2014 (UTC)

Nice tables on your reports page!

Latest comment: 9 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Hi, James and Kirill: I just wanted to appreciate the work you did on the structure of your reports page here. It's really easy to find your plans and reports for each year using those neat-looking tables. Great work on that! Winifred Olliff (FDC Support Team) talk 22:52, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

Anyone here going to Wikimania in Italy?

Latest comment: 8 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

I am going to Wikimania (and presenting there) - I was planning to go to with my wife, but it is now questionable that she will be able to make it because of work. Is anybody else from the DC area going? I'd rather travel with someone. Cheers! BD2412 T 00:14, 9 April 2016 (UTC)

WikiProject United States: 50,000 Challenge

Latest comment: 8 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion
You are invited to participate in the 50,000 Challenge, aiming for 50,000 article improvements and creations for articles relating to the United States. This effort began on November 1, 2016 and to reach our goal, we will need editors like you to participate, expand, and create. See more here!

-Another Believer (talk) 02:58, 13 November 2016 (UTC)

Inviting you to participate in the women editing contest "The women you have never met"

Latest comment: 7 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Dear Wikimedia District of Columbia,

Hope this message finds you all well :) On behalf of Iberocoop network I want to invite you to be part of the women editing contest we are organizing along with many other chapters and user groups in the movement. You are doing an excellent work on your local context and we will be so pleased to have you on board. In this very early stage, we are asking the organizations to add their interest in the following meta page Hope to see you there soon! Hugs--Anna Torres (WMAR) (talk) 15:04, 16 January 2017 (UTC)

Line Scan Camera

Latest comment: 7 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Hi WMDC, I'm currently applying for a grant for a line scan camera at Grants:Project/Rapid/dllu/Line_Scan_Camera. Although I am located in San Francisco, if the grant is approved, I will be happy to collaborate with WMDC by loaning the camera. A line scan camera is useful for digitizing artwork on vases and ceramic vessels using en:rollout photography, as well as capturing trains and other moving vehicles. As such, I believe it will be useful for WMDC's GLAM work. If anyone is interested, feel free to join the discussion on the grant page. Thanks! Dllu (talk) 01:02, 11 February 2017 (UTC)

De-Recognition of Affiliates with Long-standing Non-Compliance

This is an update from the Wikimedia Affiliations Committee. Translations are available.

Recognition as a Wikimedia affiliate - a chapter, thematic organization, or user group - is a privilege that allows an independent group to officially use the Wikimedia name to further the Wikimedia mission. While most Wikimedia affiliates adhere to the basic compliance standards set forth in their agreements with the Wikimedia Foundation, a protocol has been developed to address the exceptional cases when a Wikimedia affiliate does not meet basic compliance standards and their continued recognition as a Wikimedia affiliate presents a risk to the Wikimedia movement.

In the past year, the Affiliations Committee - with support from Wikimedia Foundation staff - has made a concerted effort to address a handful of chapters with long-standing issues of non-compliance. As a result, in the coming days and months, a small number of chapters that have been unable to return to compliance through their efforts in the past year will not have their chapter agreements renewed. As a consequence, these organizations will no longer have the additional rights to use the Wikimedia trademarks, including the Wikimedia name, that had been granted under those agreements.

If you have questions about what this means for community members in the affected affiliates’ region or language areas, we have put together a basic FAQ. The FAQ talk page is available for additional questions and comments, and the Affiliations Committee is happy to answer questions directly.

Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Affiliations Committee, 15:55, 13 February 2017 (UTC) • Please help translate to your language • Get help • Subscribe or unsubscribe.

We invite you to join the movement strategy conversation (now through April 15)

This message, "We invite you to join the movement strategy conversation (now through April 15)", was sent through multiple channels by Gregory Varnum on 15 and 16 of March 2017 to village pumps, affiliate talk pages, movement mailing lists, and MassMessage groups. A similar message was sent by Nicole Ebber to organized groups and their mailing lists on 15 of March 2017. This version of the message is available for translation and documentation purposes

Dear Wikimedians/Wikipedians:

Today we are starting a broad discussion to define Wikimedia's future role in the world and develop a collaborative strategy to fulfill that role. You are warmly invited to join the conversation.

There are many ways to participate, by joining an existing conversation or starting your own:

Track A (organized groups): Discussions with your affiliate, committee or other organized group (these are groups that support the Wikimedia movement).

Track B (individual contributors): On Meta or your local language or project wiki.

This is the first of three conversations, and it will run between now and April 15. The purpose of cycle 1 is to discuss the future of the movement and generate major themes around potential directions. What do we want to build or achieve together over the next 15 years?

We welcome you, as we create this conversation together, and look forward to broad and diverse participation from all parts of our movement.

Sincerely,

Nicole Ebber (Track A Lead), Jaime Anstee (Track B Lead), & the engagement support teams

05:00, 18 March 2017 (UTC)

Voting has begun in 2017 Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees elections

This is a message from the Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee. Translations are available.

Voting has begun for eligible voters in the 2017 elections for the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.

The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees is the ultimate governing authority of the Wikimedia Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization registered in the United States. The Wikimedia Foundation manages many diverse projects such as Wikipedia and Commons.

The voting phase lasts from 00:00 UTC May 1 to 23:59 UTC May 14. Click here to vote. More information on the candidates and the elections can be found on the 2017 Board of Trustees election page on Meta-Wiki.

On behalf of the Elections Committee,
Katie Chan, Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee
Joe Sutherland, Community Advocate, Wikimedia Foundation

Posted by the MediaWiki message delivery • Translate • Get help

19:02, 3 May 2017 (UTC)

Join the next cycle of Wikimedia movement strategy discussions (underway until June 12)

Message is available for translation on Meta-Wiki

The Wikimedia movement strategy core team and working groups have completed reviewing the more than 1800 thematic statements we received from the first discussion. They have identified 5 themes that were consistent across all the conversations - each with their own set of sub-themes. These are not the final themes, just an initial working draft of the core concepts.

You are invited to join the online and offline discussions taking place on these 5 themes. This round of discussions will take place between now and June 12th. You can discuss as many as you like; we ask you to participate in the ones that are most (or least) important to you.

Here are the five themes, each has a page on Meta-Wiki with more information about the theme and how to participate in that theme's discussion:

On the movement strategy portal on Meta-Wiki, you can find more information about each of these themes, their discussions, and how to participate.

Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation • Please help translate to your language • Get help

19:25, 16 May 2017 (UTC)

Start of the 2017 Wikimedia Foundation Funds Dissemination Committee elections

Translations of this message are available on Meta-Wiki.

On behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee, we are pleased to announce that self-nominations are being accepted for the 2017 Wikimedia Foundation Funds Dissemination Committee and Funds Dissemination Committee Ombudsperson elections. Please read the letter from the Wikimedia Foundation calling for candidates at on the 2017 Wikimedia Foundation elections portal.

Funds Dissemination Committee
The Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC) makes recommendations about how to allocate Wikimedia movement funds to eligible entities. There are five positions being filled. More information about this role can be found at the FDC elections page.

Funds Dissemination Committee Ombudsperson
The Funds Dissemination Committee Ombudsperson receives complaints and feedback about the FDC process, investigates complaints at the request of the Board of Trustees, and summarizes the investigations and feedback for the Board of Trustees on an annual basis. One position is being filled. More information about this role can be found at the FDC Ombudsperson elections page.

The candidacy submission phase will last until May 28 (23:59 UTC).

We will also be accepting questions to ask the candidates until May 28. You can submit your questions on Meta-Wiki. Once the questions submission period has ended on May 28, the Elections Committee will then collate the questions for the candidates to respond to.

The goal of this process is to fill the five community-selected seats on the Wikimedia Foundation Funds Dissemination Committee and the community-selected ombudsperson. The election results will be used by the Board itself to make the appointments.

The full schedule for the FDC elections is as follows. All dates are inclusive, that is, from the beginning of the first day (UTC) to the end of the last.

  • May 15 (00:00 UTC) – May 28 (23:59 UTC) – Nominations
  • May 15 – May 28 – Candidates questions submission period
  • May 29 – June 2 – Candidates answer questions
  • June 3 – June 11 – Voting period
  • June 12–14 – Vote checking
  • June 15 – Goal date for announcing election results

More information on this year's elections can be found at the 2017 Wikimedia Foundation elections portal.

Please feel free to post a note about the election on your project's village pump. Any questions related to the election can be posted on the talk page on Meta-Wiki, or sent to the election committee's mailing list, board-elections(at)wikimedia.org.

On behalf of the Election Committee,
Katie Chan, Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee
Joe Sutherland, Community Advocate, Wikimedia Foundation

Posted by the MediaWiki message delivery • Translate • Get help

21:03, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Translating Ibero-America is back! Come and join us :)

Latest comment: 7 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Dear Wikimedia District of Columbia ,
Hope this message finds you well!
Again this year 2017 the Iberocoop network is launching the editing contest "Translating Ibero-American" aiming to position the Ibero-american culture outside our borders :)
You can find the contest page here
We hope your community can join us!
Hugs--Anna Torres (WMAR) (talk) 20:02, 1 June 2017 (UTC)

Notification of Past Due Reporting

Latest comment: 7 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Greetings, This is a notification to bring to your attention that your organization is currently past due on its required annual reporting. Chapters are required to submit an annual activity and annual financial report covering the entirety of the 12-month agreement period due within 4 months of the end of the organizations fiscal year. Reports must be written in English, posted to meta, and linked on the meta Reports page.

This page is used to track how organizations and groups are meeting reporting requirements described in their agreements with the Wikimedia Foundation (e.g. chapter agreements, thematic organization agreements, user group agreements). It is the central place where affiliates can add reports about their activities, share their plans, and even news or social media channels with the wider movement. When new reports are available, organizations and groups should add them to this page to keep their columns up to date.

As noted on the meta Reports page, your organization’s 2016 annual reporting became past due in January. Please be sure to

  1. Post your 2016 annual reporting to the meta Reports page as soon as possible to return to compliance with your chapter agreement.
  2. Check that your group’s page is also up to date with past report links for historical record-keeping, and
  3. Please send an email to Wikimedia-l in order to share with a movement-wide audience.

If you have any questions or need any further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Best regards, JAnstee (WMF) (talk) 15:37, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

Wikipedian in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh to facilitate the transfer of historical content into Wikimedia projects

Latest comment: 7 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Your support is solicited for the Project Grant that can be seen here. Part of the grant-making process requires notification of those who would like to support this project. I am the potential grantee and believe that this position will make a significant contribution to many projects. The University of Pittsburgh intends to release as many historical photos as possible into the public domain. Most of the archival materials are related to United States History. Other projects will also benefit. Some of these are Wikipedia:WikiProject Indigenous peoples of North America, Wikipedia:WikiProject Ethnic groups, Wikipedia:WikiProject Women in Red, Wikipedia:WikiProject Pennsylvania, Wikipedia:WikiProject United States History, Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/American Revolutionary War task force, Wikipedia:WikiProject Pittsburgh, and Wikipedia:WikiProject African diaspora. Some of these WikiProjects are currently semi-active and would benefit from more contributions from those in the Western Pennsylvania region and the University of Pittsburgh. The University of Pittsburgh has significant archival and historical content related to gaps to these WikProjects. One of my project goals is to develop a relationship with the DC Wikimedia Chapter so that I can learn from all of your experiences when it comes to developing a more active regional chapter here in Western Pennsylvania. Thank you for your consideration.

Best Regards, Barbara (WVS) ✐ ✉ 23:33, 25 September 2017 (UTC)

Learning Quarterly: October 2017

Latest comment: 7 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

L&E Newsletter / Volume 4 / Issue 14 / October 2017
 Learning Quarterly

Stay tuned
blogs, events
& more!

Request for comments on Wikimedia user group logos

This is an update from the Wikimedia Affiliations Committee. Translations are available.

The Affiliations Committee is requesting comments on proposed best practices for Wikimedia user group logos. The committee will seek community input until Saturday, May 24, 2014. After considering the community's input, the Affiliations Committee will publish on Meta-Wiki guidelines for Wikimedia user group logos.

There is already a standard format used by chapters, and that format is being applied to thematic organizations as well. Chapters and thematic organizations have also worked with Wikimedia Foundation legal in the past on custom logos. Wikimedia user groups may also create custom logos, and the new trademark policy allows for logos to be based off the community or Wikimedia Foundation logos. However, there remains a question of the best practice for standard user group logos.

Please make any comments or ask any questions on Meta-Wiki at Affiliations Committee/RFCs/Wikimedia user group logos.

Thank you - Wikimedia Affiliations Committee

Posted by the MediaWiki message delivery on 23:08, 14 May 2014 (UTC) • Translate • Get help • Subscribe or unsubscribe.

Affiliations Committee call for candidates - September 2014

The Affiliations Committee is looking for new members. The committee's work requires communication with volunteers all over the World, negotiating skills and cultural sensitivity and the ability to understand legal texts. We try to get a healthy mix of different skill sets in our members.

Members are usually selected every twelve months for staggered two-year terms. The applications will be voted on by the current members not seeking re-election, taking into account comments put forward by the committee's members, advisers, WMF staff and board liaisons based on the membership criteria. A final decision will be made by the end of October 2014, with new members expected to join on or around 1 November 2014.

Please read the full call for candidates for more information, membership criteria, and details on how to apply.

Best regards,
Carlos Colina
Chair, Affiliations Committee

Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Affiliations Committee, 07:46, 5 September 2014 (UTC) • Translate • Get help • Subscribe or unsubscribe.

Nominations are being accepted for 2015 Wikimedia Foundation elections

Latest comment: 9 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

This is a message from the 2015 Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee. Translations are available.

Greetings,

I am pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 2015 Wikimedia Foundation Elections. This year the Board and the FDC Staff are looking for a diverse set of candidates from regions and projects that are traditionally under-represented on the board and in the movement as well as candidates with experience in technology, product or finance. To this end they have published letters describing what they think is needed and, recognizing that those who know the community the best are the community themselves, the election committee is accepting nominations for community members you think should run and will reach out to those nominated to provide them with information about the job and the election process.

This year, elections are being held for the following roles:

Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is the decision-making body that is ultimately responsible for the long term sustainability of the Foundation, so we value wide input into its selection. There are three positions being filled. More information about this role can be found at the board elections page.

Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC)
The Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC) makes recommendations about how to allocate Wikimedia movement funds to eligible entities. There are five positions being filled. More information about this role can be found at the FDC elections page.

Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC) Ombud
The FDC Ombud receives complaints and feedback about the FDC process, investigates complaints at the request of the Board of Trustees, and summarizes the investigations and feedback for the Board of Trustees on an annual basis. One position is being filled. More information about this role can be found at the FDC Ombudsperson elections page.

The candidacy submission phase lasts from 00:00 UTC April 20 to 23:59 UTC May 5 for the Board and from 00:00 UTCApril 20 to 23:59 UTC April 30 for the FDC and FDC Ombudsperson. This year, we are accepting both self-nominations and nominations of others. More information on this election and the nomination process can be found on the 2015 Wikimedia elections page on Meta-Wiki.

Please feel free to post a note about the election on your project's village pump. Any questions related to the election can be posted on the talk page on Meta, or sent to the election committee's mailing list, board-elections -at- wikimedia.org

On behalf of the Elections Committee,
-Gregory Varnum (User:Varnent)
Coordinator, 2015 Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee

Posted by the MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the 2015 Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee, 04:56, 21 April 2015 (UTC) • Translate • Get help

Requests for comments on Wikimedia user groups approval process and agreements

This is an update from the Wikimedia Affiliations Committee. Translations are available.

The Wikimedia Affiliations Committee is requesting comments on the approval process and agreements for Wikimedia user groups.

Wikimedia user groups are groups of Wikimedia users who support and promote the Wikimedia projects in the offline world by organizing meetups and other projects. The Wikimedia Affiliations Committee's responsibilities include approval of new Wikimedia user groups.

The committee will seek community input until Friday, May 1, 2015. The committee will then review the community's input, and publish the new process and agreements on Meta-Wiki. The committee will again seek community input approximately six months after any changes are adopted to gauge effectiveness and if any additional changes are necessary.

Please see the RFC page on Meta-Wiki for more information and to provide feedback.

Thank you - Wikimedia Affiliations Committee

Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Affiliations Committee, 04:26, 24 April 2015 (UTC) • Translate • Get help • Subscribe or unsubscribe.

Wikimedia Foundation Funds Dissemination Committee elections 2015

This is a message from the 2015 Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee. Translations are available.

Voting has begun for eligible voters in the 2015 elections for the Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC) and FDC Ombudsperson. Questions and discussion with the candidates for the Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC) and FDC Ombudsperson will continue during the voting. Nominations for the Board of Trustees will be accepted until 23:59 UTC May 5.

The Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC) makes recommendations about how to allocate Wikimedia movement funds to eligible entities. There are five positions on the committee being filled.

The FDC Ombudsperson receives complaints and feedback about the FDC process, investigates complaints at the request of the Board of Trustees, and summarizes the investigations and feedback for the Board of Trustees on an annual basis. One position is being filled.

The voting phase lasts from 00:00 UTC May 3 to 23:59 UTC May 10. Click here to vote. Questions and discussion with the candidates will continue during that time. Click here to ask the FDC candidates a question. Click here to ask the FDC Ombudsperson candidates a question. More information on the candidates and the elections can be found on the 2015 FDC election page, the 2015 FDC Ombudsperson election page, and the 2015 Board election page on Meta-Wiki.

On behalf of the Elections Committee,
-Gregory Varnum (User:Varnent)
Volunteer Coordinator, 2015 Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee

Posted by the MediaWiki message delivery 03:40, 4 May 2015 (UTC) • Translate • Get help

Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees elections 2015

This is a message from the 2015 Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee. Translations are available.

Voting has begun for eligible voters in the 2015 elections for the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees. Questions and discussion with the candidates for the Board will continue during the voting.

The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees is the ultimate governing authority of the Wikimedia Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization registered in the United States. The Wikimedia Foundation manages many diverse projects such as Wikipedia and Commons.

The voting phase lasts from 00:00 UTC May 17 to 23:59 UTC May 31. Click here to vote. More information on the candidates and the elections can be found on the 2015 Board election page on Meta-Wiki.

On behalf of the Elections Committee,
-Gregory Varnum (User:Varnent)
Volunteer Coordinator, 2015 Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee

Posted by the MediaWiki message delivery 17:20, 17 May 2015 (UTC) • Translate • Get help

Introducing the Wikimedia Affiliates mailing list

This is an update from the Wikimedia Affiliations Committee. Translations are available.

The Wikimedia Affiliations Committee is pleased to introduce the launch of the Wikimedia Affiliates mailing list, which is basically a place for all the affiliates (chapters, thematic organizations, user groups) to discuss issues related to affiliates, make announcements to other affiliates, and collaborate on activities and community-wide events. The idea is to help facilitate the dialogue affiliates across our movement, plus collaborative discussions like community-wide activities, joint edit-a-thons, regional conferences, blog/report posts, or other communications from affiliates.

Each Wikimedia movement affiliate is allocated three spots on the mailing list. All affiliates may contact the Affiliations Committee to request additional spots if needed.

Please find a bit more information on Meta-Wiki and do not hesitate to contact the Affiliations Committee if you have further questions.

Thank you - Wikimedia Affiliations Committee

Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Affiliations Committee, 07:51, 27 October 2015 (UTC) • Translate • Get help • Subscribe or unsubscribe.

Your input requested on the proposed #FreeBassel banner campaign

This is a message regarding the proposed 2015 Free Bassel banner. Translations are available.

Hi everyone,

This is to inform all Wikimedia contributors that a straw poll seeking your involvement has just been started on Meta-Wiki.

As some of your might be aware, a small group of Wikimedia volunteers have proposed a banner campaign informing Wikipedia readers about the urgent situation of our fellow Wikipedian, open source software developer and Creative Commons activist, Bassel Khartabil. An exemplary banner and an explanatory page have now been prepared, and translated into about half a dozen languages by volunteer translators.

We are seeking your involvement to decide if the global Wikimedia community approves starting a banner campaign asking Wikipedia readers to call on the Syrian government to release Bassel from prison. We understand that a campaign like this would be unprecedented in Wikipedia's history, which is why we're seeking the widest possible consensus among the community.

Given Bassel's urgent situation and the resulting tight schedule, we ask everyone to get involved with the poll and the discussion to the widest possible extent, and to promote it among your communities as soon as possible.

(Apologies for writing in English; please kindly translate this message into your own language.)

Thank you for your participation!

Posted by the MediaWiki message delivery 21:46, 25 November 2015 (UTC) • Translate • Get help

2015 Affiliations Committee call for candidates

This is an update from the Wikimedia Affiliations Committee. Translations are available.

The Affiliations Committee – the committee responsible for guiding volunteers in establishing Wikimedia chapters, thematic organizations, and user groups – is looking for new members!

The main role of the Affiliations Committee is to guide groups of volunteers that are interested in forming Wikimedia affiliates. We review applications from new groups, answer questions and provide advice about the different Wikimedia affiliation models and processes, review affiliate bylaws for compliance with requirements and best practices, and advise the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees on issues connected to chapters, thematic organizations and Wikimedia user groups.

The committee consists of twelve members, six of whom are selected every twelve months for staggered two-year terms.

Key skills

Being a part of the Affiliations Committee requires communication with volunteers all over the world, negotiating skills, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to understand legal texts. We try to get a healthy mix of different skill sets in our members. The key skills and experience that we look for in candidates are:

  • Excitement by the challenge of helping to empower groups of volunteers worldwide.
  • Willingness to process applications through a set, perhaps bureaucratic process.
  • Readiness to participate in political discussions on the role and future of affiliates, models of affiliations, and similar questions.
  • Availability of up to 5 hours per week, and the time to participate in a monthly ~2 hour voice/video meeting.
  • International orientation.
  • Very good communication skills in English.
  • Ability to work and communicate with other languages and cultures.
  • Strong understanding of the structure and work of affiliates and the WMF.
  • Knowledge of different legal systems and experience in community building and organising are a plus.
  • Effective communication skills in other languages are a major plus.
  • Experience with or in an active affiliate is a major plus.
  • Willingness to use one's real name in committee activities (including contacts with current and potential affiliates) when appropriate.

We are looking for people who are not afraid of the workload and are motivated by helping other volunteers to get organized and form communities that further our mission around the world.

Selection process

As a reflection of our commitment to openness, transparency, and bilateral engagement with the Wikimedia community, the 2015 member selection process will include a public review and comment period. All applications received by the committee will be posted on Meta (at Affiliations Committee/Candidates/2015), and the community will be invited to provide comments and feedback about each candidate.

At the end of the public comment period, the applications will be voted on by the members of the committee who are not seeking re-election, taking into account comments put forward by the committee's members, advisors, WMF staff and board liaisons, and the community. A final decision will be made by mid-January 2016, with new members expected to join later that month.

How to apply

If you are interested in joining the committee, please send an application to affcom@lists.wikimedia.org by 31 December 2015. You will get a confirmation that your application was received.

Your application should include the following:

  • Your full name
  • Your contact information (including e-mail address and username)
  • A statement describing your relevant experience, skills, and motivation for joining the committee.

Your statement will be published for community review and feedback, so please do not include any information that you are not comfortable sharing.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me and/or the committee as a whole. We are happy to chat or have a phone call with anyone about our work if this helps them decide to apply. Please distribute this call among your networks, and do apply if you are interested!

Best regards,
Carlos Colina
Chair, Affiliations Committee

Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Affiliations Committee, 16:53, 9 December 2015 (UTC) • Please help translate to your language • Get help • Subscribe or unsubscribe.

Get involved in Wikipedia 15!

Latest comment: 9 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

This is a message from the Wikimedia Foundation. Translations are available.

As many of you know, January 15 is Wikipedia’s 15th Birthday!

People around the world are getting involved in the celebration and have started adding their events on Meta Page. While we are celebrating Wikipedia's birthday, we hope that all projects and affiliates will be able to utilize this celebration to raise awareness of our community's efforts.

Haven’t started planning? Don’t worry, there’s lots of ways to get involved. Here are some ideas:

Everything is linked on the Wikipedia 15 Meta page. You’ll find a set of ten data visualization works that you can show at your events, and a list of all the Wikipedia 15 logos that community members have already designed.

If you have any questions, please contact Zachary McCune or Joe Sutherland.

Thanks and Happy nearly Wikipedia 15!
-The Wikimedia Foundation Communications team

Posted by the MediaWiki message delivery, 20:53, 18 December 2015 (UTC) • Please help translate to your language • Help

Review of initial updates on Wikimedia movement strategy process

Note: Apologies for cross-posting and sending in English. Message is available for translation on Meta-Wiki.

The Wikimedia movement is beginning a movement-wide strategy discussion, a process which will run throughout 2017. For 15 years, Wikimedians have worked together to build the largest free knowledge resource in human history. During this time, we've grown from a small group of editors to a diverse network of editors, developers, affiliates, readers, donors, and partners. Today, we are more than a group of websites. We are a movement rooted in values and a powerful vision: all knowledge for all people. As a movement, we have an opportunity to decide where we go from here.

This movement strategy discussion will focus on the future of our movement: where we want to go together, and what we want to achieve. We hope to design an inclusive process that makes space for everyone: editors, community leaders, affiliates, developers, readers, donors, technology platforms, institutional partners, and people we have yet to reach. There will be multiple ways to participate including on-wiki, in private spaces, and in-person meetings. You are warmly invited to join and make your voice heard.

The immediate goal is to have a strategic direction by Wikimania 2017 to help frame a discussion on how we work together toward that strategic direction.

Regular updates are being sent to the Wikimedia-l mailing list, and posted on Meta-Wiki. Beginning with this message, monthly reviews of these updates will be sent to this page as well. Sign up to receive future announcements and monthly highlights of strategy updates on your user talk page.

Here is a review of the updates that have been sent so far:

More information about the movement strategy is available on the Meta-Wiki 2017 Wikimedia movement strategy portal.

Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation, 20:27, 15 February 2017 (UTC) • Please help translate to your language • Get help

Overview #2 of updates on Wikimedia movement strategy process

Note: Apologies for cross-posting and sending in English. This message is available for translation on Meta-Wiki.

As we mentioned last month, the Wikimedia movement is beginning a movement-wide strategy discussion, a process which will run throughout 2017. This movement strategy discussion will focus on the future of our movement: where we want to go together, and what we want to achieve.

Regular updates are being sent to the Wikimedia-l mailing list, and posted on Meta-Wiki. Each month, we are sending overviews of these updates to this page as well. Sign up to receive future announcements and monthly highlights of strategy updates on your user talk page.

Here is a overview of the updates that have been sent since our message last month:

More information about the movement strategy is available on the Meta-Wiki 2017 Wikimedia movement strategy portal.

Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation, 19:42, 9 March 2017 (UTC) • Please help translate to your language • Get help

Start of the 2017 Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees elections

Please accept our apologies for cross-posting this message. This message is available for translation on Meta-Wiki.

On behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee, I am pleased to announce that self-nominations are being accepted for the 2017 Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees Elections.

The Board of Trustees (Board) is the decision-making body that is ultimately responsible for the long-term sustainability of the Wikimedia Foundation, so we value wide input into its selection. More information about this role can be found on Meta-Wiki. Please read the letter from the Board of Trustees calling for candidates.

The candidacy submission phase will last from April 7 (00:00 UTC) to April 20 (23:59 UTC).

We will also be accepting questions to ask the candidates from April 7 to April 20. You can submit your questions on Meta-Wiki.

Once the questions submission period has ended on April 20, the Elections Committee will then collate the questions for the candidates to respond to beginning on April 21.

The goal of this process is to fill the three community-selected seats on the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees. The election results will be used by the Board itself to select its new members.

The full schedule for the Board elections is as follows. All dates are inclusive, that is, from the beginning of the first day (UTC) to the end of the last.

  • April 7 (00:00 UTC) – April 20 (23:59 UTC) – Board nominations
  • April 7 – April 20 – Board candidates questions submission period
  • April 21 – April 30 – Board candidates answer questions
  • May 1 – May 14 – Board voting period
  • May 15–19 – Board vote checking
  • May 20 – Board result announcement goal

In addition to the Board elections, we will also soon be holding elections for the following roles:

  • Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC)
    • There are five positions being filled. More information about this election will be available on Meta-Wiki.
  • Funds Dissemination Committee Ombudsperson (Ombuds)
    • One position is being filled. More information about this election will be available on Meta-Wiki.

Please note that this year the Board of Trustees elections will be held before the FDC and Ombuds elections. Candidates who are not elected to the Board are explicitly permitted and encouraged to submit themselves as candidates to the FDC or Ombuds positions after the results of the Board elections are announced.

More information on this year's elections can be found on Meta-Wiki. Any questions related to the election can be posted on the election talk page on Meta-Wiki, or sent to the election committee's mailing list, board-elections(at)wikimedia.org.

On behalf of the Election Committee,
Katie Chan, Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee
Joe Sutherland, Community Advocate, Wikimedia Foundation

Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee, 03:35, 7 April 2017 (UTC) • Please help translate to your language • Get help
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