User:Gopala (CIS-A2K)/Impact Report 2017-18

Activities

Content Enrichment Activities

Kannada University Hampi Wiktionary work

What work was done

CIS-A2K and Dravida Samskruti Adhyanaya Kendra, Kannada University Hampi had started digitisation of Dravida Nighantu in August to enrich contents and quality of Kannada Wiktionary and Wikisource. The book was present in non-Unicode. First, we started converting the approximately 60000 non-Unicode words into Unicode. After that Dravida nighantu will be released under Creative Commons license. We submitted a proposal in the month of December to release Dravida Nighantu under creative commons license. Previously the process of converting non-Unicode ISCII to Unicode was cemented due to academic. Because of that CIS-A2K had conducted the offline program in February to PhD students of Dravida Samskruti Adhyana Kendra, Kannada University Hampi. In this workshop, we finished converting approximately 60000 words into Unicode and proofread. After that, we contacted Wiktionary experts like info-farmer and community members to add them into Wiktionary. Since the interface of Wiktionary is changing they advised us not to upload the words now.

Learnings

From this event we learnt, there are institutions and students who are looking for opportunities to learn Kannada and improve Kannada online. But they do not know where they need to invest time and efforts. Building faith and understandings about open knowledge movement and creative commons license in them will directly effect of Kannada Wikimedia movement.

Follow-up

Dravida Samskruti Adhyana Kendra interested to include the Wikimedia project related works in their academics. A2K is supporting with the resources and required pattern and in reports on Wiki and blogs.

Impact

It is very important for having Kannada typing knowledge to any Kannada PhD students. Before we digitizing Dravida nighantu was in non-Unicode. After digitization PhD students learnt about Kannada software in which they can type in Unicode. Also, they learnt Kannada typing. This will help us in future to digitize more books efficiently. Now they can publish their research papers also in Unicode, previously it was in non-Unicode. This will help to give references on kn.wiki about Dravidian culture-related articles.

Karnataka Rajyotsava edit-a-thon

What work was done

The November month is special for Kannadiga's, so with the community idea, Karnataka Rajyotsava Edit-a-thon was conducted with the theme Karnataka-Kannadigas-Kannada was conducted in the month of November. It was a month-long edit-a-thon. In this edit-a-thon along with Kannada community, very close community members to Kannada community members also contributed to this program.

Learnings

Since we did this edit-a-thon for the first time in Kannada Wikipedia, we did not prepare an important articles list. We understood after the edit-a-thon we need to prepare a list of articles which can be created in different areas based on the theme. That would help community members to choose an article also they will understand the importance of the article.

Follow-up

We are conducting the edit-a-thon in 2018 also. We are planning to collaborate other edit-a-thon with the Karnataka Rajyotsava edit-a-thon.

Impact

From this edit-a-thon, Kannada community connected more with different Indic communities. In future Kannada community is willing to collaborate with them in similar edit-a-thons.

Mysuru Workshop (Wildlife and ecology)

What work was done

Kiran Bagade had attended the workshop conducted by A2K in Gubbi labs R&D Centre IISc Bangalore, after that he coordinated a thematic workshop in Mysuru with the help of CIS-A2K about Wildlife and Ecology to enrich contents in those areas. This workshop helped to create awareness about how even naturalists, wildlife conservationist can contribute on Wikipedia in native languages. If Wikipedia readers get information and statistics in native language about the wildlife and ecology there will be conservation by the information sharing in between. Participants also understood the importance of using different local names instead of only using scientific names. Since participants from Wildlife background, we requested them to upload photos and illustrations on commons.

Learnings

We had a lot of arguments about why templates are in English, and why are the tools are in English. From this, we understood the importance of work on Translate.wiki. We are planning to work on translate.wiki also. Even from the community, there are voices such as how we can do work on translate.wiki. We are planning to conduct a woThe rkshop on that. A2K team realised that investment in this workshop did not give the expected outcome. So A2K decided not to follow-up this event. Since the idea is good A2K is trying to collaborate with other like-minded organisers like Gubbi Labs.

Impact

This workshop helped to identify the tech gap in active community members in person-level. Also, there was a huge debate between one of the participants about the translation of template and other parameters on Kannada Wikipedia.

Oneindia Workshop

Oneindia is a well recognised online news portal who's head office is in Bangalore. The workshop was conducted for editors of Oneindia Kannada. This workshop bought good relation between media persons who are helping in publicity of Wiki events in Karnataka. Also, the workshop helped them in understanding how references matters in Wikipedia and what is the need for a well-written article on newspapers and news portals. This workshop also helped to create awareness about using commons and free licenses images under attribution and uploading images to commons. This workshop coordinated with A2K by the community member Vikas Hegde. From Oneindia Mahesh helped us to organise the event.

Learnings

It was a quite small duration workshop. Since they are the media people we were able to train only for a few hours for one group. After that, we had to train another set. Even though it was a challenge we could able to tell them what Wikipedia is and how to make edits as well as different Wikimedia Projects. Since the participants are media employees they are not free most of the times to follow-up as well as A2K investing in ideas about how we can work with them.

Impact

This event helped to increase the awareness and understanding in Oneindia about Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects. Oneindia Kannada started writing and reporting about Wikipedia, they even started publishing about community meets-ups aswell.

ವಿಕಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಾಗಾರ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿತ್ತು, ಹೊಸ ಪುಟ ರಚಿಸುವುದು ಹಾಗೂ ಹಳೆ ಪುಟಗಳನ್ನು ತ್ವರಿತವಾಗಿ ಎಡಿಟ್ ಮಾಡುವ ವ್ಯವಸ್ತೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಸರಳಗೊಳಿಸಿದರೆ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದು. ಹೊಸಬರಿಗೆ ಮೊದಲ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನದಲ್ಲೇ ಉಲ್ಲೇಖ, ಕೊಂಡಿ, ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ತಕ್ಷಣಕ್ಕೆ ಕೊಡುವುದು ಕಷ್ಟವಾಗಬಹುದು. ಇಂಥ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಳೆ ಎಡಿಟರ್‌ಗಳು ನೆರವಾದರೆ ಉತ್ತಮ. ಒಟ್ಟಾರೆ, ಇಂಥ ಕಾರ್ಯಾಗಾರಗಳು ಸಹಕಾರಿ. (Wiki workshop was good. It will be good if editing a new page and editing previously created pages made a little easy. Newcomers may face difficulty adding references and links at the first attempt. If experienced editors help that time it will be good. Overall, these kinds of workshops very much needed and helpful.) --Mahesh Malnad

Indian women and crafts

What is the event

Indian women and crafts workshop were conducted at Janastu on 8th March. In this workshop, we taught the basics of Wikipedia to the Janastu employees and few people who came from outside. In this workshop, we gave them tasks on how to use templates and tools since the participants are from the tech background. They knew computer programming very well. In the same month, that is on March 25 there was a follow-up edit-a-thon.

Learnings

It will be very difficult to have a workshop in a very short duration. We cannot concentrate much on Wiki policies. Even though it worked with this bunch of participants. Because they are from the tech background. Unless or until participants are from tech background it is very difficult to conduct a workshop and deliver things completely. We will miss out so many things because we have very less time. Also, we learned how to conduct the workshop to a tech background people and make them understand policies then they will work on the tech-related part.

Follow-up

We are talking to Janastu to have a long duration workshop. We got the very good response from Janastu. We are planning to schedule the workshop/edit-a-thon in the first quarter.

Impact

This workshop helped the relation between Janastu and CIS-A2K. Previously one workshop happened in 2013. After that there were no Wikipedia workshops. This workshop leading us to conduct more workshop and start a project, Indian women and crafts.

Bengaluru Inscription stone project

What work was done

Uday of Kumar and Vinay are to software engineers from Bangalore who traced 30 inscriptions stones which are still present in Bengaluru city out of around 175 stones which are mentioned on Epigraphia of Carnatica Volume 10 written by B. L. Rice. This project got a good amount of publicity because of the Facebook group. because of Vinay and Uday gave all their work like photographs, floor trace images and google maps points of inscriptions stone inside Bangalore city under the free license. This helped us a lot. Kannada community has created articles about available 30 stones in Bangalore. During this map-frame is enabled in Kannada Wikipedia and we added longitude and latitude of the stones so that people who are interested can see those stones physically other than on photos.

Learning

From this project, A2K learnt that when we push a project to the community with good faith and good concept community will show positive interest and they will work on a project with their personal interest.

Follow-up

We are planning to conduct a workshop and edit-a-thon on the theme of inscriptions stones of Bangalore village. We spoke to a few institutions who showed interest and we are looking forward to working with them.

Impact

From this project, Kannada Wikipedia got 30 articles which clearly shows Bengaluru history. Before we are adding the contents about inscriptions stones of Bengaluru on Wikipedia there were no other materials to study about stones in readable forthanow whoever visiting Kannada Wikipedia can search those articles and visit those stones.

Skill Building Initiatives

Template and AWB workshop

What work was done

During Mysuru workshop, Vikas Hegde mentioned that we need a training in AWB and Wiki tools training. So we planned an AWB and tools and gadgets raining at the CIS office. This workshop we planned for little-advanced editors. But few beginner editors came to the event. Because of this, we could not conduct the workshop as we planned. We had to explain the basics of Wikipedia during that we gave AWB practising tasks to advanced editors.

Learnings

A2K failed in selecting participants. We learnt we should be more careful in selecting participants. Because of one/two participants program did not go well. This affected the entire training. In the future, we should select participants in some structured process. Other than that we learnt the potential in Kannada community is with only a few. There are very good tech supporters in Kannada. We should support them. Others who are willing to learn we need to start Intensive Personalised Wiki Training (IPWT).

Impact

Anoop Rao had taken sessions even in his tight schedule. Because of this community members met him and community realised that he is a strong tech leader in Kannada community. Now the community is in touch with him and he is helping the community a lot and community members in contact with each other.

GLAM Related Activities

Working with White Swan Foundation

What was happened

The A2K team had conversations with White Swan foundation bringing content about mental health and diseases to Kannada Wikipedia. From this conversation, White Swan is ready to give the content. Also, they are interested to conduct an edit-a-thon.

Learnings

We could not find good references in Kannada online. We have only C. R Chandrashekhar books which are offline. We are trying to find online references. Also, we are digitising C. R. Chandrashekhar books.

Follow-up

We have posted the possible article list on Kannada Wikipedia. We have approached community about this list. We are waiting for community feedback.

Impact

This project will bring contents related to mental health under copyright free. Since there is no other good source online about mental health kn.wikipedia will have more impact on readers.

Supporting Community leadership

Supporting Karavali Wikimedians

CIS-A2K continuously supported Karavali Wikimedians in logistics and etc. CIS-A2K encouraged to apply for Grants for the program like 1st year anniversary of Tulu Wikipedia and gender gap related activities. Also, CIS-A2K supporting Karavali Wikimedians to showcase their work at the global level. Also, CIS-A2K handed over the Kannada community scanner to Karavali Wikimedians to scan old books and newspapers. This scanner will be in Mangalore for several months.

Impact

More participation from Karavali Wikimedians in TTT-2018. This clearly shows the emerging leaders in Kannada and Tulu community.

Follow up

CIS-A2K is supporting activities of Karavali Wikimedians and leaders of Karavali Wikimedians in grant applications.

Overall impact

On Kannada Wiki Sangappadyamani is creating the articles about Google's doodles if they do not exist. From this passionate work, he also inspired other language Wikipedians.
Kannada Wikipedians participation is increased in the national level workshop such as TTT-2018 and WAT-2018. In Train The Trainer-2018 Lokesha kunchadka, Bharathesha Alasandemajalu and User:Sangappadyamani has participated and in Wiki Advanced Training 2018 Mallikarjunasj and Vikashegde is participated.

In-kind Support

Please use the exchange rate in your APG proposal. Table 2 Please report all spending in the currency of your grant unless US$ is requested.

Please also include any in-kind contributions or resources that you have received in this revenues table. This might include donated office space, services, prizes, food, etc. If you are to provide a monetary equivalent (e.g. $500 for food from Organization X for service Y), please include it in this table. Otherwise, please highlight the contribution, as well as the name of the partner, in the notes section.

Table 2Please report all spending in the currency of your grant unless US$ is requested.

Please also include any in-kind contributions or resources that you have received in this revenues table. This might include donated office space, services, prizes, food, etc. If you are to provide a monetary equivalent (e.g. $500 for food from Organization X for service Y), please include it in this table. Otherwise, please highlight the contribution, as well as the name of the partner, in the notes section.

Revenue source	Currency	Anticipated	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Cumulative	Anticipated ($US)*	Cumulative ($US)*	Explanation of variances from plan
Volunteer support	INR		1400	1000	2100	1000
Travel & Stay	INR		9800	-	12300	-
Event organization and logistics	INR		3000	2700	4500	1525

Revenue source	Currency	Anticipated	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Cumulative	Anticipated ($US)*	Cumulative ($US)*	Explanation of variances from plan
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K

* Provide estimates in US Dollars