Wiki Movement Brazil User Group/Report/2024/Funds and Administration
Report of activities for 2024 - Funds and Administration
First quarter report (Jan-Mar)
2024's first WMB Ordinary General Assembly
On February 26th, WMB's Ordinary General Assembly was held, with 27 members of the user group participating remotely. This was our first ordinary assembly programmed for this year, and it remains an equitable environment for our members to take decisions about our association and ensure that we are aligned with our strategic direction, values and mission.
During the assembly, we welcomed 3 new members to our user group, bringing the total number of active members in WMB to 43. We also approved a new Strategic Communications Plan and discussed the governance agenda of our committees, our travel policy and our application for chapter status. The results of a research about membership in mature Wikimedia affiliates were also presented in this meeting.[1]
Second quarter report (Apr-Jun)
Participatory governance and community accountability
WMB has been sistematically carrying out bimonthly meetings for almost six years now.[2] These meetings align with a long practice of fostering a culture of transparency and inclusivity, ensuring that members feel valued and are well informed about the organization's activities and directions.
By providing a platform for open dialogue, we are able to obtain and share diverse perspectives, which leads to more innovative solutions and better decision-making protocols. Additionally, these meetings demonstrate a commitment to accountability, as members can directly inquire about the organization's operations and leadership decisions. The goal is to promote trust and confidence within the community. In more recent years, WMB meetings alternate between those closed to members and those with the broader community, in which we invite two individuals to speak on topics relevant to the Brazilian and lusophone Wikimedia ecosystem, aligning with our strategic direction to encourage community health through new spaces for communication and integration between experienced volunteers, new contributors, cultural, educational and social organizations and other free knowledge partners.
This quarter, we held two meetings, one closed to our members, in which we discussed the Wikimedia Movement in the Global Digital Compact context,[3] and one open to the broad community, in which we discussed the Movement Charter and the challenges of using open and collaborative projects in the Academia.[4]
Third quarter report (Jul-Sep)
Research on Open Source Administrative Infrastructure
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In 2024, WMB began a gradual yet consistent process of adopting free software and platforms for its professional team. This initiative aligns with WMB's commitment to upholding the values of the Wikimedia Movement, ensuring coherence between its practices and the Movement's principles.
The outcome document[5] of this process draws from the shared experiences of other Wikimedia organizations to build a comparable list of open source softwares and platforms, together with a cohesive testing timeline to reimagine the technical infrastructure of the WMB team workflow, in alignment with it's strategic axis "Reimagining the sociotechnical infrastructure of the Wikimedia Movement".
Quantitatively, this initiative produced 1 report with 3 annexes consisting of the questions adopted in the methodology, the testing timeline and the comparable table of free software and platforms. Qualitatively, the initiative strengthened WMB's organizational culture, enhanced alignment with Wikimedia's ethical values, and improved internal documentation.[6]
Fourth quarter report (Oct-Dec)
Prototyping Free Software Adoption at WMB
The Wiki Movimento Brasil (WMB) is committed to advancing free knowledge. Earlier in 2024, WMB initiated a gradual transition from proprietary software to open-source platforms. This effort aligns with Wikimedia's values and emphasizes ethical commitments to the freedom of use, modification, and distribution of technological tools. In this context, the next step was to produce a document that serves as a guide to prototyping this transition in the latter half of 2024, with a view to planning and evaluating broader changes in 2025. Therefore, this is the highlighted topic for the fourth quarter of 2024 by the WMB Funds and Administration management.
In 2024, WMB's reliance on proprietary software, such as Google Meet, Google Docs, and StreamYard, became evident through internal assessments. While these tools provide convenience and integration, they raise ethical and practical concerns. Open-source alternatives like Jitsi, LimeSurvey, and Nextcloud were identified as potential replacements, though their adoption requires infrastructure improvements and user adaptation. The initial step involved transitioning from Google Forms to LimeSurvey, a decision reflecting WMB's commitment to free tools while addressing challenges such as user training and technical setup.
Looking ahead to 2025, WMB plans to expand these efforts by substituting Adobe Lightroom with Darktable and StreamYard with OBS Studio. These changes aim to enhance flexibility and align with the organization's values while mitigating challenges through scheduled training and workflow adjustments. Additionally, a feasibility study on replacing Google Workspace with Nextcloud and MediaWiki will explore the long-term impacts of open-source adoption on productivity and data management.
WMB's initiative exemplifies a strategic approach to technological independence and sustainability. By prioritizing tools that reinforce Wikimedia's principles, WMB not only enhances its operational autonomy but also strengthens its organizational culture. The gradual prototyping process ensures a balanced transition, allowing the organization to address challenges while building a foundation for the widespread use of free software.
Operational and General metrics
Operational and General metrics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activity | Metrics | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total | References |
| Community Sessions | Number of sessions | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | [7] [8] [4] [9] |
| Number of Wikimedia agencies engaged | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 3 | [7] [8] [4] [9] | |
| Partnerships | Number of new partnership ratifications | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | [9] |
| Number of activated partnerships | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | [10] | |
| Governance Sessions | Number of sessions | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | 5 | [11] [1] [3] [10] [12] [13] |
| Communications Deliverables | Number of community publications | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | [14] |
| Products | Number of new or improved products | - | - | - | 3 | 3 | [9] [15] |
| Research | Number of new research outputs | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | [5] |
| Resources | Number of resources | 1 | - | 21 | 3 | 25 | [7] [16] [10] [5] [9] [13] |
| - | Number of media files uploaded to Wikimedia Commons | - | - | 584 | - | 584 | [10] |
| Number of editors that continue to participate/retained after activities | - | - | 2 | - | 2 | [16] [14] [5] [9] [13] [15] | |
| Number of organizers that continue to participate/retained after activities | 3 | - | 3 | 2 | 8 | [7] [11] [17] [18] [1] [3] [19] [8] [4] [16] [10] [14] [5] [12] [9] [13] [15] | |
| Feedback from participants on effective strategies for attracting and retaining contributors | - | - | 12 | 17 | 29 | [5] [10] [15] | |
| Number of participants | 89 | 64 | 108 | 166 | 427 | [7] [11] [1] [3] [19] [8] [4] [16] [10] [5] [12] [9] [13] [15] | |
| Number of editors | - | - | 5 | 2 | 7 | [5] [9] [13] [15] | |
| Number of organizers | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 13 | [7] [11] [17] [18] [1] [3] [19] [8] [4] [16] [10] [14] [5] [12] [9] [13] [15] | |
References
- ↑ a b c d e Minutes of the February WMB Ordinary General Assembly
- ↑ Controle de reuniões
- ↑ a b c d e Closed meeting - April
- ↑ a b c d e f Open meeting - June
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Infraestrutura Administrativa de Código Aberto
- ↑ Processo de elaboração do relatório de ampliação do uso de softwares e plataformas livres pelo WMB
- ↑ a b c d e f Open meeting - February
- ↑ a b c d e Participation in the Educación y cambio climático: ¿cómo pueden contribuir los proyectos Wikimedia al desarrollo de habilidades digitales para la acción climática? panel
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Open meeting - October
- ↑ a b c d e f g h In-person team session in 2024
- ↑ a b c d Fiscal Committee meeting - February
- ↑ a b c d Closed meeting - August
- ↑ a b c d e f g Annual Ordinary General Assembly
- ↑ a b c d Diff post: Continuing the Journey: Presentation and dissemination of learnings in the Wikimedia Movement in 2024
- ↑ a b c d e f g [1]
- ↑ a b c d e Study cases:
- Community: Pesquisa sobre entrada de membros em afiliados Wikimedia maduros
- Education and Scientific Dissemination: Levantamento sobre as necessidades dos Grupos de Research na Wikiversidade
- GLAMs and Culture: Guia de Análise e Licenciamento da Midiateca Capixaba
- CALIBRA: Processo de engajamento dos participantes
- Capacity Exchange: Participação do Capacity Exchange no programa de estágio Outreachy
- Communications: Campanha de incidência nas discussões sobre governança digital no mundo
- Fundraising: Partnerships firmadas com os municípios de Cachoeira e São Félix
- Funds and Administration: Processo de elaboração do relatório de ampliação do uso de softwares e plataformas livres pelo WMB
- Products and Technology: Prioridades tecnológicas da maioria global da Wikimedia
- ↑ a b Annexes of the Financial Diversity Plan
- ↑ a b Yearly Learning Report (Year 1 - 2023) - "Wiki Movimento Brasil, 2023-2025" Wikimedia Community Fund
- ↑ a b c Participation in the Global Wiki Advocacy Meet-up