Wikimedia Armenia/Reports/2013-10

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2013
October

Wiki Conference Yerevan 2013

Wiki Conference Yerevan 2013 was the second international conference in Armenia. It was held in American University of Armenia from 5-6th October. . Its goals were to aid in the development and promotion of wiki-projects, free knowledge and open network culture in Armenia and the neighbouring region, as well as to bring together new and experienced Wiki-editors and provide an environment for them to share their experiences and knowledge with each other.

During the Conference days we planned to review results and discuss proposals how to go ahead as in outreach of Wiki projects as well enlarge and develop the content of Wikipedia and other sister projects.

The conference was considered to be successful, if by the end of 2013 more than 50% of the content of Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia would be imported in Armenian Wikipedia, updated and wikified, we would have collaboration with at least 3 museums (GLAM), wiki editing in learning process would be used in one university and in one school, the conference would be attended at least by 200 students and 10 lecturers and staff members of 5 internationally known museums of Armenia, we would have active wikimedians more than in 3 regions, more than 20 organizations would support the activities of Wikimedia Armenia.

We had speakers from USA, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Ukraine and Armenia: Yuri Astrakhan (USA, WMF), Vojtěch Dostál (Czech Republic), Sebastian Wallroth (Germany), Prieur Benoît (France), Levon Azizyan (Ukraine), Viktor Semenyuk (Ukraine), Chaojoker (USA-Armenia), Susanna Mkrtchyan, Hayk Avetisyan, Vahagn Poghosyan, Lilit Tarkhanyan, Ruben Taroumian, Marat Yavrumyan, Arman Musikyan, Satenik Mnatsakanyan, David Minasyan, Vachagan Gratian, Mher Bekaryan.

For presentations and workshops see the following page.

Planned events: October 5-6- international guests received October 4 - Official press conference^[1]^[2]^[3] October 4 - Trip for international guests in Yerevan (National Museum of Armenia and other sights) October 5 - Day 1 of the Conference (see Schedule for details) October 6 - Day 2 of the Conference (see Schedule for details) October 7 - Trip for guests outside the city (Garni and Geghards) October 7 - Trip for guests in Yerevan (Genocide museum and Matenadaran)

The conference went according to the above mentioned measures. About 30% of the content of Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia (SAE) was imported in Armenian Wikipedia. We distributed this work among high schools. Three high schools (AYB High School, Shirakatsi Lyceum, No. 198 High School) started to transfer SAE articles into Wikipedia. The results were great. Although we started collaboration with one museum, one library and with one group of scientists (Digilib), we were not yet satisfied with these results. Because of time shortage, we couldn't organize a round table with representatives of GLAM and Armenian Ministry of Culture. We began working with aspirants of YSU and Academic Institutes, they were to write articles in Wikipedia during the course of Scientific writing.

Although after the conference the number of active wikipedians increased, then because of domestic issues in our country the number decreased again eventually. After the conference the number of wikipedians grows daily.

We did very big step in path to achieve our goals. In regions where we have organized workshops now there are editors, who became permanent contributors and we have agreements with local organizations in collaboration in wiki movement. To maintain this situation and moreover to increase amount of editors and wiki activities in regions, we have to continue outside of Yerevan activities until the local groups will become self-sufficient in organizing workshops.

We agreed with Ministry of culture to start GLAM project in some museums. We started collaboration with National Library (2 employers of library will work with us in Wikipedia AND Wikisource projects).

We just started the collaboration with the laboratory of Armenian Bibliographies of AUA.

Before the WikiConference 2013, all our outreach activities were initiated by ourselves (active Wikimedians) and mostly new editors have written only several articles. Now every day we have invitation to organize series of workshops. Moreover, by transferring ASE articles into Wikipedia we will have the largest and deepest content in Armenian language. Now all media praise Wikimedia Armenia and Armenian Wikipedia.

Wikipedia Education Program Startup

Educational programs are one of the primary programs being addressed by Wikimedia Armenia. The high school program started on October 18, when the administration of the AYB high school and Wikimedia Armenia volunteers started their partnership by conducting workshops for the AYB students. The students were encouraged to write their first articles based on the Armenian Encyclopedia published during the Soviet Regime, so their initial effort would be towards learning how to create and edit articles, rather than content creation. To help create enthusiasm, the students were divided into three teams. The teams that created the largest number of articles with high quality would win a prize. The jury was composed of experienced editors from Armenian Wikipedia.

Workshop trainers - Lilit Tarkhanyan, Susanna Mkrtchyan, Dato Abuladze.

Workshops in YSU

On 25th October Wikimedia Armenia volunteers organized a workshop for Yerevan State University PhD students within scientific writing lesson. The goal of the workshop is the following after learning wiki editing tools the students should write at least one article in Wikipedia in their field of study. After the articles are being created the professor checks them based on which the students get their credits.

Workshop trainers - Susanna Mkrtchyan, Dato Abuladze.

Digitization of SAE

Digitization of SAE, which started in July 2013, was still in process. During October digitization the volume 6 was completed.

Wiki loves Monuments Armenia summerizing

From September 1st, when the contest started, to September 30th, when it ended, the Armenian participants of Wiki Loves Monuments submitted 23,920 photographs. Armenia gained the 4th place among the countries that participated with respect to number of pictures uploaded and came after Poland, Germany and Ukraine.

The 372,145 images were submitted by 11,943 participants from all over the world. Among the top 100 uploaders submitting the largest number of photographs 9 were from Armenia; 6 of the uploaded more than 1000 photographs each, and two others - users Vahag851 and Arman musikyan uploaded more than 4000 each^[4].

From 1-15 October: Members of the Organization Team and 13 volunteers made a selection from the 23,919 images that were uploaded in September. Then the Organization Team selected the 100 best photographs and sent them to the jury. The jury members were Poghos Poghosyan (photographer), Karen Mirzoyan (photographer), Arsen Karapetyan (photographer), Hayk Tamanyan (architect), Arthur Barseghyan (director of Alexander Tamanyan Museum-Institute), Naira Muradyan (animator), Eduard Ayanyan (director of Yerevan magazine). The Jury then selected the 10 winning photographs.

The organization team chose the date of the announcement about the Award ceremony and photo exhibition - 22 November. See the 10 best photos below.