Wikimedia Deutschland/Planung 2018/Plan and Budget 2018/en

This page is the English version of Wikimedia Deutschland's Plan and Budget 2018. It includes the goals and objectives approved by WMDE's Board of Directors and the Budget 2018, which was also fully approved by our general assembly on November 18.

Goals and Objectives 2018

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Attract, support and retain volunteers

Goal 1: The Wikipedia Community resumes growth. New volunteers feel welcomed, are motivated and contribute to Wikipedia. Objectives: In 2018, as a result of WMDE’s activities, 400 new editors reach their 10th edit. In close coordination with community we develop onboarding activities to ease the entry of new Wikipedia editors. These opportunities are utilized and viewed as helpful by new users. In order to contribute to a healthy community atmosphere, we create at least two trainings around communication and conflict resolution skills. The trainings are utilized by community members and viewed as helpful. We search for ways to make the operation of Wikipedia easier for new users. We document barriers to usability for new authors and the resulting ideas are prioritized according to their potential, in order to assess them in terms of their feasibility.

Goal 2: We continue WMDE’s volunteer support services while developing these services further, together with communities. Our community and project support services become more effective and benefit a greater diversity of groups. In this manner we make it easier for volunteers to contribute to Free Knowledge. Objectives: The number of people applying for Wikimedia Deutschland support for a project over 500 EUR increases by 10% compared to the prior year. The average assessment of volunteer support by the volunteers reaches an average of nine out of ten points in terms of satisfaction and usefulness, as evidenced by continuous application and analysis of the volunteer support survey tool. (‘Förderbarometer’) The support of volunteer projects (new projects and those with a grant amount of 5.000 EUR or more) improves and, if requested, becomes more thorough, comprehensive and customized. The enhanced project support will be evaluated as particularly helpful by both recipients and WMDE staff. At least three projects have been initiated and implemented by WMDE jointly with our communities in collaboration with other volunteer communities (e.g. sister projects, non-German speaking Wikimedia projects, or other free and open communities), in order to tap into new groups of people and new content. We will evaluate cooperative projects for their impact, using a common evaluation framework.

Software Development: Expand Wikidata and further develop MediaWiki

Goal 3: Increasing numbers of volunteers in the Wikimedia projects benefit from Wikidata. We promote the integration of Wikidata and other Wikimedia projects, and we create the conditions so that data quality in Wikidata can further improve. Objectives: The social and technical barriers for the use of Wikidata within the Wikimedia project are reduced. This will be evaluated through the following indicators: Use of data from Wikidata continues to increase from 326M data uses (as of August 1, 2017) to 386M by the end of 2018. More editors from the Wikimedia projects additionally edit in Wikidata. (Increase in absolute numbers, baseline TBD by Jan 2018, we will monitor increase resulting from our work as far as possible). Data quality in Wikidata improves. This is measured through established quality indicators such as statements per item, % of statements with external references, additional indicators TBD. The support for lexicographical data is accepted by the community. A target indicating success is the entry of at least 5.000 lexemes in Wikidata by the end of 2018.

Goal 4: Wikidata and other open data projects increasingly benefit from each other. To this end, we make Wikidata and Wikibase easier to use for external projects, and we expand the opportunities for collaboration among the projects. Objectives: The independent installation and operation of Wikibase becomes easier. As a result, ten new, publicly accessible websites that are based on Wikibase are enabled by the end of 2018. (Baseline: 3 as of 9/2017) At least five new success stories publicly showcase the usefulness of Wikidata and Wikibase for third parties. Data in Wikidata are more useful for third parties, as measured by increase in daily queries to the Wikidata Query Service. (baseline 3.5M on 9/2017, to 4.5M by the end of 2018)

Goal 5: Through sustainable development of the MediaWiki Software, based on community needs, we assure the increased usefulness of MediaWiki for the Wikimedia projects, jointly with the Wikimedia Foundation and the communities. Objectives: Starting with the prioritized list of technical wishes of the German-speaking Wikipedia community, we have processed at least eight of the most important user problems in MediaWiki. For each of these, this thorough analysis will lead to either a plan for development or a decision to not pursue due to non-feasibility. At least three user problems have been solved and the solutions are sustainably usable for the highest number of Wikimedia projects possible, as evidenced by increasing instances of use, low opt-out numbers and positive qualitative feedback. The technical innovations are optimally usable for diverse groups of users (e.g. for users of both left-to-right and right-to-left writing systems). By the start of Q1 we will complete a list of criteria to be considered for technical development work in 2018. By the end of 2018, our team will publish findings and experiences from collaborative software development in order to strengthen the approach of „Community centered Software Development/Design“ in Wikimedia software development.

Strengthen conditions for free knowledge

Goal 6: We get to the bottom of concerns about the use of open content. Misunderstandings that are revealed will be addressed with targeted information, while we address actual risks with appropriate measures. Objectives: We assure that the most impactful prejudices around open content receive tailored rebuttals that reach those at the center of the misunderstandings. This leads to a less negative attitude among the targeted multipliers, as evidenced by pre/post documentation of changes in messaging, improved policies, followed by qualitative analysis of efforts. We create new and improved tools for the correct handling of rights and regulations around attribution, public domain, and general personality rights. These contribute to a decrease in uncertainty when operating with Open Content, as evidenced by a significant demand for the tools by the relevant groups.

Goal 7: In order to make it easier to recognize open and free content, regulations around copyright of public works are evaluated by German policy makers, with the aim of drafting new, more clear regulatory language. Objectives: The legal committee of the German Parliament actively deals with adjustments to the rules around public works and digital versions of works in the public domain, as evidenced by staff drafts. New alliances with partners (including trade associations and public entities) are formed for this initiative, identify joint positions and start publicly visible activities.

Goal 8: Factual, non personal data (such as weather and traffic data) remain freely usable by free knowledge projects in the future. The enabling policies and regulations remain in place, and disadvantageous policy is prevented or mitigated. Objectives: EU institutions deal with abolishing the sui-generis database (makers’) right or restructuring it into a register-based right, as evidenced by related EU Commission documents. The needs of free knowledge projects around data mining of non-personal data are appropriately considered in parliamentary committee deliberations, as evidenced by explicit references in committee documents. Important sections of the expert communities publicly reject the departure from the approach of informational self-determination (data protection) towards the establishment of property right in data, comparable to intellectual property or ownership of things.

Goal 9: Supported by WMDE, institutions in the fields of education, science and culture have the required knowledge to actively contribute to free knowledge and to the Wikimedia projects. The institutions create, jointly with our movement, supportive general conditions for free knowledge in their respective fields, and publicly act as role models for other institutions. Objectives: Our partners in all collaborative projects act publicly as role models. They do this by sharing the free knowledge experience they have gathered through cooperation with WMDE with their peers through their communication channels and expert publications. Ten institutions that already work with WMDE demonstrate new ways to advocate for free knowledge with our support, thus sustaining their engagement. The activities we provide to transfer knowledge and skills to people working in institutions are evaluated as helpful by 80% of participants, and are continuously improved on the basis of the feedback received. All fellows engaged in the Open Science Fellows Program 2017/18 cycle pass on the newly acquired knowledge about open science and/or the Wikimedia projects to their own or other science institutions.

Notes to the goals and objectives

Attract, support and retain volunteers

● Goal 1: The Wikipedia Community resumes growth. New volunteers feel welcomed, are motivated and contribute to Wikipedia.

This goal is all about motivating more people to participate, while assuring that both newbies and current editors feel welcome and appreciated. To meet the dual challenge of growing the community and maintaining positive communication within the project, we are planning a combination of activities, including the continuation of the banner campaigns started in 2017.

● Goal 2: We continue WMDE’s volunteer support services while developing these services further, together with communities. Our community and project support services become more effective and benefit a greater diversity of groups. In this manner we make it easier for volunteers to contribute to free knowledge.

Community and project support and funding is one of the central tasks of Wikimedia Deutschland, so that volunteers don’t have to face financial and organisational barriers to engagement alone. Our support for volunteer participation in the Wikimedia projects is guided by principles established over many years of practice, including volunteer appreciation, developing the program and projects through dialogue with community members, providing useful support and high quality services. Our support for online activities is provided with a focus on maintaining and increasing quality and diversity of content in the Wikimedia projects. Offline activities aim to increase motivation, reduce conflict and provide information about free knowledge to the public.

Software Development: Expand Wikidata and further develop MediaWiki

● Goal 3: Increasing numbers of volunteers in the Wikimedia projects benefit from Wikidata. We promote the integration of Wikidata and other Wikimedia projects, and we create the conditions so that data quality in Wikidata can further improve.

Wikidata promises to increase the timeliness, diversity and amount of content on Wikimedia projects, while enhancing the effectivity of contributors’ work. There are currently still social and technical barriers to a broader and more beneficial utilization of data from Wikidata in the other Wikimedia projects. These include lack of editability of data directly from Wikipedia, lack of trust in data quality, problems with usability, and lack of support for lexicographical and media data. These barriers have to be addressed for Wikidata to reach its full potential for the Wikimedia Movement.

● Goal 4: Wikidata and other open data projects increasingly benefit from each other. To this end, we make Wikidata and Wikibase easier to use for external projects, and we expand the opportunities for collaboration among the projects.

Wikidata and Wikibase were developed for Wikimedia. However, there are many users of data from Wikidata and of the Wikibase software outside of the Wikimedia projects. This ecosystem enriches Wikidata in many ways, and thus benefits the other Wikimedia projects as well. Through an increase in Wikibase installations by external partners we are able to enrich Wikidata with additional data, enhance the data quality in Wikidata and improve the Wikibase software. In addition, this enables specialized applications outside of the core Wikidata project scope. This creates more access to more free knowledge for more people. We require a strong ecosystem for open data that helps us collect, maintain and disseminate free knowledge.

● Goal 5: Through sustainable development of the MediaWiki Software, based on community needs, we assure the increased usefulness of MediaWiki for the Wikimedia projects, jointly with the Wikimedia Foundation and the communities.

Through the continuous development of MediaWiki we assure that the technical improvements we provide are useful for a maximum number of Wikimedia projects and that they solve concrete usability problems of contributors. To achieve this, we jointly solicit, collect and prioritize technical needs, and consider the perspectives of diverse user groups during technical development and implementation.

Strengthen conditions for free knowledge

● Goal 6: We get to the bottom of concerns about the use of open content. Misunderstandings that are revealed will be addressed with targeted information, while we address actual risks with appropriate measures.

Recently, we notice that people from institutions such as museums, educational providers and foundations express opinions reflecting insecurity, fear and hesitation about using free content in general. Specifically, they feel that using open content is too complex, or that the liability risks are too great. Some of these perceptions are based on actual legal risks, but many are generated by word of mouth and misunderstandings. We want to research each of these perceptions, real or imagined, and face them to get a clear picture of what is real and what is not. We will actively seek dialogue with those who disseminate the narrative, and attempt to clarify the issues. In this manner, we will slow down, stop and contradict the dissemination of falsehoods, and we will also facilitate a fact-based debate on the real risks. We will look for solutions leading to potential risk mitigation and management scenarios. We will deploy tailored educational materials, as well as further develop tools easing the use of open content, such as the attribution generator. If we are successful with this approach, we will not only save the (still mostly positive) reputation of free content, but we might even improve it.

● Goal 7: In order to make it easier to recognize open and free content, regulations around copyright of public works are evaluated by German policy makers, with the aim of drafting new, more clear regulatory language.

Two of the rules in German federal copyright law that regulate whether in certain situations copyright protection is in effect or not are currently not worded clearly. As a result, it is often difficult to assess whether or not content from government sources is part of the public domain, and whether or not it can be used for free knowledge. One of the rules, §5 of Copyright Law, determines that public works are exempt from copyright, while the other, §72, Copyright Law, puts photographic reproductions of any piece of art, even ones that are so old that they are exempt from copyright, under decades of photographic copyright protection. We will demonstrate the negative consequences of this situation for free knowledge and will put the reform of both paragraphs on the agenda of the upcoming 18th lawmaking session of the German parliament, resulting in legislation that is more favorable to free knowledge.

● Goal 8: Factual, non personal data (such as weather and traffic data) remain freely usable by free knowledge projects in the future. The enabling policies and regulations remain in place, and disadvantageous policy is prevented or mitigated.

There are now several existing and developing specific rules that regulate how factual data may be handled. Factual data includes data that is not protected by copyright, and that is not related to a person or otherwise relevant under data protection or privacy laws. This includes for example data on weather and traffic. These rules depart from the previously applied principle which established that factual data may be used freely. As a result, these rules have significant negative impact on data based open knowledge projects such as Wikidata, and more generally on the use of open data for creating any knowledge. We are setting out to influence these rules with a positive effect for free knowledge. Specifically, the sui-generis right of database makers should be changed, there should not be a intellectual property right attached to data, and the exceptions that allow text and data-mining need to be flexible enough to not impede open knowledge projects, while maintaining the integrity of data protection rules.

● Goal 9: Supported by WMDE, institutions in the fields of education, science and culture have the required knowledge to actively contribute to free knowledge and to the Wikimedia projects. The institutions create, jointly with our movement, supportive general conditions for free knowledge in their respective fields, and publicly act as role models for other institutions.

Educational, science and cultural institutions are central places where knowledge is generated and disseminated. We want to win these institutions as partners to create conditions favorable to free knowledge in their respective spheres of influence, jointly with the Wikimedia Movement. We want to engage them to act as influential role models, convincing other institutions of the idea of free knowledge. Many of the players in the education, science and culture sectors have very little knowledge about free knowledge, open licenses and the Wikimedia projects. There is a need for transferring knowledge and practical competencies to these people, benefitting the Wikimedia projects and promoting free knowledge in general.

Budget 2018

Wikimedia Deutschland e. V. (WMDE) // Revenue 2018

Revenue	2018
Donations	2,535,000 €
Membership dues	3,430,000 €
Restricted grants and contracts	1,991,000 €
WMF (Wikidata)	1,246,000 €
WMF (Wikimedia Conference)	500,000 €
FDC	0 €
Google (Wikidata)	0 €
Other	245,000 €
WMFG cost allocation	30,000 €
Other income	70,000 €
Withdrawals from reserves	275,000 €
Total revenue	8,331,000 €

Wikimedia Deutschland e. V. (WMDE) // Expenses 2018

Field of action/expense category		2018
1.	Attract, support and retain volunteers	1,820,000 €
2.	Software development: Expand Wikidata and further develop MediaWiki	1,681,000 €
3.	Strengthen conditions for free knowledge	1,476,000 €
4.	Board of directors	157,000 €
5.	Indirect cost (without cost allocations)	3,197,000 €
	Total expenses	8,331,000 €

Wikimedia Deutschland Fördergesellschaft mbH (WMFG) // Expenses and Revenue 2018

Expenses and revenue	2018
Donations carry-over Jul-Dec	10,100,000 €
Donations Jan-June	1,000,000 €
Donations Jul-Dec	10,650,000 €
Interest	0 €
Total revenue	21,750,000 €
Fundraising cost	845,300 €
Total expenses	21,750,000 €
Transfer to WMF and WMDE	20,879,000 €
Operative expenses	871,000 €
Balance	0 €