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Wikimedia ZA meeting minutes.

Wikimedia South Africa 2017 Annual General Meeting

The Wikimedia South Africa Annual General Meeting for 2017 in Cape Town. Chapter members joining via Google Hangouts can be seen on the projector.
  • Time: Sunday, 26 November 2017, 14h00 to 17h00.
  • Location: 6 Spin Street Restaurant (in the Tutu room at the back), in the Cape Town city bowl area.

A number of participants joined digitally via Google Hangouts, here.

Attendance

Physical

  • Douglas Scott
  • Ian Gilfillan
  • Mpho Sello
  • Reuben
  • Raymond Ellis
  • Michael Graaf
  • Peter Southwood
  • Alan Levin (left 16h30)

Online

  • Paul Conlin
  • Dumisani Ndubane
  • Deon Steyn
  • Gwinyai Masukume (left 15h30 due to connectivity issues)
  • Bobby Shabangu (15h00, post Fair Use vote)
  • Coenraad Loubser (15h20, post Fair Use vote)

Quorum reached

Agenda

  • The past
  • The future

Minutes

The Past

WMZA Programs from 2016 - 2017 Dumi:

Two Wikimedia ZA meetups in JHB were held this year, led by Bobby - plans to do one once every quarter.
Joburgpedia-Digitization project still underway. More than 285 images on rural land removals of 1970 - 1980 digitized.

Douglas:

One meetup in Cape Town was held this year - plans to have one once a month at the American Corner. Usually has regular turn up.
Freedom of Panorama advocacy was also run by Douglas. We currently don't have FoP in ZAR copyright Act. Current work around is use of video stills. Submission made to parliamentary portfolio committee. Covered arguments why Fair Use is not so friendly for us, compared to Google and CC-ZAR who were advocating for "Fair Use". Still waiting to see if the FoP will be included in the amended Copyright Act. Strong self policing on Commons, making it difficult of upload images of public monuments in Commons. Taking photograph for personal use is not unlawful, but distribution/sharing it is unlawful. Research on the benefits of Fair Use available (Alan). Douglas has focused on Freedom of Panorama rather than Fair Use (focus on one topic, and lack of mandate to support Fair Use). Read more about the Freedom of Panorama issue here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Panorama_ZA

MOTION: Douglas proposes Chapter support for Fair Use. Seconded by Michael Graaf. In favour: 11, 1 abstention (Gwinyai). Support from photographic societies? Would require WMZA volunteers to take this to solicit more support. although complications as some photographers are concerned about commercial use. Offers support of Internet Society.

Gwinyai: Advocacy around WikiProject Medicine e.g. Stat news article - https://www.statnews.com/2017/10/10/updating-wikipedia-part-doctors-jobs/.

Financials

  • We have repaid all money owing to Wikimedia Foundation
  • Now ready to receive more grants (requesting R263,900 - which includes scholarships for Wikimania for South Africans)
  • Douglas to link the slides to the notes.

The future

Wikimania 2018

  • To be held at UCT, July 18-22 2018: https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania
  • Booked Stay Easy hotel in City Centre (also hackathon venue)
  • Shuttle service throughout the day from hotel to UCT
  • Expecting around 800 people
  • Internet provision for venue still in discussion/being sorted out.
  • AV also being sorted out. Will also be doing video streaming. Teams needed.
  • Dumi volunteering to organise a train from Jhb to CT, looking for companies to sponsor. There were suggestions to fly rather, but train experience can be used as outreach.

Miscellenous Discussions

  • Members encouraged to take initiatives and head up new projects. Preferable to get assistance from existing members.
  • Internet society of South Africa, created Gauteng Chapter in Soweto and created partnerships with ICAN Wiki instead of WMZA? Details to be sent to Dumi to follow up and link up with ISOC - GP.
  • Grants and Funding for projects??


Board Members

  • Of the current board members, Coenraad, Bobby, Deon, Ian, Raymond, Douglas still available.
  • Liebe in China, has not put herself forward again, unable to penetrate Great Firewall
  • Dumisane standing down (as now works for WMF to support chapters) - prevents conflict of interests
  • MOTION: Following to stand as board members: Coenraad, Bobby, Deon, Ian, Raymond, Douglas. Unanimous vote in favour
  • MOTION: Douglas proposing Dumi as adviser to board
  • Bobby seconds. Vote passes

Bank account

  • Dumi is currently sole signatory for bank account
  • MOTION: Douglas proposes hire bookkeeper, give them signatory on bank account. Vote passes
  • MOTION: Douglas - 2 directors require notification when payments are made. Vote passes
  • Dumi has destroyed bank card so no future withdrawals are possible. Commits to take responsibility for any ATM withdrawals that cannot be accounted for. Douglas suggests treating as a debt owed to Chapter. Decision to be made at board level. Dumi to discuss with WMF reimbursements for last year's board meeting

Projects for 2018/19

  • Endorsement of WM Strategic Direction
  • 3 abstentions (including Dumi abstaining in his role as WMF employee), 8 votes for endorse

Coenraad suggests changing "will be able to join us" to "can join right now". Bring it to the present. Supported by Michael

Simple Annual Grant

  • SANBI: Suggestion to get guarantees from SANBI. Don't always understand crowdsourcing.
  • Durban activation: We have few to no editors from Durban. Simple Annual Grant includes outreach activities
  • AGM: Includes flying people to AGM
  • Contingency: Includes Wikipedia library (editor can order books for research - will write to WMZA, if they are good editors, can be approved). Suggestion to use public libraries as location for books after they are finished with.

Douglas suggested changing changing term president to chairperson. Withdrew motion

  • MOTION: Deon nominates Douglas as president, Bobby and Michael second
  • Douglas would like to step down at some point
  • Vote passes

Mascot

  • Douglas proposes voting as animal for mascot for chapter
  • Deon suggests Cape Baboon
  • Coenraad suggests butterfly
  • Michael suggests caterpillar as future butterfly
  • Raymond: Actual can of worms
  • Reuben: One of the big five
  • We will put off this discussion for another time

Reuben suggests adding decent equipment for teleconferencing to avoid problems like we have experienced today.

Coenraad - liaison between WikiMania org team and chapter

CLOSED: 17H32

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