* All, Here's an update on various activities pertaining to the upcomingWikimania '18  which is being held July 18-22 in Cape Town, South Africa. WMF Scholarship Program:  135 people were offered and subsequently accepteda full or partial scholarship to attend.  The awardees are listed by usernames and the list is posted here:https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:TPS/Wikimania_scholars<https…ssions:  The program committee has just finished its review anddeliberations.  Rejections and acceptance emails  have gone out in the past week. 95% of the accepted submissions are listed at: https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Program <https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Program> Plenaries and other sessions will be listed soon and a scheduled program  in June. Registration and accommodation information is now up for everyone at:https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Registration<https://wikiman… you are a scholarship or other WMF funded attendee (staff, contractor,board, etc), please wait until you hear from the WMF with your registrationand accommodation instructions.If you have any questions about the conference, please emailwikimania-info at wikimedia.org<https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l&g… spread the word!!!!On behalf of the Wikimania '18 Organizing Team Ellie YoungEvents Manager, Wikimedia Foundation<https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l>​ * -- Ellie Young Events Manager Wikimedia Foundation eyoung(a)wikimedia.org <mailto:eyoung@wikimedia.org> c. 510 701 8649 _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org <mailto:Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l <https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l>

I haven't seen any attempt to share the knowledge and wisdom acquired from Wikimania to community through mailing list or wiki. Users including me generally feel that community is being mocked on.

Hi, As I have said last year, this is not a complaint that I didn't get selected. This is not personal. This is about same persons receiving Wikimania scholarship year after year repeatedly. I am just using familiar user names from a familiar community, who got many repeated scholarships. Even after I argued that none of these 'permanent scholarship receivers' sharing anything to community, I haven't seen any attempt to share the knowledge and wisdom acquired from Wikimania to community through mailing list or wiki. Users including me generally feel that community is being mocked on. I tried to keep myself away from local discussion about this, but injustice is so clear. And nobody is ready to discuss it openly, most probably because of the 'incompetency shaming' in almost all replies. ~user:Praveenp On Tuesday 29 May 2018 11:19 PM, Lodewijk wrote: Given the context of the previous email you sent, I am assuming this is more a complaint that you didn't get selected than that the other two got selected. Similarly to the previous time you tried to have this discussion - I feel uncomfortable to make this about individuals. Is there a way to give rejected applicants more feedback on which factors play a main role, so that they can learn from it, especially if there is something they could improve in their application. I would add two sidenotes here though: it should only be provided on request (no need to rub people's noses into something unnecessarily) and it seems only viable at a level that can be easily extracted from the process (high level). Perhaps someone who knows the scholarship committee's work intimately could comment. Best, Lodewijk On Tue, May 29, 2018 at 10:21 AM, praveenp &lt;me.praveen(a)gmail.com <mailto:me.praveen@gmail.com <mailto:me.praveen@gmail.com>>> wrote: Hi, Congratulation to all the selection committee who break the tradition[1] of selecting one of the Malayalam communities two permanent Wikimania attendees, by selecting both of them. Congratulation to User:Netha Hussain & User:viswaprabha also. [1] "Granting Scholarship to same persons every year" thread, https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimania-l/2017-May/008026.html <https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimania-l/2017-May/008026.html> <https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimania-l/2017-May/008026.html <https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimania-l/2017-May/008026.html>> ~User:Praveenp On Tuesday 15 May 2018 11:19 PM, Ellie Young wrote: * All, Here's an update on various activities pertaining to the upcomingWikimania '18 which is being held July 18-22 in Cape Town, South Africa. WMF Scholarship Program: 135 people were offered and subsequently accepteda full or partial scholarship to attend. The awardees are listed by usernames and the list is posted here:https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:TPS/Wikimania_scholars<https…ssions: <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:TPS/Wikimania_scholars%3Chttps://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:TPS/Wikimania_scholars%3ESubmissions:> The program committee has just finished its review anddeliberations. Rejections and acceptance emails have gone out in the past week. 95% of the accepted submissions are listed at: https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Program <https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Program> <https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Program <https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Program>> Plenaries and other sessions will be listed soon and a scheduled program in June. Registration and accommodation information is now up for everyone at:https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Registration<https://wikiman… <https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Registration%3Chttps://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/Registration%3Ehttps://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Accommodation%3Chttps://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/Accommodation%3EIf> you are a scholarship or other WMF funded attendee (staff, contractor,board, etc), please wait until you hear from the WMF with your registrationand accommodation instructions.If you have any questions about the conference, please emailwikimania-info at wikimedia.org <http://wikimedia.org/><https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l <https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l>>Please spread the word!!!!On behalf of the Wikimania '18 Organizing Team Ellie YoungEvents Manager, Wikimedia Foundation<https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l <https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l>>​ *

On 30, May2018, at 01:59, Gheorghe Zugravu &lt;zugravu.gheorghe(a)gmail.com <mailto:zugravu.gheorghe@gmail.com>> wrote: On 29.05.2018 20:33, praveenp wrote: Hi to all, without being too original here, and following praveenp comments - would be good to encourage recipients of WMF scholarship to organize some type of Wikimania follow-up activities back in their groups or chapters. I do believe that most of them are doing it anyway without any requirements from WMF, but if majority would do it - we could have something as a ”permanent Wikimania” unfolding globally for a couple of months after the official Wikimania. regards, /gheorghe _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org <mailto:Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l <https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l>

I am also concerned about the same people repeatedly receiving scholarships, and this is by no way of complaining that I did not receive one. As I said last year however, I believe it is also inappropriate to inform applicants that they have been placed on a short list. Not only does this raise false hopes, but as many applications are based on the users' intentions to submit a presentation, it incurs a serious waste of volunteers' time. I also believe that active Wikipedia users who have financed their own participation in the conference multiple times should also be given priority consideration. I fully understand that the according of scholarships is a complex and difficult task. As a former volunteer scholarship approvals committee member, I think I have some experience in these maters. Not one single Wikimania has been organised without serious issues which often result in attendees’ negative experience. Perhaps the solution would be to have the entire concept of Wikimania place in the hands of an experienced volunteer task force of former conference organizers, presenters, and attendees who will have learned from previous errors and adminstartive organisational hiccups. Funds should also be made available for face-to-face meetings for the organisation of such an important event. Having a truly executive Board of Trustees rather than one that simply rubber stamps the way the WMF works, in this and most other areas, may be a step towards addressing these issues. Kudpung On 30, May2018, at 01:59, Gheorghe Zugravu &lt;zugravu.gheorghe(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote: On 29.05.2018 20:33, praveenp wrote: I haven't seen any attempt to share the knowledge and wisdom acquired from Wikimania to community through mailing list or wiki. Users including me generally feel that community is being mocked on. Hi to all, without being too original here, and following praveenp comments - would be good to encourage recipients of WMF scholarship to organize some type of Wikimania follow-up activities back in their groups or chapters. I do believe that most of them are doing it anyway without any requirements from WMF, but if majority would do it - we could have something as a ”permanent Wikimania” unfolding globally for a couple of months after the official Wikimania. regards, /gheorghe Hi, As I have said last year, this is not a complaint that I didn't get selected. This is not personal. This is about same persons receiving Wikimania scholarship year after year repeatedly. I am just using familiar user names from a familiar community, who got many repeated scholarships. Even after I argued that none of these 'permanent scholarship receivers' sharing anything to community, I haven't seen any attempt to share the knowledge and wisdom acquired from Wikimania to community through mailing list or wiki. Users including me generally feel that community is being mocked on. I tried to keep myself away from local discussion about this, but injustice is so clear. And nobody is ready to discuss it openly, most probably because of the 'incompetency shaming' in almost all replies. ~user:Praveenp On Tuesday 29 May 2018 11:19 PM, Lodewijk wrote: Given the context of the previous email you sent, I am assuming this is more a complaint that you didn't get selected than that the other two got selected. Similarly to the previous time you tried to have this discussion - I feel uncomfortable to make this about individuals. Is there a way to give rejected applicants more feedback on which factors play a main role, so that they can learn from it, especially if there is something they could improve in their application. I would add two sidenotes here though: it should only be provided on request (no need to rub people's noses into something unnecessarily) and it seems only viable at a level that can be easily extracted from the process (high level). Perhaps someone who knows the scholarship committee's work intimately could comment. Best, Lodewijk On Tue, May 29, 2018 at 10:21 AM, praveenp &lt;me.praveen(a)gmail.com <mailto:me.praveen@gmail.com &lt;me.praveen(a)gmail.com&gt;&gt;&gt; wrote: Hi, Congratulation to all the selection committee who break the tradition[1] of selecting one of the Malayalam communities two permanent Wikimania attendees, by selecting both of them. Congratulation to User:Netha Hussain & User:viswaprabha also. [1] "Granting Scholarship to same persons every year" thread, https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimania-l/2017-May/008026.html <https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimania-l/2017-May/008026.html> ~User:Praveenp On Tuesday 15 May 2018 11:19 PM, Ellie Young wrote: * All, Here's an update on various activities pertaining to the upcomingWikimania '18 which is being held July 18-22 in Cape Town, South Africa. WMF Scholarship Program: 135 people were offered and subsequently accepteda full or partial scholarship to attend. The awardees are listed by usernames and the list is posted here:https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:TPS/Wikimania_sc holars<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:TPS/Wikimania_ scholars>Submissions: The program committee has just finished its review anddeliberations. Rejections and acceptance emails have gone out in the past week. 95% of the accepted submissions are listed at: https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Program <https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Program> Plenaries and other sessions will be listed soon and a scheduled program in June. Registration and accommodation information is now up for everyone at:https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Registration< https://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/Registration>https://wikimania 2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Accommodation<https://wikimani a2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/Accommodation>If you are a scholarship or other WMF funded attendee (staff, contractor,board, etc), please wait until you hear from the WMF with your registrationand accommodation instructions.If you have any questions about the conference, please emailwikimania-info at wikimedia.org<https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l spread the word!!!!On behalf of the Wikimania '18 Organizing Team Ellie YoungEvents Manager, Wikimedia Foundation<https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l>​ * _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l

Is there any other way of investigating these issues /without/ mentioning the names of the scholarship awardees?

Since you raise chapter scholarships, it would be nice to see some of the other big chapters (and to some extent the WMF) spending more on scholarships for rank-and-file Wikimedians rather than staff and board members. That might help with the perception that Wikimania is the same old faces year in, year out.