I just looked at the roster and noted 17 names! Welcome newcomers and thanks for your interest. Feel free to jump in and ask questions and bring up suggestions. I think I mentioned this in my previous email, but could everyone forward me their general vicinity, so I can make a map of where people are in the state.
Also, with regards to virtual meetings, what timeframe will work for everyone? I'm thinking we'll use Yugomo because it allows access from the web, but Skype is also an option.
Geoffrey
Folks,
I've read a lot of the comments that have made about why a chapter is necessary, and I agree it's an important question to answer. I've started a section at http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_California listing some of the areas where a chapter could do things. The items I've listed are things that the Foundation isn't doing, or simply doesn't have the manpower or resources to do.
When it comes down to it, the reason why a chapter is necessary is that it provides a legal covering and organizational sponsor for projects. I am completely convinced that a chapter will compliment both the Foundation and individual initiatives, rather than competing with the Founation and stifling individual initiative.
California has some prime advantages, like it's status in the American educational system. Did you know that the state standards in California are among the most important in the nation? Because of our size as a state, we dictate what textbooks say, presenting a unique advantage for Wikibooks. A wikibook approved here would be likely to be approved in other states, validating the work that contributors are doing. However, this is an area where a formal structure would be beneficial.
For example, if a group of people create a wikibook and want it to become approved by the State Board of Education, they will have a lot higher chance of success if they submit the application through an organizational sponsor.
There are also other ideas I've listed, and we should begin to work towards meetings. This would definitely be something to consider putting on a future meetup agenda, and we could also look into virtual meetings either on Yugma or Skype. Alternately, if someone has access to a paid subscription for something like Go2meeting or WebEx, we could use that.
What do you guys think? What times/type of software would work? Also, could you send me your relative location in California so I can make a map up of where interest is?
Thanks,
Geoffrey Plourde
P.S. Sorry for the long winded message
On Thu, Jun 10, 2010 at 10:16 AM, phoebe ayers <phoebe.ayers(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I'd love to hear how this event was, if anyone was able to make it.
I had a great time -- the highlight was meeting Karen Sue Rolph, who
just left Stanford Management Company as their Special Projects
Director, and is looking to support the open source community. She
knows more than half a dozen languages, is an anthropologist (but has
Ph.D.s in multiple subjects) and so I think she would be ideal for
California Chapter Principal Investigator.
The PLATO exhibit was excellent, but there are strong parallels with
today: the educational aspects were overshadowed by the entertainment
aspects. I was able to talk to Paul Tenczar about TUTOR/CONCEPT
answer judging, and I added pattern matching for fill-in-the-blank
answers to the to-do list for GIFT:
http://microformats.org/wiki/gift#Notes_for_further_work -- I should
also take this opportunity to mention that Yaron Koren, a
Wikimedia/Google Summer of Code Mentor, has offered to do the GIFT
enhancement to the Mediawiki Quiz module for only $2,500 -- less than
half of what it would have cost Google -- and have it ready in a
month, with unit tests. This would allow us to start offering the
assessments from more than 5,000 hours of coursework from the UK Open
University on Wikiversity.
I also got a chance to talk about acquiring a Hayes telegraph (ticker
tape) transmitter with the museum board of trustees chair and the
founding curator. They are planning a telegraphy installation from
1959 through the transatlantic cable, so I am glad I was able to point
them to the first digital electronic alphanumeric communications
system.
Phoebe, at http://www.phoebeayers.info/phlog/?p=1617#comments you said
that you didn't think the California community was ready for a
chapter, and that you don't see a strong connection between the ideas
on http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_California and what
a chapter can do. Would you please elaborate? There are some things
that I've included in the initial draft Chapter grant request but
aren't listed there. For example, a Chapter could establish a mirror
of foundation servers -- which would be necessary to experiment with
peer-to-peer wiki technology (third-party edit conflict resolution),
and/or make Wikinews an independent, funded entity. Do you think
either or both of those are worthy goals?
The Foundation is in charge of Wikimedia operations around the globe. They may be amazing supermen and women, but they don't have the ability or scope of mobilizing support in California. A chapter is able to work on stuff that is state specific, and recruit volunteers to work on cool projects that the Foundation doesn't have resources to pursue.
Once operational, I see no reason why we wouldn't be able to work on stuff efficiently and possibly even faster than the Foundation can. Toolservers could be one of those projects, although we would definitely want to look at the cost of such a project.
________________________________
From: Jon Davis <wiki(a)konsoletek.com>
To: wikimedia-california(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Sent: Tue, May 4, 2010 10:19:05 PM
Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-california] [Wikimedia-SF] Wikimedia-california created!
I'm all for uber toolservers, and I'm more than happy to be involved with said project. I do have some other nefarious idea's for how to use a chapter to advance evil agendas... that being said - what's the real point of having a chapter? I mean, I know they are non-profits, but besides that I guess I'm confused as to how _we_ (Californian's) will use it?
Looking at the projects we currently do (Just from the SF Bay perspective) and those that we want to do - how will having a chapter help get them done quicker/easier/faster/cheaper/whateverer?
As a random note back to toolservers, there are many hosting facilities in NorCal. I've priced many of them for my real job. They are by no means unbelievably expensive, but they are by no means cheap either. I'm not sure what WMGermany is paying (if someone knows, or can point my in that direction, I'd be interested) but we're looking at a general minimum of $100/mo for a 1U server with 1mbit/s. That isn't exactly...much... and doesn't count the cost of actually buying the server. Simply to have a mirror of all the databases is going to take a lot more horsepower and hard drive space (And therefor lots more money, upfront and monthly). I realize we can probably get the foundation to give us some of their servers next they remove a series for service... but I'm just thinking broadly there.
-Jon
On Tue, May 4, 2010 at 21:35, James Salsman <jsalsman(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Geoff,
>Thank you for your hard work on requesting the Chapter mailing list and for serving as Chapter Contact. I hope you will conduct the business within reason and evidence.
>As for articles of incorporation and bylaws, we should adopt the Chapter Committee's recommendation and Roberts Rules of Order, respectively, coonducting meetings on IRC. Will you ask the Chapter Committee, please, whether they recommend copying the Foundation's Articles of Incorporation, and so send along a copy of them if they have them?
>As for projects, I know the Google Summer of Code applications with positive evaluations which did not get approved because the Foundation did not request a sufficient number of slots are excellent projects for us to attempt. I also think we should try to make better price/performance Mediawiki servers than the German chapter has been able, as a long-term hardware project goal.
>Discussion? Please reply and forward to the new list.
>Regards,
>James Salsman
>
>On May 4, 2010 8:46 PM, "Geoffrey Plourde" <geo.plrd(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>Everyone,
>>
>>The permanent mailing list for Wikimedia-California, Wikimedia-california(a)lists.wikimedia.org has been created. Please go to https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-california to subscribe to the list and receive updates as the chapter for the Golden State is formed. You can also add your name on Meta at http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_California#Roster_.28Join_the_caus…, if you haven't already done so. We'll begin drafting Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws soon, as well as planning projects for the chapter to work on when fully operational.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Geoff Plourde
>>
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Jon
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