Dear Community Members,
Wikimania is only two weeks away (Aug. 13-17) and we are very excited to
welcome each of you. The program is shaping up well and we look forward to
sharing that with you very soon. Registration remains open
<https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2021:Registration>. We surpassed 1800
registrants today! Registering is the best way to enjoy the virtual
experience, to take part in social activities, and to start receiving
information from the organizers.
I would also like to invite movement groups and affiliates to sign up for a
table in the virtual Community Village
<https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2021:Community_Village> space. You
can learn more about the available resources and times, as well as sign-ups
on the page. Each table will be equipped with a digital Miro
<https://miro.com/> whiteboard where you can share text, images and videos
about your work and community. You do not need people to be at the tables.
There are 140 tables available, so please consider sharing with a neighbor
or region.
The Unconference <https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2021:Unconference>
space is also open and you can sign up to host a session there. If we were
not able to include your submission as part of the main programming, you
are more than welcome to host it here. Unconference is a great opportunity
to connect with fellow Wikimedians in a more intimate and casual setting.
You can learn more on the page.
Thank you very much and see you all at Wikimania.
Best Wishes,
Winnie Kabintie (User:Ms_Kabintie
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ms_Kabintie>), on behalf of the
Wikimania 2021 Core Organizing Team.
Dear Community Members,
We are pleased to inform you that the first round of scholarships to
facilitate attendance for this year's virtual Wikimania has been accepted
and the funds are being distributed.
As previously announced, the scholarships for the 2021 Wikimania are only
being channeled through affiliates. This was a complex decision and
something that we will build on for next year. Individuals who are not in a
community with an affiliate but would wish to receive support like data,
mobile top-off, and childcare can request a nearby affiliate for support.
We have so far received 22 Scholarship applications.
We appeal to all affiliates to be supportive of nearby regional communities
that may need help and reach out to the COT should there be need for
further guidance. Scholarship applications close on 31 July 2021
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2021/Scholarships>.(
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2021/Scholarships)
Digital Assets
We also invite you to work with this Wikimania’s digital assets, which
include high-resolution graphics and virtual backgrounds. Access the
digital assets HERE
<https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikimania_2021_symbols> and
have fun.
Best Wishes,
Winnie Kabintie (User:Ms_Kabintie
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ms_Kabintie>), on behalf of the
Wikimania 2021 Core Organizing Team.
Dear Community Members,
We are pleased to announce that a hackathon
<https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2021:Hackathon> will take place on
the first day of Wikimania (August 13th). During the 24 hours covering all
time zones, we aim to provide a space where the technical community as well
as others interested, including newcomers, can gather. We also aim to
onboard people who would like to get involved in Mediawiki development and
the tools ecosystem.
We see Hackathon as a space for experiments. With an open schedule and a
light, self-organized mindset, the hackathon day is the perfect opportunity
for you to try new projects, formats or to gather people and start working
on a new idea.
To learn more about this year’s hackathon, discover how to start a project,
or book a slot in the program, please visit this page:
https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2021:Hackathon
If you have any questions, feel free to use the related talk page to
contact the organizing team or join the community conversation on Telegram (see
link <https://t.me/wikimaniachat>).
Session Submissions Updates
A first round of acceptances for the session submissions have been sent out
already and respective community members notified via email. In response to
so many great submissions, we have largely expanded the available virtual
space at Wikimania. However, this is quite a complex and time-consuming
task. We thank you for your patience and will continue to communicate the
results over the next few days.
Wikimania 2021 Registration is Open. Please register HERE
<https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wikimania-2021-tickets-161884957265> if you
haven’t done so already.
Best Wishes,
Winnie Kabintie (User:Ms_Kabintie
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ms_Kabintie>), on behalf of the
Wikimania 2021 Core Organizing Team.
Hello Hello!
We are pleased with the program submissions, for Wikimania 2021, that have
come through so far and even the planning discussions we’ve seen going on
in various groups.
SUBMISSION PROPOSALS DEADLINE APPROACHING: The deadline to submit your
proposals is approaching rapidly, Friday, 18th June, 12am PST and we would
not like to see anyone locked out. Please make sure you submit your session
proposals <https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2021:Submissions> for the
first ever virtual Wikimania.
Office Hours
Thank you to everyone who has joined the Submission Office Hours we’ve had
last week. We have one more this week on 15th June at 12:00 UTC
<https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2021:Organizers>. More Office Hours
around Wikimania 2021 will become available soon… Stay tuned.
Scholarships Program Now Open
As announced last week, the scholarship program is now open until 30th
July. This year, scholarships will only be issued to Affiliates, who will
then distribute to their respective community members.
Read More about the Scholarship Program for Wikimania 2021
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2021/Scholarships> (
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2021/Scholarships)
Best Wishes,
Winnie Kabintie (User:Ms_Kabintie
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ms_Kabintie>), on behalf of the
Wikimania 2021 Core Organizing Team.
Hello Wikimaniacs,
I'm organising a local meetup (Cambridge, UK) as part of Wikimania.
Where is the best place to post the details on-wiki? The Wikimania wiki's
surprisingly empty compared to previous years because submissions have
moved away from the wiki...
--Deryck