Utilizing the model set by Wikimedia staff IRC office hours, MediaWiki.org's WikiProject Extensions is presenting our first MediaWiki Workshops for developers (volunteer and staff).  Preparing extensions for MediaWiki 1.19 will be held on 13 January, 2012 at 19:00 UTC in IRC (#wikimedia-dev).

Everyone is invited to attend.  Developers interested in serving as "extensions" or "MediaWiki 1.19" experts are encouraged to signup as participants at: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Project:WikiProject_Extensions/MediaWiki_Workshops#MediaWiki_1.19_Experts

If there's continued interest / demand, MediaWiki Workshops will typically last one hour, and happen no more than twice a month to present trainings, hold discussions and collaborate on community or WikiProject Extensions projects. Facilitators host the session to introduce any presenters, determine the order of questions, and generally helps to keep things going. Time of day will vary in order to offer people in different parts of the world the opportunity to participate. Future topics will likely include MediaWiki.org documentation, ResourceLouder orientation and workshops similar to our inaugural chat to prepare for each MediaWiki release.

More information: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Project:WikiProject_Extensions/MediaWiki_Workshops

MediaWiki.org's WikiProject SysAdmins will also likely host similar MediaWiki Workshops to help third-party wiki system administrators.  Stay tuned for more information, and chime in at: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Project:WikiProject_SysAdmins/Ideas

Look forward to seeing folks next Friday!  Please feel free to forward this along to any interested folks.

-greg aka varnent