Brian McNeil's productive work in Edinburgh. I particularly like the idea of recruiting newbies at libraries - with all those lovely old printed references right there to hand. Get those library computers being used for more than webmail. This could work anywhere.
- d.
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: brian.mcneil@wikinewsie.org Date: 22 May 2012 13:03 Subject: [Wikimediauk-l] Lum Hats in Paradise To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org
Hola! From a non-Wikipedian Wikimedian - in Edinburgh - who is delighted with the response from some tentative outreach work.
I spend around an hour this morning touring Edingburgh's Central Library with Fiona Myles, took around 150 photos of the interior of the building, and _hope_ I've laid the groundwork for us to work far more closely in future.
I have, dependent on copyright, a verbal agreement to get high-res scans of the plans of the building (A Carnegie Library), a keen interest to have librarians briefed on Wikipedia - if not outright encouraged to contribute, and the possibility of running recruitment/induction sessions in Edinburgh. Which, for the unwashed masses, is a UNESCO City of Literature.
Given the piss-poor representation up here in Scotland, I think that's a major win. My next job, as interim 'cowboy liasion' between Wikimedia UK and Museums Galleries Scotland is to get a few councillors calling for all publicly funded publications to be under a CC-BY license.
Any, and all, encouragement welcome. Any Englandshire Wikimedians wh plan to visit Edingburgh in the next 6-12 months, please feel free to drop me a mail. If I can get you meetings with people, or privileged access for photography, I will.
Fun and frivolity aside, with limited Internet access I've come to the conclusion that public libraries are the way to recruit. Brief the staff of what makes a good Wikipedia article - half of them know already - then a simple static display may encourage locals to try their hand. Here in Edinburgh I suspect I can, without too many problems, get articles put into about a half-dozen languages with keen help from library staff.
And this message's title? Purloined from a book on the city's libraries.
Brian McNeil -- Wikinews, Accredited Reporter. Personal: brian.mcneil@o2.co.uk "Facts don't cease to be facts, but news ceases to be news."
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On 5/22/12, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
Brian McNeil's productive work in Edinburgh. I particularly like the idea of recruiting newbies at libraries - with all those lovely old printed references right there to hand. Get those library computers being used for more than webmail. This could work anywhere.
You are not telling that this isn't a perennial proposal? It's blindingly obvious. The issue is not recruiting newbies, but keeping them and getting them to understand how Wikipedia works, and then to be productive instead of getting sucked into the various drama-fests.
Carcharoth
Insert "me" after "telling" below...
On 5/22/12, Carcharoth carcharothwp@googlemail.com wrote:
On 5/22/12, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
Brian McNeil's productive work in Edinburgh. I particularly like the idea of recruiting newbies at libraries - with all those lovely old printed references right there to hand. Get those library computers being used for more than webmail. This could work anywhere.
You are not telling that this isn't a perennial proposal? It's blindingly obvious. The issue is not recruiting newbies, but keeping them and getting them to understand how Wikipedia works, and then to be productive instead of getting sucked into the various drama-fests.
Carcharoth
On 22 May 2012 17:48, Carcharoth carcharothwp@googlemail.com wrote:
On 5/22/12, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
Brian McNeil's productive work in Edinburgh. I particularly like the idea of recruiting newbies at libraries - with all those lovely old printed references right there to hand. Get those library computers being used for more than webmail. This could work anywhere.
You are not telling [me] that this isn't a perennial proposal? It's blindingly obvious. The issue is not recruiting newbies, but keeping them and getting them to understand how Wikipedia works, and then to be productive instead of getting sucked into the various drama-fests.
Would be time to discuss the "how", not just the "what", then. How to get newcomers over initial hurdles. Just as with the issue of article quality, there is a bit more to it than may seem at first sight.
Charles
Even with the retention problems, getting more people to even start will help.. Even if only 1% of the people who make their first edit go on to write substantial articles, getting more people to make that first edit will improve our numbers at every stage.
On Wed, May 23, 2012 at 6:34 AM, Charles Matthews charles.r.matthews@ntlworld.com wrote:
On 22 May 2012 17:48, Carcharoth carcharothwp@googlemail.com wrote:
On 5/22/12, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
Brian McNeil's productive work in Edinburgh. I particularly like the idea of recruiting newbies at libraries - with all those lovely old printed references right there to hand. Get those library computers being used for more than webmail. This could work anywhere.
You are not telling [me] that this isn't a perennial proposal? It's blindingly obvious. The issue is not recruiting newbies, but keeping them and getting them to understand how Wikipedia works, and then to be productive instead of getting sucked into the various drama-fests.
Would be time to discuss the "how", not just the "what", then. How to get newcomers over initial hurdles. Just as with the issue of article quality, there is a bit more to it than may seem at first sight.
Charles
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