Two days ago, around the 15th birthday of Wikipedia, the Dutch Wikipedia community awarded in seven categories the users and projects most valued for their contributions to Wikipedia in the past year.

In seven categories a WikiOwl has been awarded, symbolizing the ancient Greek owl for wisdom and knowledge. Free knowledge!

The WikiOwls given recognition and appreciation for all the work done by the users and their projects. Recognition and appreciation that stimulates and gives much enthusiasm to enrich the world of free knowledge even more, essential for Wikipedia's continuation.

This makes me think again about Wikimania in the past years. The conferences are great and have a nice program. At the same time I sense something important is missing. I miss in the large plenary sessions the attention for specific users and their projects that are of most value for the movement.

Wikimania is the conference intended for contributors to share their experiences, learn about best practises, work together to use the synergy to get done more. That is what this community conference is about.

Hopefully we will fill this small but important gap of the plenary session(s) with the coming Wikimania, and have more attention for the specific contributions that we as community value most. Let's have many many users inspired by great ideas that they can bring home and into practise.

Thank you.

Romaine