We are indeed investigating remote options not just for Wikimania, but for many events, meetups and conferences for 2020 and beyond. Please feel free to join the meta page and conversation around the tools and paradigms for doing remote events.
Meta page: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki /WikiProject_remote_event_participation CROW (Conference Remote Options for Wikimedians) Telegram chat: https://t.me/joinchat/FE0P5FlfxzREOMlLljnNcA
-Andrew Lih Author of The Wikipedia Revolution US National Archives Citizen Archivist of the Year (2016) Knight Foundation grant recipient - Wikipedia Space (2015) Wikimedia DC - Outreach and GLAM Previously: professor of journalism and communications, American University, Columbia University, USC --- Email: andrew@andrewlih.com WEB: https://muckrack.com/fuzheado PROJECT: Wikipedia Space: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:WPSPACE
On Thu, Mar 19, 2020 at 12:32 AM Thomas Shafee thomas.shafee@gmail.com wrote:
Regarding remote participation Wikimania 2020:
The *Research Data Alliance* has moved it's current conference that was meant to be over the next five days to in stead be online across 18 march - 10 Apr (several sessions of high interest to wikimedians):
https://www.rd-alliance.org/rda-virtual-plenary-programme *
What was previously $700 is now free and was re-organised with only 1 week's notice. Possible learning items for a remote Wikimania? It's a mixed working-group and plenary session based format that is highly relevant to wikimedia movement.
All the best, Thomas
On Thu, 19 Mar 2020 at 13:33, Roman Bustria Jr. bustrias@gmail.com wrote:
Thank you Katherine for this update.
We at ESEAP confirm that Wikimania will not happen this year. We
appreciate
your support and understanding on this recent development.
We will continue to collaborate with the Wikimania Steering Committee and the Wikimedia Foundation with the remaining tasks to be done and plan accordingly for next year.
Kind regards,
Butch Bustria Head of Communications ESEAP Wikimania Organizing Team
On Thu, Mar 19, 2020, 4:57 AM Katherine Maher kmaher@wikimedia.org wrote:
Dear everyone,
As a part of the Wikimedia movement’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are postponing Wikimania Bangkok 2020. This decision was
made
with the full support of the ESEAP host team and Wikimania Committee. Together, we will hold Wikimania in Bangkok in 2021.
We are filled with sadness to not see you all in Bangkok in August. However, we are confident that this is the best possible decision for
the
well-being of our global community and public health overall. This
decision
was proposed by the ESEAP organizers in line with their countries’
response
to the COVID-19 pandemic and is in line with recommendations from the
World
Health Organization (WHO).
You are certain to have many questions. We hope to answer some of your questions below. We will continue to answer questions on the Wikimania Meta-Wiki page and on the Wikimania Telegram group chat (more
information
below).
*== What does “postponing” Wikimania mean? ==* We will not host an in-person Wikimania in 2020. We are rescheduling Wikimania Bangkok until 2021. The ESEAP organizing team[2] will
continue
their work as a regional collaborative between affiliates in the East, South East, and Pacific regions to host us in Thailand next year.
The hotel and venue[3] in Bangkok will remain the same. We have not yet finalized dates for 2021. We will work with the ESEAP team and
Wikimania
Steering Committee to confirm new dates. We will let you know these
dates
by the end of 2020.
The good news is that Wikimania 2021 will coincide with Wikipedia’s
20th
birthday year. We expect this to be a truly memorable Wikimania -- an opportunity to celebrate reconnection after a year apart, along with
the
remarkable accomplishment of two decades of free knowledge.
*== Will there be an alternative to the in-person event? ==*
There are no plans by the 2020 Wikimania hosts to organize a virtual, online event. Hosting Wikimania is a lot of work. The ESEAP team is committed to hosting the best possible in-person event in Bangkok in
Therefore, they will not have the capacity to organize a virtual
Wikimania
this year.
However, the Wikimania committee, the ESEAP host team, and the
Wikimedia
Foundation all recognize that other members of the community may be interested in organizing a remote, global Wikimedia event for 2020. Although the Wikimedia Foundation does not have the capacity at this
time
to lead the organizing of a virtual online conference, we recognize
others
may have the desire to do so.
We welcome discussion about online events. Interested parties are
welcome
to contact the Wikimania Steering Committee and Wikimania Foundation
staff
for advice on the Wikimania Meta-Wiki page[1].
We are also considering proposals for improving the capacity of communities to organize local virtual convenings, and for how we can support communities in organizing impromptu local and regional
Wikimedia
events once the pandemic passes. As the situation has been changing
rapidly
we are still working on specifics and will share more information in
the
coming weeks.
*== What does this mean for scholarship applications? ==*
We are working on a plan for how to process Wikimania 2020 scholarship applications.[4] We will share more information in the coming weeks.
*== How was this decision made? ==*
This recommendation was made by the ESEAP organizers based on what we
know
about the current COVID-19 global health pandemic and current WHO guidelines. The decision was made together with the ESEAP team in consultation with the Wikimania Steering Committee and Wikimedia Foundation. Together we are fully and unanimously aligned around this decision.
Although we are genuinely sad to not have the opportunity to see you
all
this year, we also are fully supportive of this decision in all of our
best
interests. It allows our ESEAP community hosts to focus on the
immediate
needs of their families, local Wikimedia communities, and local
communities
as a whole. It is in line with global public health guidance and aligns
the
Wikimedia movement as a responsible actor in support of our common
public
good.
We want to thank all volunteers and affiliates that have been involved with planning Wikimania. We’re especially appreciative of the ESEAP for their leadership, flexibility, and compassion, as we have worked
together
to make some difficult decisions on this important event.
*== Where can I learn more about Wikimania 2021? ==*
There are a number of channels where Wikimania is regularly discussed
and
where plans for 2021 will be posted as they develop. We welcome all interested participants to bring together our collective wisdom and creativity to discuss what happens next with Wikimania. You can find
these
channels here:
- Wikimania wiki: https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania
- Wikimania mailing list:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
- Freenode IRC channel: #wikimania
- Telegram group chat: https://t.me/wikimaniachat
*== Where can I learn more about COVID-19 and Wikimedia? ==*
We know the Wikimedia community as generous and altruistic. Unsurprisingly, many volunteers have started applying their skills and attention to this current global pandemic. The Foundation created a
page
on
Meta-Wiki where we can share and document the steps the Foundation and movement members are taking and ways to participate. We invite you to
join
us in documenting more about our collective response: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/COVID-19
*== Thank you ==*Our world, and many of our lives, have changed rapidly over these past few weeks. Yet we can look to history to take comfort
that
crises are also often moments when people put aside differences,
prioritize
community and care, and find ways to connect. The sense of community
and
purpose within the Wikimedia movement is a powerful rejoinder to these uncertain times.
This is a moment in which not only what we do, but how we do it, will
make
a meaningful impact on the world. We are so grateful for all that you
do
as
a movement to continue to rise to the challenges of our moment.
Please, stay safe and take care.
Katherine, on behalf of the:
- ESEAP Core Organizing Team
- Wikimania Steering Committee
- Wikimedia Foundation Events Team
P.S. You can help translate and share this message via Meta-Wiki: < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2020%3E You can also find additional information about Wikimedia's other
actions
regarding COVID-19 on Meta-Wiki:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/COVID-19
[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2020 [2] https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2020:Organizers [3] https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2020:Venue [4] https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/Scholarship_Committee
--
Katherine Maher (she/her)
Executive Director
Wikimedia Foundation https://wikimediafoundation.org/
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