Hello, community!
As the treasurer of our (pending) Wikimedia chapter, I have begun preparing the budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. While next year we have the Wikimania 2012 conference (and we are all excited for that!), we can also plan other programs and events as a chapter. Not everything has to be processed through the corporate infrastructure, of course, but if your idea involves spending a lot of money, let me know and I'll see what I can do to make it work. Conversely, if you have ideas about fundraising, I would also like to hear them. This is your opportunity to do something awesome in the D.C. community!
Sincerely, James Hare
James -
It would be great if the chapter were to offer classes in how to edit Wikipedia. The chapter could charge a small fee (say, $50 for a ten-week session, with one class per week), and pay the instructor part of that (more an honorarium than real wages, if the fee is low and the class size is restricted, particularly if the chapter has to pay for the room). Given how many people in the DC area have an interest in what is and could be on Wikipedia, I don't think we'd lack for students.
The chapter gets publicity from this; the instructor puts the material on the en.wikipedia.org website (to encourage similar efforts elsewhere); Wikipedia gets more editors. And (in the best of worlds) we could even pay for someone to make a set of videos of the classes, to be posted on the web for free viewing. Plus we could offer the same course to institutions like the Smithsonian, to further expand our reach.
-- John
----- Original Message ----- From: "James Hare" messedrocker@gmail.com To: wikimedia-dc@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Monday, June 6, 2011 7:49:14 AM Subject: [Wikimedia-DC] What programs would you like to see in 2012?
Hello, community!
As the treasurer of our (pending) Wikimedia chapter, I have begun preparing the budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. While next year we have the Wikimania 2012 conference (and we are all excited for that!), we can also plan other programs and events as a chapter. Not everything has to be processed through the corporate infrastructure, of course, but if your idea involves spending a lot of money, let me know and I'll see what I can do to make it work. Conversely, if you have ideas about fundraising, I would also like to hear them. This is your opportunity to do something awesome in the D.C. community!
Sincerely, James Hare
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
If we did classes on Wikipedia, they should be free and any costs that we would acquire should be covered by the chapter. Possible funding sources could include community grants from the Foundation, one of the other chapters or donations and donations in kind through partnering organizations like the DC library system. We could also partner up with adult learning programs like those offered through NVCC or Fairfax County Park systems. However, I think getting individuals to pay for the classes would be counter to the communities principle of free culture (unless it is sponsored by the chapter or another organization who is paying for the cost). I like the idea of extended or regular courses. There might be organizations to appeal to for this including local history organizations.
Alex Stinson
2011/6/6 John Broughton johnbroughton@comcast.net
James -
It would be great if the chapter were to offer classes in how to edit Wikipedia. The chapter could charge a small fee (say, $50 for a ten-week session, with one class per week), and pay the instructor part of that (more an honorarium than real wages, if the fee is low and the class size is restricted, particularly if the chapter has to pay for the room). Given how many people in the DC area have an interest in what is and could be on Wikipedia, I don't think we'd lack for students.
The chapter gets publicity from this; the instructor puts the material on the en.wikipedia.org website (to encourage similar efforts elsewhere); Wikipedia gets more editors. And (in the best of worlds) we could even pay for someone to make a set of videos of the classes, to be posted on the web for free viewing. Plus we could offer the same course to institutions like the Smithsonian, to further expand our reach.
-- John
----- Original Message ----- From: "James Hare" messedrocker@gmail.com To: wikimedia-dc@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Monday, June 6, 2011 7:49:14 AM Subject: [Wikimedia-DC] What programs would you like to see in 2012?
Hello, community!
As the treasurer of our (pending) Wikimedia chapter, I have begun preparing the budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. While next year we have the Wikimania 2012 conference (and we are all excited for that!), we can also plan other programs and events as a chapter. Not everything has to be processed through the corporate infrastructure, of course, but if your idea involves spending a lot of money, let me know and I'll see what I can do to make it work. Conversely, if you have ideas about fundraising, I would also like to hear them. This is your opportunity to do something awesome in the D.C. community!
Sincerely, James Hare
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
I agree with this, wholeheartedly.
We should be making an attempt to speak to some of the immigrant/international communities in the DC area - I'd be in favor of expanding the outreach to the suburbs in both Maryland and Virginia. There are significant Mongolian, Afghan, Ethiopian, Salvadoran, Bolivian, and Middle Eastern communities in this area, to name a few - I think we should be targeting at least some of our outreach to them. Perhaps encouraging the development of the various foreign-language Wikis. Adult learning programs would be great - we could also set something up through Fairfax County or Arlington County libraries (or Montgomery County or PG County, of course).
2011/6/6 Alex Stinson stinsoad@dukes.jmu.edu
If we did classes on Wikipedia, they should be free and any costs that we would acquire should be covered by the chapter. Possible funding sources could include community grants from the Foundation, one of the other chapters or donations and donations in kind through partnering organizations like the DC library system. We could also partner up with adult learning programs like those offered through NVCC or Fairfax County Park systems. However, I think getting individuals to pay for the classes would be counter to the communities principle of free culture (unless it is sponsored by the chapter or another organization who is paying for the cost). I like the idea of extended or regular courses. There might be organizations to appeal to for this including local history organizations.
Alex Stinson
2011/6/6 John Broughton johnbroughton@comcast.net
James -
It would be great if the chapter were to offer classes in how to edit Wikipedia. The chapter could charge a small fee (say, $50 for a ten-week session, with one class per week), and pay the instructor part of that (more an honorarium than real wages, if the fee is low and the class size is restricted, particularly if the chapter has to pay for the room). Given how many people in the DC area have an interest in what is and could be on Wikipedia, I don't think we'd lack for students.
The chapter gets publicity from this; the instructor puts the material on the en.wikipedia.org website (to encourage similar efforts elsewhere); Wikipedia gets more editors. And (in the best of worlds) we could even pay for someone to make a set of videos of the classes, to be posted on the web for free viewing. Plus we could offer the same course to institutions like the Smithsonian, to further expand our reach.
-- John
----- Original Message ----- From: "James Hare" messedrocker@gmail.com To: wikimedia-dc@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Monday, June 6, 2011 7:49:14 AM Subject: [Wikimedia-DC] What programs would you like to see in 2012?
Hello, community!
As the treasurer of our (pending) Wikimedia chapter, I have begun preparing the budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. While next year we have the Wikimania 2012 conference (and we are all excited for that!), we can also plan other programs and events as a chapter. Not everything has to be processed through the corporate infrastructure, of course, but if your idea involves spending a lot of money, let me know and I'll see what I can do to make it work. Conversely, if you have ideas about fundraising, I would also like to hear them. This is your opportunity to do something awesome in the D.C. community!
Sincerely, James Hare
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Whether or not there are fees, I think the root of John's proposal is interesting and novel and worth pursuing.
There have been a lot of one-off Wikipedia workshops. There's never been (that I know of) an extended Wikipedia course. Putting together a course plan and class materials of that level of detail to fill out a (say) 10-session course would be really valuable for the whole Wikimedia community, something to build on and incorporate into the on-wiki help and tutorial material we have.
I think an honorarium for the instructor who leads such an effort would be appropriate.
Cheers, Sage
2011/6/6 John Broughton johnbroughton@comcast.net:
James - It would be great if the chapter were to offer classes in how to edit Wikipedia. The chapter could charge a small fee (say, $50 for a ten-week session, with one class per week), and pay the instructor part of that (more an honorarium than real wages, if the fee is low and the class size is restricted, particularly if the chapter has to pay for the room). Given how many people in the DC area have an interest in what is and could be on Wikipedia, I don't think we'd lack for students. The chapter gets publicity from this; the instructor puts the material on the en.wikipedia.org website (to encourage similar efforts elsewhere); Wikipedia gets more editors. And (in the best of worlds) we could even pay for someone to make a set of videos of the classes, to be posted on the web for free viewing. Plus we could offer the same course to institutions like the Smithsonian, to further expand our reach. -- John ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Hare" messedrocker@gmail.com To: wikimedia-dc@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Monday, June 6, 2011 7:49:14 AM Subject: [Wikimedia-DC] What programs would you like to see in 2012?
Hello, community!
As the treasurer of our (pending) Wikimedia chapter, I have begun preparing the budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. While next year we have the Wikimania 2012 conference (and we are all excited for that!), we can also plan other programs and events as a chapter. Not everything has to be processed through the corporate infrastructure, of course, but if your idea involves spending a lot of money, let me know and I'll see what I can do to make it work. Conversely, if you have ideas about fundraising, I would also like to hear them. This is your opportunity to do something awesome in the D.C. community!
Sincerely, James Hare
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Certainly a great idea, and no objections to it or an honorarium. We need to figure out what organizations would be best to work with on deploying it.
Alex Stinson
On Mon, Jun 6, 2011 at 4:08 PM, Sage Ross sross@wikimedia.org wrote:
Whether or not there are fees, I think the root of John's proposal is interesting and novel and worth pursuing.
There have been a lot of one-off Wikipedia workshops. There's never been (that I know of) an extended Wikipedia course. Putting together a course plan and class materials of that level of detail to fill out a (say) 10-session course would be really valuable for the whole Wikimedia community, something to build on and incorporate into the on-wiki help and tutorial material we have.
I think an honorarium for the instructor who leads such an effort would be appropriate.
Cheers, Sage
2011/6/6 John Broughton johnbroughton@comcast.net:
James - It would be great if the chapter were to offer classes in how to edit Wikipedia. The chapter could charge a small fee (say, $50 for a ten-week session, with one class per week), and pay the instructor part of that
(more
an honorarium than real wages, if the fee is low and the class size is restricted, particularly if the chapter has to pay for the room). Given
how
many people in the DC area have an interest in what is and could be on Wikipedia, I don't think we'd lack for students. The chapter gets publicity from this; the instructor puts the material on the en.wikipedia.org website (to encourage similar efforts elsewhere); Wikipedia gets more editors. And (in the best of worlds) we could even
pay
for someone to make a set of videos of the classes, to be posted on the
web
for free viewing. Plus we could offer the same course to institutions
like
the Smithsonian, to further expand our reach. -- John ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Hare" messedrocker@gmail.com To: wikimedia-dc@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Monday, June 6, 2011 7:49:14 AM Subject: [Wikimedia-DC] What programs would you like to see in 2012?
Hello, community!
As the treasurer of our (pending) Wikimedia chapter, I have begun preparing the budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. While next year we have the Wikimania 2012 conference (and we are all excited for that!), we can also plan other programs and events as a chapter. Not everything has to be processed through the corporate infrastructure, of course, but if your idea involves spending a lot of money, let me know and I'll see what I can do to make it work. Conversely, if you have ideas about fundraising, I would also like to hear them. This is your opportunity to do something awesome in the D.C. community!
Sincerely, James Hare
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
I suggest three 4/5-session courses, beginner, intermeidate, and advanced. Some people who already know the basics would only register for the intermediate or advnaced classes, while those who don't cant take all 3 in succession.
Sincerely,
N Michael Bashour
On Mon, Jun 6, 2011 at 10:08 AM, Sage Ross sross@wikimedia.org wrote:
Whether or not there are fees, I think the root of John's proposal is interesting and novel and worth pursuing.
There have been a lot of one-off Wikipedia workshops. There's never been (that I know of) an extended Wikipedia course. Putting together a course plan and class materials of that level of detail to fill out a (say) 10-session course would be really valuable for the whole Wikimedia community, something to build on and incorporate into the on-wiki help and tutorial material we have.
I think an honorarium for the instructor who leads such an effort would be appropriate.
Cheers, Sage
2011/6/6 John Broughton johnbroughton@comcast.net:
James - It would be great if the chapter were to offer classes in how to edit Wikipedia. The chapter could charge a small fee (say, $50 for a ten-week session, with one class per week), and pay the instructor part of that (more an honorarium than real wages, if the fee is low and the class size is restricted, particularly if the chapter has to pay for the room). Given how many people in the DC area have an interest in what is and could be on Wikipedia, I don't think we'd lack for students. The chapter gets publicity from this; the instructor puts the material on the en.wikipedia.org website (to encourage similar efforts elsewhere); Wikipedia gets more editors. And (in the best of worlds) we could even pay for someone to make a set of videos of the classes, to be posted on the web for free viewing. Plus we could offer the same course to institutions like the Smithsonian, to further expand our reach. -- John ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Hare" messedrocker@gmail.com To: wikimedia-dc@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Monday, June 6, 2011 7:49:14 AM Subject: [Wikimedia-DC] What programs would you like to see in 2012?
Hello, community!
As the treasurer of our (pending) Wikimedia chapter, I have begun preparing the budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. While next year we have the Wikimania 2012 conference (and we are all excited for that!), we can also plan other programs and events as a chapter. Not everything has to be processed through the corporate infrastructure, of course, but if your idea involves spending a lot of money, let me know and I'll see what I can do to make it work. Conversely, if you have ideas about fundraising, I would also like to hear them. This is your opportunity to do something awesome in the D.C. community!
Sincerely, James Hare
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Certainly a good idea to offer something to people who have done a bit of Wikipedia editing, but don't want to wade through all the documentation to figure out next steps. So yes, an intermediate course would be good, though tricky to figure out exactly what to assume is already known by people who haven't been through the beginning course. As for the length (of both the beginning and intermediate course), it's probably tricky to decide the length without actually sitting down and doing (rough) lesson plans. It might well be that ten classes are needed to get to a reasonable editing ability for just a beginner. (Depends, of course, on whether we're talking about 60 minute or 90 minute or - I hope not - 120 minute classes.)
I'm a bit more skeptical of prospects for an advanced course, for several reasons:
* There are a lot of directions it could go (bots, scripts, AWB and other tools, etc.; in fact, I have five or so chapters on advanced topics that never made it into Wikipedia: The Missing Manual ), and it's not clear that what interests some students would interest others.
* Those who have gotten to the point where they are ready for an advanced course probably have gotten fairly good at learning by reading the voluminous Wikipedia documentation, and so don't necessarily need a course.
* There are lots of editors at Wikipedia willing to do one-on-one help (IRC), and helping on advanced topics (as opposed to very basic editing) is probably fairly interesting to them.
Instead, perhaps an "advanced discussion group" would work better. Or even a series of discussion meetings, covering a different topic each time. In any case, I suggest we focus on beginning (and possibly intermediate) courses; when we have those up and running successfully, then we'll have more time and energy to think about advanced topics.
-- John
----- Original Message ----- From: "N Michael Bashour" nicholasbashour@gmail.com To: wikimedia-dc@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Monday, June 6, 2011 11:12:42 AM Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-DC] What programs would you like to see in 2012?
I suggest three 4/5-session courses, beginner, intermeidate, and advanced. Some people who already know the basics would only register for the intermediate or advnaced classes, while those who don't cant take all 3 in succession.
Sincerely,
N Michael Bashour
On Mon, Jun 6, 2011 at 10:08 AM, Sage Ross sross@wikimedia.org wrote:
Whether or not there are fees, I think the root of John's proposal is interesting and novel and worth pursuing.
There have been a lot of one-off Wikipedia workshops. There's never been (that I know of) an extended Wikipedia course. Putting together a course plan and class materials of that level of detail to fill out a (say) 10-session course would be really valuable for the whole Wikimedia community, something to build on and incorporate into the on-wiki help and tutorial material we have.
I think an honorarium for the instructor who leads such an effort would be appropriate.
Cheers, Sage
2011/6/6 John Broughton johnbroughton@comcast.net:
James - It would be great if the chapter were to offer classes in how to edit Wikipedia. The chapter could charge a small fee (say, $50 for a ten-week session, with one class per week), and pay the instructor part of that (more an honorarium than real wages, if the fee is low and the class size is restricted, particularly if the chapter has to pay for the room). Given how many people in the DC area have an interest in what is and could be on Wikipedia, I don't think we'd lack for students. The chapter gets publicity from this; the instructor puts the material on the en.wikipedia.org website (to encourage similar efforts elsewhere); Wikipedia gets more editors. And (in the best of worlds) we could even pay for someone to make a set of videos of the classes, to be posted on the web for free viewing. Plus we could offer the same course to institutions like the Smithsonian, to further expand our reach. -- John ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Hare" messedrocker@gmail.com To: wikimedia-dc@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Monday, June 6, 2011 7:49:14 AM Subject: [Wikimedia-DC] What programs would you like to see in 2012?
Hello, community!
As the treasurer of our (pending) Wikimedia chapter, I have begun preparing the budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. While next year we have the Wikimania 2012 conference (and we are all excited for that!), we can also plan other programs and events as a chapter. Not everything has to be processed through the corporate infrastructure, of course, but if your idea involves spending a lot of money, let me know and I'll see what I can do to make it work. Conversely, if you have ideas about fundraising, I would also like to hear them. This is your opportunity to do something awesome in the D.C. community!
Sincerely, James Hare
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
2011/6/6 John Broughton johnbroughton@comcast.net
Instead, perhaps an "advanced discussion group" would work better. Or even a series of discussion meetings, covering a different topic each time.
Perhaps we could start a Wikipedia User Group, along the lines of the Linux User Group model?
Kirill
There might be a lot of interest in a training on Wikipedia and (for lack of a better term) PR. This town is full of people who want to promote themselves and their ideas -- and public figures who want to safeguard their reputations. Of course, there have been several high-profile examples of political figures inappropriately editing their own pages, etc. So it could be a real service, both to Wikipedia and to the people concerned, to do an event that covers topics like:
When is it OK to edit your own Wikipedia page? What do I do if I see an error? I just published a paper on this topic -- can I post it on Wikipedia?
It could be a general event, or for more specific contexts -- e.g. an event for Congressional staff, one for academics, etc.
On Mon, June 6, 2011 7:49 am, James Hare wrote:
Hello, community!
As the treasurer of our (pending) Wikimedia chapter, I have begun preparing the budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. While next year we have the Wikimania 2012 conference (and we are all excited for that!), we can also plan other programs and events as a chapter. Not everything has to be processed through the corporate infrastructure, of course, but if your idea involves spending a lot of money, let me know and I'll see what I can do to make it work. Conversely, if you have ideas about fundraising, I would also like to hear them. This is your opportunity to do something awesome in the D.C. community!
Sincerely, James Hare
wikimedia-dc@lists.wikimedia.org