Hiya,
With the deadline for submitting LOGO designs for WikiConference lapsing today, we now request everyone to vote for the design they would like to see as the logo of WikiConference India from the eight designs submitted. Deadline for voting is 2.30PM on 29 June 2011 (48 hours from now).
You see all the designs and vote here: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:WikiConference_India_2011#Logo
Kind Regards,
User:AroundTheGlobe
[[This is a lengthy mail and is cross-posted on all mailing lists. Kindly
bear]]
Dear Wikimedians,
We interact with the government on multiple occasions. The problems are all
too familiar - complex systems, official apathy, corruption - just to name a
few.
Some trivia and stats to qualify these claims:
* Entrepreneurs identified increasing the speed and ease of issuing permits;
lowering taxes; and reducing the time it takes to start a business as key
issues. (Note - All issues relate to government interactions; Source -
Legatum Institute)
* In Mumbai, there are 37 procedural hoops to jump through to gain approval
to build a warehouse. (Source : World Bank)
* On the Corruption Perception Index (2010), India ranks 87th of 178
countries
* Indians are highest ranked in volume of search for terms such as
government rules, passport and registration (Source - Google Trends)
Here's where WikifyIndia - a wiki of government procedures - kicks in.
If Wikipedia is the Thinkers Encyclopedia, WikifyIndia is the Doer's
Encyclopedia
We (the founders) are ardent believers of the Wikipedia model and want to
apply it to government procedures. Our belief is that ordinary citizens
suffer for two reasons – the process is complex and accurate information is
unavailable. WikifyIndia addresses the latter. Agents distort information to
suit themselves. Officials are rarely friendly. The best solution has always
been to ask someone who has ‘been through the grind’. WikifyIndia does it on
a national level.
The scope of the Project is wide ranging. From getting into the armed forces
to filing a Right To Information request, from complaining about a broken
traffic signal to opening a restaurant, from changing your name to adopting
a child, from applying for euthanasia to marrying in court, from getting a
gun permit to filing your taxes, from getting a permit to climb peaks to
getting a gas connection, it will all be there.
www.wikifyindia.com
Every article is expected to have a short intro, requirements/eligibility,
procedure, list of documents, timings, fees, application form, sample
certificate among other details. Unlike Wikipedia, WikifyIndia is also a
forum. There is merit in aggregating experiences (for ex. visa experiences
can be quite varied).
Current approaches on the internet are inadequate. Information is retrieved
from Q&A forums, blog posts, agent or government sites. It is incomplete and
outdated. Wikipedia has proved that a bottom approach is far more suitable
in some areas than any top down approach (where a group is formally trying
to organise information). Even if someone did a good job, they wouldn't be
able to distribute it for free.
WikifyIndia complements Wikipedia. The article on Civil Marriage in
Wikipedia is written differently from the same article on WikifyIndia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_marriagehttp://www.wikifyindia.com/wiki/Civil_Marriage
When WikifyIndia has adequate accurate content, it will reduce what
economists call 'transaction costs'. Any tool to improve productivity of
citizens, entrepreneurs and organisations will be directly contributing to
the Indian economy. To the best of our knowledge, there is no other site
with a similar approach in any other country. We urge you to jump in and
make a difference.
WikifyIndia is a non-profit initiative free of advertising and is being run
by a small fund created by the Founders.
We (the founders) have cribbed about a @#$% and rotten system for far too
long. WikifyIndia is our way of doing something about it. We ask for your
complete support in adding content, sharing experiences, creating templates
and technical support. The goal is for every government procedure to be
available in every Indian language with complete and accurate guidelines. If
a farmer's wife in Manipur wants to get employed under Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme, she should have all the information and forms on the site
in her language.
Thank you for your time and patience,
Anish and Sohel [User:Sbohra]
The name "WikiConference India" was selected by the community through simple
majority. The discussion began on this page (url:
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:WikiConference_India_2011) and has now
been archived here (url :
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:WikiConference_India_2011/Conference_Na…
).
For the record, the votes were as follows -
* WikiMela (& variants) - 8 support, 1 oppose
* WikiConference India - 14 support, 2 oppose
* WikiUtsav - 2 support
* WikiMania India - 2 support, 5 oppose
* WikiBharati - 1 support
Those who feel that WikiMela would be more evocative, creative and
brandworthy may consider Harriet's suggestion to :
"within India use locally understood names appropriately to brand events
like Utsav for the After Conference Party..or Mela for Wiki community
meets."
Warm regards,
Ashwin Baindur
------------------------------------------------------
**Cross posted on various Indian Mailing Lists**
As per Community consensus, the annual national conference of Wikipedians in India will be titled WikiConference India.
We now need a special Logo for the event.
This logo will be used not only this year, but annually for the national conference. Community members are requested to come up with designs and post them on the talk page of the event on meta latest by 1PM, Monday 27 June 2011. Thereafter we will have a 48 hour window for the other community members to vote for the design they like.
**Kindly note, we expect the designers to assign unconditionally all rights to the logo design to Wikimedia Chapter (India) under whose jurisdiction this conference comes without any remuneration or other considerations. You will be recognised as the designer of the logo.**
Weblink for the Event Talk Page on Meta: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:WikiConference_India_2011#Logo
Looking forward to seeing some brilliant designs.
Kind Regards,
User:AroundTheGlobe
Hi Folks
Here's a report on the Wikipedia India Education Program: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_-_India_Programs/India_…
In (very) short summary, it's been an action packed 4-5 weeks, the team has done a huge amount of groundwork - and there appears to be significant potential. Do go through the report for further details.
...I've tried to make the report as interesting to read as possible - and focus on the learnings and implications for a national roll-out (instead of making it a random list summarising various activities.)
Do let me have your views on the mailing lists or the Talk Page.
(A project page has also been set up at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Pune but I hasten to add that it is in early stages of construction. ...but do keep visiting it. Finger crossed, it's going to get very busy, very soon!)
I'd like to thank everyone from the community who have helped out so amazingly!
Best
Hisham Mundol
Wikimedia India Programs
skype : hisham.wikimedia
gtalk : hmundol(a)wikimedia.org
twitter : @mundol
Hello friends,
We need to decide by tomorrow night (21 Jun 2011) 2200 hrs IST (arbitrary,
for the sake of speeding things up) as to what the conference is to be
called.
Four options have been listed - WikiMela, WikiConference India, WikiUtsav &
Wikimania India. A few people have already voted but we want wider input
just to be sure.
So please add your vote at -
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:WikiConference_India_2011#Name
As of now, WikiConference India - the default placeholder we used seems to
be the winner, but we want to be pretty sure, you guys dont want a name with
Indian overtones such as WikiUtsav or WikiMela.
Tomorrow night at 2200 hrs, the supports for/against will be counted for
each & the result announced so we can go in for the logo design. So do go &
put in your vote.
Warm regards,
Ashwin Baindur
------------------------------------------------------
**Cross posted on India/Mumbai/Pune Lists - kindly forward to other Language/City lists that you may be a part of**
Dear All,
A tentative page for the WikiConference has been made on Meta and is available on this link: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiConference_India_2011
A discussion has been started for the name of the actual conference with people requested to vote/suggest titles within a week (by 1PM IST on Monday, 27 June 2011): http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:WikiConference_India_2011
Once the name is finalised we will request people to come up with a LOGO for the event.
Inputs from all Community and Chapter members is requested.
Kind Regards,
User:AroundTheGlobe
*Minutes of the Planning Meet which took place on 18-6-2011 (Saturday) in Mumbai*
**Cross posted on India/Mumbai/Pune lists - please forward to other City or Language lists that you may be a part of**
1. Name of conference - there were 3 suggestions. There was an idea that these could be put up for a week on Meta - asking people to vote for their choice (or make other suggestions):
a. '''Wikimela'''
Advantage: English/Hindi Fusion
Possible issue: Mela has different meanings (could be miscontrued for a carnival!)
b. '''Wiki Conference India'''
Advantage: Simplicity
Possible Issue: A bit to generic.
c. '''WikiMania India'''
Advantage: Global image of the name
Possible Issue: Could be confused with the global meet
2. All Documents to be posted on meta where a dedicated page will be made on meta.
3. Coordination among OC - Mail, Sabse bolo (Telepone) - minutes to be taken and calls to be moderated to ensure everyone has their say.
4. Master list - cross postings! A seperate mailing list to be made for the OC
5. Logo for the event - request for design to be posted on India list.
6. 3 office bearers. Chairperson/President of the event from Mumbai , Secretary in Pune and Tresurer from Mumbai. These 3 will be on the ground and will have visiting cards and letterheads made specifically for this event only.
7. Advisory committee - Hisham, Bishaka, Arjun, Achal
8. Working groups and functional team: Everyone to choose sub-committees they want to be part of - Based on functionality. The OC as it stands at the moment will be redone - everyone part of sub-committees except office bearers and advisors who will be part of everything/advise everyone.
9. Venue - University of Mumbai (South Campus) was the unanimous choice. Again, will be put up on the India list - with a 72 hour deadline for people to respond (Similarly all other major decisions to be put on mailing list before execution).
10. Accommodation: 4 on the table thus far. YWCA, Astoria, Chateau Windsor and Sea Green - all within 5-15 minutes walking of the venue, Ensuite, Airconditioned rooms. YWCA, Chateau Windor, Sea Green all on par so can be offered to people with 100% scholarships. Astoria is equivalent to a 3 star so can be offered to those with 75% or 90% scholarship. Another few hotels are due to be checked out this week.
11. Teams:
Finance / Audit
Sponsorship
Scholarship
Media and pr
Volunteer
Speaker management
Program
Community communication
Venue
Logistics
IT team
Conference planning
Party plans
12. Finance: Joint accounts to be created 4 signatories (2 from Mumbai, 2 from Chapter). New A/c will be in Chapter name and will be for Conference purpose. At the end of the year Mumbai reps will be replaced with reps from next host and money rolled over for next conference (any overflow). Everyone to pitch in with Sponsors. Sponsors could be in cash or kind. Eg. Looking for airline sponsor to get people to Mumbai or just cash which can be used for the conference.
13. Party: Royal Bombay Yatch Club to be asked for a quote as well as Bombay Presidency Radio Club
14. Decisions to be made on Consensus or by Simple Majority if consensus not possible.
15. Time limits: Time limits to be set for everything so that everything goes on time.
Kind Regards,
Hi Patricia,
Welcome to the Indian Community. We will look forward to your coming to Pune
to discss Marathi Wikipedia. It would be convenient if you come at end
July-early August as our local mr-WP champion, Mandar Kulkarni, will be out
of the country till that time. In the meantime, I request Abhay Natu &
Mahitgar, who are out of India and subscribed to this list to kindly help
you out with details of what is the largest Devanagari Wikipedia after
Hindi.
Warm regards,
Ashwin Baindur
------------------------------------------------------
On Fri, Jun 17, 2011 at 3:19 AM, Patricia Sauthoff <249292(a)soas.ac.uk>wrote:
> Dear Indian-language Wikipedians,
>
> I've been tasked with studying the history of the Hindi-language Wikipedia
> this summer for the Wikimedia Foundation. We're trying to find out what
> makes this Wikipedia unique. To do this I am also looking at the culture of
> other Indian-language Wikipedias to compare and contrast them with the Hindi
> Wikipedia. (This Wikipedia was chosen by the Foundation because the fellow
> -- me -- is a student of Hindi and Urdu rather than another Indian
> language.)
>
> I'll be traveling to India in July and August and would love to meet with
> some of you one-on-one. I'd also like to conduct email and/or skype
> interviews with anyone interested in this project. My aim to get the stories
> about why you do this, why you think it's important, and what your
> experience has been. The more people I talk to the more complete the final
> project, which will be published (in English) online will be.
>
> You can read more about the project here:
> http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research:WikiHistories_fellowship and,
> because this is Wikipedia, you're more than welcome to help edit the
> information on the charts herein. I'm just starting to learn my way around
> the Hindi Wikipedia (I've been a sometimes editor on the English Wikipedia
> for quite some time) so any nudges in the correct direction are more than
> appreciated.
>
> Thanks! I look forward to talking to some of you in the very near future.
> Patricia aka Cloudmessenger
> http://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/सदस्य:Cloudmessenger
>
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimediaindia-l mailing list
> Wikimediaindia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
>
>
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