Hi everyone!
I'm very happy to announce that the Affiliations Committee has recognized
[1] the AfroCROWD User Group [2] as a Wikimedia User Group. The group aims
to promote participation of people of African descent in the Wikimedia
community, and to increase content about people and events in Africa and
the African Diaspora.
Please join me in congratulating the members of this new user group!
Regards,
Kirill Lokshin
Chair, Affiliations Committee
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee/Resolutions/Recognit…
[2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/AfroCROWD_User_Group
Hi everyone!
I'm very happy to announce that the Affiliations Committee has recognized
[1] the Wikimedians in Residence Exchange Network User Group [2] as a
Wikimedia User Group. The group aims to protect the common elements of the
Wikimedian in Residence role, creating a peer support network which invites
new and experienced Wikimedians in Residence to find each other for
collaboration, and to encourage a global professional environment which
inspires institutions to offer appointments to persons to engage with
Wikimedia projects.
Please join me in congratulating the members of this new user group!
Regards,
Kirill Lokshin
Chair, Affiliations Committee
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee/Resolutions/Recognit…
[2]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedians_in_Residence_Exchange_Network
Dear Wikimedians,
We are delighted to announce that the registration for the Wikimedia Summit
2019 [1], which will be held in Berlin at Mercure Hotel Berlin Tempelhof
Airport [2] from Friday, March 29, through Sunday, March 31, is now open!
As we have announced previously, the main focus of this redesigned event
will be the Movement Strategy Process. We invite affiliates, the Wikimedia
Foundation, its committees and Movement Strategy Working Group members to
check-in, have a look back and plan the next steps of the process together.
We would like to provide you with important information regarding the
eligibility for participation, participant number regulation, registration
procedure, specifics in regards to the travel and hotel booking as well as
the visa application process.
== Eligibility criteria and participant number regulation ==
The eligibility criteria for participating in the Wikimedia Summit 2019 are
aligned to the Affiliates’ Agreements with the Wikimedia Foundation.
Chapters, Thematic Organizations and User Groups must have shown signs of
recent activity and be up-to-date on their reporting [3] by the eligibility
deadline (December 1, 2018). Moreover, affiliations need to have been
officially recognized by the Wikimedia Foundation before January 1, 2018.
Before registering for the Wikimedia Summit, please check the eligibility
and status overview of your affiliate as well as the participant number
regulation on meta [4].
==Registration information==
To make the summit a success, it will be essential for the invited
affiliates to deliberately choose their delegates. Affiliates are asked to
send delegates that are well-informed in goings-on at the affiliate and
able to confidently answer questions about it. We have shared specific
registration advices and information regarding this [5].
We are looking forward to also welcoming members of the Wikimedia
Foundation Board of Trustees and staff, the Funds Dissemination Committee,
Simple APG committee as well as the Affiliations Committee in Berlin. We
see a huge advantage in having their representatives participate on site.
Also, the Core Team has invited Working Group members from the Movement
Strategy Working Groups.
All representatives need to register via the registration form [5]. The
registration deadline is Monday at midnight CET, December 17, 2018. Please
note that we won’t be able to accept and process registrations after this
deadline.
==Hotel and travel booking==
Depending on your group belonging the booking process varies. Therefore,
please double-check on meta [4] to which group you belong to and have the
group-specific travel and hotel booking information [6] in mind.
==Visa information==
Please visit the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Berlin [7]
to find out whether you need a visa for travelling to Germany. In case you
are in need of a visa, we advise you to register until November 19, 2018,
so that WMDE can assist you with the application process and send you the
required visa documents sufficiently in advance. All relevant information
and necessary steps to undertake are also described on meta [8].
Wikimedia Deutschland is looking forward to welcoming you in Berlin in
April!
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us any time via wmsummit(a)wikimedia.de
should you have any questions or comments.
Best regards,
Michelle & Cornelius
For the Wikimedia Summit Organizing Team
Wikimedia Deutschland
wmsummit(a)wikimedia.de
[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Summit_2019
[2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Summit_2019/Venue_and_Hotel
[3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Reports
[4]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Summit_2019/Eligibility_Criteria
[5]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Summit_2019/Registration_Informat…
[6]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Summit_2019/Travel_and_Hotel_Book…
[7] http://wmde.org/germanyvisa
[8]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Summit_2019/Visa_Process_and_Assi…
--
Cornelius Kibelka
Internationale Beziehungen | International Relations
Vorstandsteam | Office of the ED
Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. | Tempelhofer Ufer 23-24 | 10963 Berlin
Tel. (030) 219 158 26-0
http://wikimedia.de
Stellen Sie sich eine Welt vor, in der jeder Mensch an der Menge allen
Wissens frei teilhaben kann. Helfen Sie uns dabei!
http://spenden.wikimedia.de/
Wikimedia Deutschland - Gesellschaft zur Förderung Freien Wissens e. V.
Eingetragen im Vereinsregister des Amtsgerichts Berlin-Charlottenburg unter
der Nummer 23855 B. Als gemeinnützig anerkannt durch das Finanzamt für
Körperschaften I Berlin, Steuernummer 27/029/42207
There is a report from a user on Jimbo's talk page on ENWP regarding
receiving fundraising a fundraising email with the subject line "[NAME] -
Deleting Wikipedia?"
In previous years I've disagreed with some of WMF's fundraising choices,
and it would be unfortunate if in the era of "fake news" becoming
mainstream WMF chooses to continue to be a part of the problem. If this is
happening then I request that WMF put a stop to it. Regardless of how
effective it is to send misleading fundraising appeals and that WMF has
received minimal repercussions for doing so over the years, it's wrong and
it should stop.
Pine
( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
Hi everyone,
The Affiliations Committee – the committee responsible for guiding
volunteers in establishing Wikimedia chapters, thematic organizations, and
user groups – is looking for new members!
The main role of the Affiliations Committee is to guide groups of
volunteers that are interested in forming Wikimedia affiliates. We review
applications from new groups, answer questions and provide advice about the
different Wikimedia affiliation models and processes, review affiliate
bylaws for compliance with requirements and best practices, and advise the
Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees on issues connected to chapters,
thematic organizations and Wikimedia user groups.
The committee can include up to fifteen members, roughly half of whom are
selected every twelve months for staggered two-year terms. Those joining
the committee during the current process will serve a two-year term ending
in December 2020.
*Key skills*
Being a part of the Affiliations Committee requires communication with
volunteers all over the world, negotiating skills, cultural sensitivity,
and the ability to understand legal texts. We look for a healthy mix of
different skill sets in our members, including the following key skills and
experience:
- Willingness to process applications through a set, perhaps bureaucratic
process.
- Readiness to participate in political discussions on the role and future
of affiliates, models of affiliation, and similar topics.
- Availability of up to 5 hours per week, and the time to participate in a
monthly two-hour voice/video meeting.
- International orientation.
- Fluency in English.
- Ability to work and communicate with other languages and cultures.
- Strong understanding of the structure and work of affiliates and the
Wikimedia Foundation.
- Knowledge of different legal systems and experience in community building
and organizing are a plus.
- Skills in other languages are a major plus.
- Experience with or in an active affiliate is a major plus.
- Strong track record of effective collaboration (such as evidenced skills
at facilitation, mediation, negotiation, and so forth) are a major plus.
- Willingness to use one's real name in committee activities (including
contacts with current and potential affiliates) when appropriate.
We are looking for people who are excited by the challenge of empowering
volunteers to get organized and form communities that further our mission
around the world. In exchange, committee members selected will gain the
experience of supporting their world-wide colleagues to develop their
communities as well as personal development in guiding organizational
development, facilitating affiliate partnerships, and professional
communications.
*Selection process*
As a reflection of our commitment to openness, transparency, and bilateral
engagement with the Wikimedia community, the 2018 member selection process
will include a public review and comment period. All applications received
by the committee will be posted on Meta at
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee/Candidates/December_…,
and the community will be invited to provide comments and feedback about
each candidate.
At the end of the public comment period, the applications will be voted on
by the members of the committee who are not seeking re-election, taking
into account comments put forward by the committee's members, advisors,
Wikimedia Foundation staff and board liaisons, and the community. A final
decision will be made by mid-January 2019, with new members expected to
join later that month.
*How to apply*
If you are interested in joining the committee, please post your
application on the nomination page and send an email announcing your
application to affcom(a)lists.wikimedia.org by 31 December 2018. Your
application must include the following information:
- Your full name and Wikimedia username
- A statement describing your relevant experience, skills, and motivation
for joining the committee.
- Answers to the following three questions:
(1) How do you think affiliates work best together to partner on effective
projects and initiatives?
(2) What do you see as the role of affiliates in the Wikimedia movement in
the next three years?
(3) What do you feel you will bring to the committee that makes you a
uniquely qualified candidate?
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me and/or the
committee as a whole. We are happy to chat or have a phone call with anyone
about our work if this helps them decide to apply. Please distribute this
call among your networks, and do apply if you are interested!
Regards,
Kirill Lokshin
Chair, Affiliations Committee
Hi everyone,
The open call for the Wikimedia Foundation Project Grants program will
begin on November 1, when we begin public review of new proposals. The
final deadline is November 30th for all submissions. <
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project>. Importantly, this will be
the only open call for Project Grants in the current fiscal year, which
ends on June 30th 2019.
We are also seeking additional volunteer candidates to expand the Project
Grants Committee. More information is provided at the end of this email.
Project Grant funds are available to support individuals, groups and
organizations to implement new experiments and proven ideas, whether
focused on building a new tool or gadget, organizing a better process on
your wiki, researching an important issue, coordinating an editathon series
or providing other support for community building.
We offer the following resources to help you plan your project and complete
a grant proposal:
* Tutorials for writing a strong application: <
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project/Tutorial>
* General planning page for Project Grants: <
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project/Plan>
* Program guidelines and criteria: <
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project/Learn>
Program officers are also available to offer individualized proposal
support upon request. Contact us at projectgrants(a)wikimedia.org if you
would like feedback or more information.
We are excited to see your grant ideas that will support our community and
make an impact on the future of Wikimedia projects. Put your idea into
motion, and submit your proposal by November 30th! <
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project/Apply>
Volunteering for the Project Grants Committee
We are also seeking candidates to participate in the Project Grants
Committee, the volunteer decision-making body that reviews all Project
Grant proposals and decides which projects to fund. Committee members have
diverse backgrounds with skill sets like:
* On-wiki editing and experience
* Experience leading, coordinating, or managing projects with an intended
on-wiki or online impact.
* Background in handling externally provided money and working within
budgets, preferably in a non-profit context.
* Any grants you've applied for or worked in grant programs (in the
Wikimedia, academic, or wider non-profit world).
* Expertise in areas like knowledge equity or knowledge as a service, that
will help us move toward our movement strategic direction
* Software or research expertise
If you are interested in serving as a committee member, you cand find more
information and submit your candidacy here by November 15th: <
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project/Committee/Candidates>
Please feel free to get in touch with questions about getting started with
your grant application, or about serving on the Project Grants Committee.
Contact us at projectgrants(a)wikimedia.org.
Take care,
Chris
Chris "Jethro" Schilling
I JethroBT (WMF) <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:I_JethroBT_(WMF)>
He/His/Their
Program Officer, Wikimedia Foundation
<https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Home>
Dear Community members,
We regret to inform you that WikiIndaba 2019 expected to take place in Abuja, Nigeria will be postponed till later in the year.
This decision was reached after advise from International SOS, the Wikimedia Foundation’s travel insurance and security advisors, who had been monitoring the security risk in Nigeria for the last several months. Due to the increase in security crackdowns, associated risk of violence to bystanders, and the proposed timing of the conference (January 18 - 20) being so close to the national elections (February 16), we have decided to delay the conference to later in the year for the safety of all conference attendees.
While the expected dates for Wiki Indaba 2019 will be announced as soon as possible, please plan tentatively for sometime in June/July 2019, pending the improvement of security in Nigeria post national elections.
The Wikimedia Foundation and the Wiki Indaba 2019 Local Organizing Committee regret any inconvenience this may cause as we place the safety and security of community members as high priority and will keep the community updated on the new dates.
Thank you.
Kayode Yussuffor
Wiki Indaba 2019 Communications Team
There is a detailed and factual post released today on Medium about
how poor a reader experience Medium is for blog posts, due to
tracking, profiling and banner advertising.[1]
For those that recall discussion in response to the WMF choice of
Facebook and Medium to communicate the report from George Oates last
month, this seems a decently factual summary of some of the reasons
why this is a poor practical choice for comms, as well as an ethical
issue when calmly measured against our open movement values.
The conclusion should ring alarm bells for any WMF staffer with
responsibility for Communications and is still tempted to promote
Medium by posting or cross-posting there, or indeed any other platform
which uses the same commercial techniques:
"Basically, you’re selling readers to aggressive Medium
self-advertising so that Medium could make laughably small money from
a miserable fraction of them. And annoy the hell out of everyone
else."
Links:
1. https://medium.com/@nikitonsky/medium-is-a-poor-choice-for-blogging-bb0048d…
Thanks,
Fae
--
faewik(a)gmail.com https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fae
On Wed, 31 Oct 2018 at 15:33, Fæ <faewik(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
> So, no learning points from this expensive feedback, cost measured in volunteer time and damage to good will from the most active and committed volunteers.
>
> Sorry, do not expect me to believe in future political statements of values and ethics from the WMF, when they are thrown away at any slight inconvenience.
>
> Fae
>
> On Wed, 31 Oct 2018, 15:23 Sandra Fauconnier via Commons-l, <commons-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hi everyone,
>>
>> I did indeed include the link to the Village Pump discussion in my original post, but not in the best or most visible/encouraging way. My apologies. It's not at all my intention to force anyone to use a platform they don't like, and I apologize again if I gave that impression.
>>
>> Many people in our communities discuss very actively and constructively on Facebook, and increasingly on Telegram, and probably on quite a few other platforms that may or may not be aligned with our values as much as we would like. As a long-time Wikimedian in my free time, I'm a strong open source and OpenGLAM advocate and fan, but I will be the first to admit I'm not a purist, I do indeed use Facebook and a few of these other Evil Places, and I don't mind tracking (and pointing to) conversations happening elsewhere. I do feel conflicted about this (like about many other things in that complicated thing called life) but I give priority to hearing more voices here.
>>
>> The interview is indeed intended as a 'fresh' perspective from an informed outsider. While we may not agree with everything George says, hopefully there are nuggets of interesting feedback that we can use to our benefit. This is not meant to replace the community's ideas, needs and vision at all. It's additional to it.
>>
>> Cheers, Sandra
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 31, 2018 at 3:48 PM Steinsplitter Wiki via Commons-l <commons-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> >>I'm sure we can find a suitable place to discuss this on-wiki, and there should be an appropriate link for that.
>>>
>>>
>>> I see Sara posted it on the VP as well: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Village_pump#Blog_post:_intervie…
>>>
>>>
>>> :)
>>>
>>>
>>> >>As for the actual topic of the interview, I am glad to see an outside opinion from someone who has experience with large, community-driven media repositories. I might not agree with all the sentiments, and structured data and out Next Big Thing did not exactly feature prominently, but I find it refreshing to leave the echo chamber once in a while.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> This is true as well.
>>>
>>> BTW: If my initial post sounded a bit rude, please excuse for that.
>>>
>>> --Steinsplitter
>>>
>>> ________________________________
>>> Von: Commons-l <commons-l-bounces(a)lists.wikimedia.org> im Auftrag von Magnus Manske via Commons-l <commons-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
>>> Gesendet: Mittwoch, 31. Oktober 2018 15:43
>>> An: Walter Siegmund; Wikimedia Commons Discussion List
>>> Betreff: Re: [Commons-l] new blog post: interview with designer George Oates about Wikimedia Commons
>>>
>>> Some quick thoughts from me.
>>>
>>> I, too, find the Facebook/Medium discussion reroute unfortunate (I'm not even on Facebook), though it might help attract some more newcomers. I'm sure we can find a suitable place to discuss this on-wiki, and there should be an appropriate link for that.
>>>
>>> As for the actual topic of the interview, I am glad to see an outside opinion from someone who has experience with large, community-driven media repositories. I might not agree with all the sentiments, and structured data and out Next Big Thing did not exactly feature prominently, but I find it refreshing to leave the echo chamber once in a while.
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Magnus
>>>
>>> On Wed, Oct 31, 2018 at 2:23 PM Walter Siegmund via Commons-l <commons-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> Why should we Commons contributors participate in a discussion on Facebook, a corporation that has generated great wealth for its founder by distributing advertising that includes democracy-destroying and hate-filled propaganda? It is antithetical to the principles of most of our participants. I’m profoundly disappointed that a discussion on Facebook would be promoted by the office of GLAM and Structured Data, Wikimedia Foundation.
>>>
>>> Best wishes,
>>> Walter
>>>
>>> > On Oct 31, 2018, at 6:41 AM, Gnangarra via Commons-l <commons-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > I too dislike the idea of having to pay to contribute to a discussion about Wikimedia Commons. I also see some irony in advice from a platform that being generous can be described as having lost its way many years ago, yes we can learn from the mistakes of others. As others have said collectively we are capable of amazing things, we are doing something special as we look forward we mustn't lose sight what our purpose is and our goals are.
>>> >
>>> > Dont forget https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Structured_data will have impact so much of what is spoken about wont be relevant
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Wed, 31 Oct 2018 at 21:15, Iván Hernández Cazorla via Commons-l <commons-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:
>>> > On 31/10/18 13:08, Federico Leva (Nemo) via Commons-l wrote:
>>> > > Sandra Fauconnier via Commons-l, 31/10/2018 10:58:
>>> > >> Medium, where you can leave comments:
>>> > >
>>> > > It's truly terrible if we're now outsourcing comments to an external
>>> > > proprietary platform.
>>> >
>>> > Totally agree with both of you, Federico and Fae.
>>> >
>>> > I don't understand the outsourcing of comments nor the promotion from
>>> > the Wikimedia Foundation of services as Facebook.
>>> >
>>> > Regards,
>>> > Iván
>>> > --
>>> > Iván Hernández Cazorla
>>> > Historiador e interesado en las humanidades digitales
>>> > Miembro de Wikimedia España
>>> > https://ivanhercaz.com | https://keybase.io/ivanhercaz
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>> > Commons-l mailing list
>>> > Commons-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
>>> > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/commons-l
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > GN.
>>> > Noongarpedia: https://incubator.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wp/nys/Main_Page
>>> > WMAU: http://www.wikimedia.org.au/wiki/User:Gnangarra
>>> > Photo Gallery: http://gnangarra.redbubble.com
>>> > Out now: A.Gaynor, P. Newman and P. Jennings (eds.), Never Again: Reflections on Environmental Responsibility after Roe 8, UWAP, 2017. Order here.
>>> >
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>> > Commons-l mailing list
>>> > Commons-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
>>> > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/commons-l
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Commons-l mailing list
>>> Commons-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/commons-l
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Commons-l mailing list
>>> Commons-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/commons-l
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Sandra Fauconnier
>> Program Officer, GLAM and Structured Data, Wikimedia Foundation
>> Twitter: @glamwiki
>>
>> How Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums work with Wikimedia communities: https://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/GLAM
>> _______________________________________________
>> Commons-l mailing list
>> Commons-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/commons-l
Dear all,
As you may know, AffCom and the Wikimedia Foundation has decided to extend
the suspension of Wikimedia Portugal, while waiting for legal counsel for
our case. This has put our programmatic activities in jeopardy, as we have
been barred from applying to funding from WMF while the suspension is in
effect.
We have therefore started an emergency fundraiser campaign [1] to raise
500€ by the end of this week, in order to salvage as much of the activities
as we can. Even if we only raise a third of this goal will allow us to, for
example, participate at a conference we have helped organize [2] and
present a workshop at the National Library of Portugal [3]. If we reach our
goal in full, it will allow us a bit of air to organize events in the first
trimester of 2019, while we wait for a final decision from AffCom.
If you would like to contribute, please use the information on the first
link. We will be eternally grateful.
[1] https://pt.wikimedia.org/wiki/Campanha_2018
[2] https://moita2018.softwarelivre.eu/
[3]
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipédia:GLAM/Biblioteca_Nacional_de_Portuga…
Best regards,
Gonçalo Themudo
*Presidente*
*Wikimedia Portugal*
*Email: *goethe.wiki(a)gmail.com
*Website: *http://pt.wikimedia.org <https://sites.google.com/view/themudo>
*Imagine um mundo onde cada ser humano pode partilhar livremente a soma de
todo o conhecimento, na sua própria língua.*