Wikimedia-l August 2020

wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org

79 participants
51 discussions

Blog post and report on Indic technical workshops published!
by Srishti Sethi 07 Aug '20

07 Aug '20

Hello everyone, We want to share with you a blog post and a report (longer version) on a technical workshop series conducted as part of the Small wiki toolkits (SWT) initiative in June for the Indic community. The blog post summarizes the planning that went into designing the workshop series, key outcomes, success stories, lessons learned, and some next steps! It targets potential organizers who might be interested in conducting similar training in their wiki community. You can read the blog post on [[WM:TECHBLOG]] < https://techblog.wikimedia.org/2020/08/07/designing-technical-workshops-for…> [1] and report on meta-wiki < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/SWT_Indic_Workshop_Series_2020/Report> [2]. Learn more about the Small wiki toolkits initiative here: < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Small_wiki_toolkits> [3]. Please add your comments below the blog post on [[WM:TECHBLOG]]. For questions or discussions, create a topic on the report’s talk page < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:SWT_Indic_Workshop_Series_2020/Report> [4]. On behalf of the SWT Indic workshop series team (Krishna, Jayprakash, Satdeep), Srishti [1] https://techblog.wikimedia.org/2020/08/07/designing-technical-workshops-for… [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/SWT_Indic_Workshop_Series_2020/Report [3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Small_wiki_toolkits [4] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:SWT_Indic_Workshop_Series_2020/Report *Srishti Sethi* Senior Developer Advocate Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>

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Afrocine: Participate in the Months of African Cinema
by Sam Oyeyele 07 Aug '20

07 Aug '20

[Apologies for cross-posting] In so much excitement, after successful iterations of the Months of African Cinema global contest[1] for the past years, we are happy to announce that it will be happening again this year, starting from October to November. In the past editions of the contest, over 2,000 Wikimedia pages were created across different Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikimedia commons) and in more than 10 different languages. The contest is organized by a Wikimedia project called “The Afrocine Project” [2] , which is a Wikimedia project dedicated to improving the coverage of the history, works, people, places, events, etc, that are associated with the cinema, theatre and arts of Africa, African countries, the Caribbean, and the diaspora. If you would love to join us in organizing this exciting event, through the coordination of local programmes around African cinema (independently or otherwise) in your community or local language Wiki, kindly list your organization or country as a participant on the organizer’s meta page.[3] If you would need some funding to run your planned programmes, the Wikimedia Foundation has a rapid grant programme in place for this purpose and the AfroCine Project team would guide you through the application process. If you have further questions, complaints, suggestions, etc., please reach out to us personally or right here on the mailing list or the project talkpage. Thank you! Sam. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_AfroCine/Months_of_Af… [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/The_AfroCine_Project [3]https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/The_AfroCine_Project/Months_of_African_Ci…

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[Wikimedia Announcements] Announcing a new Wikimedia project: Abstract Wikipedia
by Katherine Maher 06 Aug '20

06 Aug '20

(A translatable version of this announcement can be found on Meta [1]) Hi all, It is my honor to introduce Abstract Wikipedia [1], a new project that has been unanimously approved by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees. Abstract Wikipedia proposes a new way to generate baseline encyclopedic content in a multilingual fashion, allowing more contributors and more readers to share more knowledge in more languages. It is an approach that aims to make cross-lingual cooperation easier on our projects, increase the sustainability of our movement through expanding access to participation, improve the user experience for readers of all languages, and innovate in free knowledge by connecting some of the strengths of our movement to create something new. This is our first new project in over seven years. Abstract Wikipedia was submitted as a project proposal by Denny Vrandečić in May of 2020 [2] after years of preparation and research, leading to a detailed plan and lively discussions in the Wikimedia communities. We know that the energy and the creativity of the community often runs up against language barriers, and information that is available in one language may not make it to other language Wikipedias. Abstract Wikipedia intends to look and feel like a Wikipedia, but build on the powerful, language-independent conceptual models of Wikidata, with the goal of letting volunteers create and maintain Wikipedia articles across our polyglot Wikimedia world. The project will allow volunteers to assemble the fundamentals of an article using words and entities from Wikidata. Because Wikidata uses conceptual models that are meant to be universal across languages, it should be possible to use and extend these building blocks of knowledge to create models for articles that also have universal value. Using code, volunteers will be able to translate these abstract “articles” into their own languages. If successful, this could eventually allow everyone to read about any topic in Wikidata in their own language. As you can imagine, this work will require a lot of software development, and a lot of cooperation among Wikimedians. In order to make this effort possible, Denny will join the Foundation as a staff member in July and lead this initiative. You may know Denny as the creator of Wikidata, a long-time community member, a former staff member at Wikimedia Deutschland, and a former Trustee at the Wikimedia Foundation[3]. We are very excited that Denny will bring his skills and expertise to work on this project alongside the Foundation’s product, technology, and community liaison teams. It is important to acknowledge that this is an experimental project and that every Wikipedia community has different needs. This project may offer some communities great advantages. Other communities may engage less. Every language Wikipedia community will be free to choose and moderate whether or how they would use content from this project. We are excited that this new wiki-project has the possibility to advance knowledge equity through increased access to knowledge. It also invites us to consider and engage with critical questions about how and by whom knowledge is constructed. We look forward to working in cooperation with the communities to think through these important questions. There is much to do as we begin designing a plan for Abstract Wikipedia in close collaboration with our communities. I encourage you to get involved by going to the project page and joining the new mailing list[4]. We recognize that Abstract Wikipedia is ambitious, but we also recognize its potential. We invite you all to join us on a new, unexplored path. Yours, Katherine Maher Executive Director, Wikimedia Foundation [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Abstract Wikipedia/June 2020 announcement [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Abstract_Wikipedia [3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Denny [4] https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/abstract-wikipedia -- Katherine Maher (she/her) Executive Director Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> _______________________________________________ Please note: all replies sent to this mailing list will be immediately directed to Wikimedia-l, the public mailing list of the Wikimedia community. For more information about Wikimedia-l: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l _______________________________________________ WikimediaAnnounce-l mailing list WikimediaAnnounce-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaannounce-l

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Board update on Branding: Briefing postponement
by Nataliia Tymkiv 06 Aug '20

06 Aug '20

Hello! Just a quick update: the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees was notified by staff on the night of July 7th that the briefing of July 8th needs to be rescheduled because of the illness of one of the key staff members. We are looking for a new date before the August board meeting, and we shall share an updated timeline in a few days. Best regards, antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv Vice Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees *NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal working hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during weekend. You should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off. Thank you in advance!*

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Wikimedia Clinic #006 digest posted; #007 taking place
by Asaf Bartov 05 Aug '20

05 Aug '20

Dear Wikimedians, I have posted the digest for Wikimedia Clinic #006, which was held in Spanish.[1] An English version of the digest is also available[2], to allow non-Spanish speakers to benefit from the summary too. I encourage those of you interested in hearing some voices from our Spanish- (and Catalan-) speaking communities to read the digest. In a few hours, at 17:30 (5:30pm) UTC, we will be having Wikimedia Clinic #007, at this link[3]. The call today would have a demonstration by Amir Sarabadani of a new tool for gathering statistics about media usage, but will as always also welcome whatever Wikimedia-related topics attendees want to bring on. PLEASE NOTE: experimentally, this call will take place using Jitsi. Desktop/laptop computers can connect directly via the link[3] but if you want to connect using a mobile device (phone or tablet) you will need to download the Jitsi app[4] first and use that to connect via the link[3]. A. [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Clinics/006 [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Clinics/006/en [3] https://meet.wmcloud.org/WikimediaClinic007 [4] https://jitsi.org/downloads/ Asaf Bartov (he/him/his) Senior Program Officer, Emerging Wikimedia Communities Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org

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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Universal Code of Conduct Drafting Committee - Call for participation
by Christel Steigenberger 04 Aug '20

04 Aug '20

Hi Peter, I hear and understand your worries. I’d like to reassure you that we are very aware of the fact that no single person and no selected group of people can speak for the community as a whole. This is one of the big challenges all such efforts have to tackle. Representation here is not meant in the sense of legal or political representation. But by speaking for themselves, we hope that volunteers and staff coming from different language communities, holding different roles within the movement and bringing different experiences of engagement with the movement into the process will at least bring diverse valuable perspectives to the creation of the draft for the Universal Code of Conduct. Before they start drafting, they are already now working their way through a reading kit which will make them familiar with the input from the movement strategy process as well as prior community consultations our team has done at regional Wikimedia conferences and Wikimania as well as through facilitated conversations with 19 different language communities. The data is published on Meta here https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Community_feedbac… and here https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Initial_2020_Cons…. This community feedback will inform the drafting process. This draft will then be brought to the communities for review starting August 24, as outlined in the timeline here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct#Timeline. We are still looking for ways to make more people aware of this important part of the process. Please spread the word of this upcoming community comment period, to help us get wider participation! I hope the above makes sense to you, looking forward to your engagement with the draft end of August and in September, Christel Steigenberger (she/her) Trust and Safety Specialist Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>

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Upcoming Wikimedia Clinic calls and program updates
by Asaf Bartov 03 Aug '20

03 Aug '20

Dear Wikimedians, Below are the dates and times for the upcoming Wikimedia Clinic[1] calls. But first, a few updates about the program in general: 1. Based on feedback so far, we are changing the format of the calls to be *semi-scheduled* instead of *completely unscheduled*. This means each call will have one or more specific *pre-announced* topics, each topic having a (brief!) presentation by staff followed by time for discussion or questions and answers, *in addition* to the unstructured time for topics attendees want to bring up spontaneously. 2. Following the Clinic call in Spanish two weeks ago, we are also planning calls in Russian and French (details to be determined). 3. We are experimenting with using the free-software Jitsi technology for the meetings instead of Google Meet. Please note that one disadvantage of the free-software solution is that to connect from a mobile device you will need to download and install the Jitsi app and point it at meet.wmcloud.org ![2] 4. A few people have expressed confusion or consternation about the program's name. I have started an on-wiki section on the talk page to discuss a possible renaming of the program. Feel free to contribute to it.[3] The upcoming calls (note the time zones!) and their tentatively-scheduled topics: (there may be some changes in the topics in the coming 2-3 days. Check the Meta page closer to the calls to be sure.) 1. Wednesday, August 5th, 17:30 UTC. Topic: Stats tools demonstrations 2. Monday, August 10th, 18:00 UTC. Topic: Recent research from the Foundation's Research team. 3. Thursday, August 20th, 19:00 UTC. Topic: TBD. As always, see the program page on Meta for the details and call links. Cheers, Asaf [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Clinics [2] https://jitsi.org/downloads/ [3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Clinics#Should_the_program_b… Asaf Bartov (he/him/his) Senior Program Officer, Emerging Wikimedia Communities Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org

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[Wikimedia Announcements] The Signpost – Volume 16, Issue 7 – 2 August 2020
by Wikipedia Signpost 02 Aug '20

02 Aug '20

Special report: Wikipedia and the End of Open Collaboration? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/Specia… COI and paid editing: Some strange people edit Wikipedia for money http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/COI_an… News and notes: Abstract Wikipedia, a hoax, sex symbols, and a new admin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/News_a… In the media: Dog days gone bad http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/In_the… Discussion report: Fox News, a flight of RfAs, and banning policy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/Discus… Featured content: Remembering Art, Valor, and Freedom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/Featur… Traffic report: Now for something completely different http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/Traffi… Gallery: Photos of threatened species from iNaturalist http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/Gallery News from the WMF: New Chinese national security law in Hong Kong could limit the privacy of Wikipedia users http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/News_f… Recent research: Receiving thanks increases retention, but not the time contributed to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/Recent… Essay: Not compatible with a collaborative project http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/Essay Obituaries: Hasteur and Brian McNeil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/Obitua… In focus: WikiLoop DoubleCheck, reviewing edits made easy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2020-08-02/In_foc… Single-page view https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signpost/Single https://facebook.com/wikisignpost https://twitter.com/wikisignpost -- *Signpost* team http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signpost <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost> _______________________________________________ Please note: all replies sent to this mailing list will be immediately directed to Wikimedia-l, the public mailing list of the Wikimedia community. For more information about Wikimedia-l: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l _______________________________________________ WikimediaAnnounce-l mailing list WikimediaAnnounce-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaannounce-l

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Wikimania 2005 Flashback livestream in 2 hours
by Pharos 02 Aug '20

02 Aug '20

An oral history and discussion of the world of Wikimedia from 2005 to the present, seen through the lens of the annual Wikimania conference. A roundtable of panelists engage in a live video discussion (using YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch). The audience is invited to share their views and experiences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkybZMOLY1E Wikimania 2020 was scheduled for August 5 to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the first Wikimania, but it had to be postponed til next year due to Covid. Since we can't be together in person, we'll spend the first episode of this series discussing the very first Wikimania, held in 2005 in Frankfurt, Germany, and the entire year of 2005 in Wikimedia and wikis. This was the first international conference of the Wikimedia movement and the first time many participants had met another Wikipedian. It was held in a youth hostel (Haus der Jugend) in Frankfurt, and we spent much of the week outside in the hostel's beer garden. What else was going on in the world of Wikipedia and wikis in 2005? Attendees and organizers of Wikimania 2005 will talk about this momentous early event, how it shaped Wikimedia going forward, and what Wikipedia and Wikimedia was like in 2005, in the context of the wider world. A project of the Wikipedia Weekly Network, part of the countdown to the 20th anniversary of Wikipedia (January 15, 2021): https://yearbyyear.wiki20.org Thanks, Richard (User:Pharos)

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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Universal Code of Conduct Drafting Committee - Call for participation
by Christel Steigenberger 01 Aug '20

01 Aug '20

Hello everyone, We are happy to announce that the Universal Code of Conduct drafting committee has been assembled. We had 26 volunteers apply, either by publicly signing up on the Meta page, or by sending an email. Volunteers from 18 different countries applied, speaking 11 different languages. We had Wikimedian applicants with different levels of experience on-wiki, from someone who started editing only last year to people who have been editing for more than 18 years and/or have more than 300,000 edits. Applicants held a variety of different roles within the movement, and also informed us about interesting and relevant experiences in their real-life careers. It was very hard to narrow down from this diverse and extremely qualified pool of applicants. For the final selection, two aspects guided the decision making - we want a committee that at the one hand will represent important parts of the movement. Prolific editors as well as Wikimedians whose strength is more in organizing events, wikimedians from different demographics, contributors from small and large wikis, and people holding different roles within the movement. We also wanted a group of people who will collaborate with one another effectively and create the best possible Universal Code of Conduct for the Wikimedia movement. Experience has taught us that committees that are too large find it difficult to work effectively, so we decided to cap the number of seats to 6 volunteer seats and 3 staff seats. More information on the Committee and its new members can be found on Meta <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Drafting_committee> [1], and a timeline for their work is available on the main UCoC page <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct> [2]. Please note that more chances for engagement are coming up during the community draft review period starting from August 24. Best regards, Christel [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Drafting_committee [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct Christel Steigenberger (she/her) Trust and Safety Specialist Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>

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Wikimedia-l August 2020