February 2025 - Wikimedia-l - lists.wikimedia.org

February 2024 Update
by Maryana Iskander 01 Oct '25

01 Oct '25

This message will be translated into other languages on Meta-wiki <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Chi…> ‎العربية • español • français • português • Deutsch• 中文 <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Chi…> You can help with more languages <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Chi…> Hi everyone, Since joining the Foundation I have tried to regularly write to you <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Chi…> here and elsewhere, and I wanted to share a few updates since my last letter. In October 2023 <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Com…>, I reflected that we were in a period of compounded challenges across the world with escalating wars, conflict, and climate reminding us each week that global volatility and uncertainty was on the rise. That feels even more true now. My instinct then was to ask us to make more time to talk to each other and to try and pull closer together. This feels even more needed now. I noted that the return of in-person gatherings has been essential for a subset of our volunteers, providing spaces for reconnecting, recharging and working through difficult issues together in the same room. Foundation leadership has also been working harder to share organizational news and have individualized conversations on-wiki and in other digital forums. Our goal has been to put more effort and intentionality into communicating the right information, at the right time, and in the right way, even knowing that we can never meet everyone's expectations. Most importantly, we had to keep talking to each other – formally and informally – throughout the year. This was the basis of an open invitation to Talking: 2024 <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Com…>, an effort designed to listen intently to what is on your minds now, to share progress at the Foundation, and to also reflect on the needs for multi-year strategic plans. (A reminder that our priorities for long-range planning <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…...>, informed by movement strategy, are Wikimedia’s financial model, product/technology needs, and roles/responsibilities.) So far, Wikimedia Foundation Trustees, executives, and staff have hosted 130 conversations <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…> on-wiki, with individuals, and in small groups. These conversations have stretched across all regions of the world. We have learned from prolific community members to recent newcomers, from technical volunteers to stewards, event organizers, and affiliate leaders. Since these discussions were intended to improve deliberations at the Board’s strategic planning retreat next week, here is a summary of some of the feedback I've heard so far! Continue focusing the Foundation on supporting product/technology needs. As early as my first letter to you in January 2022, <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Chi…> I understood that the central role of the Wikimedia Foundation is in enabling our projects, which is core to every aspect of our movement's mission. This was reinforced in most of the Talking:2024 conversations that we hosted over the last five months – from the need for the Foundation to remain focused on upgrading technical infrastructure to supporting volunteer needs for tool maintenance and metrics. Our annual planning continues to center the Foundation’s product and technology priorities. More deliberate conversations are taking place at the Foundation about what a multi-generational view of Wikimedia projects requires of us all. For me, this remains perhaps the most critical topic for our strategic efforts as we make tangible and practical a mission <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Mission> that calls for our work to continue in perpetuity. Recent discussions on this mailing list remind me that we can’t get to everything fast enough, but we continue to move more in the right direction. Chief Product & Technology Officer Selena Deckelmann recently shared <https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/02/20/thinking-about-annual-planning-in-the…> that: “In the last couple of months, we shipped changes that enabled a better backbone for PageTriage <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:PageTriage>, and worked closely with volunteer developers to ensure future sustainability. Going forward, we have a number of initiatives ranging from projects like Edit Check <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Edit_check>, Discussion Tools <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:DiscussionTools>, Dark mode <https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/11/24/dark-mode-is-coming/>, Patrolling on Android <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/Android>, Watchlist on iOS <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/iOS>, Automoderator <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Moderator_Tools/Automoderator>, Community Configuration <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Growth/Community_configuration>, the Wikimedia Commons Upload Wizard <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Upload_Wizard>, and others. We've resolved over 600 volunteer-reported issues in Phabricator in the last 6 months, and we're using research methods that solicit prototypes directly from volunteers <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Reading/Web/Accessibility_for_reading/Commun…> for informing typography decision making. And we're learning not just the basics of font size and spacing, we're also getting important information about context, devices and cultural aspects of the use of Wikipedia which are vital for helping make our software easier to use as how people use and access it changes (and it has changed a lot over 20 years!).” She has also already published draft objectives for the product and tech teams, and your input and on-wiki comments are always welcome <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Ann…> . ‘Human-led, tech-enabled’ means that the humans still lead. While tech featured prominently in most of these conversations, there remains no doubt that Wikimedia is a human-led movement (“It’s all about people.”). This led to exploring even more solutions that can address a familiar dilemma about how to balance the needs of existing editors with initiatives to welcome newcomers (“It’s always the war between ‘we need to protect the existing content’ and ‘do we care about new users with a tolerance for errors.’”). While some shared wonderful stories of their own journeys (“I wanna say that the Newcomer tools have been a really great project and very glad to see that energy was expensed there”), there was vocal urgency about the sustainability of the projects for generations to come (“We are sending away people who could be helpful to the projects”). In this regard, several discussions highlighted the value of the Universal Code of Conduct <https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct> as a “game changer” in signaling to all communities that they are actively invited and welcomed to safely contribute to the mission of free knowledge, while still acknowledging there is more to do (“It’s probably a good thing, but I don’t know if it will solve what I have faced.”). I learned in my initial listening tour that we have to make all contributions count <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Chief_Executive_Office…>, and all contributors feel welcomed. I found that the Talking:2024 conversations deepened my own understanding of the peer support and mentorship needed for volunteers to thrive as active community members. (One example are these reflections <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Clovermoss/Editor_reflections> where 140 other editors participated). Finally, our human-led values came up in several conversations about Wikimedia’s role in shaping the next generation of artificial intelligence, a topic of ongoing discussion in the world <https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/18/magazine/wikipedia-ai-chatgpt.html?unloc…>, in our communities <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Future_Audiences>, and at the Foundation. This is complemented by ongoing discussions about the role of AI-generated content on our platform by various project communities. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Large_language_model_policy)> A recent effort to contribute to a shared research agenda on AI <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Artificial_intelligence/…>can be found here – including the need for more research to understand human motivation to contribute to the knowledge commons – it was created by a small group working in the open who rushed to publish a ‘bad first draft’ that will benefit from more input. <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Talk:Artificial_intellig…> Can our financial model provide more certainty, and also force difficult trade-offs? In my last letter, <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Com…> I shared that future projections indicate that, for a range of reasons, fundraising online and through banners may not continue to grow at the same rate as in past years. We have several long-term initiatives underway to help mitigate this risk and also diversify our revenue streams, including the Wikimedia Endowment <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Endowment> and Wikimedia Enterprise <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Enterprise>. Over the past two years, we have slowed the rate of growth <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Ann…> for the Foundation itself, while increasing financial resources <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Ann…> that support other movement entities. The Talking:2024 conversations provided a space for movement entities to share a need for multi-year financial certainty in their support from the Foundation, which we will take into our planning for next year. Other conversations highlighted the need to continue prioritizing limited resources and being more explicit about trade-offs (“[We must] use the money we have as wisely as we can”). These discussions have already improved the thinking for the Foundation’s current and upcoming planning cycles. <https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/01/31/progress-on-the-plan-how-the-wikimedi…> Movement roles need more clarity. The task of defining a Movement Charter <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Movement_Charter> came up in several conversations with contributors of all kinds. These ranged from reflections about movement strategy recommendations and principles (“Will it always be first come, first served in this movement?”) to questions about the purpose of different structures (“What decisions do we need the global council to make? Why are decisions moving from one center to another?” “We are taking a hammer to solve this issue when they are simple screws.”). Unsurprisingly, there were varying perspectives (“The editing community in many regions doesn’t see an immediate benefit in affiliates, hubs, or other governance structures.” “The community still feels unheard by the Foundation.” “The good work that affiliates do in certain regions is commendable, especially where those affiliates are deeply engaged with the community.”) And a deep recognition of the complex task at hand (“The community is so huge and it’s hard to tie everyone together.” “How do we make change in the movement in a way that is understandable and doesn’t scare people.” “There has to be control and risk management with empowering the community, inviting everyone, and trying to grow while protecting what we have meticulously built over the past 23 years.”). Considering the investment of time and resources going into the charter, we need to make sure that this effort will provide us all with clearer strategic direction on what is needed to serve the future needs of our movement, and meet the expectations of a rapidly changing world around us. The Wikimedia Foundation recently shared these questions <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Movement_Charter#Wikimedia_Foundation_…> with the Movement Charter Drafting Committee to identify areas of key focus and concern. We will continue to review and comment on new drafts as they are produced in the weeks and months ahead. The Board of Trustees will dedicate time at its next Open Conversation with Trustees on March 21 <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…> to talk more about this process and the Foundation’s hopes for a Movement Charter. +++ Talking: 2024 kicked off a useful check-in to hear how we are collectively doing, and it continues. Your voice and contributions would help add to the feedback we have already received—whether that is on-wiki, in 1:1 conversations, in small groups, in person. What we learn will continue to inform the Foundation's long-term planning. Please consider joining a conversation <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Com…'s_talk> . For me, each conversation has been a reminder that what drives this movement is the people. We remain at a pivotal moment, where the world needs Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects more than ever. As one of you shared, “I feel like there is a way because we have made a way, an experience of community that connects people across the world.” As always, I welcome your feedback either on my talk page <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/User_talk:MIskander-WMF> or emailing me directly at miskander(a)wikimedia.org. Maryana Maryana Iskander, Wikimedia Foundation CEO

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Subject: Request to Unblock Access to Wikimedia Commons in Pakistan
by Sindhi Wikipedia 25 Jul '25

25 Jul '25

Jogi Asad Rajpar Sindhi Wikipedia community/ Wikimedia Sindh. Thari Mirwah, Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan Thari Mirwah - 66150 February 19, 2025 To, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) F-5/1, PTA Headquarters, Islamabad Email: Subject: Request to Unblock Access to Wikimedia Commons in Pakistan Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to formally request the unblocking of *Wikimedia Commons* ( https://commons.wikimedia.org) in Pakistan. Wikimedia Commons is a globally recognized platform that hosts freely licensed educational media files, including images, videos, and audio recordings, which are widely used for academic, cultural, and informational purposes. It has come to my attention that Wikimedia Commons is currently inaccessible or partially blocked in Pakistan, which is causing significant inconvenience for students, researchers, educators, journalists, and digital content creators. This restriction limits access to a vast repository of freely available knowledge and historical documentation that is beneficial for Pakistan’s educational and cultural institutions. Additionally, I am organizing *Wiki Loves Folklore*, an international photography competition that aims to document and share the rich folk culture of various countries, including Pakistan. This competition provides a platform for Pakistani participants to share photographs showcasing Pakistan’s diverse traditions, folk heritage, and cultural expressions with the global community. However, due to the restriction on Wikimedia Commons, participants from Pakistan are facing significant difficulties in uploading their photographs and contributing to this global initiative. Wikimedia Commons is a non-commercial and non-political platform that serves as a crucial resource for academic and cultural documentation. Its restriction negatively impacts the ability of Pakistani users to contribute and benefit from free knowledge. I kindly urge you to review this matter and restore access to Wikimedia Commons in Pakistan. If the blocking was implemented due to specific content-related concerns, I request that only the relevant content be reviewed rather than restricting the entire website. Please confirm receipt of this request and provide an update on any actions taken. I appreciate your time and consideration in ensuring Pakistan’s digital community has access to essential global knowledge resources. I'm providing the following link to Wiki Loves Folklore 2025 in Pakistan photography contest link and other related links. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Folklore_2025_in_Paki… https://www.google.com/search?q=wiki+Loves+Folklore+2025+in+Pakistan&oq=wik… Request on Wikimedia Phabricator Commons can't provide a secure connection / can't be reached in Pakistan. Link 👇 https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T329264 https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T329264 https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org… I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, Jogi Asad Rajpar Phone 📱: +923152067927

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2025 Wikimedia Hackathon - registration is now open
by Deb Tankersley 02 Apr '25

02 Apr '25

*Registration for the 2025 Wikimedia Hackathon is now open! * *(with apologies for cross-posting)* The annual Wikimedia Hackathon <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Hackathon_2025> is organized by the Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> in collaboration with Wikimedia User Group Turkey (WMTR) <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Community_User_Group_Turkey> and will be taking place in Istanbul, Turkey, from May 2nd through May 4th, 2025 at the Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel <https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/istrn-renaissance-polat-istanbul-hote…> . The Hackathon is an on-site, in-person event. Those people who cannot attend the Hackathon in-person will be able to follow some of the program content online, but should not register using the link provided below. More information will be provided closer to the event on how to participate remotely. Registration will be open until mid April 2025, or until we reach event capacity. The Hackathon event is free for all* to attend *and each person that attends the Hackathon is required to register. - Catering (lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks) will be provided during the event. - Covid-related equipment will also be available upon request (e.g. self test kits and masks). - We’ll have discounted room codes for those that want to stay at the hotel venue, to be announced in the coming weeks. - Check if your passport is up to date and if you will need a visa (or an e-visa) to travel to Turkey, citizens of most countries can apply for an e-visa online <https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa>. Participants are expected to book their own travel arrangements and accommodation. However, the Wikimedia Foundation is offering to take care of travel and accommodation for a limited number of scholars and you will be able to apply for a scholarship during the registration process. Scholarship applicants - please note: - *Scholarship application and Wikimedia Foundation staff sponsorship will only be available to request until December 10th, 2024. * - Priority will be given to scholars who can mentor or support in areas of high demand and staff with ambitious or impactful projects. - Those that have requested a scholarship or sponsorship will be notified by mid to late December 2024 about the status of their application. - All scholarships provided will adhere to the WMF travel policy <https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Scholarship_travel_policy> guidelines. *Scholarship to this event will cover:* - Roundtrip airfare between your city of residence and Istanbul, Turkey - arriving on May 1, 2025 and departing on May 5, 2025. - Private accommodation at the conference hotel for up to 4 nights - Medical Insurance Coverage for any scholars traveling outside of their home country. (Scholars local to Turkey will need to use their regular insurance coverage.). - Airport transfers between the Istanbul Airport (IST) and the conference hotel. - All meals will be provided for the duration of the event (lunch, drinks, snacks, and dinner will be provided on event days; breakfast will be provided by the hotel for guests staying there). In addition, dinner will be provided on Thursday before the Hackathon officially kicks off. - Fees associated with obtaining a visa to travel to Turkey (visa application fees, and travel to in-person travel visa appointment (if needed)). - Citizens of most countries can apply for an e-visa online <https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa>. *Scholarship to this event will not cover:* - Per diem costs on travel days. - Ground transportation costs between your residence and home airport. - Insurance for your personal possessions. The Hackathon registration form runs on Pretix (a free, open-sourced third-party platform that helps organize and manage events) which may subject your data to additional terms <https://pretix.eu/about/en/privacy>. For more information on WMF’s privacy and data-handling for the Hackathon, please read the privacy statement <https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:Wikimedia_Hackathon_Privacy_Sta…> . <https://pretix.eu/wikimedia/hackathon2025> If you encounter any issues while registering, or have questions about the registration process, feel free to contact the coordination team at hackathon(a)wikimedia.org. Cheers, Deb -- deb tankersley (she/her) developer outreach program management Wikimedia Foundation

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[cross-posting] Call for Projects and Mentors for Outreachy Round 30 is open!
by Lani Goto 07 Mar '25

07 Mar '25

Hi all - Wikimedia is participating in Round 30 of the Outreachy program <https://www.outreachy.org/> [1] that runs from June 2025 through August 2025! The deadline to submit projects on the Outreachy website is March 4, 2025 at 4pm UTC and the project list will be finalized by March 14, 2025. We are currently gathering a list of interesting project ideas. If you have some ideas for coding or non-coding (design, documentation, translation, outreach, research) projects, please share them on this task: https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T386245 [2]. (Note that tasks will be hidden until the application period begins.) About the Outreachy Program Outreachy is a paid, remote three-month internship program. Outreachy's goal is to support people from groups underrepresented in tech. We help newcomers to free software and open source make their first contributions in Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), coding, and non-coding projects with experienced mentors. Interns are paid a stipend of USD 7000 for the three months of work. Outreachy internship projects may include programming, user experience, documentation, illustration, graphical design, or data science. Interns often find employment after their internship with Outreachy sponsors or in jobs that use the skills they learned during their internship. Outreachy expressly invites the following people to apply: - women (both cis and trans), trans men, and genderqueer people to apply. - residents and nationals of the United States of any gender who are Black/African American, Hispanic/Latin@, Native American/American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander - anyone who faces under-representation, systematic bias, or discrimination in the technology industry of their country More details and eligibility criteria can be found here: https://www.outreachy.org/apply/eligibility/ [3] Tips for mentors for proposing projects As a mentor, you will engage with potential candidates in the application period from February to March and help them make small contributions to your project. You will work more closely with the accepted candidates during the internship period from June through August. Each mentor will need to submit an intern project proposal: https://www.outreachy.org/communities/cfp/wikimedia/ [4] The project proposal will then be reviewed and approved by the FOSS community coordinators. Additional co-mentors for the intern project will be able to sign up for the project after it has been approved by the community coordinator. Guidelines for Crafting Project Proposals - A proposal should include: - Brief summary - Skills required - Learning outcomes - Possible mentor(s) - Microtasks - Each project should have at least two mentors, with one of them holding a technical background. - Ideally, the project has no tight deadlines, a moderate learning curve, and fewer dependencies on Wikimedia's core infrastructure. Projects addressing the needs of a language community are most welcome. - Project should require an experienced developer ~15 days and a newcomer ~3 months to complete. - To learn more about the roles and responsibilities of mentors, visit the resources: - https://www.outreachy.org/mentor/mentor-faq/ [5] - https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Outreachy/Mentors [6] Thanks! - Developer Outreach team [1] https://www.outreachy.org/ [2] https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T386245 [3] https://www.outreachy.org/apply/eligibility/ [4] https://www.outreachy.org/communities/cfp/wikimedia/ [5] https://www.outreachy.org/mentor/mentor-faq/ [6] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Outreachy/Mentors -- Lani Goto (they/them) Senior Technical Program Manager

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Welcome to Wikimedia Brasil!
by Affiliations Committee 28 Feb '25

28 Feb '25

Hi everyone, It is with immense excitement and pride that we announce the WMF Board of Trustees’ approval of the Affiliations Committee recommendation to formally recognize Wiki Movimento Brasil as a Wikimedia Chapter, to be known as Wikimedia Brasil effective Jan 31, 2025. This recognition marks a significant milestone in their journey, reflecting their unwavering dedication, collective efforts, and commitment to advancing the Wikimedia mission in Brazil. The path to becoming recognized as a Wikimedia Foundation Chapter is a complex process that takes significant time and collective effort. Wikimedia Brasil has a strong history of fostering community engagement, promoting free knowledge, and leading impactful initiatives. Over the years, it has demonstrated: - A deep commitment to knowledge equity and community-driven projects. - A proven track record of organizing events, advocacy efforts, and partnerships. - A governance structure that ensures inclusivity and long-term sustainability. - The ability to navigate challenges and continue growing as a resilient and adaptive organization. As a Chapter, Wikimedia Brasil now operates as a legally recognized non-profit organization, strengthening its ability to: - Build strategic partnerships with institutions, policymakers, and cultural organizations. - Advocate for open knowledge at national and regional levels. - Provide leadership and support for the broader Wikimedia community in Brazil. With this new status, Wikimedia Brasil is poised to expand its reach, strengthen its initiatives, and continue empowering communities to contribute to free knowledge. We celebrate this achievement and look forward to seeing its continued contributions to the Wikimedia movement. Please join us in congratulating the members of Wikimedia Brasil on this significant achievement! Best wishes, Jeffrey Keefer Chair, Affiliations Committee

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WIkimedia Norway's 2024 Annual Report
by elisabeth＠wikimedia.no 27 Feb '25

27 Feb '25

Dear fellow Wikimedians, Earlier this month, 22 of Wikimedia Norway’s members convened for our Annual General Assembly. The 2024 Annual Report was unanimously passed, and we have now translated it into English. If you want to read up on events and results in the northern outskirts of Europe, you can find the link on our website: https://www.wikimedia.no/en/about-us/ Best regards, Elisabeth Vennlig hilsen / Kind regards, Elisabeth Carrera daglig leder/Executive Director │ Wikimedia Norge <https://bidra.wikimedia.no/> Støtt kunnskapsdugnaden vår!

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Updates on resource distribution proposal and creation of interim Global Resource Distribution Committee
by Jorge Vargas 27 Feb '25

27 Feb '25

Hello everyone, I'm Jorge Vargas, Director of Community Resources and Partnerships. I will be sharing an update on the Wikimedia Foundation's July 2024 proposal to create an experimental Global Resource Distribution Committee (GRDC) and to update the resource distribution models of the movement. This new version of the proposal comes after months of conversations with different stakeholders in the movement. The Wikimedia Foundation will create the interim Global Resource Distribution Committee <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Global_Resource_Distribu…> (GRDC) in March, as a 2-year experiment, in another step to decentralize the distribution of funds across the Wikimedia Movement. This body will be responsible for making decisions over the Community Fund <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Grants:Start#Wikimedia_C…> and the structures and processes to distribute it. It will also oversee the Regional Fund Committees <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Grants:Committees> (RFCs). The interim GRDC will advise the Foundation on how to allocate grants across regional, and if determined, thematic allocations. It will also provide recommendations and insights to the Foundation on how much of its budget should be made available for grants distribution. The final decision on the total budget allocation for grants to later be allocated in different portfolios will remain with WMF, with the interim GRDC advising and working jointly with the Foundation throughout all the steps of the process. We will recruit the initial 13 members of the committee through self-nominations and invitations made in collaboration with the RFCs and affiliates. Last July, the Board of Trustees proposed <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Boa…> an experimental resource distribution committee as part of their resolution and vote on the Movement Charter <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard…> . We have gathered community and affiliate feedback through several conversations at Wikimania, regional events, consultations with affiliates, Regional Fund Committees, and online. These are the main changes based on this feedback: - Form the interim GRDC in March with a diverse group of specialized volunteers and staff. The initial proposal was to start in January and only with former RFC members. - Empower the interim GRDC to evolve the Regional Fund Committees after its creation. The initial proposal was to create the GRDC and evolve the RFCs at the same time and on a tighter schedule. For more detailed information, please check the updated proposal <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Global_Resource_Distribu…> (Diff version <https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_Resource_Distribution_C…>) and the reasoning <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Global_Resource_Distribu…> behind the changes. We continue to welcome feedback to improve the plan and polish details, and we will finish the plan to create the new committee <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Global_Resource_Distribu…> in the next few weeks. We want to start the call for self-nominations at the beginning of February. If you or someone you know might be a good fit, we encourage you to stay tuned and get involved. Let us know if you have any comments or questions here or in the respective Meta talk pages. Kind regards, Jorge -- *Jorge Vargas* (he/him) Director of Community Resources and Partnerships Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> M: (+1) 415.404.9536 I work from San Francisco, USA. My time zone is PST: UTC/GMT -8.

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[Wikimedia Research Showcase] Wikipedia Administrators- February 26 at 17:30 UTC
by Kinneret Gordon 26 Feb '25

26 Feb '25

Hi all, The February Research Showcase will be live-streamed next Wednesday, February 26, at 9:30 AM PT / 17:30 UTC. Find your local time here <https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1740591000>. The theme for this showcase is *Wikipedia Administrators*. We invite you to watch via the YouTube stream: https://www.youtube.com/live/r88qrgi6ozA. As always, you can join the conversation in the YouTube chat as soon as the showcase goes live. We have one longer presentation this month: *Where have all the admins gone? Wikipedia administrator recruitment, retention, and attrition*By *Eli Asikin-Garmager, Yu-Ming Liou, Claudia Lo, Caroline Myrick (Wikimedia Foundation)* Wikipedia administrators are users with extra rights who do work beyond editing, such as settling disputes and preventing repeated vandalism. The tens of thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of administrative actions taken every month are vital to the healthy operation of any language version of Wikipedia. We will present results from a project investigating reasons administrators come, stay, and leave the role. We obtained baseline metrics of administrator in/outflow and activity, and conducted a mixed method, cross-comparative study of potential, current, and former administrators. Results show that the number of active administrators on larger Wikipedias has been declining since 2018, with some exceptions. Our presentation will unpack these findings and explore topics such as what motivates administrators to stay in the role, and what barriers may prevent new administrators from joining. Best, Kinneret -- Kinneret Gordon Lead Research Community Officer Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> *Learn more about Wikimedia Research <https://research.wikimedia.org/>*

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Fwd: Invitation to KWUG WikiConnect Discussion Hour 2
by Bharathesha A B 26 Feb '25

26 Feb '25

Hello everyone, I’m excited to invite you to the 2nd edition of the KWUG WikiConnect Discussion Hour, featuring *Neechal Karan <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Neechalkaran>*. In this session, we will explore the *Language Computing* discussion, Language computing enables the processing, understanding, and generation of human language for applications like translation, content creation and more. The discussion hour is scheduled for *Thursday, 26 February 2025, at 19:30 IST * 📍 *Venue:* https://meet.google.com/rng-ysnp-thu 🔗* Save your spot here:* https://w.wiki/DCHS <https://w.wiki/CrvC> We look forward to your participation in this inspiring conversation. Warm regards, *Bharathesha AlasandemajaluKaravali Wikimedians User Group*

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Upcoming Language Community Meeting (Feb 28th, 14:00 UTC) and Newsletter
by Oscar Costero 25 Feb '25

25 Feb '25

Hello everyone! We’re excited to announce that the next *Language Community Meeting* is happening soon, *February 28th at 14:00 UTC*! If you’d like to join, simply sign up on the *wiki page <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Language_and_Product_Localization/…>* . This is a participant-driven meeting where we share updates on language-related projects, discuss technical challenges in language wikis, and collaborate on solutions. In our last meeting, we covered topics like developing language keyboards, creating the Moore Wikipedia, and updates from the language support track at Wiki Indaba. *Got a topic to share?* Whether it’s a technical update from your project, a challenge you need help with, or a request for interpretation support, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to *reply to this message* or add agenda items to the document *here <https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/language-community-meeting-feb-2025>*. Also, we wanted to highlight that the sixth edition of the Language & Internationalization newsletter (January 2025) is available here <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Language_and_Product_Localization/…>. This newsletter provides updates from the October–December 2024 quarter on new feature development, improvements in various language-related technical projects and support efforts, details about community meetings, and ideas for contributing to projects. To stay updated, you can subscribe to the newsletter on its wiki page <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Language_and_Product_Localization/…> . We look forward to your ideas and participation at the language community meeting, see you there! Cheers,

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Announcing the 2025 Ombuds Commission
by Karen Brown 25 Feb '25

25 Feb '25

Hello, everyone! I'm writing with information about the Ombuds Commission (OC), the small group of volunteers who investigate complaints about violations of the privacy policy, and in particular concerning the use of CheckUser and Oversight tools, on any Wikimedia project for the Board of Trustees. I apologize for the length of the announcement. :) The application period for new commissioners for 2025-27 recently closed. The Wikimedia Foundation is extremely grateful to the many experienced and insightful volunteers who offered to assist with this work. This year’s OC will consist of twelve members and one Steward-Observer. I am pleased to announce the composition of the 2025 OC: だ＊ぜ < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=%E3%81%A0%EF%BC%… > だ＊ぜ, who also may be referred to as Dasze, has been contributing to Wikimedia since 2015. He's primarily active on Chinese Wikimedia projects, where he later served as a director of Wikimedia Community User Group Hong Kong from 2019 to 2023 while users in Hong Kong were suffering various affection in and out of Wikimedia projects. His expertise is international law, human rights law, and statistical and quantitative analysis thereon. He speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese, English and some Japanese. This is Dasze's second year on the Ombuds Commission and his term will expire in 2026. Arcticocean < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Arcticocean> Arcticocean has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2008. He is primarily active on Meta and English Wikipedia, where he is an administrator and previously a Checkuser, Oversighter and Arbitrator. Arcticocean served on the Ombuds Commission in 2020 and 2021 and again in 2023-24. His current term on the Ombuds Commission expires in 2026. Ameisenigel < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Ameisenigel> Ameisenigel has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2015. He is primarily active on German Wikipedia, where he served as an Arbitrator from 2020 to 2022 and from 2023 to the present day, and on Wikidata and is an administrator on both projects. He is an Oversighter on Wikidata and also serves as a Global Sysop. Ameisenigel speaks German and English. He has been on the Ombuds Commission since 2021 and his current term expires in 2026. Emufarmers < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Emufarmers> Emufarmers has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2005. He is a Metapedian who primarily edits the English Wikipedia; he is also a bureaucrat and sysop on MediaWiki.org, and has provided software support to many third-party, non-Wikimedia wikis over the years. He has served as a VRTS administrator since 2015 and has been on the Elections Committee since 2023. He served on the Ombuds Commission from 2019-2021 and again in 2023-24. His current term expires in 2026. Faendalimas < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Faendalimas> Scott Thomson, user:Faendalimas, has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2006. Originally Australian though based in Brazil, he is a taxonomist and evolutionary biologist with a background in International Wildlife Policy, his main editing interest is reptiles and amphibians. He is most active on WikiSpecies, where he is a bureaucrat, Checkuser, and administrator. Faendalimas speaks Portuguese and English. He has served on the Ombuds Commission since 2021 and as Chair from 2022 to 2023, and his current term expires in 2026. Galahad <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Galahad> Galahad has been actively involved as a volunteer for Wikimedia projects since 2009 and has served as the sole administrator of Spanish Wikivoyage since 2013. He has contributed to various voluntary initiatives, including serving as a volunteer advisor to the [[Wikimedia Foundation Community Affairs Committee/Sister Projects Task Force|Sister Projects Taskforce]] and as a member of the Ombuds Commission from 2019 to 2023. Additionally, he founded [[WikiSP|Wikimedia Small Projects]] and held the position of General Coordinator from 2020 to 2025. He is also a member of [[Wikimedia Venezuela]] and served as Vice-President from 2021 to 2023, and he is the founder and leader of the [[LAC Hub]], PAW Initiative, and contributes as a volunteer on the Selection Committee for the Steering Committee members of the [[Wikipedia Asian Month User Group]]. His current term on OC expires in 2027. Nehaoua <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Nehaoua> Nehaoua holds a master's degree in Highway and Bridge Engineering and currently works as a Civil Engineer. However, his true passion lies with knowledge and its free access for all. Since 2009, Nehaoua has been an active Wikimedian, contributing significantly across various projects like French and Arabic Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikisource, and Wiktionary. Nehaoua is fluent in Arabic and French, and is actively improving his English language skills. Nehaoua's term on OC expires in 2026. Renvoy <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Renvoy> Renvoy has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2014. He is primarily active on Ukrainian Wikipedia, where he serves as administrator. Also he holds roles of global sysop and global rollbacker. Renvoy speaks Ukrainian, Russian, English, Polish and Lithuanian. His current term runs through 2026. Revi C. <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth/Revi_C.> revi started editing Korean Wikipedia in 2013, and became an admin on that wiki a year later. revi also serves as an oversighter there since 2018, and has been a Commons admin since early 2014. revi also served as an admin on Wikidata for 10 years (2013~2023), steward for 5 years (2018~2023), and admin on Meta for 9 years (2014~2023). On-wiki, revi is mostly interested in janitorial, anti-spam work and copyright stuff. His current term on OC ends in 2027. RoySmith < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=RoySmith> Roy Smith has been editing Wikipedia since 2004. He has been an admin on English Wikipedia since 2005 and a checkuser since 2021. Previously an active sockpuppet hunter, as of late 2023, he has dialed that back to concentrate more on content creation. His term on OC runs through 2026. Teles <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Teles> Lucas is a Brazilian doctor that became a Wikipedian in 2007 and started to engage with CheckUser rights in 2009, when he became a local CU on the Portuguese Wikipedia. He held both Oversight and Checkuser rights on Ptwiki for many years, in different terms. He is currently an administrator on Meta, Commons and Ptwiki. In 2012, the global community elected him as a steward, a position he held for more than ten years, until asking removal in 2024. He has previously served the Ombuds Commission for three consecutive years. Today, he focuses on his work at AffCom advisoring, global renaming, occasional anti-vandalism work, translating medical content from English to Portuguese Wikipedia. His current term on OC ends in 2027. Zafer <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Zafer> Zafer has been contributing to Wikimedia projects as a volunteer since 2008 and he is one of the founding members of the Wikimedia Community User Group Turkey since 2016. He is primarily active on Turkish Wikipedia, Wikidata and Commons, and he holds admin on Wikidata. He checks recent changes and new articles at Turkish Wikipedia and is specifically interested in sports related articles. He contributes wiki projects also by taking photos and uploading with free licences. This is Zafer's first year on OC and his term expires in 2027. Steward-Observer The Steward-Observer serves as a liaison between the Ombuds Commission and the Stewards. The Steward-Observer is a non-voting, advisory role. The Steward-Observer was nominated by the Stewards and is appointed by the Wikimedia Foundation to a one-year term. This year's Steward-Observer is… Vermont <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Vermont> Vermont (they/them) has been contributing to Wikimedia projects since 2016. They have been a steward since February 2022, and previously a global sysop and rollbacker. Vermont is an administrator and checkuser on Meta-Wiki and the Simple English Wikipedia, and formerly volunteered on the UCoC Phase 2 and Revisions drafting committees. They served as Steward-Observer for the Ombuds Commission from 2023-25 as well. Vermont's term as Steward-Observer expires in 2026. Departing members Please join me in thanking the following volunteers who are leaving OC, who have given substantially of their time to serve the commission: Bennylin < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Bennylin> Bennylin has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2004. He's primarily active on Indonesian and Javanese Wikiprojects, where he's sysop in 6 of them, Checkuser in Indonesian Wikipedia, bureaucrat in Indonesian Wiktionary, and also active in Commons, Meta, Wikidata, and MediaWiki. He has previously served as a global Steward. He speaks Indonesian, English, Javanese, Chinese and some Spanish. Bennylin served on the Ombuds Commission in 2023-24. Daniuu <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Daniuu> Daniuu has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2019. They are primarily active on Dutch Wikipedia, where they are a sysop and have been a member of the Arbitration Committee. They are also a global sysop and focus on counter-vandalism work. Daniuu speaks Dutch and English. Daniuu was on the Ombuds Commission since 2023. Doğu <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth/Do%C4%9Fu> Doğu Abaris (Doǵu) has been editing Wikimedia projects since 2012. He is primarily active on Turkish Wikipedia, where he has served as an administrator, interface administrator, and oversighter. Additionally, he is a volunteer MediaWiki developer and is currently working on the Auditor MediaWiki extension. He is studying software and data engineering at Singidunum University in Belgrade. He was appointed to OC in 2024 and resigned later that year. MdsShakil < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=MdsShakil> MdsShakil has been contributing to Wikimedia projects since 2019. He is primarily active on Bengali Wikipedia, where he serves as an administrator and oversighter. Additionally, he is an administrator on Bengali Wikibooks and contributes globally as a global renamer, global rollbacker, and global sysop. He speaks Bengali and English. MdsShakil was on the Ombuds Commission since 2023. Minorax <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth?target=Minorax> Minorax has been active on Wikimedia projects since 2019. They are a Metapedian who is active on a large number of projects, including Commons, where they have over 400,000 edits, English Wikipedia, and Meta, where they are a Checkuser. They are also a global sysop. Minorax speaks English and Chinese. Minorax was on the Ombuds Commission since 2023. -- Karen Brown Trust & Safety Specialist Wikimedia Foundation kbrown(a)wikimedia.org

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Re: [Wikimedia Research Showcase] Administradores de Wikipedia
by Ester Bonet 24 Feb '25

24 Feb '25

Hi Kinneret, It would be interesting to know if these studies also include a gender breakdown, as it could provide insight into the diversity of administrators and whether there are disparities between genders in terms of participation, retention, or motivation to take on the admin role. Bets, Ester Bonet *AVÍS: És possible que hagis rebut aquest missatge fora de les hores/dies feiners habituals, ja que treballo com a voluntària, especialment durant els caps de setmana. No cal que em responguis durant els teus dies lliures. Gràcies per endavant! AVISO: Es posible que hayas recibido este mensaje fuera de tus horas/días laborales habituales, ya que trabajo como voluntaria, especialmente durante los fines de semana. No es necesario que me respondas durante tus días libres. ¡Gracias de antemano! NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your regular working hours/days, sice I work as a volunteer, specifically during weekends. You do not need to reply meto answer it during your days off. Thank you in advance!* Missatge de l'adreça <wikimedia-l-request(a)lists.wikimedia.org> del dia ds., 22 de febr. 2025 a les 13:04: > Send Wikimedia-l mailing list submissions to > wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/postorius/lists/wikimedia-l.lists.wikimedia.org/ > > You can reach the person managing the list at > wikimedia-l-owner(a)lists.wikimedia.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Wikimedia-l digest..." > > Today's Topics: > > 1. [Wikimedia Research Showcase] Wikipedia Administrators- February 26 > at 17:30 UTC > (Kinneret Gordon) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:32:40 +0200 > From: Kinneret Gordon <kgordon(a)wikimedia.org> > Subject: [Wikimedia-l] [Wikimedia Research Showcase] Wikipedia > Administrators- February 26 at 17:30 UTC > To: wiki-research-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org, > foundation-optional(a)wikimedia.org, > wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org, analytics(a)lists.wikimedia.org > Message-ID: > < > CAF6H6Vwsh1HgpD8AOtDRfPOJdV0TVpspcSxTcbf+0ubjnBTZeQ(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: multipart/alternative; > boundary="0000000000002b7051062ea8b49a" > > Hi all, > > The February Research Showcase will be live-streamed next Wednesday, > February 26, at 9:30 AM PT / 17:30 UTC. Find your local time here > <https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1740591000>. The theme for this showcase > is *Wikipedia Administrators*. > > We invite you to watch via the YouTube stream: > https://www.youtube.com/live/r88qrgi6ozA. As always, you can join the > conversation in the YouTube chat as soon as the showcase goes live. > > We have one longer presentation this month: > > > *Where have all the admins gone? Wikipedia administrator recruitment, > retention, and attrition*By *Eli Asikin-Garmager, Yu-Ming Liou, Claudia Lo, > Caroline Myrick (Wikimedia Foundation)* > Wikipedia administrators are users with extra rights who do work beyond > editing, such as settling disputes and preventing repeated vandalism. The > tens of thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of administrative > actions taken every month are vital to the healthy operation of any > language version of Wikipedia. We will present results from a project > investigating reasons administrators come, stay, and leave the role. We > obtained baseline metrics of administrator in/outflow and activity, and > conducted a mixed method, cross-comparative study of potential, current, > and former administrators. Results show that the number of active > administrators on larger Wikipedias has been declining since 2018, with > some exceptions. Our presentation will unpack these findings and explore > topics such as what motivates administrators to stay in the role, and what > barriers may prevent new administrators from joining. > > Best, > > > > -- > > Kinneret Gordon > > Lead Research Community Officer > > Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> > > > *Learn more about Wikimedia Research <https://research.wikimedia.org/>* >

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Next Episode of WikiAfrica Hour "Decolonising knowledge on Wikipedia" JOIN US!
by Donia ElDomiaty 24 Feb '25

24 Feb '25

Dear Wikimedians, We hope this email finds you well. We invite you to join the next episode of WikiAfrica Hour "Decolonising knowledge on Wikipedia” We are very excited to discuss this topic with the episode guests and your joining is very valuable. What can you expect from the episode? What do we mean by decolonising knowledge? Why is it important that we document this on Wikimedia projects? What established knowledge decolonisation projects inside (and even outside) Wikimedia should we be paying attention to? How can we improve existing initiatives, and encourage others to do the same? This month on Wiki Africa Hour, we’re doing a deep dive into decolonising knowledge with guest host, *Achal Prabhala*, who will lead a panel experienced in disrupting the information landscape. Who are the guest speakers? - Iolanda Pensa <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Iopensa>: a wikipedian and researcher. She has been contributing to Wikipedia since 2006, she organized in 2016 “Wikimania Esino Lario”, she is chair of the Wikimania Steering Committee, former chair and now national coordinator for GLAMs of Wikimedia Italia, scientific director of WikiAfrica from 2007 until 2011 and co-founder of Wiki in Africa. Leader of De-colonising knowledge on wikipedia in Switzerland. <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Decolonising_knowledge> - Asuru Lutherking Petercan <https://meta.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Lutarchitecture>: a research assistant in architectural history and heritage preservation. Advocating for free knowledge in Nigeria, advocating for policy change and creating awareness in the built environment and beyond about heritage and historic architectural archives, contributing to open source platforms, training more professionals to contribute and also starting an architectural heritage community to join in the contribution of Heritage architecture and GLAM related knowledge in Nigeria. - Sandra Schmitt Soster <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:SSoster_(WMB)>: Sandra Soster is the GLAM and Culture Manager of Wiki Movimento Brasil since 2022. She holds a PhD degree of Architecture and Urbanism by University of São Paulo (USP). - Chantal Edie Ntube: an artist whose art representation extends beyond her visual practice as a photographer and writer. Chantal has a BSC in History, a Masters I in Political Sciences, and an HND in HSC from Reading in the UK. Co-creator of once upon a time symposium in Yaounde Cameroon <https://www.goethe.de/ins/cm/en/ver.cfm?event%20id=26439558>. When and where will the episode take place? Data: Wednesday 26th February Time: 16:00 UTC Join us LIVE on Youtube <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIEkQ3ICEqs>. You can also register in the event tool here <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:WAH_Episode_42_-_Offline_Wikis,_the_n…> Looking forward to seeing you! -- *Donia* WikiAfrica Hour Production Coordinator & Wiki In Africa Tools Community Facilitator

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Invitation: IG WIKI CONFERENCE SHARING EXPERIENCE SESSION
by Abasili Nkemjika Kingsley 24 Feb '25

24 Feb '25

Ndewo! Greetings Dear Wikimedians, Igbo Wikimedians User Group (IWUG) invites you to her IG CONFERENCE SHARING EXPERIENCE SESSION where members will share their experiences/learnings from recent and past Wikimedia Conferences. Date: Friday, 28 February 2025 Time: 5 PM WAT Venue: Zoom (Online) Register & Mark your Calendar: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83639866537 During the session, members of the IWUG who have attended any Wikimedia Conference will: - Share their experiences from recent conferences and events - Share some of their best practices for Navigating Conference Applications. - Highlight Eligibility Criteria for Wikimedia Conference Scholarship Participants will also learn how to draft Conference Applications. We look forward to seeing you! Daalụ nu! Kingsley Nkem FOR: IGBO WIKIMEDIANS USER GROUP

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Is Humaniki dead?
by Galder Gonzalez Larrañaga 21 Feb '25

21 Feb '25

Dear all, I know of many projects which use Humaniki (https://humaniki.wmcloud.org/) as a way of knowing the gender distribution of articles. Normally, it has been updated every week for years, but in the last three weeks there hasn't been any update. I don't want to be paranoic, but looking at the anti-DEI pace of the world... should we start worrying? Thanks Galder

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Avro Keyboard Team, Including Wikimedian Shabab Mustafa and Tanbin Islam Siyam, Honored with Ekushey Padak 2025
by Shakil Hosen 20 Feb '25

20 Feb '25

Dear Wikimedians, We are delighted to share a moment of pride for the Wikimedia community in Bangladesh and beyond. Shabab Mustafa <https://bn.wikipedia.org/s/up8l>, President of Wikimedia Bangladesh, and Tanbin Islam Siyam <https://bn.wikipedia.org/s/up8j>, an Executive Committee member, have been honored <https://www.dhakapost.com/national/345374> with Bangladesh’s second-highest civilian award, the Ekushey Padak <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekushey_Padak>, alongside the Avro Keyboard team. This recognition celebrates their invaluable contribution to open-source software development and Bangla computing. The Avro Keyboard team, led by Mehedi Hasan Khan <https://bn.wikipedia.org/s/10hd>, with key contributions from Rifat Nabi, Shabab Mustafa, and Tanbin Islam Siyam, played a pivotal role in making Bangla typing more accessible through Avro Keyboard <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Keyboard?wprov=wppw2>—Bangladesh’s first free and fully Unicode-compliant Bangla writing software. Their work has empowered millions of users, significantly contributing to digital literacy and the preservation of the Bangla language online. This recognition is a testament to the impact of open-source contributions and the power of free knowledge. On behalf of the Wikimedia movement, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Shabab Mustafa, Tanbin Islam Siyam, and the entire Avro team for this incredible achievement. Their dedication to digital accessibility and open knowledge continues to inspire communities worldwide. Let’s celebrate this milestone together and continue working towards a more open and inclusive digital world! Best regards, -- *Shakil Hosen *(he/him)

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WiKiDZ Annual Report 2024 & Featured Diff Article!
by Mohammed Bachounda 19 Feb '25

19 Feb '25

Dear Wikimedians, We’re excited to announce that the *WiKiDZ Annual Report 2024* <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Algeria/Gestion/Reports/Repport20…> is now available, highlighting a year of dedication, collaboration, and impactful contributions to free knowledge. As part of this milestone, our evolution over the past *ten years* is also featured in a *Diff article*, *"A Decade of Dedication: WiKiDZ’s Path in Advancing Free Knowledge."* This piece reflects on our achievements, challenges, and the values that continue to drive our mission. - 📖 *Read the full article here:* https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/02/19/a-decade-of-giving-wikidzs-journey-in… - 📑 *Explore the Annual Report 2024 here your feedbacks are welcome : * https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Wikimedia_Algeria/Gestion… Thank you for being part of this adventure. Your support and contributions make a difference in expanding free knowledge for all! Best, on behalf of WiKiDZ / Algerian UG Mohammed Bachounda <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Bachounda> Founder Arabic Wikimedians <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Arabic_Wikimedians_User_Group> *UG* & Wikimedia <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Algeria>Algeria <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Algeria> UG

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Wikipedia editors under attack
by Romaine Wiki 19 Feb '25

19 Feb '25

In Januari 2025 The Signpost wrote about an American organisations who attempts to identify and target Wikipedia contributors for their contributions to Wikipedia, by exposing identity and other threats. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2025-01-15/In_th… Unrelated to the organisation mentioned in The Signpost, this is already happing at this moment towards users of the French Wikipedia. In the past days the French Wikipedia community got allarmed that one of its contributors was the victim of such an attack, and became the victim of threats and intimidation by a journalist from the weekly magazine Le Point <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Point>, Erwan Seznec. This journalist tried to make his profession and identity publicly available as revenge for his contributions to the encyclopedia. The French community has reacted quickly by writing an open letter, published this morning, in what hundreds of volunteers have shown their support to this (and other user(s) who got attacked by this magazine. I believe strongly that within Wikimedia we need to be open about such events and support the ones who have become victim. For that purpose I translated the open letter <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikip%C3%A9dia:Lettre_ouverte_:_non_%C3%A0_l%…> from French to English, so that anyone can read it. See below. Romaine We, volunteers contributing to Wikipedia in French, give our full support to our peer who become the target of intimidating emails by a journalist from *Le Point <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Point>* magazine, threatening to reveal his identity and profession. In this text, we wish to recall the importance of *respecting the pseudonymity of Wikipedia volunteers* as well as the operating principles of the collaborative encyclopedia. On Saturday, February 15, after contributing to the Wikipedia article dedicated to the newspaper *Le Point <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Point>*, the volunteer contributor to Wikipedia for 18 years, author of more than 30,000 modifications, had the very unpleasant surprise of receiving an email sent from the professional address of Erwan Seznec, a journalist at *Le Point*, which included the following comments: "We are going to write an article about you, on our site, giving your identity, your position, and requesting an official reaction from [his supposed employer]. » The same journalist also obtained the user's personal telephone number and contacted him through this means. *The comments made in these emails are explicitly threatening and are, as such, completely unacceptable.* Editorial disagreements, which are quite common on Wikipedia, are settled by debates on the discussion page of the article in question, in accordance with the rules of etiquette. These threatening comments come after the dissemination of supposed personal information about several other volunteer contributors in an article in *Le Point* dated December 13, 2024 <https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/wikipedia-plongee-dans-la-fabrique-d-une-man…>, already signed by Erwan Seznec. These procedures, unprecedented in the mainstream French press, do not fall within the scope of free criticism, to which Wikipedia is regularly subjected — which is perfectly legitimate. They do not seem to us to respect the ethics of journalism or to be part of a journalistic approach for the citizens' right to information, but rather to fall within the scope of score-settling or intimidation. They pose a problem for several reasons: - A practice like Seznec's exposes volunteers to intimidation – which we regularly encounter – and can even endanger Internet users who contribute to the encyclopedia; - The threat of disclosure of personal information is likely to intimidate and cause self-censorship of other volunteers on the articles that this journalist from *Le Point* has targeted, first and foremost the article "*Le Point <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Point>*", but also on other articles previously called into question by Erwan Seznec ("Eugénie Bastié <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A9nie_Basti%C3%A9>", "Sylvie Brunel <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvie_Brunel>", etc.); - They circumvent Wikipedia's editorial processes, which allow anyone to participate in developing consensus on the writing of articles and to resolve editorial disagreements, which are part of the normal functioning of the encyclopedia. For the record, Wikipedia is a collaborative encyclopedia with a horizontal, non-profit operation. It is based on five founding principles <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Five_pillars>, including the encyclopedic aim, neutral of point of view (which consists of mentioning points of view according to their place in the field of knowledge, that is to say, quality sources) and respect for rules of etiquette. Decisions are made by consensus. Volunteer contributors, with varied profiles and political opinions, mostly intervene under pseudonyms, in accordance with what the platform recommends <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikip%C3%A9dia:Nom_d%27utilisateur#Vrai_nom_o…> to avoid harassment (they are not anonymous and can be identified by the courts upon request to the host). The encyclopedia is not perfect — for example, discussions regularly animate the community on how to improve biographies of living people <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Biographies_of_living_persons> and the treatment of recent events or media controversies. But its operation and its rules guarantee its independence from all powers. *We, volunteer contributors to Wikipedia, assure our attacked user of our support and denounce any attempt, from whatever source, to intimidate volunteer contributors to Wikipedia, including by threatening to contact their employer, and to disseminate personal information about them.*

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[Celebrate Women 2025] Join the campaign to advocate for gender equity!
by Euphemia Uwandu 18 Feb '25

18 Feb '25

=================================================================================================== TL;DR: Are you organizing activities around International Women’s Day or Women’s History Month this March 2025? Did you know that there will be a central page where you can showcase your campaigns and learn about new tools and tactics, and engage with what other Wikimedians are doing globally? *Let’s chat! **Register to join the Celebrate Women Conversation hours happening on the following dates: * - *Opening Session on 21 February 2025 at 13:00 UTC. Register Here <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Celebrate_Women_2025_Office_Hour_Seri…>* - *Tooling Training happening on 25 February 2025 at 14:00 UTC. Register Here <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Celebrate_Women_2025_Office_Hour_Seri…>* - *Explore additional learning spaces available this year. See Here <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Celebrate_Women_2025_Office_Hour_Series>* =================================================================================================== Hi Everyone, March 8 marks the annual celebration of International Women’s Day <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women's_Day>, and an opportunity to advance the achievements of the women’s rights and gender equity movement globally. This seminal international holiday also coincides with Women’s History Month <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_History_Month> in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. To respond to the gender gap and create opportunities to grow content on women and non-binary people on Wikipedia, the Gender Organizing community in the Wikimedia Movement hosts an annual campaign every March called Celebrate Women <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Celebrate_Women>. This campaign is an important opportunity for the Wikimedia movement to engage with the work of different communities highlighting the gender gap in each Wikimedia project. In line with our ongoing commitment to gender equity, this year the Wikimedia Foundation is supporting the movement’s efforts in this area, by providing a space for volunteers working on gender to share knowledge, access training and celebrate together. *To join the learning and sharing spaces, sign up for the following Office Hours:* - 21 February 2025: Learning, Coordinating and Celebrating: An Office Hour to share plans from across the movement for March (13:00 -14:30 UTC) *Register Here* <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Celebrate_Women_2025_Office_Hour_Seri…> - 25 February 2025: Tooling for Change: Learn about some exciting tools that can support your efforts at closing the gender gap (14:00 -16:00 UTC) *Register Here* <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Celebrate_Women_2025_Office_Hour_Seri…> - 4 March 2025: Programme Support: Access programmatic support to enhance the design of your campaigns focused on advancing gender equity (15:00 - 17:00 UTC). *Register Here* <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Celebrate_Women_2025_Office_Hour_Seri…> - 7 March 2025: Official Launch of Women’s Month: Including Keynote Speaker and announcement of the Wiki Women Task Force members! (15:00 - 16:30 UTC) *Register Here* <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Celebrate_Women_2025_Office_Hour_Seri…> - 18 March 2025: CSWNGO Forum Virtual Session. (8:30 UTC) *Register Here <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Celebrate_Women_2025_Office_Hour_Seri…>* - Date TBD: Facilitating Safe and Inclusive Spaces: Gender Sensitivity and UCOC training for organizers working in the gender gap space. *Watch this space for more information.* <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Celebrate_Women_2025_Office_Hour_Seri…> Let’s make March 2025 a powerful moment for gender equity! Kindly, *Euphemia Uwandu (She/Her)* Program Officer, Organizer Growth Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>

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Wikimedia Côte d'Ivoire || Dernière chance ! Rejoignez l’aventure Fotamana
by Abiba Pauline TRAORÉ 18 Feb '25

18 Feb '25

Bonjour, *Le temps presse !* Il ne reste que quelques jours pour postuler à Fotamana <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fotamana,_programme_d%27immersion_p…>, le programme d’immersion de *Wikimedia Côte d’Ivoire* dédié aux leaders des communautés émergentes du mouvement Wiki en Afrique. Si vous souhaitez *renforcer vos compétences, échanger avec d’autres acteurs du savoir libre et bénéficier de l’expertise de Wikimedia Côte d’Ivoire*, c’est le moment de saisir cette opportunité ! Date limite *: 21 février, 23h59 UTC* 👉 Inscrivez-vous dès maintenant : [Lien d’inscription <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfW2nRDHHNsY8-vPxKXK4uBELh8XqjQPrM…> ] Ne laissez pas passer cette chance ! Pour toute question, contactez-nous ou répondez à cet e-mail. À très bientôt, _____________________________________________ Hi, *Time is running out!* There are only a few days left to apply for *Fotamana <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fotamana,_programme_d%27immersion_p…>*, Wikimedia Côte d’Ivoire’s immersion program designed for leaders of emerging Wiki communities in Africa. If you want to *strengthen your skills, connect with other free knowledge advocates, and benefit from Wikimedia Côte d’Ivoire’s expertise*, this is your chance! Deadline:* [february, 21, 2025]* 👉 *Apply now*: [Application Link <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfW2nRDHHNsY8-vPxKXK4uBELh8XqjQPrM…> ] Don't miss this opportunity! For any questions, reply to this email. See you soon, -- Pauline *TRAORÉ* *Communication. Marketing. Projets.* Cultur'Ivoir <https://www.facebook.com/CulturIvoir> | Les jus d'Aby <https://www.facebook.com/lesjusdaby> | Wikimedia Côte d'Ivoire <https://wikimedia.ci> 00225 07 08 84 95 31

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Help us celebrate IMLD 2025
by Mrb Rafi 17 Feb '25

17 Feb '25

Hello everyone, Greetings from Project Korikath <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Project_Korikath> and the Wiki Loves Folklore Bangladesh 2025 organizing team <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Folklore_2025_in_Bang…> ! This International Mother Language Day <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mother_Language_Day> (February 21), we plan to celebrate linguistic diversity in a special way, and we need your help. If you’d like to participate, please send the following info to wasi78045(a)gmail.com or me within February 20, 2025: 1. Your Wikimedia username 2. The name of your mother language 3. A line or two from a folk song in your mother language that talks about “Mother.” Write it by hand using a thick pen (gel pen or marker) and send us a clear image of your handwriting. 4. The English translation of the sentence(s) in a message. We will collect all the handwritten submissions and share them with the global Wikimedia movement through Diff, our social media handles, and Wikimedia Commons. Our goal is to highlight linguistic diversity across the Wikimedia community. We’ll publish these handwritings as photocards under CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Please ensure that the lyrics are from a folk song and not copyrighted. You can read about last year’s celebration here: https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/03/06/celebrating-the-international-mother-… Cheers! Mrb Rafi <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Folklore_2025_in_Bang…> Project Lead Wiki Loves Folklore Bangladesh 2025

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Invitation to 26th DCW Conversation Hour
by Ariba 16 Feb '25

16 Feb '25

Hello everyone, I’m excited to invite you to the 26th edition of the DCW Conversation Hour, featuring Dr. Martin Poulter, a seasoned digital knowledge specialist, who has worked extensively with GLAM institutions and the Khalili Foundation to bridge the gap between academia, cultural institutions, and open knowledge platforms. In this session, we will explore the significance of GLAM initiatives, focusing on how digital tools and open knowledge platforms enhance public engagement with cultural heritage. The conversation hour is scheduled for Saturday, 22 February 2025, at 13:30 UTC (7:00 pm IST). For more details, please visit the event page on our website: https://dcwwiki.org/dc-i4 <https://dcwwiki.org/dc-i4> The link for registration for the event: https://w.wiki/Cz3L I'm excited to see you participate. Please bring along your questions! Kind regards, Ariba Deoband Community Wikimedia

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Recognition of Wikimedia Community User Group South Sudan
by Affiliations Committee 15 Feb '25

15 Feb '25

Hi everyone, I'm very happy to announce that the Affiliations Committee has recognized [1] Wikimedia Community User Group South Sudan [2] as a Wikimedia User Group. The group aims to promote the use of Wikimedia projects to people in South Sudan and help people in South Sudan learn how to contribute to Wikimedia projects. Please join me in congratulating the members of this new user group! Regards, Jeffrey Keefer Chair, Affiliations Committee

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IGBO WIKIMEDIANS USER GROUP WISHES YOU A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
by Abasili Nkemjika Kingsley 14 Feb '25

14 Feb '25

Greetings Dear Wikimedians, Today as we honor the spirit of Valentine’s Day, the Igbo Wikimedia Organization sends warm and heartfelt greetings to our community and beyond. In the wise words of our ancestors, “Ịhụnanya bụ ndụ" (love is life). This day is not only a celebration of romantic affection but also a tribute to the love we share for our heritage, culture, and the pursuit of knowledge. Our mission is to preserve and promote the rich tapestry of the Igbo language and traditions, and it is through the unity and passion of people like you that our efforts flourish. Love, in all its forms, inspires creativity, collaboration, and the continuous sharing of wisdom across generations and borders. May your Valentine’s Day be filled with warmth, inspiration, and joy. Let this day remind us that every shared story, every preserved word, and every act of kindness strengthens the bond of our global community. Happy Valentine's Day from Igbo Wikimedians User Group! ❤️ Kingsley Nkem FOR: IGBO WIKIMEDIANS USER GROUP

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Gungbe Wikimedians User Group/Annual Report 2024
by Feyintioluwa Josphat Misimawuh 14 Feb '25

14 Feb '25

Hello, We have published the Gungbe Wikimedians User Group's 2024 annual report at https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Gungbe_Wikimedians_User_Group/Annual_Report… Warm regards, Misimawu

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Wikimedia-l February 2025