Hello all,
I am writing to you today with two important pieces of information. First,
the report of the comments from the Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating
Committee (U4C) Charter ratification is now available
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Coordinating_Comm…>.
Secondly, the *Call for Candidates for the U4C* is open now through April 1.
The Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee (U4C) is a global
group dedicated to providing an equitable and consistent implementation of
the UCoC. Community members are invited to submit their applications for
the U4C. For more information and the responsibilities of the U4C,
please review
the U4C Charter
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Coordinating_Comm…>
.
Per the charter, there are 16 seats on the U4C: eight community-at-large
seats and eight regional seats to ensure the U4C represents the diversity
of the movement.
Read more and submit your application on Meta-wiki
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Coor…>
.
Best,
Patrick
--
Patrick Earley
Lead Trust & Safety Policy Manager
Wikimedia Foundation
pearley(a)wikimedia.org
Hi All,
In January, I posted a reminder inviting us to review the draft Africa
Agenda <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Baraza/Africa_Agenda> and
provide additional input. Our aim was to ensure wider community
consultation and involvement.
We are extremely pleased with the level of participation we received, and
we have now concluded the phase of collecting input for the draft Agenda.
The final document has been updated on Meta as of Sunday 10 March 2024.
What's Next Now?
We hope to communicate the next steps around implementation in the coming
weeks, our goal is to see some of the key recommendations in the Agenda
acted upon soon. Some tentative timelines to watch out for:
-
High-level Stakeholder Engagement/Consultation by 20th April 2024
-
Execution committee constitution and planning from 20th April - June 2024
On behalf of the Afrika Baraza Working Group and WisCom, I would like to
extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to shaping the
African Agenda. Whether through Meta, Afrika Baraza, WikiIndaba Conference
23, or email, your involvement is invaluable. Thank you for your
contributions!
=====================*En français*=======================
Bonjour à tous,
En janvier, j'ai publié un rappel nous invitant à examiner le projet
d'Agenda <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Baraza/Africa_Agenda/fr> pour
l'Afrique et à apporter des contributions supplémentaires. Notre objectif
était de garantir une consultation et une participation plus larges de la
communauté.
Nous sommes extrêmement satisfaits du niveau de participation que nous
avons reçu, et nous avons maintenant terminé la phase de collecte des
contributions pour le projet d'agenda. Le document final a été mis à jour
sur Meta à compter du dimanche 10 mars 2024.
Quelles sont les prochaines étapes ?
Nous espérons communiquer les prochaines étapes de la mise en œuvre dans
les semaines à venir, notre objectif étant de voir certaines des
recommandations clés de l'Agenda mises en œuvre rapidement. Voici quelques
calendriers provisoires à prendre en compte:
-
Engagement/consultation de haut niveau des parties prenantes d'ici le 20
avril 2024
-
Constitution et planification du comité d'exécution entre le 20 avril et
juin 2024.
Au nom du groupe de travail Afrika Baraza et du WisCom, je voudrais
exprimer notre sincère gratitude à tous ceux qui ont contribué à élaborer
l'Agenda africain. Que ce soit par le biais de Meta, Afrika Baraza,
WikiIndaba Conference 23, ou par courriel, votre implication est
inestimable. Nous vous remercions de votre contribution !
Cordialement,
Bobby Shabangu
Dear all,
The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees met in New York City from 5 to 8
March. As usual I am writing to share the outcomes of the meeting and
information about other sessions held during the week.
== Board Meeting ==
Our official board meeting took place on March 7, and we were joined by
members of the Movement Charter Drafting Committee (MCDC). At the meeting,
we approved the December meeting minutes [1], made changes to the Executive
Committee Charter [2], and updated the Board committee composition [3]. The
terms of our current Vice Chairs, Shani and Esra’a, came to an end, and we
welcomed Lorenzo and Kathy into those roles [4].
I would like to acknowledge and thank both Shani and Esra’a for their hard
work over many years. The role of Board Vice Chairs is an important one,
and I, as Chair, appreciate the additional input and time they have
provided over the past three years, supporting the Board and the
Foundation’s leadership, as well as their commitment to supporting this
transition. I also look forward to working closely with Lorenzo and Kathy
as their terms as Vice Chairs begin now. The overall updated Trustee
membership is here [5].
During the meeting, Dariusz, Chair of the Board Selection Working Group,
gave an update on the 2024 Board selection process status, which you can
read more about here [6]. We also heard from Foundation staff on various
topics and received an update on the current fiscal year and progress
against the Annual Plan [7]. We heard from the Advancement team about donor
thank-you page changes, which invited donors to edit and yielded 4,398 new
user accounts being created [8]. This experiment was conducted based on
feedback from volunteers. As usual, the Board received committee updates in
advance of the meeting, which included an important update from the Audit
Committee [9].
In its most recent meeting, the Audit Committee discussed and approved a
change in how unrealised gains or losses are reported. They will now be
counted as non-operating revenues instead of operating revenues, which will
bring the financial statements in line with how the Foundation budgets for
operating revenues. The Audit Committee also approved an updated Investment
Policy that guides how operating reserves are invested. The official Board
meeting ended after a brief update from the staff team monitoring the 2024
global elections work.
== Other Sessions & Meetings ==
Movement Charter
The Board, MCDC members, and staff met for a half-day workshop after the
Board meeting. I thank the MCDC for their work over the last 2.5 years. It
is not easy to take broad recommendations and flesh them out. We spent time
together reflecting on the draft Movement Charter and the Foundation’s
perspective, particularly about the role of the Global Council [10]. The
Foundation’s perspectives will be one of the topics on the agenda at the
Open Conversation with the Trustees, hosted by the Community Affairs
Committee (CAC) on March 21 [11].
Strategic Retreat
We ended the week on March 8 with a Strategic Retreat, a joint session held
with the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees, the Endowment Board of
Trustees, representatives from MCDC, and Wikimedia Foundation leadership.
This included presentations on our three priority topics: (1) financial
model, including updates on online revenue trends, Wikimedia Enterprise,
and Wikimedia Endowment; (2) product and technology; and (3) roles and
responsibilities. We built on the themes established at last year’s
Strategic Retreat, including more focus on longer-term planning about the
work of the Foundation, and what it will take to ensure our projects
continue across generations [12], both technologically and in terms of our
financial model. This retreat is one important space for the various
leadership groups within the movement to plan, brainstorm, and engage as
partners.
Governance Workshop
Our first full day together as the Board, March 5, was focused on a
governance workshop for members of the Board. We focused on the role of
trustees and committee chairs and shared best (and worst) practices from
other boards some of us sit on. This is part of a more comprehensive larger
professional development plan that trustees have engaged in over the last
three years. We ended the day with a reception hosted at the New York City
Chapter’s new shared space (also the home to rescued turtles!) - many
thanks to the organisers for your hospitality! We also greatly enjoyed the
wiki fashion show!
Sessions with Foundation Leadership
On March 6, we joined Foundation staff for a session on the Annual Planning
process. We ended the day with a Board Executive Session which also
included discussions with the executive team about leadership development,
career growth, and best practices for succession planning at all
organisational levels.
The Board will meet again virtually in June to approve the Foundation’s
annual plan and budget, and then again in-person at Wikimania in Poland,
where I hope to see some of you as well!
[1] https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Minutes:2023-12-06
[2]
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Committee:Executive_Committee_Charter
[3]
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Board_Officers_and_Committ…
[4]
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_Hand…
[5] https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Committee:Main
[6] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2024
[7]
https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/01/31/progress-on-the-plan-how-the-wikimedi…
[8]
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Growth/Newcomer_experience_projects#Scaling_…
[9]
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Minutes:2023-08-15#Committee_updates
[10]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Movement_Charter#Wikimedia_Foundation_…
[11]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…
[12]
https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/03/05/wikipedia-a-multigenerational-pursuit/
Take care, and thank you,
antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv
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!*
Hi everyone,
We're excited to announce the release of the *March 2024 issue of
the CEE Newsletter*! This edition is filled with captivating stories,
community highlights, and collaborative achievements from across the
Central and Eastern Europe region in the Wikimedia movement.
Read the Newsletter here
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CEE/Newsletter/March_2024>
*In This Issue:*
- *CEE Hub Updates:* Dive into the empowering journey of the Wikimedia
Community User Group Cyprus and discover the pivotal role played by the CEE
Hub in supporting their endeavors. Learn about our involvement in the
'Heritage Guard Network' project aimed at safeguarding cultural and natural
heritage in danger.
- *International Updates:* Stay informed about the latest developments
and upcoming events shaping the Wikimedia movement globally.
- *CEE in the News:* Explore the impact of CEE communities in global
education and cultural sectors with a summary of articles from This month
in Education and This month in GLAM.
- *Reader’s Digest:* Stay updated on important topics from around the
globe with insights from the Diff Blog and open calls and consultations
within the Wikimedia landscape.
- *Updates from Communities:* Delve into the vibrant activities of CEE
communities, including initiatives like Wiki Loves Earth 2024, celebrations
of Ukrainian Wikipedia's 20th anniversary, and innovative projects like the
Friendship Edit-a-thon between Japan and Turkey. Explore topics like SLAPPs
against CEE and initiatives aimed at overcoming challenges and promoting
diversity within the Wikimedia movement. Learn about Wikipedia in education
initiatives in Albania, including updates on University Students'
Internships, Wikipedia within the education setting, and WikiGap Tirana
event celebrating women in entrepreneurship.
You can read the full newsletter here
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CEE/Newsletter/March_2024>. We hope you
enjoy the inspiring stories and achievements showcased by our
vibrant CEE communities.
Happy reading!
Toni Ristovski | Тони Ристовски
*CEE HUB | Program Officer*
Tel. +389 72 565 409
Web. www.wmceehub.org
Hello everyone,
It is my pleasure to share with you that we are announcing the winners of
Wiki Loves Monuments 2023 through our social media platforms on
*Monday, March 25th, starting 18.00 UTC. *
As it is the WLM tradition, the announcement - in a descending order - will
kickstart with the honorable mentions from 25th-16th place, every 30
minutes.
This will be followed by an 8.5 hours break before the commencement of the
top 15 on *Tuesday, March 26th, at 7.00 UTC* in the same time and interval
order. The overall winner of the WLM 2023 competition will be
announced at *14:00
UTC.*
You can follow the results on any of our social media channels:
- https://www.instagram.com/wikilovesmonuments/
- https://www.facebook.com/WikiLovesMonuments/
- https://twitter.com/wikimonuments
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/wikilovesmonuments/
Best,
Ciell - on behalf of the WLM International Team
Dear Community,
We are pleased to announce that our highly anticipated post on the Diff
blog has been officially published on March 26, 2024. You can access the
post by following this link:
https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/03/26/editing-together-in-tyap-romanian-and…
The post highlights the successful completion of a pilot project undertaken
by the Tyap Wikimedians User Group (TWU) and the Wikimedians of Romania and
Moldova User Group (WMROMD). This collaborative initiative took place from
September 15 to December 1, 2023.
You will find a comprehensive project summary in the post, including
valuable insights and lessons learned. It was written by Claudia
Şerbǎnuţǎ and Kambai Akau, with editing contributions from Gorana
Gormiac.
Please feel free to translate it into your languages for a wider reach.
Happy reading!
Kambai
Dear wikimedians,
Nearly one year ago, the Graphs extension was disabled from all wikis, because there was a security issue that should be solved (https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334940). A wide team from the WMF worked on a solution for some weeks, but after Northern Hemisphere spring ended, summer came, then the monsoon season, and now it is again summer in the Southern Hemisphere... and Graphs are still disabled. All the solutions proposed have been dismissed, but every two months there's a proposal to make a new roadmap to solve the issue. We have plenty of roadmaps, but no vehicle to reach our destination.
Seven years ago, we were discussing our Strategy for 2030. We used thousands of volunteer hours, thousands of staff hours and millions of dollars to build a really well-balanced strategy. There we concluded that "By 2030, Wikimedia will become the essential infrastructure of the ecosystem of free knowledge". We also made some recommendations to improve the User Experience (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Movement_Strategy/Recommendations/Improve_U…) and claimed that we wanted to Innovate in Free Knowledge (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Movement_Strategy/Recommendations/Innovate_…). Well, the situation is now worse than it was seven years ago, let me give some examples:
* Graph extension is used in thousands of pages, some of them highly relevant, as COVID or Climate Change information. There are thousands of graphs broken now, and the only partial solution give is loading these graphs as images, instead of promoting an interactive solution.
*
Meanwhile, a place like Our World in Data has been publishing data and interactive content with a compatible license for years. (Remember, "By 2030, Wikimedia will become the essential infrastructure of the ecosystem of free knowledge"). Trying to add this data and graphs to Wikimedia projects has been done by WikiMed, and it is technically possible, but still blocked to deploy (https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T303853).
* Wolfram Alpha is like a light year ahead us on giving interactive solutions to knowledge questions, even the silliest ones (https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=how+many+oranges+fit+in+the+Earth%3F). We have good technical articles about a lot of things, but sometimes "becoming the essential infrastructure of the ecosystem of free knowledge" needs to provide solutions to exact problems, like the answer to an equation, and how to solve it. That's also "free knowledge".
*
Brilliant (https://brilliant.org/) is brilliant if you want to learn lots of things, like geometry or programming. Way better than Wikipedia. But... you need to pay for it. How could we even try if we can't add anything interactive to our platforms?
* We can build interactive timelines using Wikidata, but we can't embed them at Wikipedia. Weird, because I can do it in any external page. Hopefully, Histropedia will do it better. http://histropedia.com/<http://histropedia.com/>
* We could have something very special: inline links in video and audio subtitles. We used to have them, but the new video infrastructure doesn't allow it. Imagine a world where you can watch a video and link a link in the subtitles just to know more about that.
* ...
The list can go on an on ("which phase the moon is today?"), but I think that the idea is clear. We could have interactive content, but we are going in the opposite direction, and every year we are further from our goal, because other platforms are doing it better, way better. And this seems like some wild ideas, but then I read the 2023-2024 annual plan section called "Wiki Experiences" (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2023-2024/…) and it looks like we should be going there. But we aren't.
I'm sorry if this e-mail feels bitter. My experience in the last years is that we are now further of what we need that we were before, even if many chapters and volunteers are trying to overturn it.
Thank to everyone who have been trying.
Galder