Daniel Mayer wrote:
Having robust datacenters around the world - each supported by the national chapter in the nation it is in - also helps to ensure uninterrupted service and longterm viability of what we are doing.
It should take a lot less of a server to serve in read-only mode. I hope.
Just leave out the word 'foundation' from the UK chapter name, and I'll be happy (it would be needlessly confusing). 'Wikimedia UK' sounds like a great name to me. :)
Ah, OK!
I recently registered wikimedia.us for a future Wikimedia U.S. (or Wikimedia USA) chapter and saw that the .org.uk was available - now it is not. I hope somebody we know and who likes us registered it...
It appears to be registered to one "James Forrester". <s>Looks a bit dodgy to me ...</s>
I envision four major core areas that national chapters would be well-suited to tackle:
- Supporting a local datacenter (just a squid farm first, but later a full
datacenter with database slaves receiving updates from the live master in Florida but fully capable of becoming their own master if needed for whatever reason).
A good reason to accumulate money in the short term.
- Directing social energy into improving Wikimedia projects. A club system
would be set-up under each chapter where a club would cover a metro area. Club members and different clubs would periodically gather and have WikiJam sessions at libraries, museums, national parks, universities, places of historical interest, etc.
Yep.
Imagine a small army of Wikimedians with digital cameras and PDAs descending into one of these places to extract each available bit of information.
Imagine every notable object in the middle of London being photographed, uploaded and written about.
Impromptu WikiJams to cover events in the club's metro area would be very useful for Wikinews. I think the fun we have from collaborating online will also manifest itself as we gather data together in the real world.
Oh, very good!
- Distribution and popularization of Wikimedia projects within that nation.
- Also important would be helping the Wikimedia Foundation gather the
resources and help it needs to further the goal of bringing free knowledge to the world. National chapters would be better-suited to work with their nation's governments and large companies to help make this happen.
Yep.
This would allow the Wikimedia Foundation to concentrate on international issues and coordination - esp getting free content in the hands of people who do not have access to the Internet. Under this system, grants (including those from and through chapters - see point 4) will likely one day supplant direct donations as the major source of funding for the Wikimedia Foundation since most donation money from readers will go to national chapters (yes, including Wikimedia U.S.). This bottom up approach appeals to be greatly.
It will also give people a greater sense of ownership of the project.
Things to watch out for: local foundations being used for nationalist POV-pushing.
- d.