On Fri, Sep 12, 2014 at 8:17 PM, Wil Sinclair wllm@wllm.com wrote:
Actually, I'd like to speak up on the name.
I imagine the name reflected the enthusiasm of its first attendees, but "Wikimania" has all the wrong connotations in today's world. True mania is marked by little control, commitment, and rest. It also implies that attendees have to be dyed-in-the-wool, unquestioning, and supremely devoted editors. I hope that's not the case. I doubt it's more welcoming for highly enthusiastic beginners, but it might convince casual editors who are more interested in the topics covered in our articles than the project itself that it's not for them.
Moreover, mania is no joke. Some people suffer greatly from disorders like bipolar depression. We wouldn't call a conference WikiADHD (which is, as I have been very public about, something I suffer from). It's uncool to make light of it in any way, even when unintended.
We can be both more sensible and sensitive by calling this conference something else. As has been suggested, Wikimedia Conference (maybe WikiCon for short) would be more appropriate.
+1
please.