Dear all,
We thank you all for your support and collaboration. Please find below the details of our
work in the month of September 2013.
Re-release of Konkani Vishwakosh under CC-BY-SA 3.0
Goa University re-released Konkani Vishwakosh under Creative Commons License CC-BY-SA 3.0.
To celebrate and further the movement of open knowledge and open access Goa University in
collaboration with Centre for Internet & Society's Access to Knowledge Programme
(CIS-A2K) organised an event on September 26, 2013 at 10 a.m. at the Goa University
Conference Hall. Konkani Vishwakosh is a four-volume encyclopedia published by Goa
University. It encompasses all the world information in a nutshell with special emphasis
and detailed information on Goa, Konkani, Goan culture, folklore, history, geography, etc.
By releasing Vishwakosh under Creative Commons license, Goa University is making it freely
available to public and giving them the right to share, use and even build upon the work
that has already been done. For more on Konkani Vishwakosh re-release see
http://bit.ly/19y0EJx
► Announcements
CIS Signs MoU with Goa University: The A2K team at CIS has signed an MoU with the Goa
University to digitize the “Konkani Vishwakosh” under the Creative Commons license and
build a digital knowledge partnership to enhance digital literacy in Konkani language. See
http://bit.ly/1fBZXlR for more details.
Konkani Vishwakosh Digitization Project: The Centre for Internet and Society in
collaboration with the University of Goa is doing a two-month project on digitization of
Konkani Vishwakosh.:
http://bit.ly/15Idlh7.
► Video
Wikipedians Speak: Piotr Konieczny: This episode brings you a conversation with Piotr
Konieczny, a veteran Wikipedian from Poland. He has contributed to over 514 DYK articles
on Wikipedia:
http://bit.ly/16jYsBF.
► Columns and Blog Entries
Recap on Konkani Wikipedia Workshop (by Subhashish Panigrahi, Startup Goa Blog, September
9, 2013):
http://bit.ly/19KtIwo
ଅବସର ପରର ଦ୍ବିତୀୟ ଜୀବନ, ଅବସର ପରେ ସକ୍ରିୟ ଭାବେ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଉଇକିପିଡ଼ିଆରେ ଲେଖାଲେଖି
ଜାରୀ ରଖିଥିବା ଜଣେ ଡାକ୍ତରଙ୍କ ସହ ଭାବାଲୋଚନା (by Subhashish Panigrahi, Odiapua,
September 10, 2013):
http://bit.ly/14QQkIo.
Selection of Programme Officer — Pilot Projects, CIS-A2K (by Nitika Tandon, September 10,
2013):
http://bit.ly/1fU7Ikl.
Wikipedia reaches Classrooms in Hyderabad (by Syed Muzammiluddin, September 20, 2013):
http://bit.ly/18f9n1o.
► Events Organised
A Kannada Wikipedia Workshop in Mysore (University of Mysore, August 6, 2013): This is a
report of the workshop conducted last month. Dr. Pavanaja conducted the workshop:
http://bit.ly/15LPoKZ.
Indian Language Wikipedia Training Workshop (TISS, Mumbai, August 16, 2013). Dr.
U.B.Pavanaja was the trainer at this workshop. This workshop was organized as part of the
CIS-A2K MoU with TISS. This is also part of the Indian Language Mela being organized by
Centre for Indian Languages in Higher Education, TISS:
http://bit.ly/1ajmH7G.
Indian Language Wikipedia Training Workshop (TISS, Tuljapur, August 24, 2013). Abhishek
Suryavanshi was the trainer for this workshop:
http://bit.ly/1aHg6AL.
Wikipedia Introductory Workshop (Department of Computer Science and Technology, University
of Goa, September 28, 2013). Nitika Tandon conducted this workshop. The details will be
posted soon.
Train the Trainer — Four-day long Residential Training Workshop in Bangalore (organised by
CIS-A2K, Bangalore, October 3 – 6, 2013):
http://bit.ly/1f1KOvm.
► Events Co-organised
Digital Resources in Telugu: A Workshop for Research Scholars (co-organised by CIS-A2K and
the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad and CILHE, TISS on September 13,
2013). T. Vishnu Vardhan curated and conducted this day-long event for M.Phil and Ph.D
students of the EFL University:
http://bit.ly/174pugy.
Re-releasing Konkani Vishwakosh & Building Konkani Wikipedia (organised by CIS-A2K
and the University of Goa, Conference Hall, Goa University, Taleigao, September 26, 2013):
http://bit.ly/18SsChu.
Wikipedia Introductory Workshop (co-organised by CIS-A2K and wikipedians John Noronha and
Supriya Kankumbikar, September 27, 2013). Nitika Tandon participated in this workshop.
Odisha: Wikipedia workshop at IIMC, Dhenkanal (co-organised by CIS-A2K and Odia Wikimedia
community, September 30, 2013). Subhashish Panigrahi coordinated the entire event along
with members of Odia Wikipedia, Dr Subas Chandra Rout, Mrutyunjaya Kar and Sasanka Sekhar
Das:
http://bit.ly/15NsTjM. This was covered by Odisha Diary (
http://bit.ly/1bna9zd), and
eOdisha Samachar (
http://bit.ly/1aNJvv4).
► Events Participated In
Workshop on e-Content Development (organised by Centre for Staff Training and Development,
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad, September 4 – 6, 2013). Vishnu Vardhan gave
guest lectures on Open Source to Open Knowledge; Building Knowledge Bases and Platforms
via Mass Collaboration on the Internet; e-Content in Indian languages – History,
Challenges and Opportunities; Wikipedia Users to Wikipedia Authors – Exploring Wikipedia
as an OER Tool; and e-Content, e-Student, e-Faculty – Reimagining classroom in the digital
Age:
http://bit.ly/16HNZpy.
Kannada Wikipedia Workshop (organised by Department of Journalism and Mass
Communication, SDM College, Ujire, September 15, 2013). Dr. U.B.Pavanaja was the trainer
at this workshop:
http://bit.ly/183Atq0.
T. Vishnu Vardhan gave a talk on Building Knowledge Bases and Platforms via Mass
Collaboration on the Internet (organised by Jadavpur University, School of Cultural Texts
and Records, Jadavpur University, and Department of Film Studies, Jadavpur University on
September 23, 2013).
http://bit.ly/163oEpz.
Konkani Wikipedia Workshop (organised by St. Aloysius College, AIMIT, St Aloysius College
(Autonomous), Beeri, Mangalore, September 13, 2013). Dr. U.B. Pavanaja was the trainer at
this workshop:
http://bit.ly/1eGviTY.
Indian Languages Mela (organised by Centre for Indian Languages in Higher Education,
TISS, Mumbai, September 20-21, 2013). Tejaswini Niranjana, T. Vishnu Vardhan and Dr. U.B.
Pavanaja participated in this event:
http://bit.ly/16hdTLb
'Digital Humanities and Higher Education' (organised by School of Cultural Texts
and Records, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, September 2013). Dr. Tejaswini Niranjana gave a
talk.
► Media Coverage
'Help Konkani Wikipedia come out of incubation' (Deccan Herald, September 13,
2013): The article talks about the relative lack of content in Konkani Wikipedia. “To get
it out of incubation, many should write Konkani articles for Wikipedia,” Dr. Pavanaja was
quoted as having said:
http://bit.ly/152vA0g.
Konkani Vishwakosh relaunch tomorrow (The Hindu, September 26, 2013). A coverage of the
re-release of the Konkani encyclopaedia under Creative Commons license:
http://bit.ly/18VgnEN.
Goa University re-releasing Konkani encyclopaedia on Sept 26 (The Times of India,
September 24, 2013): Goa University and CIS-A2K re-released the four volume 3632 page
Konkani Vishwakosh (encyclopaedia) in Goa:
http://bit.ly/18VgnV8.
Goa University announces plan to upload Konkani encyclopedia on Wikipedia (Navhind Times,
September 27, 2013):http://bit.ly/174rmpA.
Konkani Wikipedia from Goa University in 6 months (The Times of India, September 27,
2013): Goa University becomes the first varsity in India to allow data produced and
copyrighted by an Indian university to be used by internet users. Professors, students and
anyone with expertise or love for Konkani can come forward to help with the project for
which training will be provided, says Vishnu Vardhan:
http://bit.ly/19EYl5T.
Konkani Wikipedia in the making (by Prakash Kamat, The Hindu, September 29, 2013): Goa
University re-launched a four-volume Konkani encyclopaedia and will upload it on
Wikipedia. The process will be completed in six months times, says Vishnu Vardhan:
http://bit.ly/18jiG1B.
For the love of Konkani: Preserving Goa's official language (by Joanna Lobo, DNA,
September 29, 2013): Konkani has 24 lakh speakers as per the Census Department of India
2001 but online documentation is limited. CIS-A2K wants to strengthen the Konkani
Wikipedia, says Nitika Tandon:
http://bit.ly/1bV5XWH.
Goa University to make available online Konkani Wikipedia, within 6 months (by Jagran
Josh, September 30, 2013):
http://bit.ly/18ROmfb.
Goa University Partners CIS India to Build Konkani Wikipedia (by Apurva Chaudhary,
Medianama, September 30, 2013):
http://bit.ly/1bsZW4u.
Wikimedia Foundation has funded A2K to anchor the growth of Wikimedia movement in India.
The A2K team consists of six members, four based in Bangalore: T. Vishnu Vardhan, Dr. U.B.
Pavanaja, Subhashish Panigrahi and Muzammiluddin Syed, one member Nitika Tandon in Delhi
and one Advisor Dr. Tejaswini Niranjana. Archives of our newsletters can be accessed here
(
http://cis-india.org/about/newsletters). Wikipedians from various communities can request
for outreach programs, technical bugs, logistics-merchandize and media, public relations
and communications at
http://bit.ly/TOcXId.
About CIS
The Centre for Internet and Society is a non-profit research organization that works on
policy issues relating to freedom of expression, privacy, accessibility for persons with
disabilities, access to knowledge and IPR reform, and openness (including open government,
FOSS, open standards, etc.), and engages in academic research on digital natives and
digital humanities.
Follow us elsewhere
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/CISA2K
CIS group on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cis.india
Visit us at:
https://cis-india.org
Support Us
Please help us defend consumer / citizen rights on the Internet! Write a cheque in favour
of ‘The Centre for Internet and Society’ and mail it to us at No. 194, 2nd ‘C’ Cross,
Domlur, 2nd Stage, Bengaluru – 5600 71.
Request for Collaboration:
We invite researchers, practitioners, and theoreticians, both organisationally and as
individuals, to collaboratively engage with Internet and society and improve our
understanding of this new field. To discuss the research collaborations, write to Sunil
Abraham, Executive Director, at sunil(a)cis-india.org or Nishant Shah, Director – Research,
at nishant(a)cis-india.org. To discuss collaborations on Indic language wikipedia, write to
T. Vishnu Vardhan, Programme Director, A2K, at vishnu(a)cis-india.org
CIS is grateful to its donors, Wikimedia Foundation, Ford Foundation, Privacy
International, UK, Hans Foundation and the Kusuma Trust which was founded by Anurag
Dikshit and Soma Pujari, philanthropists of Indian origin, for its core funding and
support for most of its projects.
Thanks
Nitika