Hoi Gerard,

( Context for others:

Please see

* https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/India_Access_To_Knowledge/Draft_Work_plan_July_2014_-_June_2015/Wiki-Data_India_Marathon

* https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants_talk:APG/Proposals/2013-2014_round2/The_Centre_for_Internet_and_Society/Proposal_form#Q14

* http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimediaindia-l/2014-April/011104.html )

//If something new has to start and Wikidata is new, then it needs more than just a video or a conference call.//

100s of Wikimedia projects, including many in India, didn't need any kind of intervention.

//I gave a presentation to professionals who work in data. It took me an hour to set up the environment with them and for them so that they could start.. We had a meeting for three hours and we scratched the surface enough to make a difference. The fact that we were together ensured good faith and enough understanding.//

Are they Wikimedians? It is enough if Wikimedians can make sense of it.

If Wikimedians are not able to make sense of it, then we need to improve Wiki Data for the global community too.

//I have seen some of the agenda and if only a fifth of what is started pays of it is well worth the investment.//

Is it?

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Narrowing_Focus_presentation_to_the_Board_(26_October_2012).pdf

talks about reducing focus on events.

WMIN's FDC proposal was heavily criticized for a focus on events and its impact was questioned.

And yet, we have an event for Wiki Data with a proposed budget as follows:

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/India_Access_To_Knowledge/Draft_Work_plan_July_2014_-_June_2015/Wiki-Data_India_Marathon#Budget

This is 29.7% of the annual budget of WMIN !

To give a context this is almost 40% of the 2011 Wikimedia India conference !!

The single biggest expense in this Wiki Data Marathon program is the cost for resource person which is 4,50,000 INR.

So much cost for a resource person for a month hints that this could be someone visiting India from abroad.

Any idea who this is ? :)

Even University faculties don't understand Wikipedia editor and our markup.

So, what do we do? Run marathons like this for all Wikipedia projects?

//Just consider what a challenge it is to bring Wikidata to India in a way where it actually makes a difference.//

Please provide evidence that this is an India specific problem. When communities don't even get the decade long Wikipedia project, it is only expected that they won't get Wiki Data too.

How good is Wiki Data adoption in similar parts of the word and how do you address it?

Thanks,

Ravi