Hi Rohini, can you share some of your experiences, wrt to what Ashwin and
Vickram have pointed out?
On Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 7:15 AM, Vickram Crishna
<vvcrishna(a)radiophony.com>wrote;wrote:
As Ashwin points out, from the point of view of a
partnership, this was
less than a resounding success.
However, Rohini does not call it a partnership, because it isn't one. This
was a pilot, intended to demonstrate to persons of influence at BNHS what a
partnership could achieve for the Society. The partnership lies ahead.
Pradeep does not call it a partnership either, he squarely labels it a
pilot, and suggests to Wikimedians everywhere that they initiate similar
efforts with similar physical archives in other parts of India.
It would have been exceedingly unrealistic to imagine that the philosophy
of open knowledge be instantly understood and enthusiastically embraced.
None of us did at any stage of this pilot, which we well understand to be a
foot in the door. I was warned by other senior Wikimedians, recognised
naturalists in their own right, as well as naturalists who are not
Wikimedians, but know the Society well, that this would be an uphill task,
long before we even took the first steps. Dissing the organisation for its
traditional mindset is easy, but not fruitful.
For all I know, it may be easier to do this elsewhere, with other
organisations. And the very best to others who take up that challenge.
Everyone should do what they can, when they can, wherever they can.
This is a work in progress. And I wish Rohini the very best, every
encouragement, to continue her efforts to get that door opened wider now.
--
Vickram
Fool On The Hill
communicall.wordpress.com
" He's still watching me watching you watching ...
And the way he stares - feel like locking my door
and pulling my phone from the wall.
His eyes, like lights from a laser, burn
making my hair stand - making the goose-bumps crawl. "
Jethro Tull: Watching Me Watching You (1982)
On Aug 9, 2013 8:12 PM, "Ashwin Baindur" <ashwin.baindur(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
From a point of view of GLAM partnership this was
emphatically NOT a
success. It was not a complete failure also, because brave Rohini persisted
in the face of an unresponsive BNHS. In the end BNHS and Wikipedia got a
better article on Humayun Abdulali and Rohini got some hard-won experience
- that is all.
But the potential for this project could have been so much greater. The
experiences of Wikipedians-in-residence in the Smithsonian and the British
Museum (and other initiatives) was so wonderful, so engaging to both sides
and so fruitful that the lacklustre report in the link Pradeep mentions
feels like ashes in one's mouth.
BNHS has been for many years the iconic symbol of private wildlife
research. It has a very long history, had some truly wonderful people in it
including Salim Ali and Humayun Abdulali, has a very good library and a
very good collection of skins, shells, eggs etc. It has a peer-reviewed
scientific journal more than 100 years old which has high repute. It was
the place where eminent scientists like Johnsingh, Ravi Sankaran and Bharat
Bhushan, besides many others, began their careers or were encouraged.
Whether it is mammals, birds, reptiles, marine life or insects; anywhere in
India one can definitely say about BNHS - been there, done that!
So one would expect BNHS to be open to the idea of helping Indians to
learn more about wildlife, nature, environment and conservation? Wrong.
Check the site of BNHS for stuff which educates or informs or which
guides or helps and see the complete paucity of material. Its a nice enough
looking website & tells you very much what the organisation, its goals and
programmes, but there is zilch information about India's wildlife, from
India's premier wildlife NGO. If you compare that with a comparable
organisation in the USA and UK say Audobon or RSPB, you will find they have
useful articles, knowledge material aside from what they are involved in.
Compare Audobon which gives Tips on how to get nature to the classroom or
taking schoolchildren outdoors, or RSPB which provides a complete bird list
with short writeup.
BNHS does not have an altruistic outlook towards IP and the resources
they hold. The reason for that is not difficult to understand. BNHS
publishes a variety of handbooks, coffee-table books etc and their
employees derive additional income from their publication, sale of
photographs they take on BNHS funded trips etc, Hardly any activity in BNHS
comes without a pricetag for the participants. Standard copyright model is
their bread and butter.
No wonder, they are not interested very much in joining hands with
Wikipedia - there is a direct conflict of interest, if Wikipedia develops
pages on India's natural heritage well, the need/dependence for their
handbooks reduces. This will affect sales in the long run and affect income
of the organisation and its staff.
So Rohini's valiant attempt was akin to trying to clap with one hand. You
can't hear the clap because BNHS never showed any eagerness other than a
bureaucratic acquiescence grudgingly obtained after much effort by Rohini.
Imho, Rohini could probably have written the Abdulali article to the same
quality even without the cooperation of BNHS.
It would be my advice to GLAM enthusiasts who put in humungous amount of
hours of drudgery work in GLAM projects to please not take up pilots with
organisations which do not value the importance of Commons, common heritage
and public domain.
Ashwin Baindur
On Fri, Aug 9, 2013 at 6:14 PM, Pradeep Mohandas <prad2609(a)yahoo.com>wrote;wrote:
hi,
It was announced earlier that a Wikipedian from Mumbai, Rohini Lakshane
was working with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) on a GLAM pilot
project. I am happy to inform you that this is now completed. A short note
on the pilot was posted here -
http://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/GLAM/Newsletter/July_2013/Contents/India…
It will be great to do similar projects in other cultural and/or
scientific institutions in your city. If you need help from the Chapter in
doing this, please feel free to contact me on this email id.
warm regards,
Pradeep Mohandas
Pradeep Mohandas
How Pradeep uses email? -
http://goo.gl/6v1I9
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Warm regards,
Ashwin Baindur
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