All,
There's been an awful lot of fundraiser emails coming in from donors who are asking about how to edit. The following statements aren't direct quotes - I've reworded them for privacy's sake, but they're 'based on a true story' and indicative of the sort of emails we're getting:
Some of the emails are very keen:
" I know how to use a computer, and was wondering if I could proof read for you!"
"I can't donate each month, but maybe I can help you run the Wikipedia? "
Some are confused about policies:
"I'm afraid that if I edit about X, I'll contravene the second and third pillars, but I'm not sure about the fifth pillar."
Some are just confused about editing:
"How do I edit a page? This is all very difficult"
One or two are genuinely thrilled at the idea of being able to edit:
"I would love to be part of a thing as amazing as this - my generation would never have dreamt of something as wonderful as wiki. I think Wikipedia is great, and I'd really like you to teach me how I can be a part of it"
Rather than point them straight at some tutorial page on Wikipedia (which may not be helpful), or at OTRS (which tends to be a hit hit-and-miss) I am hoping we can run a 'learn to edit' session, advertised to those donors who have expressed an interest, at some point in the new year. It'd be aimed at complete beginners, and probably somewhere with a dense population, like Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, London etc. Potentially there would be businesswomen, elderly war veterans, foreign students all at the same event: we'd try to target it as much as possible, but that might not be easily possible.
Is there anyone who'd be interested in running this, or helping out at it?
All the best,
Richard Symonds
Office Manager
Wikimedia UK
+44 7885 764 613
--
Wikimedia UK is the operating name of Wiki UK Limited, a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Our Registered Charity No. is 1144513. The Registered Office is 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT.
Wikimedia UK is the local chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects). It is an independent non-profit organization with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.
Visit http://www.wikimedia.org.uk/ http://www.wikimedia.org.uk/ and @wikimediauk
This is basically what we've been doing with the Girl Geeks. I'd be more than happy to help out. If possible, it would be good to put it in a location that's easiest to get to for most of the 'customers'. Or perhaps holding several and making sure we're nice and geographically diverse.
Harry
________________________________ From: Richard Symonds richard.symonds@wikimedia.org.uk To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Friday, 9 December 2011, 19:27 Subject: [Wikimediauk-l] Editing sessions in the new year
All, There’s been an awful lot of fundraiser emails coming in from donors who are asking about how to edit. The following statements aren’t direct quotes – I’ve reworded them for privacy’s sake, but they’re ‘based on a true story’ and indicative of the sort of emails we’re getting: Some of the emails are very keen: “ I know how to use a computer, and was wondering if I could proof read for you!” “I can’t donate each month, but maybe I can help you run the Wikipedia? ” Some are confused about policies: “I’m afraid that if I edit about X, I’ll contravene the second and third pillars, but I’m not sure about the fifth pillar…” Some are just confused about editing: “How do I edit a page? This is all very difficult” One or two are genuinely thrilled at the idea of being able to edit: “I would love to be part of a thing as amazing as this – my generation would never have dreamt of something as wonderful as wiki. I think Wikipedia is great, and I’d really like you to teach me how I can be a part of it” Rather than point them straight at some tutorial page on Wikipedia (which may not be helpful), or at OTRS (which tends to be a hit hit-and-miss) I am hoping we can run a ‘learn to edit’ session, advertised to those donors who have expressed an interest, at some point in the new year. It’d be aimed at complete beginners, and probably somewhere with a dense population, like Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, London etc. Potentially there would be businesswomen, elderly war veterans, foreign students all at the same event: we’d try to target it as much as possible, but that might not be easily possible. Is there anyone who’d be interested in running this, or helping out at it? All the best, Richard Symonds Office Manager Wikimedia UK +44 7885 764 613 -- Wikimedia UK is the operating name of Wiki UK Limited, a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Our Registered Charity No. is 1144513. The Registered Office is 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT. Wikimedia UK is the local chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects). It is an independent non-profit organization with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents. Visit http://www.wikimedia.org.uk/ and @wikimediauk _______________________________________________ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
On 9 December 2011 19:36, HJ Mitchell hjmitchell@ymail.com wrote:
This is basically what we've been doing with the Girl Geeks. I'd be more than happy to help out. If possible, it would be good to put it in a location that's easiest to get to for most of the 'customers'. Or perhaps holding several and making sure we're nice and geographically diverse.
This sounds like a great idea. I'd love to help out running a few of these in the South-East/London; might be sensible to get a rough feel of distribution to work out how many (and how widespread) we'd want them to be...
J.
On 9 December 2011 20:08, James Forrester james@jdforrester.org wrote:
This sounds like a great idea. I'd love to help out running a few of these in the South-East/London; might be sensible to get a rough feel of distribution to work out how many (and how widespread) we'd want them to be...
Central London - the WMUK office - has suitable bookable space in the basement, and Jon Davies thought it might be quite easy to get it on weekends. Just a thought.
Charles
My experience of running similar events for WMUK is that if it has WiFi and chairs, we can make it work. A basement could work well if it meets those two criteria.
Harry
________________________________ From: Charles Matthews charles.r.matthews@ntlworld.com To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Friday, 9 December 2011, 22:10 Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Editing sessions in the new year
On 9 December 2011 20:08, James Forrester james@jdforrester.org wrote:
This sounds like a great idea. I'd love to help out running a few of these in the South-East/London; might be sensible to get a rough feel of distribution to work out how many (and how widespread) we'd want them to be...
Central London - the WMUK office - has suitable bookable space in the basement, and Jon Davies thought it might be quite easy to get it on weekends. Just a thought.
Charles _______________________________________________ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Count me in; love teaching :-)
Tom Morton
On 9 Dec 2011, at 22:14, HJ Mitchell hjmitchell@ymail.com wrote:
My experience of running similar events for WMUK is that if it has WiFi and chairs, we can make it work. A basement could work well if it meets those two criteria.
Harry
------------------------------ *From:* Charles Matthews charles.r.matthews@ntlworld.com *To:* wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org *Sent:* Friday, 9 December 2011, 22:10 *Subject:* Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Editing sessions in the new year
On 9 December 2011 20:08, James Forrester james@jdforrester.org wrote:
This sounds like a great idea. I'd love to help out running a few of these in the South-East/London; might be sensible to get a rough feel of distribution to work out how many (and how widespread) we'd want them to be...
Central London - the WMUK office - has suitable bookable space in the basement, and Jon Davies thought it might be quite easy to get it on weekends. Just a thought.
Charles
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
On 9 December 2011 22:14, HJ Mitchell hjmitchell@ymail.com wrote:
My experience of running similar events for WMUK is that if it has WiFi and chairs, we can make it work. A basement could work well if it meets those two criteria.
I've seen the chairs; wifi is hearsay.
Charles
I'm in, but please not a basement. I have mobile broadband and if I remember to bring it the WiFi will work and it won't be needed.
But mobile broadband abhors basements.
WSC
On 9 December 2011 22:28, Charles Matthews charles.r.matthews@ntlworld.comwrote:
On 9 December 2011 22:14, HJ Mitchell hjmitchell@ymail.com wrote:
My experience of running similar events for WMUK is that if it has WiFi and chairs, we can make it work. A basement could work well if it meets those two criteria.
I've seen the chairs; wifi is hearsay.
Charles
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
On 10 December 2011 11:18, WereSpielChequers werespielchequers@gmail.com wrote:
I'm in, but please not a basement. I have mobile broadband and if I remember to bring it the WiFi will work and it won't be needed.
But mobile broadband abhors basements.
WSC
To clarify the "basement" at the Old Street offices is a very nice space with modern business quality meeting rooms and a social sitting/breakout area with vending machines. There is wifi as well as RJ11 points for broadband (good for Skype?) in the meeting rooms and screens to project on for a shared discussion. There are 3 meeting rooms and 2 can be joined to hold 24 people comfortably.
The space is free and we have the benefit of 4 office desks and an equipped kitchen upstairs (with wifi available and a nice view if anyone *really* can't stand being in the basement or is desperate to use their mobile; not sure if a mobile signal works in the basement or not).
Please email Richard as per this email if you would like him to confirm any further layout or technical details.
Cheers, Fae
Is it safe to say that the weekend of 7-8 January is going to be the date for the OTRS workshop? It seems to have been pencilled in but without being widely publicised. I'll put a geonotice up if we have a date and a venue.
Harry
On 11/12/2011 22:57, HJ Mitchell wrote:
Is it safe to say that the weekend of 7-8 January is going to be the date for the OTRS workshop? It seems to have been pencilled in but without being widely publicised. I'll put a geonotice up if we have a date and a venue.
Harry
I believe that something is cooking for the weekend of 14th and 15th January as well...
Gordon
On 11 Dec 2011, at 22:57, HJ Mitchell wrote:
Is it safe to say that the weekend of 7-8 January is going to be the date for the OTRS workshop? It seems to have been pencilled in but without being widely publicised. I'll put a geonotice up if we have a date and a venue.
Yes - those dates are now confirmed, and we've booked meetings rooms at the WMUK office. If someone could put up a geonotice advertising the workshop, that would be fantastic. It might be worth covering a larger-than-normal geographical area for this, given the rarity of these workshops, potential interest from the continent, and ease of travel from the continent (e.g. it's cheaper and easier to travel to London from Paris than Glasgow...)?
On 12 Dec 2011, at 16:48, Gordon Joly wrote:
I believe that something is cooking for the weekend of 14th and 15th January as well...
Cool - will this be going above and beyond the regular London wikimeet?
Thanks, Mike
On 13/12/2011 00:48, Michael Peel wrote:
On 12 Dec 2011, at 16:48, Gordon Joly wrote:
I believe that something is cooking for the weekend of 14th and 15th January as well...
Cool - will this be going above and beyond the regular London wikimeet?
Thanks, Mike
Rumours of a 2 day "unconference" coupled with the London Wikimeet....
Gordo
I was talking to Gordon Joly and Philafrenzy about this at the Wikimeet and I think the collective feeling was that contact before and after an editing session is important as well as the event itself.
I can certainly think of events where lots of people have turned up, but none of the new wannabe Wikipedians has gone on to contribute after the event - perhaps this could be improved by some friendly emails afterwards offering to continue the help offered on the day.
I think we're definitely learning more about how we do these things, and hopefully these events - whatever form they end up taking - will continue that.
Chris
Suggest the first session might fulfil three needs
1. Get some people trained (ie see above) as a trial to see what skills they need. 2. Get these people started and get them some buddies. The U.S. Campus ambassadors have a virtual help room where people can ask for help 3. Work out how this expands ... because it is going to and we will quickly run out of helpers and organisers if we don't make it scale (I can hear a voice saying "train the trainers")
4. OK lets not foget 1.
Roger
On 12 December 2011 22:44, Chris Keating chriskeatingwiki@gmail.com wrote:
I was talking to Gordon Joly and Philafrenzy about this at the Wikimeet and I think the collective feeling was that contact before and after an editing session is important as well as the event itself.
I can certainly think of events where lots of people have turned up, but none of the new wannabe Wikipedians has gone on to contribute after the event - perhaps this could be improved by some friendly emails afterwards offering to continue the help offered on the day.
I think we're definitely learning more about how we do these things, and hopefully these events - whatever form they end up taking - will continue that.
Chris
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
On 12/12/2011 22:44, Chris Keating wrote:
I was talking to Gordon Joly and Philafrenzy about this at the Wikimeet and I think the collective feeling was that contact before and after an editing session is important as well as the event itself.
I can certainly think of events where lots of people have turned up, but none of the new wannabe Wikipedians has gone on to contribute after the event - perhaps this could be improved by some friendly emails afterwards offering to continue the help offered on the day.
I think we're definitely learning more about how we do these things, and hopefully these events - whatever form they end up taking - will continue that.
Chris
Yes, we should be a little more formal. Assess skills (and requirements) before the event, and get proper feedback on the session, and then a few weeks later.
Also, stick to a standard package to be delivered (they already exist?). As I mentioned on Sunday, I spent four two hour sessions with a local community group (a few years back) teaching very basic wiki skills. I had installed Mediawiki, with a view to using it as a blog, website and later a community archive.
Note: we did not go anywhere near Wikipedia. I was training them in editing skills alone, using Mediawiki. A few years before that (ten years ago?) we had used TWiki for another project in the same community. Hence, we did not cover the standards and procedures Wikipedia (e.g. The Five Pillars).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWiki
Gordo
I have recently watched the SG presentation to WMUK, and I think the only way to improve editor retention is to watch some stories, and change the systems. I have today undeleted an admittedly rather crap article, but which was no way a candidate for speedy as vandalism, and changed the wording of one of the warning templates. (All spurred by the user pages of the dozen editors I welcomed while listening to Sue.) These are, however somewhat random activities.
As you may know I have attempted to champion simplicity in a hundred different ways, with more success in some cases than others. This together with a more welcoming culture is the key. The cultural problem is two-fold, firstly systems are more abrasive than we would like, template wording etc, and secondly some editors are less welcoming than we would like. Most of this is for good reason, mainly dealing with years of vandals and trolls, but it has to change - and in a way this would be a reversion to earlier culture, though there never was a golden age, there was certainly a more vociferous party urging us down that route.
How can we promote this change effectively?
Does anyone know how the idea that we might limit article creation to autoconfirmed users whilst directing non-autoconfirmed users to a special holding area (AfC or similar) evolved once the Foundation refused to endorse it as stated?
-- Harry Burt (User:Jarry1250)
On Wed, Jan 4, 2012 at 9:10 PM, Richard Farmbrough <richard@farmbrough.co.uk
wrote:
[snip]
How can we promote this change effectively?
It's good to see this conversation starting!
In Sue's presentation she made the point that the Foundation would value help from the chapters in addressing the editor retention problem. Some of us on the Board have been scratching our heads about this as we do even less on-wiki than the Foundation does, and the value of us passing a Board resolution saying editor decline is very bad and someone should do something about it is limited. ;-)
So as well as thoughts on what the community as a whole can do, it would be useful to hear views on what the Chapter in particular might usefully do.
Chris
From a chapter perspective, getting people aware that the chapter exists and that some Wikipedians do things in "real life" might help encourage retention by getting people along to meetups, events, etc where they can meet and talk to other Wikipedians.
Just an idea.
Harry
________________________________ From: Chris Keating chriskeatingwiki@gmail.com To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Wednesday, 4 January 2012, 21:30 Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Editor retention
It's good to see this conversation starting!
In Sue's presentation she made the point that the Foundation would value help from the chapters in addressing the editor retention problem. Some of us on the Board have been scratching our heads about this as we do even less on-wiki than the Foundation does, and the value of us passing a Board resolution saying editor decline is very bad and someone should do something about it is limited. ;-)
So as well as thoughts on what the community as a whole can do, it would be useful to hear views on what the Chapter in particular might usefully do.
Chris
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
On 4 January 2012 21:40, HJ Mitchell hjmitchell@ymail.com wrote:
From a chapter perspective, getting people aware that the chapter exists and that some Wikipedians do things in "real life" might help encourage retention by getting people along to meetups, events, etc where they can meet and talk to other Wikipedians.
I would say that's true enough: incrementally, getting editors to treat
other editors onwiki as colleagues, rather than scolding them as a matter of course, is helped by meeting them IRL. And for that a range of events is a plus. Not all held in pubs, given that many editors are under drinking age, or otherwise not comfortable with the setting.
It's that time of year for New Year's Resolutions, and no doubt we should all make some and mean them. I think the WMUK Board could ponder their communications and outreach strategy in that light. "Editor retention" has a fair bit to do with _how_ people get involved in the projects (with what aims, what background and preparation, in particular).
It's a big discussion actually, but if Chris feels the chapter's work is somehow disconnected from onwiki stuff, then it should be gone over in detail. (Examples that come to mind are the localisation issues around a couple of prominent ideas that have come from outside the UK.)
Charles
Richard,
I am doing a part time course at the University of Reading, maybe we could run a course on the campus?
Plenty of interested parties at the University and in the town I would think.
Stephen Gardner
(Philafrenzy)
From: wikimediauk-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org [mailto:wikimediauk-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Richard Symonds Sent: 09 December 2011 19:27 To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: [Wikimediauk-l] Editing sessions in the new year
All,
There's been an awful lot of fundraiser emails coming in from donors who are asking about how to edit. The following statements aren't direct quotes - I've reworded them for privacy's sake, but they're 'based on a true story' and indicative of the sort of emails we're getting:
Some of the emails are very keen:
" I know how to use a computer, and was wondering if I could proof read for you!"
"I can't donate each month, but maybe I can help you run the Wikipedia? "
Some are confused about policies:
"I'm afraid that if I edit about X, I'll contravene the second and third pillars, but I'm not sure about the fifth pillar."
Some are just confused about editing:
"How do I edit a page? This is all very difficult"
One or two are genuinely thrilled at the idea of being able to edit:
"I would love to be part of a thing as amazing as this - my generation would never have dreamt of something as wonderful as wiki. I think Wikipedia is great, and I'd really like you to teach me how I can be a part of it"
Rather than point them straight at some tutorial page on Wikipedia (which may not be helpful), or at OTRS (which tends to be a hit hit-and-miss) I am hoping we can run a 'learn to edit' session, advertised to those donors who have expressed an interest, at some point in the new year. It'd be aimed at complete beginners, and probably somewhere with a dense population, like Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, London etc. Potentially there would be businesswomen, elderly war veterans, foreign students all at the same event: we'd try to target it as much as possible, but that might not be easily possible.
Is there anyone who'd be interested in running this, or helping out at it?
All the best,
Richard Symonds
Office Manager
Wikimedia UK
+44 7885 764 613
--
Wikimedia UK is the operating name of Wiki UK Limited, a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Our Registered Charity No. is 1144513. The Registered Office is 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT.
Wikimedia UK is the local chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects). It is an independent non-profit organization with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.
Visit http://www.wikimedia.org.uk/ and @wikimediauk
wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org