Brief report on last night's event in Cape Town. Thanks Asaf for an
inspiring meetup and introducing many of us to some new tools:
http://www.greenman.co.za/blog/?p=2207
Hullo, folks.
Thank you to everyone who showed up at the Cape Town meetup this evening.
I really enjoyed it, and I'm glad we even came up with some ideas for
activities!
I promised I would share the links to the tools I've shown, so here are
links:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Asaf_(WMF)/Tools
I specifically demonstrated Userviews, Massviews, Quarry, Wikipedia Tools
for Sheets, Quickstatements, and some SPARQL queries. For examples of
SPARQL queries you can <s>steal</s>adapt, see my userpage:
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/User:Ijon
BTW, here's a query showing the distribution of occupations among South
Africans on Wikidata:
http://tinyurl.com/ydf2c979
See you at Wikimania!
Cheers,
A.
Hello everyone,
This is just a quick reminder of tonight's copyright discussion event
hosted by Re-create ZA at the Code for Africa offices.
The event will take place *tonight* at *17:30 for 18:00*, *Code for Africa,
3rd floor, 84 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town*. Right above the House of
Machines bar.
*In a nutshell:*
Under current copyright law it would be impossible to found a number of
innovative technology companies. So in effect, for example, an internet
search engine company like Google could never have been founded here
because of the way the law is written. The hangout will be about how the
law can be changed so innovative technology companies can be more easily
founded in South Africa as well as free knowledge more easily contributed
to. We have a very similar situation as in Australia which is why I have
added a video about the topic in that country. See link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhDR1I4DpTo
We will also be talking about how the Fair Use vs Fair Dealing situation
effects editing Wikipedia and the importance of Freedom of Panorama.
You can RSVP by emailing Tusi at <tusifokane(a)gmail.com>
Regards,
Douglas.
--
Douglas Ian Scott
司道格
Skype: douglas0scott
South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727
Hello everyone,
Asaf Bartov <https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/User:Ijon> from the
Wikimedia Foundation (the non-for-profit that runs the servers that
Wikipedia is on) will be in Cape Town from the 28th to the 30th May.
Wikimedia ZA will be hosting a meetup on Tuesday the 29th May from 17:30 to
welcome him to Cape Town and introduce him to the community in and around
Cape Town. Below are the event details:
*Date & time*: 17:30 on wards, Tuesday, 29th May 2018
*Venue*: Back room (Tutu room), 6 Spin Street, Cape Town, 8001.
Asaf will be talking about what new tools have been developed to better
edit or use Wiki projects such as, or most notably, Wikipedia. Tools such
as Wikidata. He will also be on had to give a broader overview to people
on the free knowledge/Wikipedia community globally.
This will also likely be the last meetup we have before Wikimania (18-22
July 2018) happens in Cape Town. So please join us to also talk about that.
*Please share this invite with people who you feel might be interested in
joining us. *Please rsvp on the calendar invite that will be sent out so we
have an idea of numbers to plan for.
Finger food and drinks will be served.
Regards,
Douglas.
--
Douglas Ian Scott
司道格
Skype: douglas0scott
South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727
Hello everyone,
Below is an open email invitation to anyone who is interested in the
Copyright Amendment Bill that is in the process of being reviewed and
drafted by Parliament. As you know Wikimedia ZA advocates for the
inclusion of both Freedom of Panorama
<https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Panorama_ZA> and Fair Use
into the new version of the bill.
So if you are interested in learning more about this and are in Cape Town
then please join us.
---
- *Date*: Thursday 24 May 2018
- *Time*: 17:30 - 19:30
- *Venue*: Code for Africa, 84 Shortmarket St, 3rd Floor, Cape Town
Dear fellow creatives and activists
ReCreate South Africa <http://re-createza.org>, Wikimedia ZA, Right2Know,
and Code for Africa invite you to a meeting to discuss public and creator
rights in the Copyright Amendment Bill now being considered by Parliament.
As you may be aware, the Copyright Amendment Bill is under consideration by
the Trade and Industry Parliamentary Sub-Committee. One of the key issues
being debated is whether or not South Africa will develop a “fair use”
right that has been crucial to the development of creative economies in
countries such as the U.S. and Singapore and Korea amongst others. The DTI
has proposed a two-phased approach and now is a crucial time to understand
the options before Parliament and how to be engaged.
This workshop brings together creatives and activists, including
filmmakers, game and software developers, access to knowledge activists and
other affected stakeholders. The workshop will include feedback on various
engagements with the Parliamentary process as well as a presentation by
Professor Sean Flynn, an international copyright law expert.
Kindly RSVP to *tusifokane(a)gmail.com <tusifokane(a)gmail.com>* by 23 May 2018
to indicate your attendance and any dietary preferences.
Regards
--
Douglas Ian Scott
司道格
Skype: douglas0scott
South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727
Sure, the Wikimedia ZA Twitter account is
https://twitter.com/Wikimedia_ZA and the individual tweet was
https://twitter.com/Wikimedia_ZA/status/997046800891686913
On 17/05/2018 15:43, Ian Gilfillan wrote:
> Ian,
>
> Could you share links to the tweets? I will most definitely retweet.
>
> --
> Kind Regards,
> Schalk Neethling
> Founder ~ Front-End Engineer ~ Designer
> Mechanical Ink
>
>
> On Thu, May 17, 2018 at 11:34 AM Ian Gilfillan <wikimediaza at greenman.co.za
> <https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaza>>
> wrote:
>
> >/Thanks Douglas, I've added to Facebook and Twitter. It would help if />/others share and retweet on those channels as well. />//>/On 16/05/2018 22:53, Douglas Scott wrote: />/> Hello everyone, />/> />/> I am writing to ask you to consider coming in person to a crucial
> meeting />/> of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee *Friday 18 May, 9am*,
> National />/> Parliament, Cape Town. />/> />/> *To attend* the committee meeting, arrive by *08:30 this Friday*.
> Consult />/> the schedule for Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, Report
> back />/by />/> the subcommittee on the Copyright Amendment Bill. />/> />/> This is the last scheduled meeting of the Committee on the Copyright />/> Amendment Act. Scheduled for discussion is consideration of the
> creators />/> rights issues in the Act, specifically rights to />/> />/> - Parody and satire />/> - Incidental use of background content />/> - Use works in public places (Freedom of Panorama) />/> - Digital archiving />/> - Create educational works />/> - Research, including through data mining, indexing and search />/> - Remix, transform and re-interpret />/> - Create accessible copies for people with disabilities />/> - Fair dealing <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_dealing> and />/fair use />/> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use> />/> />/> I will also be attending to ensure that Freedom of Panorama />/> <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Panorama_ZA> has made
> it />/> in. As you know this is a very important issue to the South African />/> editing community. />/> />/> Fair Use is also an important issue and at Wikimedia ZA's last AGM we />/voted />/> to support efforts to get the *fair dealing *clause amended to be />/replaced />/> with a *fair use* clause so that editors are at less risk when editing />/> Wikipedia. The basic difference between fair use and fair dealing is />/that />/> fair use basically says you can use X so long as it does *not
> violate* a />/> few conditions. Whilst fair dealing says you can use X so long as it />/> *satisfies />/> or adheres to* one or more of a list of conditions. Fair use is
> therefor />/> easier for the public to understand and people to adhere to as it is
> more />/> flexible whilst still protecting the rights of copyright holders. />/> />/> There are concerns that the bill in its current form encourages both
> data />/> hugging, private censorship, and exploitative behaviour by large
> rights />/> holding monopolies and duopolies that is against the public interest. />/> />/> Related to this: A coalition of South African digital creators and />/> entrepreneurs -- called Re-Create -- will be attending the meeting
> and is />/> inviting support for their declaration of principles for creator’s />/rights: />/> />/> You can learn more about Re-Create by reading their statement here: />/> http://tiny.cc/bt8gty />/> />/> Please forward this on to anyone you feel might be interested in this. />/> />/> Regards, />/> />/> Douglas />/> />//>/_______________________________________________ />/WikimediaZA mailing list />/WikimediaZA at lists.wikimedia.org
> <https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaza> />/https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaza />/To unsubscribe, send an email to />/WikimediaZA-unsubscribe at lists.wikimedia.org
> <https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaza> /
Hello everyone,
I am writing to ask you to consider coming in person to a crucial meeting
of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee *Friday 18 May, 9am*, National
Parliament, Cape Town.
*To attend* the committee meeting, arrive by *08:30 this Friday*. Consult
the schedule for Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, Report back by
the subcommittee on the Copyright Amendment Bill.
This is the last scheduled meeting of the Committee on the Copyright
Amendment Act. Scheduled for discussion is consideration of the creators
rights issues in the Act, specifically rights to
- Parody and satire
- Incidental use of background content
- Use works in public places (Freedom of Panorama)
- Digital archiving
- Create educational works
- Research, including through data mining, indexing and search
- Remix, transform and re-interpret
- Create accessible copies for people with disabilities
- Fair dealing <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_dealing> and fair use
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use>
I will also be attending to ensure that Freedom of Panorama
<https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Panorama_ZA> has made it
in. As you know this is a very important issue to the South African
editing community.
Fair Use is also an important issue and at Wikimedia ZA's last AGM we voted
to support efforts to get the *fair dealing *clause amended to be replaced
with a *fair use* clause so that editors are at less risk when editing
Wikipedia. The basic difference between fair use and fair dealing is that
fair use basically says you can use X so long as it does *not violate* a
few conditions. Whilst fair dealing says you can use X so long as it
*satisfies
or adheres to* one or more of a list of conditions. Fair use is therefor
easier for the public to understand and people to adhere to as it is more
flexible whilst still protecting the rights of copyright holders.
There are concerns that the bill in its current form encourages both data
hugging, private censorship, and exploitative behaviour by large rights
holding monopolies and duopolies that is against the public interest.
Related to this: A coalition of South African digital creators and
entrepreneurs -- called Re-Create -- will be attending the meeting and is
inviting support for their declaration of principles for creator’s rights:
You can learn more about Re-Create by reading their statement here:
http://tiny.cc/bt8gty
Please forward this on to anyone you feel might be interested in this.
Regards,
Douglas
--
Douglas Ian Scott
司道格
Skype: douglas0scott
South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727
This new user right will come in very useful, so I suggest that those
who have been or may in future be running editathons apply:
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: [African Wikimedians] New user right: event coordinator
Date: Tue, 15 May 2018 15:04:28 +0100
From: Asaf Bartov <abartov(a)wikimedia.org>
Reply-To: Mailing list for African Wikimedians
<african-wikimedians(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
To: Mailing list for African Wikimedians
<african-wikimedians(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
Hello, folks.
This new user right will be handy for those of you running editing
workshops on English Wikipedia to bypass the 6-account limit and to
grant the attendees "confirmed" status.
Details here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Event_coordinator
Cheers,
A.