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A call for Wikipedians in training
by Douglas Scott 08 Nov '15

08 Nov '15

Hello everyone, Isla at the Africa Centre has asked me to share the following and asks if you could also forward on this message to other Wikipedian in Africa (especially if they are from Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire or South Africa) that you feel might be interested. There are 4 positions for South African Wikipedians in Residence at the #OpenAfrica15 training course in Johannesburg. details of opportunity: http://www.wikiafrica.net/call-for-applications-wikipedian-training-at-open… application form: http://goo.gl/forms/aLcu4v5Ccp The deadline is Monday the 16th for South Africans only. thanks! -- Douglas Ian Scott 司道格 Skype: douglas0scott South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727

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Re: [Wikimedia ZA] English Wikipedia: Five Million Articles
by kezia.lilenstein 02 Nov '15

02 Nov '15

Douglas I already did that. I have been re added by someone on your side. Very irritating. I have no idea why I'm even getting these emails - I answered a survey once and now I'm sent random emails that have nothing to do with me. Sent from Samsung Mobile -------- Original message -------- From: Douglas Scott <douglas.i.scott(a)gmail.com> Date: 11/02/2015 12:22 (GMT+00:00) To: Theresa Hume <theresa.hume(a)wikimedia.org.za> Cc: wikimediaza <wikimediaza(a)lists.wikimedia.org> Subject: Re: [Wikimedia ZA] English Wikipedia: Five Million Articles Hi Edward, If you, or anyone else, wishes to be removed from the mailing list you may do so at the link here: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaza It is not our policy, as an organisation run by volunteers, to remove people from the mailing list nor add people to the mailing list unless they have explicitly stated that they wish to be added. Thanks, Douglas. On 2 November 2015 at 14:16, Edward Bennett <bentten.training(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Dear *Douglas Scott*. > > I have requested to be removed from the mailing list. > > Please action ASAP. > > On Sun, Nov 1, 2015 at 11:11 PM, Douglas Scott <douglas.i.scott(a)gmail.com> > wrote: > > > Hello everyone, > > > > Below is a short blurb I have written and put on the Wikimedia ZA website > > about the five millionth article on Wikipedia that was created today. I > > want to share it with all of you before I share it with the media > tomorrow > > morning. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments (or > > improvements) about it. There are links to the sources where I got the > > figures mentioned in the statement on the version on the Wikimedia ZA > > website <http://wikimedia.org.za/wiki/Main_Page>. As you will be able > to > > tell a large focus of the statement is to call for more South Africans to > > get involved in editing Wikipedia. > > > > Apologies for the short notice on this, I only saw the message about the > 5 > > millionth article creation a few hours ago. > > > > --- > > > > *English Wikipedia: five million articles* > > > > Today, 1 November 2015, the 5 millionth article was created on English > > language Wikipedia about Persoonia terminalis -an Australian shrub- by > long > > time Wikipedia editor Cas Liber. For more information about this > momentous > > event in the Wikipedia community see the press statement by the Wikimedia > > Foundation at the link here. > > > > The 5,000,000 articles on English language Wikipedia would not have been > > possible without the 126,672 active editors and 1,329 administrators who > > have collectively made over 790,000,000 edits on the wiki. Currently > > Wikipedia is the 7th most popular website on the internet with only > Google, > > Facebook, YouTube, Baidu (a Chinese search engine), Yahoo, and Amazon > > beating the online encyclopaedia in the rankings. According to Wiki > Project > > South Africa there are just over 20,000 articles on English language > > Wikipedia about the country. Afrikaans language Wikipedia currently has > > 37,534 articles with 163 active editors and 11 administrators. Other > South > > African language Wikipedia's are much smaller and in great need of an > > active editing community with languages such as North Sotho (2,687 > > articles), Sesotho (292 articles), Zulu (696 articles), Xhosa (417 > > articles), Venda (186 articles), and Tsonga (281 articles) having a > > Wikipedia in their respective languages. We would like to encourage all > > South Africans to contribute more to Wikipedia by editing articles, > > especially if they are in one of the less active language Wikipedias or > > about South African content or African content generally. There is a need > > for more editors from South Africa to help add content to Wikipedia. > > > > Best regards, > > > > Douglas. > > > > -- > > Douglas Ian Scott > > 司道格 > > Skype: douglas0scott > > South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727 > > _______________________________________________ > > WikimediaZA mailing list > > WikimediaZA(a)lists.wikimedia.org > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaza > > > _______________________________________________ > WikimediaZA mailing list > WikimediaZA(a)lists.wikimedia.org > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaza > -- Douglas Ian Scott 司道格 Skype: douglas0scott South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727 _______________________________________________ WikimediaZA mailing list WikimediaZA(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaza

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Re: [Wikimedia ZA] English Wikipedia: Five Million Articles
by Edward Bennett 02 Nov '15

02 Nov '15

Dear *Douglas Scott*. I have requested to be removed from the mailing list. Please action ASAP. On Sun, Nov 1, 2015 at 11:11 PM, Douglas Scott <douglas.i.scott(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Hello everyone, > > Below is a short blurb I have written and put on the Wikimedia ZA website > about the five millionth article on Wikipedia that was created today. I > want to share it with all of you before I share it with the media tomorrow > morning. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments (or > improvements) about it. There are links to the sources where I got the > figures mentioned in the statement on the version on the Wikimedia ZA > website <http://wikimedia.org.za/wiki/Main_Page>. As you will be able to > tell a large focus of the statement is to call for more South Africans to > get involved in editing Wikipedia. > > Apologies for the short notice on this, I only saw the message about the 5 > millionth article creation a few hours ago. > > --- > > *English Wikipedia: five million articles* > > Today, 1 November 2015, the 5 millionth article was created on English > language Wikipedia about Persoonia terminalis -an Australian shrub- by long > time Wikipedia editor Cas Liber. For more information about this momentous > event in the Wikipedia community see the press statement by the Wikimedia > Foundation at the link here. > > The 5,000,000 articles on English language Wikipedia would not have been > possible without the 126,672 active editors and 1,329 administrators who > have collectively made over 790,000,000 edits on the wiki. Currently > Wikipedia is the 7th most popular website on the internet with only Google, > Facebook, YouTube, Baidu (a Chinese search engine), Yahoo, and Amazon > beating the online encyclopaedia in the rankings. According to Wiki Project > South Africa there are just over 20,000 articles on English language > Wikipedia about the country. Afrikaans language Wikipedia currently has > 37,534 articles with 163 active editors and 11 administrators. Other South > African language Wikipedia's are much smaller and in great need of an > active editing community with languages such as North Sotho (2,687 > articles), Sesotho (292 articles), Zulu (696 articles), Xhosa (417 > articles), Venda (186 articles), and Tsonga (281 articles) having a > Wikipedia in their respective languages. We would like to encourage all > South Africans to contribute more to Wikipedia by editing articles, > especially if they are in one of the less active language Wikipedias or > about South African content or African content generally. There is a need > for more editors from South Africa to help add content to Wikipedia. > > Best regards, > > Douglas. > > -- > Douglas Ian Scott > 司道格 > Skype: douglas0scott > South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727 > _______________________________________________ > WikimediaZA mailing list > WikimediaZA(a)lists.wikimedia.org > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaza >

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English Wikipedia: Five Million Articles
by Douglas Scott 01 Nov '15

01 Nov '15

Hello everyone, Below is a short blurb I have written and put on the Wikimedia ZA website about the five millionth article on Wikipedia that was created today. I want to share it with all of you before I share it with the media tomorrow morning. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments (or improvements) about it. There are links to the sources where I got the figures mentioned in the statement on the version on the Wikimedia ZA website <http://wikimedia.org.za/wiki/Main_Page>. As you will be able to tell a large focus of the statement is to call for more South Africans to get involved in editing Wikipedia. Apologies for the short notice on this, I only saw the message about the 5 millionth article creation a few hours ago. --- *English Wikipedia: five million articles* Today, 1 November 2015, the 5 millionth article was created on English language Wikipedia about Persoonia terminalis -an Australian shrub- by long time Wikipedia editor Cas Liber. For more information about this momentous event in the Wikipedia community see the press statement by the Wikimedia Foundation at the link here. The 5,000,000 articles on English language Wikipedia would not have been possible without the 126,672 active editors and 1,329 administrators who have collectively made over 790,000,000 edits on the wiki. Currently Wikipedia is the 7th most popular website on the internet with only Google, Facebook, YouTube, Baidu (a Chinese search engine), Yahoo, and Amazon beating the online encyclopaedia in the rankings. According to Wiki Project South Africa there are just over 20,000 articles on English language Wikipedia about the country. Afrikaans language Wikipedia currently has 37,534 articles with 163 active editors and 11 administrators. Other South African language Wikipedia's are much smaller and in great need of an active editing community with languages such as North Sotho (2,687 articles), Sesotho (292 articles), Zulu (696 articles), Xhosa (417 articles), Venda (186 articles), and Tsonga (281 articles) having a Wikipedia in their respective languages. We would like to encourage all South Africans to contribute more to Wikipedia by editing articles, especially if they are in one of the less active language Wikipedias or about South African content or African content generally. There is a need for more editors from South Africa to help add content to Wikipedia. Best regards, Douglas. -- Douglas Ian Scott 司道格 Skype: douglas0scott South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727

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Call for Applications: #OpenAfrica15 course
by Isla at the Africa Centre 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

Dear All WikiAfrica is very excited to announce the launch of #OpenAfrica15 that will take place at the Goethe-Institut Johannesburg from the 30th November - 4th December 2015. The course is being funded by the Goethe-Institut and run by WikiAfrica. We are looking for experienced Wikipedians who want to go to the next level and start working with GLAM and other content partners. Please note that we can only accept applications from people resident in the following countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa. For South Africa, we have specifically allocated 3-4 places. Please read the full application here: http://www.wikiafrica.net/?p=1632 <http://www.wikiafrica.net/?p=1632> Please apply via this application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vo0iZp-QPOjWGxAUqCHDiEZj-E9pG6slkMIoLwvt0I… <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vo0iZp-QPOjWGxAUqCHDiEZj-E9pG6slkMIoLwvt0I…> The deadline for applications is on the 6th November 2015. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Please also feel free to forward this call onto anyone you feel should apply, but are not necessarily on the South African Wikimedians mailing list. Warmest regards Isla Isla Haddow-Flood Project Manager: WikiAfrica Username: Islahaddow WikiAfrica is a project of the Africa Centre

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#feesmustfall article needs your help!
by Heather Ford 23 Oct '15

23 Oct '15

Thanks to User:Discott for starting the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FeesMustFall Wikipedia article. He needs our help :) Dr Heather Ford University Academic Fellow School of Media and Communications <http://media.leeds.ac.uk/>, The University of Leeds w: hhblog.org <http://hblog.org/> / EthnographyMatters.net <http://ethnographymatters.net/> / t: @hfordsa <http://www.twitter.com/hfordsa>

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Wikimedia South Africa AGM: Saturday - 28 November 2015
by Douglas Scott 22 Oct '15

22 Oct '15

Hello everyone, This is to notify everyone that the Wikimedia South Africa Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday the 28th November 2015. If you are unable to attend the event in person in Cape Town then please let me know so I can organise a Google Hangout event so you can join electronically. *Details*: Date: *Saturday, 28th November 2015* Time: * 10:00 - 13:00 * Location: *TwentyFifty <http://twentyfifty.co/>, 2nd Floor, 8 Spin Street, Cape Town*. (just above the "Bread, Milk, and Honey" cafe') Due to the fact that a number of the directors of Wikimedia South Africa could not attend on any other date it was agreed that we would host the event in late November instead of early November. It was agreed to host this AGM in Cape Town again so as to coincide with the award ceremony for Wiki Loves Monuments (which will be on the same day) as well as to best serve the wishes expressed at the last Wiki-meetup in Cape Town. We also have a readily available space in Cape Town to host the AGM. Cheers, Douglas. -- Douglas Ian Scott 司道格 Skype: douglas0scott South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727

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Reminder: Saturday edit-a-thon in Cape Town
by Douglas Scott 22 Oct '15

22 Oct '15

Hello everyone, This is just a quick reminder about the Wiki Loves Monuments Wikipedia edit-a-thon Wikimedia ZA will be hosting this Saturday in Cape Town. Join us if you want to meet like minded people to do some Wikipedia or show others who are new to editing how it is done. The purpose is to use some of the photographs submitted to Wiki Loves Monuments over the years on Wikipedia article pages. There is a special prize for "best use on Wikipedia" for a site anywhere in South Africa this year totalling R3,000 and the same prize category for a site in the Western Cape totalling R4,000. The cut off deadline to apply this this prize category is the 7th November 2015. The edit-a-thon is a great opportunity to enter this event and learn more about how to maximise your contributions to Wikipedia using Wiki Loves Monuments photographs. *Details:* Date: *Saturday, 24th October 2015* Time: *10:00 - 15:00* (people are free to come and go at any time between 10am and 3pm) Location: *TwentyFifty, 2nd Floor, 8 Spin Street, Cape Town.* You will need to bring your own computer/notebook/device to edit Wikipedia on. Unfortunately the host site does not offer free standing computers. We will be serving food and refreshments on the day. It important to keep Wikipedia editors well fed. Cheers, Douglas. P.S. I am going to -- Douglas Ian Scott 司道格 Skype: douglas0scott South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727

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South African Cybercrime Bill creates Trial by Hollywood
by ubuntupunk＠gmail.com 21 Oct '15

21 Oct '15

South African Cybercrime Bill creates Trial by Hollywood By David Robert Lewis THIS YEAR has been a disastrous year for cyber-liberties. If it isn't the history-making interdict of a twitter hashtag by the High Court, limiting free speech, which gets you, then its the sheer magnitude and gumption of several proposed laws, being rolled out by legislators. Each one on its own, severely erodes digital rights and freedoms, which include access to information, freedom of communication, the right to privacy and online speech. First there was the draft ‘Online Regulation Policy of The Film and Publication’s Board’ (FPB Bill <https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0FOi7Ay2OZ6ZU1fZnI3NEQ4UTQ/view>), labelled ‘Africa’s worst new Internet censorship law <http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2015-06-10-africas-worst-new-int…>” and which has resulted in a storm of protest. This was quickly followed by a Copyright Amendment Bill <http://medialternatives.com/2015/08/17/draft-copyright-bill-amendment-alarm/>(resale royalties bill) which fails to take into account permissive licensing under the Creative Commons. (Under the new Copyright Act, t*here will be no possibility of releasing material under a Copyleft license, since such schemes are by deemed to be an infringement of compulsory licensing under Copyright law.) * Now the Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill <http://www.gov.za/speeches/justice-publishes-cybercrimes-and-cybersecurity-…>, ostensibly aimed at plugging online security breaches, while thwarting criminals — perhaps the worst piece of anti-speech law to come our way yet. Far from being an answer to cybercrime, the draconian bill views the mere intention to use the Internet, as grounds for suspicion, in an Orwellian world described by author Cory Doctorow, as a ‘war against general purpose computing’. <http://boingboing.net/2012/08/23/civilwar.html> That’s right, merely using a computer, could lead to a chain of events, mapped out by legislators, which includes the end of due process and the annulment of fair use rights and other freedoms. As such, the Cybercrime Bill as it stands, already contradicts our constitution and the previous Copyright Amendment Bill, which in turn, is further complicated by the FPB bill, and when viewed as a suite of legislation, the result is rather scary. Cybercrimes, such as merely downloading or copying a Hollywood ‘fliek’, could result in forced rendition to a foreign country as a “terror suspect”. The latest Bill, drafted by securocrats, attorneys and lobbyists, acting at the behest of Hollywood, creates a series of unlawful acts, including ‘appropriation of property under copyright’ and deals with the consequences, as if Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger were the ones implementing the legislation. Where the AFB uses the threat of child pornography to advocate for less online freedom, the cybercrime bill uses the threat of terrorism and espionage to motivate for a world in which merely owning a computer, could lead to a change in the legal principle, ‘innocent until proven guilty’. Interception of your data and communication by government agencies acting without a court order, becomes the norm, rather than the exception in the bill drafted by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Each one of these proposals, severely erodes rights and freedoms guaranteed by our constitution. Without sufficient checks and balances, safeguarding constitutional rights, a default override in favour of citizen’s rights, the laws represent a clear and present danger to freedom. On January 18, 2012, a series of coordinated protests occurred on the Internet. The online demonstrations against the United State’s ‘Stop Online Piracy Act’ (SOPA) <http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Protests_against_SOPA_and_PIPA>, saw hundreds of web-sites, including Wikipedia voluntarily blacked out, sending a clear signal to the American Congress and resulted in a major victory against Hollywood, in a campaign lead by hacktivists and the late Aaron Swartz. <http://www.cnet.com/news/how-aaron-swartz-helped-to-defeat-hollywood-on-sop…> Like the earlier Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) which sought to control the reproduction of data, SOPA was criticised for being overly broad and too robust. It contained measures, critics said, that could cause great harm to online freedom of speech, Internet communities and net neutrality. Protesters also argued that there were insufficient safeguards in place to protect sites based upon user-generated content. ACT NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE Interested parties wishing to comment on the Bill are invited to submit written comments to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on or before 30 November 2015. These can be submitted to: cybercrimesbill(a)justice.gov.za. Submissions can also be faxed to: (012) 406 4632. For information or queries related to submissions, contact Mr S J Robbertse on: (012) 406 4770. -- *David Robert Lewis* *PO BOX 4398* *Cape Town* *8000* *South Africa* *Mobile 082 425 1454* *Home 021 448 0021* *Fax **0862396815* *Skype david.robert.lewis*

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Wiki Loves Monuments Cape Town edit-a-thon (24 October 2015)
by Douglas Scott 16 Oct '15

16 Oct '15

Hello everyone, Wikimedia South Africa will be hosting an edit-a-thon to encourage people to use the photographs take during Wiki Loves Monuments over the years on Wikipedia. As you might well know the Wiki Loves Monuments competition has generated thousands of pictures of South African heritage locations and hundreds of thousands of pictures of heritage sites around the world. Very few of them are currently used on Wikipedia. As such we created a special prize for "best use on Wikipedia" for a site anywhere in South Africa this year totalling R3,000 and the same prize category for a site in the Western Cape totalling R4,000. The cut off deadline to apply this this prize category is the 7th November 2015. The edit-a-thon is a great opportunity to enter this event and learn more about how to maximise your contributions to Wikipedia using Wiki Loves Monuments photographs. Both existing Wikipedia editors and people who are new to editing or have never edited before are invited to join us. *Details*: Date: *Saturday, 24th October 2015* Time: * 10:00 - 15:00 *(people are free to come and go at any time between 10am and 3pm) Location: *TwentyFifty <http://twentyfifty.co/>, 2nd Floor, 8 Spin Street, Cape Town*. You will need to* bring your own computer*/notebook/device to edit Wikipedia on. Unfortunately the host site does not offer free standing computers. We will be serving food and refreshments on the day. It important to keep Wikipedia editors well fed. Cheers, Douglas. -- Douglas Ian Scott 司道格 Skype: douglas0scott South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727

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