Hello,
Centre for Internet and Society’s Access To Knowledge (CIS-A2K) program
would like to share with you the newsletter below for the month of January
2016. We look forward to hear any feedback or input you might have.
== WikipediansSpeak: Odia Wikisourcer shares her journey and goals ==
The most active editor on the Odia Wikisource (
https://or.wikisource.org/wiki/ପ୍ରଧାନ_ପୃଷ୍ଠା) is Pankajmala Sarangi (
https://or.wikisource.org/wiki/ବ୍ୟବହାରକାରୀ:Pmsarangi), a native of Odisha
who now lives in New Delhi, where she works at a non-profit. As a leader in
a broad community that is dominated by males (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_bias_on_Wikipedia)—indeed, she is the
most active contributor to the Odia-language Wikisource —we asked her to
share her journey and her goals to grow the project and community as part
of the “WikipediansSpeak (http://blog.wikimedia.org/tag/wikipediansspeak/)”
interview series.
What is the community like on the Odia Wikisource?
Pankajmala feels that the community is like her home. “I can’t tell how
happy I am after seeing that this one year-old project has already
digitized over 200 books. With more and more youth coming on the internet,
the internet won’t disappoint them when the type and search in Odia
language.”
What are projects that you would like to start or get help from the
existing community to grow?
Forming expert /resource groups to increase the thematic group structure in
the community so that each group could work collaboratively for specific
goals.
⬤ We can also create groups through the help of the resident welfare
associations in Odisha cities where Odia WikiTungis (in Odia Wikimedia
community city based informal groups have been started that actively
organize outreach and engage with new Wikimedians) are already working.
They can work hand-in-hand. This will help us expand this program to more
new places.
⬤ We can tie up with basic computer training institutes where their
students and new Wikimedians who do not have access to computer/internet
could learn about Odia Wikipedia editing as a vocational training. These
institutes remain idle during day time and get busy after 4 pm as schools
and college students come to learn about computer basics after their class
hours.
⬤ One idea could be involving veterans whose expertise could help improve
the quality of the articles which is otherwise going in vain after
retirement. Post retirement life is otherwise lonely and many feel
worthless who could enjoy the company of many new friends. The senior
citizens groups could train new Wikimedians using these institutional
facilities.
. . . Read more on Wikimedia blog here:
http://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/01/29/odia-wikisourcer-journey-goals/
== Events organized/participated ==
⬤ Kannada Wikipedia edit-a-thon at Mysore, Karnataka (11-13 January): Prior
to Kannada Wikipedia's 13th anniversary (
https://kn.wikipedia.org/wiki/ವಿಕಿಪೀಡಿಯ:ಹದಿಮೂರನೆಯ_ವರ್ಷಾಚರಣೆ), four thematic
edit-a-thons were planned. The third edit-a-thon of this series was
conducted at the Centre for Proficiency Development and Placement Services
(CPDPS), Manasa Gangotri, University of Mysore. 30 participants
participated and actively edited Kannada Wikipedia during this workshop.
⬤ Telugu Wikipedia Education Program at Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada
12-13 January, (
http://cis-india.org/openness/events/telugu-wikipedia-education-program-at-…):
In collaboration with the Andhra Loyola College (ALC), Vijayawada, CIS-A2K
opened up a Wikipedia Digital Centre in the institution. The aim of opening
this center is to help the students and local Wikimedians to grow Wikipedia
and other Wikimedia projects in Telugu and other Indian languages. As part
of this two-day program an edit-a-thon was also organized. 40 undergraduate
students (10 each from Botany, Statistics, Physics and Telugu departments)
contributing in creating articles in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil
Wikipedias.
⬤ Konkani-language Edit-a-thon and English-Romi Konkani dictionary release (
cis-india.org/a2k/news/100-konkani-articles-added-to-wikipedia-in-one-day):
On 14 January a one-day edit-a-thon was organized at Krishnadas Shama
Central Library, Goa. Rahmanuddin Shaik on behalf of CIS-A2K participated
in this event and helped in mentoring the participants. Almost 100 new
articles were created on Konkani Wikipedia on this day. On the same day, an
English-Romi (Latin is also known as Romi in Konkani) Konkani dictionary
was released. The dictionary contains English equivalent of 21,760 Konkani
words.
⬤ Geographical Indications in India Edit-a-thon (25 January-10 February
2016) (
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CIS-A2K/Events/Geographical_Indications_in_…):
A multi-lingual online edit-a-thon was organized with the theme of creating
or expanding articles related to Geographical Indications of India. More
than 80 Wikipedians from 18 different Indic Wikipedia communities (
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CIS-A2K/Events/Geographical_Indications_in_…)
participated in this edit-a-thon. More details about the edit-a-thon's
impact will be shared in the coming month's newsletter.
== Articles, blogs, learning patterns ==
⬤ Shaik, Rahmanuddin. Odia Wikipedia progress from July to December, 2015,
1 January 2016:
http://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/the-sad-state-of-odia-wikipedia
Analysis of the project's growth/fall trends during July-December 2015
based on statistical point of view.
⬤ Shaik, Rahmanuddin. Report of Konkani Wikipedia's progress (July-December
2015), 1 January 2016:
http://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/konkani-wikipedia-progress-from-july-to-dece…
Statistical analysis of the Goan Konkani Wikipedia's growth/fall trends.
⬤ Panigrahi, Subhashish. ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଉଇକିପାଠାଗାର: ଓଡ଼ିଆରେ ଡିଜିଟାଲ ପାଠାଗାର
ଆନ୍ଦୋଳନର ନୂଆ ମୁହଁ, YourStory, 12 January 2016
http://goo.gl/OmC4tg
A column about the journey of Odia Wikisource after it went live (
http://blog.wikimedia.org/2014/10/21/more-than-40-million-people-await-the-…)
out of incubation in 2014.
⬤ Panigrahi, Subhashish. ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଭାଷା ପାଇଁ କିଛି ଅନ୍ତର୍ଜାତୀୟ ଇଣ୍ଟରନେଟ ପ୍ରକଳ୍ପ,
YourStory, 14 January 2016
http://goo.gl/6fwvi1
A piece on open knowledge/source online projects like Odia Wikipedia and
Wikisource.
⬤ Panigrahi, Subhashish. Why It's Essential To Grow Indian-Language
Wikipedias, Huffington Post, 25 January 2016
http://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/huffington-post-subhashish-panigrahi-january…
An Opinion piece on the state of Indian language Wikimedia projects and
their potential bring digital activism in the respective languages.
⬤ Panigrahi, Subhashish. This Multilingual Edit-a-thon wants to Improve
Indian Content on Wikipedia, DNA, 26 January 2016
http://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/this-multilingual-edit-a-thon-wants-to-impro…
Introducing the Geographical Indications in India edit-a-thon (
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CIS-A2K/Events/Geographical_Indications_in_…
).
⬤ Santosh, Pavan. Relicensing encyclopedic work under CC license to grow
Wikisource and Wikipedia
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Learning_patterns/Relicensing_encycl…
Non availability of online reliable resources related to Telugu-language,
culture, social and political aspects in Telugu language to improve
articles has been a hindrance to good quality articles in Telugu Wikipedia.
This Learning Pattern discusses about how such challenges have been
addressed by content release partnerships, relicensing content under
CC-BY-SA licenses and thematic digitization sprints.
⬤ Panigrahi, Subhashish and Ali, Nasim. WikipediansSpeak: Odia Wikisourcer
Shares her Journey and Goals, 30 January 2016
http://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/wikipediansspeak-odia-wikisourcer-shares-her…
Odia Wikisourcer Pankajmala Sarangi shares her experience and future plans
to grow the community.
== Media coverage ==
⬤ Books at a Click (
http://cis-india.org/a2k/news/new-indian-express-january-9-2016-diana-sahu-…),
New Indian Express, 9 January 2016
⬤ Read Bengali, Malayalam classics online as free Wiki libraries grow (
http://cis-india.org/a2k/news/the-times-of-india-january-10-2016-sandhya-so…).
The Times of India. 10 January 2016
⬤ Youth is responsible for protecting Telugu (
http://cis-india.org/a2k/news/eenadu-telugu-wikipedia-january-14-2016-youth…),
Eenadu, 14 January 2016
⬤ Wikipedia Digital Centre now at Andhra Loyola College (
http://cis-india.org/a2k/news/the-hans-india-january-14-2016-wikipedia-digi…),
Hans India, 14 January 2016
⬤ 100 Konkani Articles Added to Wikipedia in One Day (
http://cis-india.org/a2k/news/100-konkani-articles-added-to-wikipedia-in-on…),
The Times of India, 15 January 2016
⬤ Kannada Wikipedia not on top of the charts (
http://cis-india.org/a2k/news/the-hindu-january-19-muralidhara-khajane-kann…),
The Hindu, 19 January 2016
⬤ GI-tagged products to get Wiki pages (
http://cis-india.org/a2k/news/the-hindu-s-anandan-january-26-2016-gi-tagged…),
The Hindu, 26 January 2016
⬤ GI-tagged products to get Wiki pages (
http://cis-india.org/a2k/news/the-hindu-s-anandan-january-26-2016-gi-tagged…),
The Hindu, 26 January 2016
⬤ Wikipedia initiative - Celebrating legacy of Bangalore Blue grapes online
(cis-india.org/a2k/news/times-of-india-january-27-2016-wikipedia-initiative),
The Times of India, 27 January 2016
This newsletter is also available on Meta at:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CIS-A2K/Reports/Newsletter/January_2016