Hi all,

We wanted to give a quick update on the happenings going on at the Wikimedia Technical Conference https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Technical_Conference/2018 from the first two days.

*Monday https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Technical_Conference/2018/Schedule#Monday_22_October_2018, October 22, 2018:* We started off with a keynote presentation by Victoria Coleman, Wikimedia CTO (slides https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keynote_-_Victoria_Coleman_at_WMTechConf_Oct_2018.pdf, notes https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MpJEHDwmD6snnCXQ57mqhiuWx7tHe1o1qkCbV8Dzth8/edit) and then after a quick break, we jumped into several presentations centered around the Product Vision for WMF/WMDE (notes https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Technical_Conference/2018/Session_notes/Product_Vision_WMF/WMDE for first 3 presentations):

- Toby Negrin, CPO (slides https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Product_Directions_session_at_Wikimedia_Technical_Conference_2018.pdf and speaker notes) - Lydia Pintscher, Product Manager WMDE (slides https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMDE%E2%80%99s_Product_Visions_for_TechConf_2018.pdf ) - Cindy Cicalese, Sr Product Manager, WMF (no slides) - Corey Floyd, Engineering Director, gave a Process and Action presentation as well (slides https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TechConf_Setup_presentation_by_Corey_Floyd_at_Wikimedia_Technical_Conference.pdf ).

Afternoon sessions included: Product Vision Station Rotation https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T206055 where we had 8 tables that all attendees rotated though to learn more about various topics and ask questions of Product Managers:

- Trust https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-Product-Trust.jpg - MediaWiki https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-Product-MediaWiki.jpg - Scale https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-Product-Scale.jpg - Experience https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-Product-experience.jpg - Augmentation https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-Product-Augmentation.jpg - Tools https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-Product-Tools.jpg

- Culture https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-Product-Culture.jpg - Wikidata https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lydia_Pintscher_at_Wikimedia_Technical_Conference_2018.png

Then, a few breakout sessions https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-afternoon_session_poster_notes_for_Oct22.jpg :

- Improving the translation process (notes https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rQWYAr3JQGp3KctXm_OzZ63vYX_czExxYTtEeugG-gM , ticket https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T206056) - Building MediaWiki to Support Collaboration (notes https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Bbza_CjX-QsyO7CAl6sc1TDkgk_7eb1vwfdEqvTWlEg, ticket https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T206075) - Making curation and contribution mechanisms equitable and consistent ( notes https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uo1Yi9KFNfSGSZ-dmY6v0WrmYTSDRbqB2sPYFhiEhyU, ticket https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T206060)

The last group presentation of the day was a fireside chat with Victoria Coleman, Toby Negrin, Erik Moeller, and Franziska Heine (notes https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T206054, image https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-fireside_chat_image.jpg ). We also had a notes and documentation sprint at the end of day 1 to allow folks to add their comments, notes, uploads to Commons and Phabricator.

Random and fun images from day 1 (see more uploads https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikimedia_Technical_Conference ):

- Event signage https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-sign.jpg - Product Station Rotation (1 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-Product-Session-Station-Rotation1.jpg, 2 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-Product-Session-Station-Rotation2.jpg ) - Fireside chat (panel image https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-fireside_chat_image.jpg, stahp https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-stahp-sign.jpg) - Questions of the day (1 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-questions_of_the_day_Oct_22_2018.jpg, 2 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-questions_of_the_day_oct_22_2018_folks_chatting.jpg ) - Breakfast: avocado toast https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TechConf_breakfast.png - Eliot Center schedule board https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-Eliot_Center_schedule.jpg

*Tuesday https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Technical_Conference/2018/Schedule#Tuesday_23_October_2018, October 23, 2018:*

We started off the day with a intensive set of sessions for figuring out 'how do we work together' (notes https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wl5f3n-jG-llowu5yGeTKrLbLHaXSFzMQEOJUXy2nUI, ticket https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T206064, session outline poster https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-how_do_we_work_together-session_outline.jpg, breakout questions https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-how_do_we_work_together-breakout_questions.jpg). Over lunch, Professor Margaret Burnett and Dr Anita Sarma gave a great lunchtime presentation about Gender-Inclusive Software - Wiki products, Open Source, and Beyond (slides https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gender-Inclusive_Software_-_Wiki_products,_Open_Source,_and_Beyond_by_Prof_Margaret_Burnett_and_Dr_Anita_Sarma.pdf )

Afternoon sessions included:

- Applying the Architecture Principles (ticket https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T206065, dot voting https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-dot_voting_for_arch_principles.jpg ) - Integrating data into our products (ticket https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T206071) - Integrating machine learning into our products (ticket https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T206067) - Choosing installation methods and environments for 3rd party users ( ticket https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T206059)

We finished up the day with another notes and documentation sprint https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WMTechConf2018-how_do_we_work_together-post-it_note_sprint.jpg to allow folks to add their comments, notes, uploads to Commons and Phabricator.

All in all, a great two day start to the four day event, thanks to all of our wonderful attendees! More uploads from the event can be added and viewed here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikimedia_Technical_Conference.

Cheers,

Deb

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deb tankersley

program manager, engineering

Wikimedia Foundation