Hi all,
I’m a graduate student at Harvard working on a 2 week mini-course about Wikipedia in
January 2021! It’s part workshop (practical info, accounts, how to write articles, etc.)
and seminar (discussions on what does it mean to write for an encyclopedia, what should
academics be doing, is it fun?!). It’s open to graduate students and community members via
zoom. I’ve been writing for wikipedia for a few years, but am trying to bring as many
perspectives as possible from a wide variety of Wikipedians!
I’m hoping to create a mini-panel comprised of Wikimedians in Residence to talk a bit
about what it’s like and open a discussion. The tentative date is Thursday, January 21,
2021, time TBD (about an hour long). If you’d be interested in being on a panel, send me
an email.
Thank you!
Best,
Bay ByrneSim
Doctoral Student
History of Art & Architecture | Harvard University
baybyrnesim(a)g.harvard.edu
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Current blurb on the course:
Writing and Editing for Wikipedia
January@GSAS Mini-Course, Jan. 2020
Bay ByrneSim
Ever wondered why there’s no Wikipedia article for your favorite cheese or dinosaur?
Curious about how standards of notability and editor demographics impact Wikipedia’s
content? How can academics write for a generalist encyclopedia?
Join us! This J-term course is part workshop, part discussion. In the workshop, you’ll
learn how to make a Wikipedia account, the standards and norms for writing and editing,
and how you can contribute. Then we’ll actually do it. Edit, write, translate, upload
media.
In the seminars, we’ll get meta. Speakers from around the world, from
Wikimedians-in-Residence to Harvard librarians and copyright experts will give brief
talks, then open up discussion on a particular topic. Curious about how Wikipedia inspired
author Mary Mann during COVID-19? Want to know about Houghton’s presence on Wikipedia?
What’s the relationship between academic research and public outreach?
The workshop will meet via Zoom for up to 2 hours a day during J-term. If you have
questions about access or would like to request accommodations, please contact Bay or
GSAS. The course is capped at 15 participants who identify as new users to ensure that
each can receive individual attention. Feel free to come to sessions as interest and time
allows. If you’re already an experienced editor, drop by seminars to share your
experiences, join the workshops for communal editing time or to help newer users, or email
me at baybyrnesim(a)g.harvard.edu if you want to lead a seminar or workshop!