[Wikimediaau-l] Wikimania 2010 bid idea: joint-bid with iSummit?

[Brian Salter-Duke]

I entirely agree with Liam, through to supporting what ever consensus is
reached. I too suspect that our chances of winning the bid for 2010 is
very low. It will go to Europe or North America. I another argument that
wll be used against us is that in 2009 it is in the Southern Hemisphere.
I too support Brianna's plan.

I bid for 2010 is likely to be a waste of time, and may interfere rather
than the support the growth of the Chapter. We need to get things moving
in and for Australia. That will also give us more contacts for getting
sponsors.

Brian.

On Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 06:16:17PM +1000, Liam Wyatt wrote:
> well, with phrases like:
> - "The Australian problem"
> - Australians being " unusually over-represented on our projects"
> -.au people are disadvantaged.
> 
> I can see where a society can start to develop an inferiority complex!
> 
> I disagree with them that it would be a good idea to have an
> australia-specific scholarship fund - we are in no more need than New
> Zealand or any other nation that happens to be far away from the wikimania
> of that year. I can see us being looked down upon by the rest of the world
> for being considered a special case (especially since we're a developed
> country). I certainly not want scholarships to be given out as a consolation
> prize or as hush-money to stop us from applying for the conference. Any
> application - no matter where it is from - should stand or fall on its own
> merits!
> 
> I personally do not think Australia will get it this year for one main
> reasons:
> - they've not been to either N.America nor Europe for 3 years (by 2010) and
> the vast majority of regular participants to wikimania are from there.
> - there are three bids from Europe lining up that look like they'll all be
> very strong.
> The rotation thing was never an official policy and in no way do we
> "deserve" to have this. No country is "owed" a wikimania. - I'm not saying
> that anyone has said this, but after a while we might start to think along
> these lines. This is where Turin ended up, and Vancouver to a degree.
> 
> I would dearly love to see Wikimania in Australia. But I think we should be
> pushing for 2011 instead. There, I said it. If we do indeed have a bid, I
> will support it and help wherever possible - I'm not going to play the
> spoiler like that. But if we spend the intervening year building our
> capacity and experience - especially by hosting a national conference of
> some sorts (where we invite the board etc. as suggested in that IRC
> discussion) then we'd have:
> a) a much better chance becuase we'd have "runs on the board"
> b) better knowledge of where we are strong and relatively weak which would
> make for an improved bid and ultimately improved conference.
> c) a stronger Australian community. Starting with building the Chapter.
> 
> We need to work UP to wikimania, not start with it. I believe that Brianna's
> 3 step plan formulated last year is still our best model and, despite our
> best efforts, I think we'll be barking up the wrong tree trying to justify
> the costs of hosting wikimania here before we can show there is a demand,
> local capabilities and skill capacity.
> 
> Like I said, I will support the consensus, but this is what I think.
> Yours in Wikiness,
> -Liam Wyatt
> 
> -- 
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> Wikipedia - [[User:Witty lama]]

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-- 
          Brian Salter-Duke            b_duke at bigpond.net.au  
               [[User:Bduke]]  mainly on en:Wikipedia.
     Also on fr: Wikipedia, Meta-Wiki and Wikiversity and others.
                     Go Wikimedia Australia, Go!