This is an idea I have had on the back burner for a long time. Note the following:
[[File:WCCWiki4.jpg|thumb|A {{wp|kanban board}} at the Women in Classical Studies editathon at Senate House, London]]
* We have [[Expert_outreach|existing relationships with many scientific bodies]] such as the Institute of Physics, Geological Society, Medical Research Council, and many more. However, individual societies are usually unwilling to take the risk of running a big event centred on Wikimedia because, although they have ''some'' interest from their members, they can't be sure that enough [physicists, geologists, psychologists, whatever] will turn up.
I just saw the newsletter with a picture of the {{wp|kanban board}} used at the Women in Classical Studies editathon. What a great idea! It helps people share what they are working on. Helps to avoid edit conflicts. Enables organisers to list all the articles that have been improved. It could possibly work well for a recap session at the end too, where people talk about the changes they made.
* Many scientists are pure researchers working in small research centres: they aren't associated with universities, or at least university teaching. These small research centres or groups can easily be missed in our outreach but they can be very receptive: e.g. [[European_young_researchers_network_Wikipedia_workshop|Sphingonet]]
* Scientists are under professional pressure 1) to engage with the public, 2) to make all the outputs of their research open-access and freely reusable. This is the case much more so now than just a few years ago. This makes them receptive to explanations of how they can achieve this. This has also led to a great expansion of science communicators/ public engagement professionals.
* Scientists are likely to do coding/markup in their daily work. This makes them "low-hanging fruit". It's not that they are more valuable to Wikipedia than arts/humanities experts: in fact I think WP is clearly ''more'' in need of content and expertise in arts/humanities areas. I mean that in the current atmosphere, outreach to scientists is more likely to result in enthusiasm and concrete outcomes.
* We have [[Wikimedia_as_a_public_engagement_tool_for_scientists|documentation]] and [[Expert_outreach/Jisc_Ambassador/Research_impact_and_open_education|workshops]] aimed at scientists and their bosses, explaining how Wikimedia relates to their goals of research impact and public engagement. These materials need continual improvement and wide publicity.
* There are articulate scientist-Wikipedians such as [http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2014/03/wikipedia-and-the-digital-enlightenment/ Peter Murray Rust], [[w:User:Daniel_Mietchen|Daniel Mietchen]], [http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v468/n7325/full/468765c.html Darren Logan, and Alex Bateman] who are great at demonstrating Wikimedia's relevance to scientific practice.
* Wikimania 2014 and other events have shown that Wikimedia has useful friends in the scientific sphere, including the Public Library of Science and the many Open Access/Open Science advocates.
* We have raised a lot of awareness of Wikipedia as a platform for dissemination or for education, but not so much yet about WP as a platform for research itself.
* Wikimedia UK volunteers have run sessions at science conferences but there is just too much overlap between Wikimedia and science to cover in a single session.
I think all these facts suggest that a large conference (aiming at 100 attendees) on Science and Wikipedia would have a lot of impact. The themes of the conference would be:
Who was involved with that editathon? Who has used it elsewhere? I would love to hear how it has been used in practice.
* Wikipedia and Wikimedia as platforms for promoting informed public discussion of scientific topics and theories (acknowledging that the public have a curiosity about all sorts of scientific topics, and overwhelmingly use Wikipedia as a starting point to self-educate).
* Wikipedia and Wikimedia as a platform for research (e.g. the [[:meta:Research:Index|Research portal]]).
* Wikipedia and Wikimedia as a model for scientific publishing and citizen science (including Wiki-to-Journal publication, [http://wikiambassador.jiscinvolve.org/wp/2014/03/28/publishing-scholarly-wikipedia/ Journal-to-Wiki publication], altmetrics, machine-extraction of data from published research, open bibliographic data, data citation, [http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/crowdsourcing/practice/ crowdsourced enhancement of scholarly databases], integration of Wikipedia with open/free services such as Figshare, ORCID, Flickr...)
* Wikipedia and Wikimedia as a platform for scientific education. (The answer to "I haven't time to edit Wikipedia." is "Allocate your students to do it and assess them.")
* Women in Science and Technology: is Wikipedia reinforcing stereotypes or providing role models? What is being done?
* Since a lot of the attendees will be personally interested in editing Wikipedia, the event should include training.
I see this as potentially a day or day-and-a-half event, on the model of EduWiki. Much as I advocate for geographic diversity, the scholarly societies and science communicators are so concentrated in London that this event would realistically have to be in London. This means that for it to be financially feasible we'd need a host organisation to provide a cheap venue. It would need about a year's lead time to organise and publicise.
[[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 15:09, 3 February 2017 (GMT)
I realise that WMUK's funding makes it hard to plan costly activities in advance, that staff have a lot on their plate and that at this point the suggestion of organising another conference may come like fatty food after a powerful hangover. On the other hand, I think an event like this could be a great success, would continue the partnerships we've already worked to build up, could spawn more editors and more partnerships, and could involve shared effort with other Open Coalition organisations, such as Open Knowledge. Feedback welcome on this suggestion. [[User:MartinPoulter|MartinPoulter]] ([[User talk:MartinPoulter|talk]]) 14:20, 29 August 2014 (BST)
: Hi [[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]], I was the lead trainer at the [[ wikipedia:Meetups/UK/Institute_of_Classical_Studies_Jan_2017 |Women in Classical Studies editathon]]. I saw the kanban in an [https://www.instagram.com/p/BClfaSjhVdG/ Instagram post] for an [[wikipedia:Meetup/ArtAndFeminism|Art+Feminism]] editathon. It worked much better than expected - a fantastic indicator of the [https://youtu.be/bAWxTPZZNrg?t=2m27s achievements of the day].[[User:Eartha78|Eartha78]] ([[User talk:Eartha78|talk]]) 19:02, 3 February 2017 (GMT)
:Sounds like a good idea in principle. Wearing my "Wikipedian-in-Residence at ORCID" hat, I'm in. We should consider whether there are other events to which this could be attached (to save/ share costs), and whether we need a traditional or "unconference" format (or a blend). Does the medical project do anything like this? What about the open access/ open publishing folk? <span class="vcard"><span class="fn">[[User:Pigsonthewing|Andy Mabbett]]</span> (User:<span class="nickname">Pigsonthewing</span>); [[User talk:Pigsonthewing|Andy's talk]]; [[Special:Contributions/Pigsonthewing|Andy's edits]]</span> 21:36, 29 August 2014 (BST)
::Would be great to have you involved, Andy. Yay for a blend of keynotes/ scheduled sessions/ unconference blocks! That way we have appealing stuff to publicise, but lots of attendees get a chance to speak and people can talk about very new activities. I think medicine on Wikipedia could be a conference itself, but throwing the net wider means a wider potential audience, and STEM is a wide net. A conference like this is probably a necessary step on the way to more specialised conferences, and that's a big reason I'd like us to do it.
::There are relevant conferences where we've previously been represented, like Science Online London and the national public engagement conference, and we've run workshops adjacent to major subject conferences (you may well have done this yourself), but I think the interesting work going on under the above themes has outgrown one subject or one session in a conference. [[User:MartinPoulter|MartinPoulter]] ([[User talk:MartinPoulter|talk]]) 23:55, 29 August 2014 (BST)
:: Worth noting that the Science Online London (now branded as SPOTON) has gone silent - no word whether there will be a 2014 event so I guess that means there won't. There is certainly a gap waiting to be filled. I would be happy to help out. [[User:fnorman|Frank Norman]]
:::Love the idea of the conference. I have organised and facilitated an unconference as part of a wider conference before, so could do similar for this. [[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 19:15, 30 August 2014 (BST)
::::I think this is a great idea, thank you for sharing. Wikimedia UK's proposal to the FDC needs to be complete and handed in on 1st October. If we wanted to include something like this in our proposal we would need to get a handle on how much it would cost and where it would fit into our [[Strategic Goals|strategic goals]] - which of course it does. If anyone is keen to start a wiki page for the proposed event where we can thrash out some details, I would be happy to help. We'd need to be fairly quick about it. If there is anything the office can do to help please do let me know. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 11:24, 1 September 2014 (BST)
I think this is a great idea and would happily help out17:30, 2 September 2014 (BST)[[Special:Contributions/143.65.196.4|143.65.196.4]] <-- this is HenryScow, unfortunately I'm having login probs on WMUK!
Sounds a great idea. There's only so much you can do in a day (or 1.5) though, especially if training is included. Some narrower focus might be a good idea, leaving space for the next year .... [[User:Johnbod|Johnbod]] ([[User talk:Johnbod|talk]]) 22:27, 4 September 2014 (BST)
::Cool. So how did you use it? Did you get people to brainstorm a load of post-its of articles to look at, at the beginning of the day? Did you just say 'if you have an idea, stick it on the board'? Did you come with the post-its filled out already? [[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 10:25, 11 February 2017 (GMT)
:@[[User:Johnbod|Johnbod]]: I agree that pursuing each of these themes at length would make the conference too big. The idea is that we invite contributions on these themes and the conference participants decide which to prioritise. Also, the unconference format would mean that there could be sessions that cover a lot of ideas in a short time, eg. lightning talks or round-table discussions. I share the hope that follow-up events would have a different emphasis.
:@[[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]]: I want to take up your offer. I'm kind of worn out writing stuff, but I'm clear in my head how this relates to the strategic goals. If we talk over Skype and you ask me some questions, can you write down the details you need?
:@all: So we need to decide quickly if this is actually happening, and it's not happening unless we have a venue we can use freely or very cheaply. That means that we must get a suitable host organisation. The Wellcome Trust/Wellcome Library would be an ideal location, as would the Royal Society, as would the British Library, as would the Science Museum (where we've previously had an AGM). My recollection of the Institute of Physics building is that its rooms are not quite big enough for the conference I envisage, but there are other scholarly societies that have suitable venues and would like to do a jointly badged event with Wikimedia UK. I'm assuming that once we have a venue, WMUK could pay for refreshments, handle bookings and we volunteers can organise programme and publicity. So let's all pump our respective contacts and try to get at least an in-principle agreement. This could be a headline-making event, especially with the right controversial speakers. [[User:MartinPoulter|MartinPoulter]] ([[User talk:MartinPoulter|talk]]) 15:02, 6 September 2014 (BST)
:An additional thought: the one-and-a-half-day format assumes people are staying overnight. This will be more difficult in London than in other places. Perhaps it would be better to run the conference for two days, with a late start both days so that people can commute in (e.g. from Cambridge or Oxford) on off-peak trains. [[User:MartinPoulter|MartinPoulter]] ([[User talk:MartinPoulter|talk]]) 17:27, 6 September 2014 (BST)
::Okay, good news everyone: contacts have been pumped and we have a willing host organisation which is absolutely ideal: the Wellcome Trust (who hosted the [[Wellcome_Library_editathon|Medical Humanities editathon]] earlier this year)! Next important task is to decide *dates* for the conference. This would appeal to scientists, academics, science communicators, librarians and of course Wikimedia volunteers- very much the same bunch who would have attended SpotOn. For those based in universities, it's hard to find a convenient slot. May-to-mid-June will be difficult because of exams/marking. Mid-September onwards is the start of term. July is when people are usually away on holiday. The first week of August is out because Wikimedians will be in Mexico for Wikimania. We need to suggest some dates to Wellcome. [[User:MartinPoulter|MartinPoulter]] ([[User talk:MartinPoulter|talk]]) 14:13, 8 September 2014 (BST)
:::Awesome. Great work and great location. I am flexible on date. [[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 14:24, 8 September 2014 (BST)
::::@[[User:Yaris678]]: Thanks. I'll be taking you and everybody else up on their offers of help. :) [[User:MartinPoulter|MartinPoulter]] ([[User talk:MartinPoulter|talk]]) 17:10, 8 September 2014 (BST)
@all: We now have a planning page for the conference, at [[Wikipedia Science Conference]], so please join in there. As the page develops, I hope we can move some planning stuff to sub-pages. [[User:MartinPoulter|MartinPoulter]] ([[User talk:MartinPoulter|talk]]) 17:10, 8 September 2014 (BST)
== Volunteers needed to help pre-screen Wiki Loves Monuments UK entries ==
::: The group were quite well prepared prior to the editathon. They had identified a number of articles to create - some had already done the research and started to writing in their sandbox. When we began the second part of the editathon they each committed to an article, wrote it on a sticky note and stuck it to the wall! Moving the notes from left to right was surprisingly motivating and a good excuse to stretch ones legs. Also used the sticky notes for an evaluation exercise at the end of the session. [[User:Eartha78|Eartha78]] ([[User talk:Eartha78|talk]]) 18:27, 16 February 2017 (GMT)
As you may know, the Wiki Loves Monuments competition closes tonight, and over the next couple of weeks we need to decide on the winning entries. [http://www.wikilovesmonuments.org.uk/ In the UK], we have over 7000 entries, from which we need to select the 500 best for formal judging by the jury.
::::Thank you Eartha78. That is really interesting. I will use this next time I do an editathon. [[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 09:39, 19 February 2017 (GMT)
I'm seeking volunteers to help out with the pre-screening process, which we have to complete within the next two to three weeks.
== Wikimedia UK's plans for 2018 - community consultation ==
[[File:Programmes Consultation Video - Wikimedia UK.webm|centre|thumb|800x800px|Watch our video about our plans for 2018]]
Can you help us, please?
Wikimedia UK is in the process of writing our proposal to the Wikimedia Foundation for funding during 2018/19. The deadline for the bid is 1st October after which it is assessed by staff at the Foundation, there is an opportunity for community feedback and questions, and the Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC) meet to consider proposals and make recommendations about grants.
To help, you’ll need the following:
As 2018/19 is the final year of our 2016 - 2019 strategy, our programme for next year is in many ways a continuation of our activities in 2017 and falls under three key strands:
1. A minimum of few hours free between now and 14th October
# Diverse content and contributors
# Promoting open knowledge
# Education and Learning
2. A good level of ability to distinguish high-quality photography from lower quality (guidelines will be provided)
These strands are directly related to our three strategic goals, which are to:
3. A fast broadband connection for downloading to your local computer several hundred high-resolution images (we’ll tell you how to do it)
* Increase the quality and quantity of coverage of subjects that are currently underrepresented on Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects
* Contribute to the development of open knowledge in the UK, by increasing understanding and recognition of the value of open knowledge and advocating for change at an organisational, sectoral and public policy level
* Support the use of the Wikimedia projects as important tools for education and learning in the UK
We would welcome input from the UK community into our plans for next year - which we are still shaping - and have created a short video to highlight our programme strands which you can watch [https://youtu.be/56s3Ch7sHbQ here]. You can give us feedback on our programme anytime, but if you’d like your views to be taken into account in our submission to the Wikimedia Foundation for funding, please do comment below by Friday 29th September. If you’d prefer to get in touch by email, feel free to contact me on lucy.crompton-reid@wikimedia.org.uk.
4. Suitable software (eg Adobe Lightroom or some other photo-review software) for reviewing the images at full screen size.
There are several questions in particular that I’d like to ask:
You don’t need to be based in the UK to help.
* Is there anything that Wikimedia UK should be doing more of, or new activities that we should consider, in 2018/19?
* What work would you like to see us continue?
* Is there anything you think we should do less of or stop doing?
* How would you like to be involved in Wikimedia UK’s programme next year?
If you can help, please get in touch now! Either reply directly to this posting, or [https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Special:EmailUser/MichaelMaggs contact me directly by email].
Many thanks, --[[User:MichaelMaggs|MichaelMaggs]] ([[User talk:MichaelMaggs|talk]]) 18:46, 30 September 2014 (BST)
== ACTRIAL and new users creating new pages at events ==
:<small>I have listed this at [[Volunteer jobs#Help pre-screen Wiki Loves Monuments UK entries]]. Feel free to tweak the listing. [[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 08:49, 1 October 2014 (BST)</small>
:::I note the deadline has passed. Has this been sorted now? Either way, it would be good to update the [[Volunteer jobs]] page. [[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 04:54, 21 October 2014 (BST)
::::It has indeed – thank you to everyone who helped with the screening! I've updated the volunteer jobs page (thanks for keeping that in mind). [[User:Richard Nevell (WMUK)|Richard Nevell (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Richard Nevell (WMUK)|talk]]) 11:03, 24 October 2014 (BST)
== Wiki hard to reach on mobile ==
Some thoughts on {{wp|WP:ACTRIAL}} and our events:
*It makes sense to encourage new users to work in {{wp|Wikipedia:Drafts|Draft: name space}}.
*This doesn't change the fact that it is worth asking people to create an account in advance (and to remember their password!)
*We have to expect that some people won't create an account and most of those who have won't be auto-confirmed - this is OK.
*If there are admins present at the event, they can make new users confirmed.... although I wouldn't stress over it - there is no harm in the Draft: name space.
*All the above is less of an issue if we take the approach of [[#Training from the back of the room]] described above. If the group is split into teams that are deliberately set to have the full spread of ability, we can encourage people to help other team members, including the following:
**Middle-ability people to show the people with no account how to create an account.
**Experienced editors to help newer editors to find a page that might need editing.
**Experienced editors to create pages that other team members are interested in editing.
You could even get admins to confirm accounts of non-confirmed people in their team, but it might actually be better to not do that. If the experienced people in the team have actually created the article then at least we know it is in their contributions and so they can steward the article towards improvement. e.g. 1. the day after the event, they might go back to the article and tidy it up, 2. if the article gets tagged for deletion, they are better able to discuss it and improve it, whereas a new user may feel bitten.
On my mobile (HTC Desire HD, Android 2.3.5) there seems to be no way to reach this wiki, from the main page at https://wikimedia.org.uk/ <span class="vcard"><span class="fn">[[User:Pigsonthewing|Andy Mabbett]]</span> (User:<span class="nickname">Pigsonthewing</span>); [[User talk:Pigsonthewing|Andy's talk]]; [[Special:Contributions/Pigsonthewing|Andy's edits]]</span> 21:02, 1 October 2014 (BST)
[[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 14:44, 25 September 2017 (BST)
:Hello Andy. I've just taken a look at this. In the top right hand corner there's a menu. Select that and select the "Wiki" button. On the desktop version (and I believe tablet version) there's a green button labelled "Wiki" that is immediately available. Hope this helps. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 09:41, 2 October 2014 (BST)
::There's no such menu link when viewing on my device (I've just double-checked). <span class="vcard"><span class="fn">[[User:Pigsonthewing|Andy Mabbett]]</span> (User:<span class="nickname">Pigsonthewing</span>); [[User talk:Pigsonthewing|Andy's talk]]; [[Special:Contributions/Pigsonthewing|Andy's edits]]</span> 12:19, 3 October 2014 (BST)
:::OK, that's interesting. Are you able to send me a screenshot or photo please? I will look into this a bit more deeply. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 13:52, 3 October 2014 (BST)
::::On its way. <span class="vcard"><span class="fn">[[User:Pigsonthewing|Andy Mabbett]]</span> (User:<span class="nickname">Pigsonthewing</span>); [[User talk:Pigsonthewing|Andy's talk]]; [[Special:Contributions/Pigsonthewing|Andy's edits]]</span> 20:06, 3 October 2014 (BST)
:::::Thank you for the screenshot Andy. I will pass this on and see what I can find out. I'm not around today or tomorrow but will keep you posted. In the meantime, a work around is to go to the URL wikimedia.org.uk/wiki and I'll let you know when I've found a resolution. Speak soon. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 09:21, 6 October 2014 (BST)
::::::Hello again Andy. This should be fixed now. Do let me know if you have any other problems. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 08:59, 8 October 2014 (BST)
==Volunteer Equipment==
:Obvious question, where do we find data on how many non-autoconfirmed users and IPs actually make pages that satisfy Wiki Criteria? [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.141|82.132.237.141]] 15:31, 26 September 2017 (BST)
Following the Board Meeting on Saturday 4th October, anyone wishing to use [[volunteer equipment]] will have to be a [[membership|member]] of the charity.[[User:Fabian Tompsett (WMUK)|Fabian Tompsett (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Fabian Tompsett (WMUK)|talk]]) 10:17, 7 October 2014 (BST)
::[[:meta:Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Analysis and proposal|According to WMF research]], of the 1,180 articles created every day on the English Wikipedia, about 7% are by non-autoconfirmed editors. [[User:Richard Nevell (WMUK)|Richard Nevell (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Richard Nevell (WMUK)|talk]]) 16:55, 2 October 2017 (BST)
:Wow. This hard on the heels of the Chapter refusing to allow me to borrow a projector for this month's LGBT editathon and without tracking all attendees of the event on chapter databases. I would like to see a detailed public explanation of why it is necessary and in the interests of open knowledge to only loan equipment purchased to fulfil the shared open knowledge mission of the charity to members, and exclude non-members with active Wikimedia projects on the go who happen to not have membership along with the privilege of voting in chapter elections. Timing would seem to indicate this change has been agreed to ensure I am further excluded from working with the charity that I helped to create, so another "Fae case" change in membership policy.
:Thanks for your input Yaris678. Working in Draft: or User: space is probably going to be integral to dealing with this. I've not used Draft: much myself, but I'm keen on getting people to use their sandbox to prepare material and then copy it over. It does mean a chunk of the pages people work on aren't copied over the to the mainspace but that's a reasonable trade-off. [[User:Richard Nevell (WMUK)|Richard Nevell (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Richard Nevell (WMUK)|talk]]) 16:59, 2 October 2017 (BST)
:By the way, we wrote the policy on volunteer loan equipment to state that "The borrower need not be a member of Wikimedia UK" (which nicely fits our the original values of the charity of not just existing for the benefit of members) and the policy still states this. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 14:12, 7 October 2014 (BST)
:The [[#Training from the back of the room]] sounds like a really interesting idea, I'm interested in this kind of collaborative/peer learning process. Sadly for the bulk of editathons I manage, this wouldn't be applicable, as I'm generally working with a whole bundle new users, trying to advocated for further use in their organisations. [[User:Lirazelf|Lirazelf]] ([[User talk:Lirazelf|talk]]) 14:07, 3 October 2017 (BST)
::Thanks Lirazelf. I guess you'll have to rely on the first four bullets - especially the draft namespace. I think it would be useful to have a non-new user move the drafts across. Preferably during the training session, so people can see their work "live" on Wikipedia, which will create excitement. Ideally, well before the end of the training so that people can continue to edit their articles in main space - seeing that this is a normal thing to do is important.
::I fringe benefit of this approach is that each article edited will be in the contributions list of at least one non-new user. That way, they can "steward" the article to a certain extent. This will be particularly important if the article is nominated for deletion - having someone who knows the ropes will help to get the article in a position to keep - and help to argue that it should be kept. But more generally it will be useful, to keep the article quality up.
::[[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 12:59, 19 October 2017 (BST)
:: Thanks for pointing out the inconsistency on the [[volunteer equipment]] page, it has now been corrected.[[User:Fabian Tompsett (WMUK)|Fabian Tompsett (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Fabian Tompsett (WMUK)|talk]]) 14:29, 7 October 2014 (BST)
==Wiki Loves Monuments UK 2017 awards announced==
::: Maybe the name of the page should be changed from 'volunteer equipment' to 'member equipment' as well? [[User:TheOverflow|TheOverflow]] ([[User talk:TheOverflow|talk]]) 07:35, 8 October 2014 (BST)
[[File:The Derelict West Pier of Brighton.jpg|thumb|1st prize: The derelict West Pier in Brighton, by Matthew Hoser]]
I am very pleased to be able to announce the 2017 award winners for Wiki Loves Monuments in the UK.
: I may have to borrow a laptop for the LGBT Editathon as my usual one went bust and it may take a while to be repaired. Will this still be possible? I guess we could manage without the projector but as a chapter member I would like the option of it being borrowed in my name instead. I was also interested in claiming travel costs back from the chapter as this event is within its aims and objectives. On that subject, I note that we do make grants to non-chapter members and I presume that this situation hasn't changed as a result of this resolution. [[User:CT Cooper|CT Cooper]]<small><span style="font-weight:bold;"> ·</span> [[User talk:CT Cooper|talk]]</small> 14:57, 7 October 2014 (BST)
First place goes to '''Matthew Hoser''' for his image of the derelict West Pier in Brighton.
::No problem, I shall e-mail you as regards borrowing the equipment and volunteer expenses. Also you are correct that there has been no change as regards the policy regarding making grants to non-chapter members.[[User:Fabian Tompsett (WMUK)|Fabian Tompsett (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Fabian Tompsett (WMUK)|talk]]) 15:30, 7 October 2014 (BST)
::{{ping|CT Cooper}} - On a bit of a tangent, Chris, but can I ask when you think we've made grants to non-chapter members? For at least a year now - more like two or three - our grants have been to members only. If you've spotted one otherwise please let me know so I can either put the record straight or find out how it happened! [[User:Richard Symonds (WMUK)|Richard Symonds (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Richard Symonds (WMUK)|talk]]) 17:11, 9 October 2014 (BST)
::: Hi Richard. I was thinking of my role on the [[Grants Committee]]. I've never asked about membership when reviewing grant requests as I didn't think it was necessary. However, I have always considered whether the applicant is trustworthy and in good standing. Possible examples of non-member grants include [[Project grants/Transport for WikiIndaba Creative Commons event]] and the still ongoing [[Project grants/GAN Treasure Hunt]]. I'm not sure blanket disallowing grants to non-members is a good idea, though if this is the case, then this should be noted on the [[project grants]] page. I do note though that the loaning of equipment and grants are not mutually exclusive issues. For example, some grants are for the purchase of new equipment which becomes WMUK property and must be returned to WMUK when the user no longer needs it. [[User:CT Cooper|CT Cooper]]<small><span style="font-weight:bold;"> ·</span> [[User talk:CT Cooper|talk]]</small> 19:19, 9 October 2014 (BST)
==Friends Newsletter 06==
In second place was '''Paul Stümke''', who captured the Glenfinnan Viaduct at Loch Shiel.
The latest [[Friends'_Newsletter/2014/Issue_06#Wikidata_goes_from_strength_to_strength|Friends Newsletter 06]] has been posted. Any comments, feedback etc would be welcome on the [[Talk:Friends'_Newsletter/2014/Issue_06|talk page]]. [[User:Fabian Tompsett (WMUK)|Fabian Tompsett (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Fabian Tompsett (WMUK)|talk]]) 10:21, 7 October 2014 (BST)
== Quirky Wikipedia articles ==
Third was '''Oliver Tookey''' for the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill on Sea.
Hello everyone. As a part of a project that we're developing to participate in the Science Museum Lates event in November, I'm looking for a selection of quirky Wikipedia articles - think [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo Buffalo buffalo] (etc) and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_paper_orientation Toilet paper orientation], those that are odd but still have some academic or scientific merit. Participants in the session will be selecting some of their favourite lines from unusual Wikipedia articles and putting them together to create found poetry. I'm looking for some of the quirkier articles that might be fun for this, so if you have any suggestions please do let me know! Thank you [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 15:04, 9 October 2014 (BST)
The special prize for the best image taken in Scotland was awarded to '''Keith Proven''' for Smailholm Tower.
== Lyon Declaration on Access to Information and Development and FKAGEU polocy paper on copyright ==
The special prize for the best image taken in Wales went to '''Sterim64''' for Craig-y-mor.
Hello everyone. I wanted to give you all a brief update on a couple of advocacy-related matters. I'm really happy to report that in the last couple of days Wikimedia UK has signed the [http://www.lyondeclaration.org/ Lyon Declaration on Access to Information and Development]. I believe this is an important statement for us to make, underscoring our belief that: "increasing access to information and knowledge across society, assisted by the availability of information and communications technologies (ICTs), supports sustainable development and improves people’s lives." The second policy item for update is the [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/EU_policy Free Knowledge Advocacy Group EU] position [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/EU_policy/Position_Paper_on_EU_Copyright paper on copyright reform]. Wikimedia UK has now signed this paper, joining several other European chapters and other open knowledge organisations. This work is important on a European level as collectively the FKAGEU is making a strong case for copyright reform favourable to the Wikimedia and open knowledge movement. The main areas of interest the group is working on are harmonisation of freedom of panorama across the EU to the most liberal model, the public domain licensing of publicly funded works, and the right to use orphan works. If you'd like to know more, please do contact me directly or leave some questions here and I'll respond. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 10:30, 13 October 2014 (BST)
You can see all of these images, and the other stunning pictures that were awarded Highly Commended status [[Commons:Wiki_Loves_Monuments_2017_in_the_United_Kingdom/Winners|at Wikimedia Commons]].
== Short code for linking to this wiki ? ==
Many congratulations to all of our prizewinners, and thanks to all who volunteered to help make the contest a success: contestants, judges, reviewers and Wikimedians in many roles. Thanks also for the kind support we received from the International team, from our friendly staff at Wikimedia UK, and from our 2017 prize sponsors, Wikimedia UK and Archaeology Scotland. [[User:MichaelMaggs|MichaelMaggs]] ([[User talk:MichaelMaggs|talk]]) 07:43, 31 October 2017 (GMT)
What's the inline code for linking to this wiki -- ie the equivalent of the prefix <tt>:commons:</tt> that specifies a wikilink is to Commons ?
== Effects of broadband ==
I've made a page [[:Digital maps Halloween tagathon, October 2014]], but I'm not sure how to link to it from other wiki sites? [[User:Jheald|Jheald]] ([[User talk:Jheald|talk]]) 16:46, 13 October 2014 (BST)
Looks like BT wants to push more people to faster internet where it has fiber: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-bt-group-broadband/bt-incentivises-operators-to-move-customers-to-faster-broadband-idUKKBN1KE0LR
:Hey! looks awesome I think wmuk: should work? [[User:Sjgknight|Sjgknight]] ([[User talk:Sjgknight|talk]]) 16:59, 13 October 2014 (BST)
Is someone monitoring the trend of average internet speed and the impact it has on user activity in the Wikimedia projects? [[User:Nemo bis|Nemo bis]] ([[User talk:Nemo bis|talk]]) 08:43, 24 July 2018 (BST)
::Perfect! Thanks very much. [[User:Jheald|Jheald]] ([[User talk:Jheald|talk]]) 17:16, 13 October 2014 (BST)
::Hi [[User:Nemo bis|Nemo bis]], I'm not sure that our small charity has the capacity to do something like this, or how it might benefit us. You are welcome to expand on why you think this would be a good idea if you like. [[User:John Lubbock (WMUK)|John Lubbock (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:John Lubbock (WMUK)|talk]]) 12:29, 2 April 2019 (BST)
== Gill Hamilton co-opted as trustee ==
I'm very pleased to be able to confirm that the board has today resolved to co-opt Gill Hamilton as trustee to replace Padmini Ray Murray who stepped down last month. Gill is Digital Access Manager at the National Library of Scotland, in Edinburgh, where she is responsible for the development of open and linked data strategies and policies. She has recently lead the development and implementation of a policy to enable Library resources and metadata to be licensed openly. Gill maintains a broad range of contacts with national cultural heritage organisations, and brings to the board very valuable direct experience of the national GLAM sector. Please join me in welcoming her to the board. --[[User:MichaelMaggs|MichaelMaggs]] ([[User talk:MichaelMaggs|talk]]) 11:09, 14 October 2014 (BST)
== Wikimedian in Residence post at Museums Galleries Scotland - applications welcome ==
Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for the museums and galleries sector in Scotland. They are seeking applications for a Wikimedian in Residence from dedicated individuals with excellent presentation and digital skills to work with Glasgow Museums for a 4 month secondment followed by 8 months at the MGS office in Edinburgh. The post will run for 12 months starting in early January 2015.
The project will support museums and galleries to improve their skills in creating online content and open data projects from the digital curation of their collections. This is a unique opportunity to help enrich Wikipedia and its sister projects and share with the world the expert knowledge from Scottish museums and galleries and to engage with curators, members of the public and researchers to encourage contributions to the development of Wikipedia articles.
MGS works with Scotland’s museums and galleries to create ambitious, dynamic and sustainable enterprises: connecting people, places and collections; inspiring, delighting and creating public value.
Deadline for applications - 12:00pm on the 31st Oct 2014. Do pass it on to anyone that may be interested. - [[User:Daria Cybulska (WMUK)|Daria Cybulska (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Daria Cybulska (WMUK)|talk]]) 13:55, 14 October 2014 (BST)
== Looking for help setting up a MediaWiki distribution with Visual Editor and Flow (needs Parsoid) ==
Hi All
I do some volunteer work for a charity called [http://www.wyse-ngo.org/ WYSE International], I'm trying to set a wiki to help young leaders around the world collaborate on projects. I'm happy with setting up a basic MediaWiki distribution but really struggling to get Visual Editor and Flow to work, I can work out the instructions for Parsoid at all. Ideally I'd really love someone to help me set up the wiki, I'm very happy to learn how to do it but realise it may be simpler and quicker for someone to just press the buttons to make it work.
Many thanks
[[User:Mrjohncummings|Mrjohncummings]] ([[User talk:Mrjohncummings|talk]]) 19:17, 16 October 2014 (BST)
== Quick survey ideas ==
Hello everyone. As you might recall, Wikimedia UK is taking part in a Science Museum Late event in November, running a few sessions. One of the things we plan to be doing is asking people in queues a very quick couple of questions related to Wikipedia and Wikimedia UK. If you could ask one question about Wikipedia and one about Wikimedia UK, what would you ask? [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 14:51, 20 October 2014 (BST)
==xml users and potential users==
In order to use the GLAM wiki toolset and do mass uploads of media from institutions such as museums we need their metadata to be in an appropriate xml format.
So we are looking for volunteers who know or would be willing to learn xml and are interested in helping museums do mass uploads to Commons.
A good understanding of the Commons category structure is also useful as the idea is to format the xml in such a way as to enable the migration of metadata.
If you'd like to get involved please email me whether or not you already know xml as if there is sufficient interest we can organise an xml training session. [[User:Jonathan Cardy (WMUK)|Jonathan Cardy (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Jonathan Cardy (WMUK)|talk]]) 17:53, 22 October 2014 (BST)
== Storytelling at the Science Museum ==
Recently there has been a great deal of conversation about storytelling within the Wikimedia movement. We have a good opportunity to capture some compelling stories at the Science Museum Late event on 26 November. With the variety of events taking place being delivered by Wikimedia UK volunteers and staff, as well as a significant audience, there are many ways we can create video and photographic resources for us to use in future communications.
In order to make the most of this chance it will require some planning and some thought as to what we would like to record and what we plan to use these materials for. I envisage us gathering lots of footage that we can use for different materials. Firstly, a collection of views on Wikipedia could be recorded with event attendees. These would act as a supplement to the survey that will be conducted during the event. Other footage would be of some of the sessions themselves, and interviews with some of the staff and volunteers, as well as colleagues form the Science Museum. Does anyone have any other particular thoughts? In order to complete these tasks, we will need some volunteers. We'd love for you to be involved, so sign up here! [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 13:01, 24 October 2014 (BST)
== [[:en:Wikipedia:WikiProject Public Art/London|Wikipedia:WikiProject Public Art/London]] ==
A London task force of [[:en:Wikipedia:WikiProject Public Art|WikiProject Public Art]] was created recently. WMUK participants who are interested in public art are welcome to join. We have identified a list works without Wikipedia entries, so feel free to help us eliminate these red links! I hosted an art edit-a-thon here in Portland, Oregon once, which resulted in the creation of several new articles. WMUK might consider doing the same, if it hasn't already. Just a thought! :) -[[User:Another Believer|Another Believer]] ([[User talk:Another Believer|talk]]) 01:59, 26 October 2014 (BST)
Latest revision as of 19:35, 13 August 2022
Welcome to the water cooler
This is a place to find out what is happening and to discuss our external projects and activities. Feel free to suggest ideas that could help our charitable mission or ask questions about how you can help. To discuss the inner workings of the charity, head over to the engine room.
WMUK Grants programme - a piece of cake?
Applying for a grant is easy.
If Wikimedia UK can help you improve Wikimedia projects, check out our grants page.
A kanban board at the Women in Classical Studies editathon at Senate House, London
I just saw the newsletter with a picture of the kanban board used at the Women in Classical Studies editathon. What a great idea! It helps people share what they are working on. Helps to avoid edit conflicts. Enables organisers to list all the articles that have been improved. It could possibly work well for a recap session at the end too, where people talk about the changes they made.
Who was involved with that editathon? Who has used it elsewhere? I would love to hear how it has been used in practice.
Cool. So how did you use it? Did you get people to brainstorm a load of post-its of articles to look at, at the beginning of the day? Did you just say 'if you have an idea, stick it on the board'? Did you come with the post-its filled out already? Yaris678 (talk) 10:25, 11 February 2017 (GMT)
The group were quite well prepared prior to the editathon. They had identified a number of articles to create - some had already done the research and started to writing in their sandbox. When we began the second part of the editathon they each committed to an article, wrote it on a sticky note and stuck it to the wall! Moving the notes from left to right was surprisingly motivating and a good excuse to stretch ones legs. Also used the sticky notes for an evaluation exercise at the end of the session. Eartha78 (talk) 18:27, 16 February 2017 (GMT)
Thank you Eartha78. That is really interesting. I will use this next time I do an editathon. Yaris678 (talk) 09:39, 19 February 2017 (GMT)
Wikimedia UK's plans for 2018 - community consultation
Watch our video about our plans for 2018
Wikimedia UK is in the process of writing our proposal to the Wikimedia Foundation for funding during 2018/19. The deadline for the bid is 1st October after which it is assessed by staff at the Foundation, there is an opportunity for community feedback and questions, and the Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC) meet to consider proposals and make recommendations about grants.
As 2018/19 is the final year of our 2016 - 2019 strategy, our programme for next year is in many ways a continuation of our activities in 2017 and falls under three key strands:
Diverse content and contributors
Promoting open knowledge
Education and Learning
These strands are directly related to our three strategic goals, which are to:
Increase the quality and quantity of coverage of subjects that are currently underrepresented on Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects
Contribute to the development of open knowledge in the UK, by increasing understanding and recognition of the value of open knowledge and advocating for change at an organisational, sectoral and public policy level
Support the use of the Wikimedia projects as important tools for education and learning in the UK
We would welcome input from the UK community into our plans for next year - which we are still shaping - and have created a short video to highlight our programme strands which you can watch here. You can give us feedback on our programme anytime, but if you’d like your views to be taken into account in our submission to the Wikimedia Foundation for funding, please do comment below by Friday 29th September. If you’d prefer to get in touch by email, feel free to contact me on lucy.crompton-reid@wikimedia.org.uk.
There are several questions in particular that I’d like to ask:
Is there anything that Wikimedia UK should be doing more of, or new activities that we should consider, in 2018/19?
What work would you like to see us continue?
Is there anything you think we should do less of or stop doing?
How would you like to be involved in Wikimedia UK’s programme next year?
This doesn't change the fact that it is worth asking people to create an account in advance (and to remember their password!)
We have to expect that some people won't create an account and most of those who have won't be auto-confirmed - this is OK.
If there are admins present at the event, they can make new users confirmed.... although I wouldn't stress over it - there is no harm in the Draft: name space.
All the above is less of an issue if we take the approach of #Training from the back of the room described above. If the group is split into teams that are deliberately set to have the full spread of ability, we can encourage people to help other team members, including the following:
Middle-ability people to show the people with no account how to create an account.
Experienced editors to help newer editors to find a page that might need editing.
Experienced editors to create pages that other team members are interested in editing.
You could even get admins to confirm accounts of non-confirmed people in their team, but it might actually be better to not do that. If the experienced people in the team have actually created the article then at least we know it is in their contributions and so they can steward the article towards improvement. e.g. 1. the day after the event, they might go back to the article and tidy it up, 2. if the article gets tagged for deletion, they are better able to discuss it and improve it, whereas a new user may feel bitten.
Obvious question, where do we find data on how many non-autoconfirmed users and IPs actually make pages that satisfy Wiki Criteria? 82.132.237.141 15:31, 26 September 2017 (BST)
Thanks for your input Yaris678. Working in Draft: or User: space is probably going to be integral to dealing with this. I've not used Draft: much myself, but I'm keen on getting people to use their sandbox to prepare material and then copy it over. It does mean a chunk of the pages people work on aren't copied over the to the mainspace but that's a reasonable trade-off. Richard Nevell (WMUK) (talk) 16:59, 2 October 2017 (BST)
The #Training from the back of the room sounds like a really interesting idea, I'm interested in this kind of collaborative/peer learning process. Sadly for the bulk of editathons I manage, this wouldn't be applicable, as I'm generally working with a whole bundle new users, trying to advocated for further use in their organisations. Lirazelf (talk) 14:07, 3 October 2017 (BST)
Thanks Lirazelf. I guess you'll have to rely on the first four bullets - especially the draft namespace. I think it would be useful to have a non-new user move the drafts across. Preferably during the training session, so people can see their work "live" on Wikipedia, which will create excitement. Ideally, well before the end of the training so that people can continue to edit their articles in main space - seeing that this is a normal thing to do is important.
I fringe benefit of this approach is that each article edited will be in the contributions list of at least one non-new user. That way, they can "steward" the article to a certain extent. This will be particularly important if the article is nominated for deletion - having someone who knows the ropes will help to get the article in a position to keep - and help to argue that it should be kept. But more generally it will be useful, to keep the article quality up.
1st prize: The derelict West Pier in Brighton, by Matthew Hoser
I am very pleased to be able to announce the 2017 award winners for Wiki Loves Monuments in the UK.
First place goes to Matthew Hoser for his image of the derelict West Pier in Brighton.
In second place was Paul Stümke, who captured the Glenfinnan Viaduct at Loch Shiel.
Third was Oliver Tookey for the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill on Sea.
The special prize for the best image taken in Scotland was awarded to Keith Proven for Smailholm Tower.
The special prize for the best image taken in Wales went to Sterim64 for Craig-y-mor.
You can see all of these images, and the other stunning pictures that were awarded Highly Commended status at Wikimedia Commons.
Many congratulations to all of our prizewinners, and thanks to all who volunteered to help make the contest a success: contestants, judges, reviewers and Wikimedians in many roles. Thanks also for the kind support we received from the International team, from our friendly staff at Wikimedia UK, and from our 2017 prize sponsors, Wikimedia UK and Archaeology Scotland. MichaelMaggs (talk) 07:43, 31 October 2017 (GMT)
Is someone monitoring the trend of average internet speed and the impact it has on user activity in the Wikimedia projects? Nemo bis (talk) 08:43, 24 July 2018 (BST)
Hi Nemo bis, I'm not sure that our small charity has the capacity to do something like this, or how it might benefit us. You are welcome to expand on why you think this would be a good idea if you like. John Lubbock (WMUK) (talk) 12:29, 2 April 2019 (BST)
