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{{divbox|blue|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]].}}
{{divbox|blue|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]].}}
{{divbox|green|WMUK Grants programme - a piece of cake?[[file:Tile wmuk.jpeg|75px|left]]|<center>Applying for a grant is easy.<p>If Wikimedia UK can help you improve Wikimedia projects, check out our [[grants|grants page]].</center>}}
{{divbox|green|WMUK Grants programme - a piece of cake?[[file:Tile wmuk.jpeg|75px|left]]|<center>Applying for a grant is easy.<p>If Wikimedia UK can help you improve Wikimedia projects, check out our [[grants|grants page]].</center>}}
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== "WOW!" Will in Other Words ==
== Kanban for editathons ==
[[File:Editathon at Llyfrgell Abertawe Library 01.JPG|thumb|300px|Dr Tom Cheesman and others learning to edit Wikipedia; Swansea Library 21 January 2014.]]
I'd like your thoughts on how to develop a project based on Shakespearean text.


As part of the Living Paths Project, I recently met [http://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/academic/artshumanities/ltm/cheesmant/ Dr. Tom Cheesman] and others at Swansea University. I'd like to suggest a WikiProject titled '''"WOW!" Will in Other Words!''' which will use crowd sourcing to gather and organise reliable metadata for versions of Shakespeare’s works in languages other than English. I'm not sure if this should be part of the existing [[:w:en:Wikipedia:WikiProject Shakespeare]] (may kick-start it!) or a brand new one?
[[File:WCCWiki4.jpg|thumb|A {{wp|kanban board}} at the Women in Classical Studies editathon at Senate House, London]]
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.


Tom Cheesman's website www.delightedbeauty.org crowd-sources Shakespeare translations; it's a self-made Google site which displays around 180 versions, in over 30 languages, of one rhyming couplet from Shakespeare’s Othello (1604). As he told me, ''"This one couplet is a great challenge for translators, because of its ambiguity, its punning wordplay and its controversial implications regarding race, gender and political power. Each version expresses a different interpretation, making a fascinating study in re-translation-mutation-adaptation … or ‘versioning’. There can be no ‘straight translation’ of Shakespeare’s language."' I do believe that a WikiProject could develop this site in magnificent, way!
Who was involved with that editathon?  Who has used it elsewhere?  I would love to hear how it has been used in practice.


The second part of this projectwould be based on www.delightedbeauty.org/vvv demonstrates innovative, experimental interactive tools for exploring collections of comparable texts, working with 37 versions of one scene from Othello. This project was [http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/13/shakespeare-translation-comparison reviewed by Wired] in Septemebr 2012. Tools include a time-map showing the historical and geographical spread of German-language Othello versions: at http://othellomap.nand.io/.
[[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 15:09, 3 February 2017 (GMT)


The Project would attempt to answer such questions as:
: 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)


#How many languages has Shakespeare been translated into?
::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)
#What different cultural forms does translation (or “cross-language versioning”) take, in different times, places and languages? When plays are re-versioned as new playscripts, the texts can be ‘faithful’, full versions of the original, but they can also be adaptations of many different kinds, transposing the action to different times and places, reducing and expanding and revising, turning tragedies into farces, histories into satires, and so on. And plays can also be ‘versioned’ as other genres: prose stories, comic strips, films, radio shows, series of paintings, dance shows, etc etc.
#What are the trends in popularity of Shakespeare’s different works in different times, places and languages, as measured by publications and performances?
#When was Hamlet first or most recently translated into Danish?  Or Henry V into Welsh?
#In which African languages has Othello been published or performed?
#How many Italian versions of Romeo and Juliet have there been, and which are considered the best for reading, or the best for staging?  
#The Merchant of Venice is on the national school curriculum in China today: 22 million 14-year-olds read the trial scene each year (source p.7). Which of the many Chinese versions are read in classes? Which versions are watched on screen (and who does the subtitling?) Do the various versions interpret Shylock in different ways? (You bet they do – but how different?)


;Scope of Project
::: 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)
Probably 100+ languages have at least one work of Shakespeare. All of his works have been translated at least once into all the “major” European and Asian languages. In most “major” and some “lesser” languages, all or many of his works have been re-translated, re-adapted or re-versioned several times, even over and over again.  


Let's look at one language: German:
::::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)
German has possibly the greatest number of Shakespeare versions, of all languages. Tom guesstimate around 5,000 items, growing by around 50 year on year. A bibliography published in 2003 includes around 2,000 printed items, and does not claim to be complete for the period covered (to 2000). From the past c. 250 years, we have around 70 published versions of the entire set of 154 Sonnets; hundreds of published versions of single sonnets or selections (over 200 versions of Sonnet 66 are collected in a recent anthology); around 60 versions of the Complete Plays (±37 plays); probably 120+ published versions of Hamlet; up to 80 versions of the 10 next most popular plays; numerous revised editions of many versions; hundreds of audiovisual releases (radio, film, tv, audiobooks); dozens of theatrical productions at major public theatres each year (each using a different version); scores more amateur productions each year; production-associated scripts; and assorted other versions. Since 2000, no fewer than eight new German versions (translations/adaptations) of Othello have been added to the theatrical script agencies’ catalogue (www.theatertexte.de).


And that's just one language. I might be wrong, but I do believe this could be one hell of a project! Any takers?
== 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]]


[[User:Robin Owain (WMUK)|Robin Owain (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Robin Owain (WMUK)|talk]]) 23:36, 9 January 2014 (UTC)
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.


: Robin, we should consider making this one of the Education activities WMUK supports in 2014-15. As you know, Dr Cheesman has already contacted me about this and he had hoped to come to EduWiki last November to discuss possible developments, but couldn't make the dates in the end. I'll contact him to follow-up and copy you in since it's clear that a substantial amount of constructive discussion has occurred in the interim. I have a feeling that this is something that some members of TaPRA (the Theatre & Performance Research Association) will find interesting.  We're supporting a Wikipedia workshop for them soon, so the timing is probably just about right this time. Thanks! --[[User:Toni Sant (WMUK)|Toni Sant (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Toni Sant (WMUK)|talk]]) 14:49, 15 January 2014 (UTC)
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:


::Many thanks Toni. Swansea University representatives (including Tom) were trained in Wiki editing skills on the 21 January. The first list was of [[:w:en:List of translations of works by William Shakespeare|translations into Welsh]]. A great start! [[User:Robin Owain (WMUK)|Robin Owain (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Robin Owain (WMUK)|talk]]) 10:35, 5 February 2014 (UTC)
# Diverse content and contributors
# Promoting open knowledge
# Education and Learning


:::That's great Robin!  I look forward to inviting Dr Tom Cheesman and/or colleagues from Swansea University to the [http://wikimania2014.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fringe/Future_of_Education_Hack Wikimania Fringe/Hack event we're planning for June], so that we can look into ways to take the project forward as discussed. --[[User:Toni Sant (WMUK)|Toni Sant (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Toni Sant (WMUK)|talk]]) 14:12, 13 February 2014 (UTC)
These strands are directly related to our three strategic goals, which are to:


==Giant meetup for all UK Wikimedians==
* Increase the quality and quantity of coverage of subjects that are currently underrepresented on Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects
Reference above. Definitely give him something. Even better, why not invite every active Wikimedian in the UK to an event of some kind and give them a membership application at the door (or free membership for a year just for turning up?) There are about 2000 who say they are in the UK. Including 83 in N.I., 319 in Scotland and 136 in Wales. [[User:Philafrenzy|Philafrenzy]] ([[User talk:Philafrenzy|talk]]) 11:03, 16 January 2014 (UTC) Add extra ideas here:
* 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
::Maybe we should have a UK meeting around Wikimania - when people are likely to be down in London anyway? [[User:Richard Symonds (WMUK)|Richard Symonds (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Richard Symonds (WMUK)|talk]]) 11:00, 13 February 2014 (UTC)
* Support the use of the Wikimedia projects as important tools for education and learning in the UK
:::We could let the French in, but only if they salute the flag as they pass - in line with tradition of course! [[User:Richard Symonds (WMUK)|Richard Symonds (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Richard Symonds (WMUK)|talk]]) 11:10, 13 February 2014 (UTC)
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.


Wikimedia UK has many non-British citizens as voting members, we should remain sensitive to that. Personally I avoid nationalistic jokes unless they are mildly self-deprecating. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 11:42, 13 February 2014 (UTC)
There are several questions in particular that I’d like to ask:
:Richard did not specify which flag people would be required to salute. Personally I'd choose [[:File:RNLI Flag.jpg|this one]] as being particularly worthy of salute. [[user:Thryduulf|Thryduulf]] (talk: [[user talk:Thryduulf|local]] | [[w:user talk:Thryduulf|en.wp]] | [[wikt:user talk:Thryduulf|en.wikt]]) 15:58, 13 February 2014 (UTC)
::True, though French visitors might struggle to recognize it. A more internationally recognizable one [[:File:Boy with flag - DC Capital Pride parade - 2013-06-08 (8992400146).jpg|like this]] might go down well if we expect them to salute it. Alternatively, considering that London is France's [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18234930 sixth city], we would probably do well to put up a {{w|Flag of France|Tricolour}} for us to salute. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 16:24, 13 February 2014 (UTC)
:I had forgotten I had even made this suggestion. The point, of course, was that there are vast numbers of UK resident editors on Wikipedia, far more than the 2000 who self-identify, almost none of whom are members. As membership growth is stalled, a one-off event could be run specially for them, separate to Wikimania, to celebrate their contribution to all of the projects. This could be combined with a membership drive. To be honest, I don't have the time to organise this and I don't know if anyone else does either, but I think that it's the sort of thing that ought to be happening. Wasn't there some sort of awards system once? We could give awards like at the Oscars - ''Wikis''? As far as flags go, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Gloucestershire Severn Cross of Gloucestershire] would be my choice, though the design may need updating now that the county is under water. [[User:Philafrenzy|Philafrenzy]] ([[User talk:Philafrenzy|talk]]) 22:05, 13 February 2014 (UTC)
:: A UK meetup at Wikimania would be a great idea - no flags needed. ;-) Particularly if it can be combined with a membership drive/sharing of information about WMUK. The awards system from last year is described at [[UK Wikimedian of the Year 2013]]. Thanks. [[User:Mike Peel|Mike Peel]] ([[User talk:Mike Peel|talk]]) 22:32, 13 February 2014 (UTC)


== Wikimedia UK and Cancer Research UK to recruit Wikimedian in Residence ==
* 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?


Hello everyone. I thought you might like to know that Wikimedia UK has teamed up with Cancer Research UK to recruit a Wikimedian in Residence. The exciting new role will include teaching Cancer Research UK’s scientists to edit the website as well as researching how cancer patients use the site to access information and helping to make information on its pages as easy as possible to understand. They will also support Wikipedians already editing its cancer science pages. You can find more details of the role, including how to apply, on our blog - https://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2014/01/wikimedia-uk-and-cancer-research-uk-to-take-cancer-information-to-the-next-level/  [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 14:23, 16 January 2014 (UTC)
With many thanks indeed for your input.  
 
[[User:LucyCrompton-Reid (WMUK)|LucyCrompton-Reid (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:LucyCrompton-Reid (WMUK)|talk]]) 13:39, 21 September 2017 (BST)


:This is excellent news, and UK-based Wikipedians with a background in science should consider having a look at the [https://cancer-research-uk-jobs.tal.net/vx/appcentre-External/brand-2/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/4/opp/482-Wikipedian-in-Residence/en-GB job description]. Jfdwolff 20:08, 16 January 2014 (UTC)
== ACTRIAL and new users creating new pages at events ==
:Excellent news. Well done. [[User:Jayen466|Andreas]] [[User talk:Jayen466|JN]] 11:24, 23 January 2014 (UTC)
::Thanks for your comments folks. We're really excited about this and it will have a great impact on important content. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 16:02, 24 January 2014 (UTC)
::: Can I ask why expressions of interest were sought after the closing date had passed? [[User:LoopZilla|LoopZilla]] ([[User talk:LoopZilla|talk]]) 11:49, 21 February 2014 (UTC)
:::: Hi Loopzilla. We believe it's because the number of applications has been disappointing. Hope this helps. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 12:03, 21 February 2014 (UTC)
::::: Thanks. This breaks a standard of recruitment. Opportunity to apply is equal for all (that is the closing date is the same for all candidates). [[User:LoopZilla|LoopZilla]] ([[User talk:LoopZilla|talk]]) 12:43, 21 February 2014 (UTC)
::::::Hello LoopZilla. CRUK were managing the recruitment but we will certainly bear in mind your comments for any recruitment that Wikimedia UK manages. I;ve been told that only one person contacted CRUK after the closing date and that they weren't shortlisted. Hope this helps! [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 15:20, 21 February 2014 (UTC)
::::::: Yes, but Daria sent out an email after the closing date. [[User:LoopZilla|LoopZilla]] ([[User talk:LoopZilla|talk]]) 21:15, 22 February 2014 (UTC)
:::::::: Hi Loopzilla, the email was sent as there was a concern about whether the recruitment message reached all relevant groups and I was asked to support the effort to spread the message wider. CRUK would have considered extending the deadline if the response to the message was significant  -but as we have said, it was low. I am assured though that any application that came in was considered. [[User:Daria Cybulska (WMUK)|Daria Cybulska (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Daria Cybulska (WMUK)|talk]]) 10:59, 24 February 2014 (UTC)
::::::::: This is incorrect, in my book [[User:LoopZilla|LoopZilla]] ([[User talk:LoopZilla|talk]]) 11:43, 24 February 2014 (UTC)
:::::::::: CRUK has been made aware of this discussion and will be contacting you directly - I hope it will provide the clarification you are seeking. [[User:Daria Cybulska (WMUK)|Daria Cybulska (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Daria Cybulska (WMUK)|talk]]) 13:50, 24 February 2014 (UTC)


==[http://wikisym.org/os2014/ OpenSym 2014]==
Hi All,


[[File:Berlin Montage 4.jpg|250px|right|alt=Clockwise:Charlottenburg Palace, Fernsehturm Berlin, Reichstag building, Berlin Cathedral, Alte Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Platz and Brandenburg Gate.]]
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.


WikiSym has changed it's named to OpenSym and this year it will take place on 27th &ndash; 29th August in Berlin. It's an annual symposium about open collaboration. The list of tracks includes:
[[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 14:44, 25 September 2017 (BST)


*Open access research
: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)
*Open data research
::[[: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)
*Open education resources research
: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)
*Free, libre, and open source software research
*IT-driven open innovation research
*Wikipedia research
*Wikis and open collaboration


They issued a call for papers last week so if you're interested, the [http://www.opensym.org/os2014/submission/ page on their website] about submissions has more details including the array of deadlines for different tracks. [[User:Richard Nevell (WMUK)|Richard Nevell (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Richard Nevell (WMUK)|talk]]) 13:06, 21 January 2014 (UTC)
: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)
:I'd be interested to know if anyone is planning on going to this, last year had a lot of v interesting looking papers! (Sadly unlikely I'll make it) [[User:Sjgknight|Sjgknight]] ([[User talk:Sjgknight|talk]]) 22:08, 13 February 2014 (UTC)
::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.
:: Will WMUK be offering scholarships this year, as per past years? (I can pass on the contact details for the organisers if you don't have them already!) Thanks. [[User:Mike Peel|Mike Peel]] ([[User talk:Mike Peel|talk]]) 22:29, 13 February 2014 (UTC)
::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.
:::Yes, scholarships will be available. More details soon. -- [[User:Katie Chan (WMUK)|Katie Chan (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Katie Chan (WMUK)|talk]]) 10:56, 14 February 2014 (UTC)
::[[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 12:59, 19 October 2017 (BST)


{{clear}}
==Wiki Loves Monuments UK 2017 awards announced==
[[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.


== Spare beds for Wikimania ==
First place goes to '''Matthew Hoser''' for his image of the derelict West Pier in Brighton.


[[File:Bonamore,_Antonio_%281845-1907%29_-_Stanza_da_letto_dell%27Imperatore_nel_palazzo_Reale_a_Milano_%2817_ott_1875%29_-_Da_Illustraz_Italiana.jpg|thumb|alt=A four poster bed|Something modest like this?]]
In second place was '''Paul Stümke''', who captured the Glenfinnan Viaduct at Loch Shiel.


We are thinking about how we can spread our resources for Wikimania 2014 and one way is finding supporters who will offer a bed or even a sofa, to people attending Wikimania this year. The cost of accommodation in London can be a deterrent to people. If you could put up someone in London during the period August 5th to 10th could you let [[User:Katie Chan (WMUK)|Katie Chan]] know by emailing {{nowrap|katie.chan{{@}}wikimedia.org.uk}}. She will start a database with preference e.g. non smokers etc. Thanks [[User:Jon Davies (WMUK)|Jon Davies (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Jon Davies (WMUK)|talk]]) 10:11, 24 January 2014 (UTC)
Third was '''Oliver Tookey''' for the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill on Sea.


{{clear}}
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.


== Individual Engagement Grants - from the Foundation ==
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]].


Some of you may be interested in this [[User:Jon Davies (WMUK)|Jon Davies (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Jon Davies (WMUK)|talk]]) 10:45, 1 March 2014 (UTC)
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)


The Wikimedia Foundation and the Individual Engagement Grants Committee
== Effects of broadband ==
invite you to submit and review proposals for community-led experiments to
improve Wikimedia!


Individual Engagement Grants support individuals and small teams to
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
organize projects for 6 months. You can get funding to turn your idea for
improving Wikimedia projects into action, with a grant for online community
organizing, outreach and partnerships, tool-building, or research. Funding
is available for a few hundred dollars up to $30,000.


Proposals for this round are due 31 March 2014:
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)


https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IEG
::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)
 
We're also seeking new committee members to help review and recommend
proposals for funding. Candidates are invited to sign up by 9 March 2014:
 
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IEG/Committee
 
Some examples of projects we've funded in the past:
 
*Organizing social media for Chinese Wikipedia ($350 for materials)[1]
 
*Improving gadgets for Visual Editor ($4500 for developers)[2]
 
*Coordinating free access to reliable sources for Wikipedians ($7500 for
project management, consultants and materials)[3]
 
*Building community and strategy for Wikisource (EURO 10000 for organizing and
travel)[4]
 
You can read more on the WMF blog:
 
https://blog.wikimedia.org/tag/individual-engagement-grants/
 
Hope to have your participation in this round!
 
Best wishes,
 
Siko Bouterse - Wikimedia Foundation
: Shouldn't you be promoting the WMUK's grant scheme, rather than the WMF's? Thanks. [[User:Mike Peel|Mike Peel]] ([[User talk:Mike Peel|talk]]) 18:21, 1 March 2014 (UTC)
::Anyone interested in applying for a grant form WMUK should check out the green box at the top of this page, if you haven't already seen it. --[[User:MichaelMaggs|MichaelMaggs]] ([[User talk:MichaelMaggs|talk]]) 03:56, 2 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== [[Gnome home]] ==
 
I feel the absence of a central cleanup and gnoming place on this site, so I have created [[gnome home]], and a category to go with. [[User:Charles Matthews|Charles Matthews]] ([[User talk:Charles Matthews|talk]]) 09:16, 4 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== Royal Society editathon ==
 
My photos from the evening session of yesterday's editathon at the Royal Society are now on Commons at [[:Commons:Category:Wikimedia UK Royal Society Women's editathon 2014]]. [[user:Thryduulf|Thryduulf]] (talk: [[user talk:Thryduulf|local]] | [[w:user talk:Thryduulf|en.wp]] | [[wikt:user talk:Thryduulf|en.wikt]]) 23:06, 5 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== Community consultation on WMUK's Wikimedia in Residence programme ==
 
Hi everyone,
 
As a chapter we have run the Wikimedian in Residence (WIR) programme since May 2012, when Andrew Gray started his residency at the British Library.
 
We have now agreed to reflect on the programme’s successes and challenges through a review. The WIR programme has been seen as one of the key ways we can engage with external organisations, extending our scale of activities and outreach. These residencies are often a considerable investment for WMUK (£2-8K) and need to deliver a meaningful impact.
 
We would like to see what the UK community thinks of the programme so far - you are now invited to take part in [https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MKMJCVR the survey] that will form the first part of the review. Your answers will be an important element of influencing the future of the programme.
 
If you are not based in the UK, you are still welcome to comment - we are very interested in what our community thinks of the programme.
 
The deadline for responding is '''24 March'''.
 
Thank you!
Richard Nevell
 
== Thank you seem to be the hardest words ==
 
[[File:Thank_you_001.jpg|right|150px]]
 
A few months ago I wrote a critical review about a hotel I stayed in for Trip Advisor. I wanted to share my experience and warn off others. I posted and thought no more of it. I was surprised a few weeks later to receive a 'Thank you' email explaining how important by little piece of bile had been,  and how many people had read it. I was chuffed. A month after that, and a couple more reviews, I was thanked again, given an update on the surprisingly large number of people who had read the reviews, and was awarded the equivalent of a 'gold star'.
 
OK, so it was a bot but it occurred to me how sad it was that we don't do something similar for our contributors. Barnstars are great but from what I observe many people never look at their user pages. Wouldn't it be great if every time one of my uploaded photos made it onto a page I got some sort of alert or just a 'thank you' for every twentieth edit?
 
When I started working for Wikimedia UK I was warnedthat I was entering a culture that didn't 'do thank yous'. I think that we are missing out here and if we want to encourage and retain editors a few words of thanks from time to time would be a powerful tool. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 18:27, 6 March 2014 (UTC) - on behalf of [[User:Jon Davies (WMUK)]]
:I received a very nice thank you after doing the work on the membership survey and the UCL editathon. It touched me more than I think I let on at the time, and certainly more than I expected something as simple as that to. So thank you again to Jon, Katherine and Daria.
:I'm also reminded of a few years ago when I moved house, I looked up the days for rubbish collection on the council website and was very impressed with how easy it was to find what I was looking for, as my previous council's website made it unnecessarily difficult. So I wrote a quick thank you email. About two days later I got a reply from the manager of the person responsible for that, saying that my note had made their day. So I fully agree with the aim to encourage more thank yous. [[user:Thryduulf|Thryduulf]] (talk: [[user talk:Thryduulf|local]] | [[w:user talk:Thryduulf|en.wp]] | [[wikt:user talk:Thryduulf|en.wikt]]) 21:01, 6 March 2014 (UTC)
::All good points. I see that WMCH have [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_CH/outreach_fundraising_campaign started a page on Meta] to discuss how to encourage new users to stick around by thanking them after the fundraiser. This seems of interest to WMUK as well. --[[User:MichaelMaggs|MichaelMaggs]] ([[User talk:MichaelMaggs|talk]]) 10:03, 7 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== Free Wiki Loves Monuments calendars 2014 (with 2013 pictures) ==
 
Thanks to the WLM International Group we have received some rather nice Wiki Loves Monuments wall calendars for 2014, with photos from the 2013 international contest. I have deposited them at the WMUK offices from where they are available free to anyone who was involved in the 2013 competition, either as an organizer or as an competitor. Although they are a little late, they still have 10 months of useful life in them!  If you would like one, please contact [[staff|the staff]].  --[[User:MichaelMaggs|MichaelMaggs]] ([[User talk:MichaelMaggs|talk]]) 17:00, 8 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== [INFO] Scripts in Lua ==
 
Hi, I have setup a few days ago the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Scribunto Scribunto extension] on our wiki. You are now consequently able to create scripts in Lua on this wiki. [[User:Kelson|Kelson]] ([[User talk:Kelson|talk]]) 10:55, 9 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== Wikimedians in the UK ==
 
I've been working on the categorisation of photos into [[:commons:Category:Wikimedians in the United Kingdom]] (moving files over from [[:commons:Category:Wikipedians in the United Kingdom]]). I'm curious to know - how many of these users do you recognise? Who's missing? (these are both open questions to anyone that reads this!) Thanks. [[User:Mike Peel|Mike Peel]] ([[User talk:Mike Peel|talk]]) 22:30, 9 March 2014 (UTC)
: You removed me from both "Wikipedians in the United Kingdom" and "[Commons] User in the United Kingdom". I assure you, I am both. <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> 23:00, 9 March 2014 (UTC)
:: Yes, as am I. However, people seemed to be split between "Wikipedians in" and "Wikimedians in" for no apparent reason or order, and you were one of only two people that had all of their photos in the User category rather than just their user page... Thanks. [[User:Mike Peel|Mike Peel]] ([[User talk:Mike Peel|talk]]) 07:52, 10 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== Open Access Reader ==
 
I have come up with an initiative called "Open Access Reader", a project to systematically have every piece of notable open access research cited in Wikipedia. I'd like to develop this into a grant proposal, and I welcome comments and suggestions, both on the project itself and where best to get grant funding: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Open_Access_Reader [[User:EdSaperia|EdSaperia]] ([[User talk:EdSaperia|talk]]) 00:37, 12 March 2014 (UTC)
:Just linking to the prelim discussion on your userpage https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/User_talk:EdSaperia/Wikimedia_UK%27s_2014_Strategy#Open%20access%20reader [[User:Sjgknight|Sjgknight]] ([[User talk:Sjgknight|talk]]) 11:55, 10 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== West Midlands Police Museum editathon ==
 
Just a reminder that the [[w:Wikipedia:GLAM/WM Police Museum|West Midlands Police Museum]] editathon is this Saturday, in Birmingham; some places remain! <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> 13:53, 10 March 2014 (UTC)
:I couldn't make this, Andy - much though I wanted to! I was stuck in London doing training. How did it go? [[User:Richard Symonds (WMUK)|Richard Symonds (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Richard Symonds (WMUK)|talk]]) 16:51, 21 March 2014 (UTC)
::Very well, thank you, though over 470 very fine images are stuck on Flickr while the tool to import them to Commons appears borked. <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> 13:59, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== Letter to UK MEPs ==
 
Hello everyone. You may be interested to note that Wikimedia UK is writing to all 73 UK MEPs regarding copyright. In line with the work we've done with the Free Knowledge Advocacy Group EU (group of European Wikimedia chapters) we are looking for support for change in three areas: freedom of panorama; public domain of publicly-funded works; and use of orphan works. If you'd like to see the letter, [[:File:Letter_to_MEPs_with_images.pdf|it's here]]. It will be going out next week (with a couple of minor modifications) in the post and also by email. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 17:07, 14 March 2014 (UTC)
:Following this up, after some discussion with UK and international community members some minor changes were made. The final version of the letter was sent out yesterday and [[Media:Letter_to_MEPs_with_images.pdf|can be seen in pdf format by clicking here]]. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 16:10, 21 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== Talking Wikipedia In Ghana ==
 
This event is listed to be in 4 days time (28th March) but there are no details of what this is about, and the registration page ([[BritishBlackMusic.com in assn with BTWSC/Wikimedia UK]]) is not yet created. This is such short notice would it be better to move it to a later date? --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 08:05, 24 March 2014 (UTC)
: A search on Google reveals that registration is possible at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/talking-wikipedia-in-ghana-tickets-10971368659?aff=es2, which also provides further details. (I have nothing to do with the event, was just interested in if (and what) details were available. [[User:TheOverflow|TheOverflow]] ([[User talk:TheOverflow|talk]]) 22:58, 24 March 2014 (UTC)
::The advert on the eventbrite page claims to be a Wikimedia UK event, but it is scheduled for a different day. It is reasonable to assume that the lack of any engagement from employees on the Water cooler [https://wikimedia.org.uk/w/index.php?title=Water_cooler&diff=54401&oldid=54324 over several working days], seems to indicate that Wikimedia UK is lending out the name of the charity for events it has no hand in organizing, nor has agreed basic logistics for, such as the date. The are now only 3 days left before the event as per the Wikimedia UK calendar of events. I doubt this is sufficient notice for this to be considered a charity supported event that members and volunteers have been invited to attend.
::I hope that no money or staff time from the UK charity is supporting this talk, considering how poorly organized it appears to be.
::Could an employee or a Trustee please confirm that is the case, or if not, then how much money is being spent on this? --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 13:40, 25 March 2014 (UTC)
:::What's the problem?  The eventbrite page only says "with support from Wikimedia UK" and it looks like a basic introduction to Wikipedia event.  The calendar on the main page isn't limited to Wikimedia UK run events; it currently includes two independent meet ups and Wikimedia Conference 2014 for example.  Perhaps there could have been a link but I don't see that as a critical failure. - [[User:AdamBMorgan|AdamBMorgan]] ([[User talk:AdamBMorgan|talk]]) 14:50, 25 March 2014 (UTC)
::::We (WMUK members) have confidence that we understand who is arranging Wikimedia Conference events and the nature of the relationship with Wikimedia UK is a public affair. The eventbrite page linked above was only found by TheOverflow searching on Google, not because Wikimedia UK knew about it or recommends that as a source of agreed information. Members and volunteers neither knowing where or when this event will be is a critical problem for any Wikimedian that would like to actually attend or may want to help. Three days notice is insufficient and (bizarrely) the Wikimedia UK advertized date is different to the eventbrite published date.
::::When a UK national charity provides support to other organizations, volunteers and members should be free to ask where and when the events are, expect transparency and accountability for support (money, paid employee time?) and a published definition of joint arrangements, even if just a brief statement.
::::I hope my basic questions above are welcome and fit the Watercooler which is supposed to be a place for questions about events. However I am aware that under the new working practices on the Watercooler my assumption may be wrong.
::::Every support commitment or partnership Wikimedia UK enters, needs basic understanding of '''what''' the support/partnership is, '''who''' the relationship is with, and '''why''' it fits the mission of the charity. Without a documented understanding between all parties, there is a risk that misunderstanding and confusion may waste our donor's money or lead to damaging the reputation of the charity. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 15:06, 25 March 2014 (UTC)
:::::Surely there is a proportionality issue here.  It's just an introduction/editathon level event.  I would expect WMUK to be generally in favour of, and provide at least some support for, any and all such events (and, by extension, would have no reputational risk because of that ubiquity).  Unless it is something more significant thatn this, I'd say any "published definition of joint arrangements" would be excessive. - [[User:AdamBMorgan|AdamBMorgan]] ([[User talk:AdamBMorgan|talk]]) 15:33, 26 March 2014 (UTC)
::::::By that I mean any credible explanation in public. I agree that in this case, something like two clear sentences would be sufficient and proportional.
::::::At the moment members of the charity have no idea if WMUK is footing the bill for any expenses or funding anything else. Employees, trustees have been strangely reticent to clarify anything.
::::::It is the charity's name against an event that is advertized as in 2 days time, but puzzlingly, we are unsure of the date.
::::::''Update'' I note that the Eventbrite page has been updated in the last 24 hours. It appears that Kwaku is delivering this event for Wikimedia UK. It is not clear if this is an edit-a-thon or not. Without a registration page on-wiki we do not know if any trained trainers are going to be available to help. You may recall that to date, {{w|Special:Contributions/Kwaku_BBM|Kwaku BBM}} has made 10 edits to Wikipedia over 10 months, some of which had COI issues. It is an odd situation for Wikimedia UK to be officially supporting. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 17:41, 26 March 2014 (UTC)
 
This event is either tomorrow or on Saturday, depending on which source you check. As [https://wikimedia.org.uk/w/index.php?title=Water_cooler&diff=54401&oldid=54324 a week] has passed since I first asked about the basic logistics of this event on the Watercooler, it would be great to have an employee or trustee of the charity confirm the nature of the partnership/association with BBM ([http://www.britishblackmusic.com British Black Music]) and/or BTWSC ([http://www.btwsc.com Brent Black Music History Project]) and whether any of the charity's money is supporting these organizations or this event in expenses or otherwise. If there are reasons for apparent silence in response to questions from the board or employees at this time, it would be good to have this stated. From the Eventbrite information discovered by TheOverflow, it appears this event is in Ghana rather than in the UK (this was not apparent to me, until Kwaku updated the Eventbrite page with more information on Tues/Weds).
 
It appears that the experienced Wikimedians who are part of the proposed Wikimedia Chapter in Ghana have not been informed about this event, nor asked to help. Their blog is at http://planningwikimediaghana.blogspot.co.uk (the most recent post being on 8 March 2014) and their events page is at [[meta:Planning Wikimedia Ghana/ Events & Projects]]. I have approached Sandister Tei as the official community liaison in their organization. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 11:05, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
: It really doesn't look good, nor inspire confidence, that the office is saying absolutely nothing about this project here. Has this project gone completely off the rails? Or is the office just being secretive for no good reason? Thanks. [[User:Mike Peel|Mike Peel]] ([[User talk:Mike Peel|talk]]) 12:14, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
::Hi Mike! A volunteer is travelling to Ghana and offered to do a quick 'Introduction to Wikipedia' session while he is there - that's all. I don't want to go into too much detail, because the cost is minimal, it's a tiny event on another continent, and the risk is low - so our time is better spent on things like Wikimania or larger events, where potential mistakes are much more costly. For Ghana, when I checked, we're just paying for refreshments etc for those that arrive there - no flight costs or anything similar. Just sundries (sandwiches etc). It'll be an interesting event from a financial point of view: I'd like to see if we can run events at such a long distance, especially in a country where the financial systems are less stringent than in the UK. If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me with them, and I'll see if I can get some answers. [[User:Richard Symonds (WMUK)|Richard Symonds (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Richard Symonds (WMUK)|talk]]) 13:08, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
::: Hi Richard. Thanks for the response. Can I ask why this didn't go through the grants process then, please? Also, can I ask why the proto-chapter in Ghana that Fæ mentioned above haven't been informed about it? Thanks. [[User:Mike Peel|Mike Peel]] ([[User talk:Mike Peel|talk]]) 13:21, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
:::: I see that the charity ignores legitimate questions on governance from me for 7 days but will provide answers on the same thing for Mike within 45 minutes. The statement given in this thread that this is just a volunteer is confusing, as it does not appear to match the statement given by Jon Davies a week ago "[BritishBlackMusic] are an independent organisation with whom we have worked and hope to continue to work" nor does it match the way the event in Ghana is promoted on Eventbrite.[http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimediauk-l/2014-March/011966.html][http://web.archive.org/web/20140327135842/http://www.eventbrite.com/e/talking-wikipedia-in-ghana-tickets-10971368659?aff=es2]
:::: Surely all Wikimedians can see how remarkably strange it is to fund someone with only 10 edits on Wikipedia to run a 3 hour long 'Introduction to Wikipedia' workshop and can be seen promoting their website and consultancy services at the same time? <!--Particularly in the light that the UK charity invests £800 a head to send active volunteers on a train the trainers course, the <s>main</s> a benefit of which is assurance that Wikimedia UK and the Wikimedia Foundation's reputation is not damaged by poor representation or misunderstandings over contentious issues such as conflict of interest.--> I am amazed that the board of trustees and charity employees appear to believe that either blanket silence or the equivalent of "there is no problem to see here, move along" are acceptable responses to a governance and communications failure. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 21:55, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
::::: Fæ, your comments about the TtT benefits here are blatantly untrue - the aim of that course is to teach volunteers about how to teach others about contributing to the Wikimedia projects, which (where the trainers are engaged in leading subsequent training events) is well worth that money. I'm sad to see you say that here, where your other points are spot on. Thanks. [[User:Mike Peel|Mike Peel]] ([[User talk:Mike Peel|talk]]) 22:10, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
:::::: Fair enough, I have removed "main". As one of the original architects of the training concept, I believe a benefit is that the charity has confidence when recommending a certified trained trainer and a key part of all training events I have been involved with has been addressing potentially contentious areas of policy such as COI&mdash;even NPOV and CIV can be difficult for newer contributors. These may not be why the course was designed, but it is an expected outcome. I am slightly puzzled, you may be reading my words here differently to my intention, I have not said that TtT was not good value for what it delivers, I was only contrasting the Ghana workshop to events that are supported by trained trainers. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 22:38, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
::::::: The emphasis in your comment on 'the UK charity invests £800 a head to send active volunteers on a train the trainers course', along with your comment about your expected aims for the project, seemed to imply the lack of value. My memory was that Martin was the key architect behind this concept.... Thanks. [[User:Mike Peel|Mike Peel]] ([[User talk:Mike Peel|talk]]) 22:47, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
:::::::: Suppressed the tangent. How quickly we are forgotten. :-) The concept of tiered training was started from my management experience of techniques for cooperatively sharing knowledge of factory floor staff, Martin and I drew it up during a board meeting. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 22:54, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
 
=== Feedback from Ghana ===
After making a note on-wiki, a representative of the Ghana 'proto-chapter' has promptly made contact with me by email, which I hope will make for a useful independent view of Wikimedia UK's approach to their association with BBM and the grant provided.
[http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-gh/2014-March/001510.html This email (25 March) was pointed out], which confirms that none of the Wikimedians there was approached ("we were not directly informed or contacted") and there is mention of them partnering with the organizers. This seems a natural response, but considering that Wikimedia UK is supporting BritishBlackMusic.com, they may have unfortunately interpreted that as an official Wikimedia endorsement. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 16:48, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
 
:I have updated the local ''wikimedia-gh'' email list where an earlier public email of mine had been reposted. The thread and some initial feedback from the local community can be found at [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-gh/2014-March/001545.html &#91;Wikimedia-GH&#93; Wikimedia in Ghana]. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 21:13, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
 
Thanks for your work on this, Fæ. As anyone interested can see, I tried a while ago to [[User talk:Nkansahrexford|involve Nyarko Rexford Nkansah]] in the 2012 Black History Month editathon. His response is [[User_talk:Leutha#That.27s_Nice|here]]. Following up your links, I noticed that Rexford has proposed [https://wikimania2014.wikimedia.org/wiki/Submissions/Teaching_Wikipedia_in_Africa a submission for Wikimania]. I do hope he receives a scholarship to attend. It is also worth checking this [https://blog.wikimedia.org/2014/03/19/for-rexford-nkansah-wikipedia-represents-the-future-of-education-for-his-country/ For Rexford Nkansah, Wikipedia represents the future of education for his country]. [[User:Leutha|Leutha]] ([[User talk:Leutha|talk]]) 12:06, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
:Thanks back Leutha, I appreciate the thought, along with the personal emails of thanks to me from the Ghana community.
:Most disappointing in this story is that the UK Chapter was alerted to the issue more than a week ago and much positive work could have been done in that time with the local Ghana community to build bridges or for one of the ten full time employees to check the background of BlackBritishMusic.com rather than relying on unpaid volunteers to do it. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 14:00, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== British cartoons 1780&mdash;1830 available in very high resolution ==
 
[[File:The Kremlin in commotion - or - the Grand Lama sick of the horn cholic LCCN2003689160.tif|thumb|right|<center>Example parody of {{w|George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV}} and his desire for divorce, 1820.<br/><small>7,068 × 4,638px, 93MB</small></center>]]
There may be some UK Wikipedians interested in helping with 18th/19th century articles on British society, so I thought it worth highlighting my upload of over 700 new high resolution scans to Wikimedia Commons of the Library of Congress [[Commons:Category:British Cartoon Prints Collection|British Cartoon Prints Collection]] (for usability, both large tiff and more modest jpeg files are available). Many of these are notable political parodies that are either worth including on Wikipedia articles of the artists, their unfortunate subjects, or some may be notable enough for their own article. Alternatively, you may find some of the recently uploaded (complete) books, manuscripts and maps at [[Commons:Category:World Digital Library|World Digital Library]] an untapped resource for an article or a new Wikisource project.
 
The Library of Congress has other collections with a connection to UK history or there may be different on-line public domain collections that you would like to see uploaded. Drop me a [[Commons:User talk:Fæ|note on Commons]] if you have an idea for future batch upload projects. --[[User:Fæ|Fæ]] ([[User talk:Fæ|talk]]) 08:40, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== Day of the week of events ==
 
There's been no reply to my message at [[Talk:Women in Science Wikipedia edit-a-thon 13 May 2014 - University of Liverpool]].  Does anyone know why it is happening on that day?  I'd hate to think that we'd do an event on a day that is convenient for someone in a partner institution but results in us reaching very few people.  [[User:Yaris678|Yaris678]] ([[User talk:Yaris678|talk]]) 19:42, 23 March 2014 (UTC)
:Hi Yaris, I have passed this on to my colleagues so hopefully someone who is able to answer your question will be in touch soon. Thank you. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 12:19, 24 March 2014 (UTC)
 
:: Replied on the event page - hope it helps. If you are interested in being a trainer for this event, do note your interest on the event page. Thanks! [[User:Daria Cybulska (WMUK)|Daria Cybulska (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Daria Cybulska (WMUK)|talk]]) 09:45, 25 March 2014 (UTC)
 
== Wikidata workshop ==
 
[[File:Wikidata-logo-en.svg|right|125px]]
Do you want to learn more about [[:wikidata:|Wikidata]]? On Saturday 26 April, Wikimedia UK is organising a one day workshop focusing on Wikidata, its tools ecosystem, and what you can do with it. More details and registration can be found [[Wikidata workshop 2014|here]]. -- [[User:Katie Chan (WMUK)|Katie Chan (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Katie Chan (WMUK)|talk]]) 14:50, 24 March 2014 (UTC)
: I do, but I can't make that date. Will the event be re-run? <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> 13:57, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
{{clear}}
 
== Wikimania delegate packs ==
 
Hello everyone. It's time to start preparing delegate packs for Wikimania. What materials would be useful to include in a perfect world? What information would be useful to visitors to the conference, and to London? Things like Tube maps and guides to using Oyster cards of course, emergency contact details, directions to the Barbican and Wikimedia UK office... but what else do you think would be helpful? Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Note: While it seems like Wikimania is a long way away still, if we want new materials they need to be written, designed and printed so the sooner we start, the better. Thanks very much. [[User:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|Stevie Benton (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Stevie Benton (WMUK)|talk]]) 11:12, 25 March 2014 (UTC)
*[[Wikivoyage:Wikimania 2014 London Guidebook]] is intended to cover a lot of things like this.  Some of it doesn't work well offline (the URLs mainly) but that project's page are designed to be printed off and used manually.  (At one point I was thinking of useing QRpedia to create a quick QR link from a printed page to the website but that doesn't seem to work any more for non-pedias.) - [[User:AdamBMorgan|AdamBMorgan]] ([[User talk:AdamBMorgan|talk]]) 11:39, 25 March 2014 (UTC)
*A Wikimedia branded memory stick. --[[User:MichaelMaggs|MichaelMaggs]] ([[User talk:MichaelMaggs|talk]]) 12:50, 25 March 2014 (UTC)
* An A4 local map showing the venue, the locations of the evening events, the accommodation and the public transport links
* the Wikimania schedule
* A list of friendly dos and don't such as "on tube escalators stand on the right, walk on the left".
* A wikimedia UK sticker and coaster
* Re the emergency contact details, there is a draft already started [https://wikimania2014.wikimedia.org/wiki/London/Emergency_contacts on the Wikimania wiki].
* a Weather forecast for the 8-11 August. We would need to print this on the 7th and add it to the delegate bags.
[[User:Jonathan Cardy (WMUK)|Jonathan Cardy (WMUK)]] ([[User talk:Jonathan Cardy (WMUK)|talk]]) 13:23, 25 March 2014 (UTC)

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.
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Kanban for editathons

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.

Yaris678 (talk) 15:09, 3 February 2017 (GMT)

Hi Yaris678, I was the lead trainer at the Women in Classical Studies editathon. I saw the kanban in an Instagram post for an Art+Feminism editathon. It worked much better than expected - a fantastic indicator of the achievements of the day.Eartha78 (talk) 19:02, 3 February 2017 (GMT)
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:

  1. Diverse content and contributors
  2. Promoting open knowledge
  3. 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?

With many thanks indeed for your input.

LucyCrompton-Reid (WMUK) (talk) 13:39, 21 September 2017 (BST)

ACTRIAL and new users creating new pages at events

Hi All,

Some thoughts on WP:ACTRIAL and our events:

  • It makes sense to encourage new users to work in 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.

Yaris678 (talk) 14:44, 25 September 2017 (BST)

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)
According to WMF research, of the 1,180 articles created every day on the English Wikipedia, about 7% are by non-autoconfirmed editors. Richard Nevell (WMUK) (talk) 16:55, 2 October 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.
Yaris678 (talk) 12:59, 19 October 2017 (BST)

Wiki Loves Monuments UK 2017 awards announced

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)

Effects of broadband

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

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)
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