Talk:Volunteer Strategy Gathering/November 2014

We need a timescale for organising this.Fabian Tompsett (WMUK) (talk) 11:02, 6 October 2014 (BST)

Insights from WMDE

There was a really interesting talk at Wikimania by Dirke Franke of Wikimedia Germany. He talked about how different volunteers want different things and that the volunteers get to do the cool stuff and the staff do the less-cool stuff that enables the cool stuff to happen. Do we have a video of the talk? That would be very useful.

Yaris678 (talk) 10:17, 26 October 2014 (GMT)

Thanks for that. I have had a bit of an online search and found one of Dirk's presentations at the Pre-conference Volunteer Support meeting meeting is available here. Is this what you mean? There is a video on You-tube here, but I think this is something different? Fabian Tompsett (WMUK) (talk) 14:24, 26 October 2014 (GMT)

You make a good point. One thing that then emerges is how to design a project so that volunteers can do the cool stuff and that there a funds for someone to br paid to do the less exciting work? Fabian Tompsett (WMUK) (talk) 19:48, 26 October 2014 (GMT)

Looking at the programme, the talk was 12:00 to 12:30 in the Fountain Room, as part of the Technology VII stream. It was called "Engineering volunteering – what’s this volunteer support all about anyway?" but the presenter started by saying that it wasn't specific to engineering volunteering.

That Prezi presentation you linked to The community is you friend covers similar ground, although obviously it is just the slides - not what came out of the presenters mouth.

Designing a project so there are cool bits and bits we need to get funding for sounds like a sensible response to this way of looking at things. Maybe we could also do some kind of survey to work out what things people think are cool.

Yaris678 (talk) 11:00, 27 October 2014 (GMT)

Thanks for that. I have tracked down the video here, starts around 35 mins and goes on until 52 mins. I found it rather hard to hear, but the slides are also avaialble here.Fabian Tompsett (WMUK) (talk) 11:21, 27 October 2014 (GMT)

Thanks for finding that video. I have watched it back and I think it had some really good stuff. I especially like the Q&A at the end. e.g. the very last question, about project management. His point was that they generally don't manage volunteers - they try to support the volunteers to manage their own projects. Maybe doing that is easier said than done, but it is a good thing to aim for. It means people have to work out what is the best way to give support. Food for thought. Yaris678 (talk) 18:31, 3 November 2014 (GMT)

Agenda suggestions

WMUK focus for 2015

We will not know what funding we have been allocated by FDC until 1st December

Better support and engagement for volunteers

I think this has to be a key element of the conference

Technology development

I am not sure how many people attending the conference will be up on all the tech issues. I am hoping that we will have some people from the recently formed Wikidata Working Group to give a report back on how the group functions. What I feel we may need is a one-day tech gathering focussing specifically on such issues. Then it would be possible to get to grips with things and come up with practical steps forward. A decision to organise such an event could be an important outcome of this gathering.Fabian Tompsett (WMUK) (talk) 16:55, 29 October 2014 (GMT)