World War I/World War I Editathon

Enthusiastic Wikimedians on the train towards the Front

Our first World War I Editathon will be held on Saturday 16 June 2012 in London. Organised jointly with JISC, the UK’s expert body on digital technologies for education and research, the Editathon will bring the Wikipedia military history community together with experts from academia. Our goal is not only to improve Wikipedia articles on World War I topics, but also to build bridges between Wikimedians and academics. This is the first of Wikimedia UK's events aimed at commemorating the centenary of World War I, and we hope it will be the first of many events over coming years.

Details of venue and timings will be confirmed shortly. Space will be limited, so please sign up now!

Event details

• Who: Wikimedians with an interest in World War I in particular and military history in general; invited academics and experts in the subject matter.
• When: Saturday 16 June 2012. Times TBC but it will be an all-day event
• Where: British Library, St Pancras, London. map
• Cost: Free to attend. Wikimedia UK will cover travel expenses for Wikimedians who want to sign up.
• Contact: Contact Chris Keating, chris.keating at wikimedia.org.uk or on-wiki: The Land (talk)

Metadata

Wikimedia UK World War I Editathon 2012-06-16 http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/World_War_I/World_War_I_Editathon

What will we be editing?

We will aim to focus the Editathon around three areas of World War I which JISC have identified as under-represented in digital resources (on the Internet in general rather than Wikipedia in particular). These areas are:

• Strategy and Operations
• Medicine and World War I
• Global impact of the War

Work on any aspect of World War I will be welcome, but particularly welcome if it touches on one of these 3 areas. If you have particular articles you'd like to work on, then it would be great if you could let us know when you sign up, so we can let our academics know in advance!

Online participation will certainly be possible.

What resources will be available?

We'll have access to a number of experts in the field, who will be keen to help make Wikipedia articles better, so this will be a great opportunity to work with a real expert in the subject to help improve your articles! Being at the British Library, we'll have access to literally every book on World War I (and any other subject) via the Reading Rooms. But if you have key sources on your bookshelf, do bring them along as well. We'll also be able to signpost people towards good places to find pictures from existing online collections.

Sign up here

Space will be limited, so please sign up now with your username! It would be great if you could let us know your area of interest, and even better if there are particular articles you'd like to work on (preferably, but not necessarily in the areas listed above). NB - please make sure to log in before signing up (your Wikipedia accounts will work here but your user pages will be red-linked), and/or use {{w|User:Name}}.

In person

1. The Land (talk) 18:22, 11 April 2012 (UTC) (organiser) - I'm particularly interested in naval warfare and military doctrine, the thing I'd most like to edit is Wikipedia's coverage of infantry doctrine, which is in dire need of improvement.
2. Andy Mabbett (User:Pigsonthewing); Andy's talk; Andy's edits 18:55, 11 April 2012 (UTC) - general interest; happy to advise on templates & QRpedia especially.
3. With great pleasure. "Global impact" sounds an interesting field to look at - demographic impacts particularly. Shimgray (talk) 22:44, 11 April 2012 (UTC)
4. 1917 on the western front, particularly the operational and organisational aspects. (Keith-264)77.86.102.50 08:01, 12 April 2012 (UTC)77.86.102.50 08:01, 12 April 2012 (UTC)
5. "Strategy and Operations" looks good to me. (have to reconfirm nearer the time as I'm Scotland based and I'm awaiting a new arrival in my family) 62.189.175.44 10:05, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

   Any chance you could let us know your Wikipedia username? :-) The Land (talk) 12:08, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

6. I'll have to have a think about how the Archives might participate. But I'll be there regardless. With some books --Mr impossible (talk) 16:35, 12 April 2012 (UTC)
7. StratOps is my area of interest - mostly subterfuge topics. --ErrantX (talk) 14:43, 13 April 2012 (UTC)
8. Might be more efficient to lug books across London to an editathon than to wade through them where I live. Would be especially nice to be able to discuss face-to-face with others the bigger picture of where efforts are best spent on editing. I have written on minor topics in the history of medicine in the early 20th century, so I would be interested in anything to do with the 'Medicine and World War I' topic area. Carcharoth (talk) 23:29, 18 April 2012 (UTC)
9. I mostly write biographies (I'm author of the only two FAs on a Chief of the General Staff, and of the article on the Iranian Embassy siege), and mostly post-WWII, but I'll write about anything that piques my interest. Harry Mitchell | Penny for your thoughts? 15:39, 20 April 2012 (UTC)
10. I've mostly written about how the war developed after the armistice, eg the Occupation of the Rhineland, Inter-Allied Rhineland High Commission etc, and also some other areas that some feel are a bit tangential such as Malleson mission. Nevertheless I feel these areas impact on the Global impact of the war.Leutha (talk) 16:36, 1 May 2012 (UTC), 1 May 2012 (UTC)

Virtual participation

1. # I'm interested in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of WWI, describing the operations and strategies of the engagements on Wikipedia. Sorry can't be at the British Library in person but hope to be able to make virtual contact on the day. --RoslynSKP (talk) 01:25, 1 May 2012 (UTC)
2. Primarily interested in technical advances including industrial production and transportation. Potential topics include the 1918 flu pandemic, the North Sea mine barrage, early history of nitrocellulose Military Rifle propellants, development of internal combustion light railway tractors, armaments production by Baldwin Locomotive Works, the .276 Enfield cartridge and associated P'13, P'14, and M1917 Enfield rifles. I look forward to virtual participation opportunities from the other side of the Atlantic.User:thewellmanThewellman (talk) 02:47, 1 May 2012 (UTC)
3. Might come in person, but this is not an area I'm really interested in, & I will hold back to allow those who are a shot, if places are limited. At the least I should be available online. Johnbod (talk) 16:10, 1 May 2012 (UTC)
4. Not sure I'll be able to make it in person, but I may be able to provide some backup to User:Mr impossible on archival resources. David Underdown (talk) 16:37, 1 May 2012 (UTC)