Wikimania 2014

[Neotarf]

A number of these speakers have Wikipedia articles. Might this be a good time for screenshots to update their photos? (See live stream.)

[Randy from Boise]

In related news from London, Greg Kohs has a new favorite photo...



(That's a 73 mph fastball down the center of the plate for ya...)

Naureen Nayyar☀
‏@norabean

So, @jimmy_wales just took a #monkeyselfie with my phone #wikimania2014 Hm, so who owns this then?

[Randy from Boise]

I still have

ONE AMERICAN DOLLAR

for the first person providing photographic evidence that Wil Sinclair is now in London...

RfB

[thekohser]

I am interested in how many times you see the words "we need" in the #wikimania2014 feed. Some examples:

We need to consider routes by which users pass through search engines to Wikipedia

We need #openaccess and Open Knoweldge to work in the real world

Our job is to convince the real world that we need to share knowledge

We need people to write more plugins

we need more volunteers

We need an open bibliography of scientific lit.

We need to reduce friction

We need to start 'containerizing' the data we release;

we need to develop a conversation with users

And those were just in the past hour. I don't think any of them count as "needs", merely "wants".

[Peter Damian]

I got hit on the head by a stuffed moose in one of those installation art pieces and everything went very funny for 24 hours. Now everything seems different. It was rather boring actually. Everything is 'open' or 'data'.

More news later, in particular how I ended up at the 'admin tools' session on the fourth floor, which was a narrow scrape indeed. There were some truly scary people there, rather more than I expected, and there was also one of those tests like they have in the black magic devil worship films to test whether you are a true son or daughter of satan. It was a room with a round table (really) and they go round one by one in turn, getting closer and closer to the quaking Damian.

More later, on how Damian escaped alive.

[Randy from Boise]

Let's see, is this art of life imitating art?

RfB

[Mancunium]

More news later, in particular how I ended up at the 'admin tools' session on the fourth floor, which was a narrow scrape indeed. There were some truly scary people there, rather more than I expected, and there was also one of those tests like they have in the black magic devil worship films to test whether you are a true son or daughter of satan. It was a room with a round table (really) and they go round one by one in turn, getting closer and closer to the quaking Damian.

Jimbo's Initiation:

[Vigilant]

Let's see, is this art of life imitating art?

RfB

No.
That's a douchebag taunting someone who has had his copyright trampled by wikipedia.

[Midsize Jake]

Is it me, or does their level of douchebaggery increase significantly when substantial numbers of them are hanging out together at one of their annual get-togethers? I suppose that in any online group where the herd/hive mentality is fairly strong, the most common general characteristic(s) shared by the group members will only be amplified by assembling them in a physical space.

I mean, sure, they've always wanted to screw over just about every pro photographer who ever lived, regardless of what time of year it is... but it seems like this sort of behavior - i.e., taunting, baiting, derision, mockery - mostly just occurs when a conference is going on.

[Vigilant]

Is it me, or does their level of douchebaggery increase significantly when substantial numbers of them are hanging out together at one of their annual get-togethers? I suppose that in any online group where the herd/hive mentality is fairly strong, the most common general characteristic(s) shared by the group members will only be amplified by assembling them in a physical space.

I mean, sure, they've always wanted to screw over just about every pro photographer who ever lived, regardless of what time of year it is... but it seems like this sort of behavior - i.e., taunting, baiting, derision, mockery - mostly just occurs when a conference is going on.

No.
It's always like this with betas.

They spend their lives on the periphery of society trying to find some way to be relevant and powerful.
It eludes them like a fox in pipe storage yard.

Jealous and defensive, when they cluster things change.
Some of them become local relative alphas. The remaining herd delude themselves into thinking that there exists some small chance that they might someday achieve this lofty position.

Denigration of the 'non-tribe' members to further elevate their own position within the tribe is standard beta hominid behavior.


The rest is left as an exercise for the reader.

[Randy from Boise]

After skimming through the hours of "live feed" which is now recorded and referenced above, I found the most interesting presentation to be the one by the dude who is working at machine-scraping and harvesting pdfs of scientific papers to produce useable data sets, with Wikipedia as the coordinating index.

In a panel Jimmy Wales also tackled a question about whether the WMF Board felt it was getting adequate value from its big cash outlays to the Wikimedia User Groups (WMUK, WMDE, etc.). His answer was, in effect, "no and yes" — that frequently value had not been delivered but that this was inevitable during the initial phase of operations when new ideas were being tested and effective strategies developed. He was mildly self-critical about the lack of performance metrics and indicated that this would be rectified moving forward.

I also found it interesting that about half the WMF Board is female but about 100% of the words spoken in answer to general questions were by men. Just sayin'...


RfB

[Kiefer.Wolfowitz]

London's a nice town and all, but nevertheless I envision Wikimania 2014 as looking a lot like this movie trailer below, with Erik as the one showing up around 1:15 or so.

That film was so over the top it went straight on my rental list. Actually I thought the mad German professor type at 1:10 was more 'Erik'.

Excessive mortification of the flesh.

[Peter Damian]

So. I just thought it would be a discussion about admin tools but it was like walking into a shark's den. (Or the satanist ritual, see above). 'Deskana' who unbelievably was in Arbcom in 2008, was the chair. 'Mailer Diablo' who is a bit like that Chinese gangster in The Hangover, but thinner and younger. Was also on arbcom for a bit. I had sat next to him earlier when the speaker did not answer his question in exactly the right way, and he hopped around in anger, complaining to me (who could do nothing). A few people in Zztop beards or van dykes. Risker was right next to me. Not the kind of woman who shops in Bond Street. Heavy jeans made out of sailcloth, hiking boots, looking ready to strangle a grizzly bear. About 20 people in all, around the table. And me. And, oh yes, FT2, who called himself ‘Paul’. Seemed on very good terms with Risker.

Deskana asked everyone on the table to say their name (or user name) and which wiki they were an admin on. It went slowly round, clockwise, with me at 8 o’clock. I was trying to edge my seat back towards the wall, as though a neutral observer. But Risker was on my left, smiling and inviting me to speak up. So I nervously said I was an admin on a non-WMF wiki, without saying the name, as this links to my email address. And this was true.

This seemed to do. After half-an-hour, when another presentation beckoned, I slunk off. Narrow escape.

More on the conference later.

[Hex]

[Randy from Boise]

Risker was right next to me. Not the kind of woman who shops in Bond Street. Heavy jeans made out of sailcloth, hiking boots, looking ready to strangle a grizzly bear.

Meh, she's Canadian. In the Great White North one actually DOES need to strangle a grizzly bear every now and then...


RfB

[Mancunium]

Wikipedia 'completely failed' to fix gender imbalance
BBC News, 8 August 2014 link

Contributors to the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia are descending on London for their annual gathering, dubbed Wikimania. Despite more than 30 million pages of information ranging from the mundane to the controversial, the free online encyclopaedia faces significant challenges. Wikipedia's most important issues are expanding foreign language versions and having a more diverse group of writers, the so-called "Wikipedians". Caroline Hepker asked Wikipedia's founder Jimmy Wales if he is concerned that the majority of contributors are Western men.

Embedded video interview with Western man Jim-Bob Wales (link).

[thekohser]

They're going to start figuring out who you are, Peter, from these breadcrumbs you're leaving. And before you know it, FT2 is going to send an attack dog to your lunch table.

Wikipedia 'completely failed' to fix gender imbalance
BBC News, 8 August 2014 link

I think Jimbo's got a thing for Hepker. And don't worry WikiLadies, "a lot of outreach" and "a lot of software changes" that Jimbo is promising will surely make you really, really want to edit Wikipedia about things like purses, panty hose, and cleaning products.

[Hex]

Meh, she's Canadian. In the Great White North one actually DOES need to strangle a grizzly bear every now and then...

It's true. They wouldn't even let me out of the airport in Toronto until I'd done that. Something about a test of character, eh?

[Randy from Boise]

Link to the opening comments of Jimmy Wales and the keynote of Lila Tretikov are at the following link:

http://new.livestream.com/wikimania/opening2014

Wales is on at about 24:00 and Tretikov is on at 33:45 and off at 47:45, running on the fifth screen from the top of the page (i.e. the one the most times viewed).


RfB

[thekohser]

Link to the opening comments of Jimmy Wales and the keynote of Lila Tretikov are at the following link:

http://new.livestream.com/wikimania/opening2014

Wales is on at about 24:00 and Tretikov is on at 33:45 and off at 47:45, running on the fifth screen from the top of the page (i.e. the one the most times viewed).


RfB

Thanks for this, but I am honestly feeling like I have nothing to gain by watching these talks. I cannot imagine them saying anything I couldn't entirely predict already. The only twinge of interest that I have, is whether or not Jimbo announced another $5,000 winner of a "Wikipedian of the Year" who won't get their check.

[EricBarbour]

Thanks for this, but I am honestly feeling like I have nothing to gain by watching these talks. I cannot imagine them saying anything I couldn't entirely predict already. The only twinge of interest that I have, is whether or not Jimbo announced another $5,000 winner of a "Wikipedian of the Year" who won't get their check.

Agreed, and I don't care about "Wikipedian Of The Year" either. It's all half-baked propaganda.

[Hex]

I'm on my way to the Barbican. If any Wikipediocrats want to meet up, send me a PM and we can work something out.

[Cla68]

Is it me, or does their level of douchebaggery increase significantly when substantial numbers of them are hanging out together at one of their annual get-togethers? I suppose that in any online group where the herd/hive mentality is fairly strong, the most common general characteristic(s) shared by the group members will only be amplified by assembling them in a physical space.

I mean, sure, they've always wanted to screw over just about every pro photographer who ever lived, regardless of what time of year it is... but it seems like this sort of behavior - i.e., taunting, baiting, derision, mockery - mostly just occurs when a conference is going on.

No.
It's always like this with betas.

They spend their lives on the periphery of society trying to find some way to be relevant and powerful.
It eludes them like a fox in pipe storage yard.

Jealous and defensive, when they cluster things change.
Some of them become local relative alphas. The remaining herd delude themselves into thinking that there exists some small chance that they might someday achieve this lofty position.

Denigration of the 'non-tribe' members to further elevate their own position within the tribe is standard beta hominid behavior.


The rest is left as an exercise for the reader.

I thought you didn't approve of "red pill" philosophy? Anyway, where the real action happens at these conferences is the after hours parties when the booze is flowing. You attendees should take one for the team and pretend to drink and be tipsy, but actually be stone cold sober so you can bait the Wikipedians into making some really unguarded statements.

[Poetlister]

That's a 73 mph fastball down the center of the plate for ya...

73mph is fast? link

[Triptych]

Let's see, is this art of life imitating art?

[/color]

No.
That's a douchebag taunting someone who has had his copyright trampled by wikipedia.

Yes, it's a contemptible act of fun and games making light of the photographer who's stated he's losing great amounts of money as a result of WMF asserting he doesn't own the photo, which was becoming an iconic image even before the brouhaha at Commons occurred recently.

If the photographer does actually file the lawsuit, this could come possibly come in handy as evidence of the frivolity and contempt that WMF approaches things like this, where real-life people get hurt and it's just a big joke to them, such as Wales who is of course a trustee.

[Randy from Boise]

That's a 73 mph fastball down the center of the plate for ya...

73mph is fast? link

No, 73 mph is slow and easy to crush over the fence...

RfB

[Randy from Boise]

I don't think WMF wins if Monkey Selfie ends up in court. Their argument for public domain in this case is novel. I would not want to bet money on "novel."

tim

[mac]

Let's see, is this art of life imitating art?

[/color]

No.
That's a douchebag taunting someone who has had his copyright trampled by wikipedia.

Yes, it's a contemptible act of fun and games making light of the photographer who's stated he's losing great amounts of money as a result of WMF asserting he doesn't own the photo, which was becoming an iconic image even before the brouhaha at Commons occurred recently.

If the photographer does actually file the lawsuit, this could come possibly come in handy as evidence of the frivolity and contempt that WMF approaches things like this, where real-life people get hurt and it's just a big joke to them, such as Wales who is of course a trustee.

I agree. IMO, it shows malice which could result in punitive damages. In case the tweet gets deleted, here is an archived copy for Mr Slater's attorneys: link

[thekohser]

That's a 73 mph fastball down the center of the plate for ya...

73mph is fast? link

No, 73 mph is slow and easy to crush over the fence...

RfB

Tim probably also recognizes that with my bat speed, anything over about 85 or 86, I might not get around on in time, and would just foul off into the first base-side stands.

[Mancunium]

Wikimania: We need to choose the main stream over our small pool
by Cameron Neylon, PLoS, 8 August 2014 link

The Wikimania meeting is the annual jamboree of the Wikimedia movement. The sessions cover museums, pop culture, politics, technology, communities and tools. Two thousand people have descended on the Barbican Centre in London to talk not just about Wikipedia (or more properly the Wikipedias in various languages) but a myriad of other projects that use the platforms or infrastructure the foundation stewards or take inspiration from the successes of this movement. The energy and the optimism here is infectious. The people around me are showing in session after session what happens when you give motivated people access to information resources and platforms to work with them. From the perspective of academia, or of scholarly publishing it is easy, even traditional, to be dismissive of these efforts. There is perhaps no more pejorative term in the academic lexicon than ‘amateur’. This is a serious mistake. The community here are a knowledge creation and curation community – the most successful such community of the digital age. There is much that they can teach us about managing information at scale and making it accessible and usable. The infrastructure they are building could be an important contribution to our own information platforms. There are tools and systems I have seen demonstrated here, many of them built by those ‘amateurs’, which far outstrip the capabilities we have in the academic information ecosystem. [...]

Now don’t get me wrong – scholarly knowledge is special. It is special because of the validation and assessment processes it goes though. But the containers it sits in. They’re not special. The business models that provide those containers aren’t particularly special. But most importantly the ways in which that knowledge could be used by a motivated community aren’t any different from that of other knowledge resources. And if we don’t make it easy to use our content then it will simply be passed over for other more accessible, more easily useable materials. This community, this massive, engaged and motivated community are our natural allies in knowledge creation, dissemination, research engagement and ultimately justifying public research funding. We disengage from them at our peril. And we don’t get to dictate the terms of that engagement because they are bigger and more important than us. But if we choose to engage then the benefits to both our communities could be enormous. It is comfortable to be the big fish in the small pond – to put up barriers and say “but we are different, we’re special” – but if we want to make a difference we should choose to swim actively in the main stream. Because that’s what this community is. The main stream of information and knowledge dissemination in the digital age.

Now Wikipedia is a "knowledge creator"? And I don't know why Cameron_Neylon (T-H-L) thinks he is part of, much less a spokesperson for, the "academic community". He has never been employed by an institution of higher learning; he is Advocacy Director at the Public Library of Science (PLoS), which is a magazine publisher.

[Midsize Jake]

It is comfortable to be the big fish in the small pond – to put up barriers and say “but we are different, we’re special” – but if we want to make a difference we should choose to swim actively in the main stream. Because that’s what this community is. The main stream of information and knowledge dissemination in the digital age.

In other words, "give up your privately owned, independently operated websites, and publish whatever you have on the site we control, not you. And who knows, if you work really hard to please us, maybe we'll actually give you a vote!"

[neved]

A few months ago I saw a TV advertisement about weight loosing pills.
In the advertisement a little boy looks at his pregnant mom's tummy, and asks why it is so big.
The mom explains to the boy that she is pregnant. The boy then looks at his dad's tummy, and... asks:
"Daddy, are you pregnant too?"
I wonder why this picture reminded that advertisement to me:ermm:


Now this image.What in the world is that disgusting colored spot at the upper part (around the neck) of Mr. Wales t-shirt, and who came up with an idea to write "Wikimania London" over tummy? It would have looked much more in place, if it were placed on the chest, would it not?


And it is funny... Right after I wrote this comment about the t-shirt I watched Jon Davies (Chief Executive Wimedia UK) speech at the opening ceremony. He was talking about challenges of making t-shirts "you are wearing" After exclaiming "what possibly could go wrong with t-shirts?" Mr.Davies presented the table (below), explained how much time and efforts were spent on t-shirts.
I personally believe that everything that could have gone wrong with t-shirts did get wrong, but another thing, it is rather scary that the charity spends time and money on such things...

[Bielle]

Nothing asked about design, colour or legibility, and you can tell.

Sorry, but hard as the result makes it to believe, they did consider colour.

[Writegeist]

Just watched Tretikov's Facing the Now presentation.

Wow. Technical glitches, banal slides, mindless cliches about change; statements of the painfully obvious; woolly wads of gobbledygook. And all delivered by a bluffer who can't communicate, offers not a glimmer of genuinely fresh thinking, and has almost nothing intelligent to say.

Seldom have I seen an adult public speaker so deeply, embarrassingly, out of their depth. One thing is clear: the "Wikimedia movement" (as Sue Gardner hypes it) has another bullshitting fuckwit at the helm.

Some of the highlights:
"Not sure where I am, I'm in this haze thinking this might be a bit of a delirium."
"We're not designed to figure out what makes sense."
"We are different. We are together."
Oh, and the slide of the loser with the metal detector captioned Funding.

Are "movements" like democracies? They get the leaders they deserve?

[Vigilant]

Just watched Tretikov's Facing the Now presentation.

Wow. Technical glitches, banal slides, mindless cliches about change; statements of the painfully obvious; woolly wads of gobbledygook. And all delivered by a bluffer who can't communicate, offers not a glimmer of genuinely fresh thinking, and has almost nothing intelligent to say.

Seldom have I seen an adult public speaker so deeply, embarrassingly, out of their depth. One thing is clear: the "Wikimedia movement" (as Sue Gardner hypes it) has another bullshitting fuckwit at the helm.

Some of the highlights:
"Not sure where I am, I'm in this haze thinking this might be a bit of a delirium."
"We're not designed to figure out what makes sense."
"We are different. We are together."
Oh, and the slide of the loser with the metal detector captioned Funding.

Are "movements" like democracies? They get the leaders they deserve?

Link please.

[EricBarbour]

I found a good use for that photo.....

http://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewto ... &start=750

[Peter Damian]

No it's awesome. Brandon gave an incredible talk about the importance of finding a cure for cancer, ending war, solving the problem of poverty, and making the world a better place. At that point I felt ashamed of contributing to Wikipediocracy. Friends of mine have died from cancer, and it is important to find a cure. Cancer is horrible. War is horrible. Poverty is horrible. How could anyone support such things? At that moment, I realised I must donate to Wikipedia, and campaign for the closure of sites like this. Aren't you all ashamed?

[Stierlitz]

RfB

Which one is the monkey?

[TungstenCarbide]

No it's awesome. Brandon gave an incredible talk about the importance of finding a cure for cancer, ending war, solving the problem of poverty, and making the world a better place. At that point I felt ashamed of contributing to Wikipediocracy. Friends of mine have died from cancer, and it is important to find a cure. Cancer is horrible. War is horrible. Poverty is horrible. How could anyone support such things? At that moment, I realised I must donate to Wikipedia, and campaign for the closure of sites like this. Aren't you all ashamed?

I love you, man.

[Jim]

What in the world is that disgusting colored spot at the upper part (around the neck) of Mr. Wales t-shirt?

I think there's a technical term for that, almost certainly "shadow", probably involving effects from coloured stage lighting. You can see the effect elsewhere in the shot, too.

Utterly crap shirt though, and fittingly hilarious that WMUK would give a presentation on the complexities of its production, and the great thought and care that went into creating such an eyesore. Camels are indeed horses designed by committees.

[Midsize Jake]

Aren't you all ashamed?

[Jim]

...solving the problem of poverty...

Ah, yes. That little work in progress, solving the problem of poverty...

[Writegeist]

Just watched Tretikov's Facing the Now presentation.

Wow. Technical glitches, banal slides, mindless cliches about change; statements of the painfully obvious; woolly wads of gobbledygook. And all delivered by a bluffer who can't communicate, offers not a glimmer of genuinely fresh thinking, and has almost nothing intelligent to say.

Seldom have I seen an adult public speaker so deeply, embarrassingly, out of their depth. One thing is clear: the "Wikimedia movement" (as Sue Gardner hypes it) has another bullshitting fuckwit at the helm.

Some of the highlights:
"Not sure where I am, I'm in this haze thinking this might be a bit of a delirium."
"We're not designed to figure out what makes sense."
"We are different. We are together."
Oh, and the slide of the loser with the metal detector captioned Funding.

Are "movements" like democracies? They get the leaders they deserve?

Link please.

Watched here http://wikimanialondon.org/live.html but apparently there's no recording available. They just might be dumb enough to rectify that..

[EricBarbour]

Just watched Tretikov's Facing the Now presentation.
Some of the highlights:
"Not sure where I am, I'm in this haze thinking this might be a bit of a delirium."
"We're not designed to figure out what makes sense."
"We are different. We are together."

[Triptych]

What in the world is that disgusting colored spot at the upper part (around the neck) of Mr. Wales t-shirt?

I think there's a technical term for that, almost certainly "shadow", probably involving effects from coloured stage lighting. You can see the effect elsewhere in the shot, too.

In the second picture linked by Neved in her 12:03 post above, it really does look like a huge stain. I don't see how it could be lighting. Additionally in that picture, though this is very small and less certain, the stain appears to me to me to continue on the left lapel of the business jacket Wales is wearing over the t-shirt.

Could it possibly be some huge hot chocolate or cappuccino spill and he couldn't change clothes?

[Jim]

What in the world is that disgusting colored spot at the upper part (around the neck) of Mr. Wales t-shirt?

I think there's a technical term for that, almost certainly "shadow", probably involving effects from coloured stage lighting. You can see the effect elsewhere in the shot, too.

In the second picture linked by Neved in her 12:03 post above, it really does look like a huge stain. I don't see how it could be lighting. Additionally in that picture, though this is very small and less certain, the stain appears to me to me to continue on the left lapel of the business jacket Wales is wearing over the t-shirt.

Could it possibly be some huge hot chocolate or cappuccino spill and he couldn't change clothes?

Yeah, I'm not absolutely certain, looking closer. What makes me think it could be shadow, or an artefact, is that you can see the same green discolouration in the other shadow areas on the shirt, and even, to an extent, his stubble.

But let's face it, it's much funnier if we assume he missed his mouth with his kool-aid, so I'm perfectly happy to go with that.

[Cla68]

They do seem to have gotten a good turnout for the event. It really makes more sense for them to have these conferences in North America or the UK instead of places like Egypt, Argentina, or Taiwan.

[thekohser]

No it's awesome. Brandon gave an incredible talk about the importance of finding a cure for cancer, ending war, solving the problem of poverty, and making the world a better place. At that point I felt ashamed of contributing to Wikipediocracy. Friends of mine have died from cancer, and it is important to find a cure. Cancer is horrible. War is horrible. Poverty is horrible. How could anyone support such things? At that moment, I realised I must donate to Wikipedia, and campaign for the closure of sites like this. Aren't you all ashamed?

Were you able to touch Brandon's hair? I hear that those who are able to get close enough to stroke those long, silky locks are imbued with new powers of "courage", just as his forearm tattoo says.

They do seem to have gotten a good turnout for the event. It really makes more sense for them to have these conferences in North America or the UK instead of places like Egypt, Argentina, or Taiwan.

I've been saying that for years and years. Of course, if they did that, then they'd be accused of not spreading out the "diversity" mission of the Foundation, and (more importantly) the WMF staff spongers wouldn't be able to add another exotic stamp to their ever-growing passports. I mean, it's so much more fun to talk with new hires about the "really, really awesome time" that everyone had in Hong Kong, rather than in St. Louis.

[Randy from Boise]

Just watched Tretikov's Facing the Now presentation.

Wow. Technical glitches, banal slides, mindless cliches about change; statements of the painfully obvious; woolly wads of gobbledygook. And all delivered by a bluffer who can't communicate, offers not a glimmer of genuinely fresh thinking, and has almost nothing intelligent to say.

Seldom have I seen an adult public speaker so deeply, embarrassingly, out of their depth. One thing is clear: the "Wikimedia movement" (as Sue Gardner hypes it) has another bullshitting fuckwit at the helm.

Some of the highlights:
"Not sure where I am, I'm in this haze thinking this might be a bit of a delirium."
"We're not designed to figure out what makes sense."
"We are different. We are together."
Oh, and the slide of the loser with the metal detector captioned Funding.

Are "movements" like democracies? They get the leaders they deserve?

Link please.

Watched here http://wikimanialondon.org/live.html but apparently there's no recording available. They just might be dumb enough to rectify that..

I just watched it at http://new.livestream.com/wikimania/saturday2014

My critique: Tretikov is acting like a corporate CEO, obsessed with defending the "market share" of Wikipedia as technology moves forward. "The real risk is doing nothing" in terms of innovation, etc.

Hey: here's a couple ideas: how about taking advantage of American "fair use" exemptions to copyright law? How about coming up with a licensing deal that makes proprietary sound and video technologies THAT READERS CAN ACTUALLY USE possible instead of obsessing over open source crap that doesn't run on anyone's machine? You know, maybe adding sound and video to the internet — how radical is that!?!? How about working with Google to make machine translation of English to other languages better so that all the non-English encyclopedias have better content?

Tretikov said not a word about improving the ACTUAL CONTENT; it's all about "innovating" technology, with a very centralized model and equating "users" with readers and treating volunteers like unpaid (subordinate) staff.

The cynic in me see someone intent on preserving the revenue stream...

RfB

[Hex]

My summary of the day I spent at Wikimania: meh. It was interesting seeing the faces behind a lot of names, and meeting a select few of them (including Anthonyhcole who had flown in from Australia), but that was about it. The gender balance of attendees was much better than the overall online balance, which was refreshing.

It's always nice to have a reason to spend time in the Barbican, so well done to the organizers for landing the venue. It's very well suited to an event of this size.