Wikimania 2014

Anroth · Unread post by **Anroth** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:35 pm

Technically you can drink at a younger age in certain situations, but yes, can buy it at 18.

Anthonyhcole · Unread post by **Anthonyhcole** » Tue Oct 01, 2013 11:58 pm

The Wikimania 2014 proposals page link is now open. I hope at least one of the more thoughtful critics here will consider doing a presentation.

thekohser · Unread post by **thekohser** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 2:59 am

I'll be happy to present -- just need my airfare paid by the WMF. Or, I'll consent to a webinar for a nominal fee ($500).

lilburne · Unread post by **lilburne** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 9:59 am

We could arrange to get several of them arrested for theft or criminal libel, promotion of child pornography and similar.

dogbiscuit · Unread post by **dogbiscuit** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:23 am

lilburne wrote:We could arrange to get several of them arrested for theft or criminal libel, promotion of child pornography and similar.

I think that there is an easy case to be made that Erik is not a suitable person to be allowed into his country given his strident stand on child pornography issues. I'd certainly like him to be given a good talking to at immigration and there is "probable cause" (as they like to say across the pond) for a good ferret around on his laptop - after all he claims to own items that are legal in Germany that are not legal in the UK.

Sounds like a plan to me!

Mancunium · Unread post by **Mancunium** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 11:45 am

I will definitely attend. Who could resist the unique opportunities for the Wikimedia community and its projects (including Wikipedia, Wikibooks, Wikinews, Wiktionary, Wikispecies, Wikivoyage, Wikimedia Commons, and MediaWiki) to come together, share their common goals, and develop better ways to work together on an international level?

I'm already excited about the traditional conference offerings such as paper presentations, tutorials, panels, and poster sessions. And -- be still, my beating heart -- there will be lounge space and breaks throughout for participants to gather and innovate, with an unconference day for attendees to design their own schedule and participation around common interests!

See you there. I'll be the wild and crazy Wikimaniac wearing the funny old hat I inherited from my Dad.

Do you think I could get Jimbo to autograph it?

thekohser · Unread post by **thekohser** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 12:01 pm

Mancunium wrote:Do you think I could get Jimbo to autograph it?

Careful. The last wearable item that Jimbo "autographed", Rachel Marsden ended up selling on Ebay.

Vigilant · Unread post by **Vigilant** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 12:23 pm

thekohser wrote:
Mancunium wrote:Do you think I could get Jimbo to autograph it?
Careful. The last wearable item that Jimbo "autographed", Rachel Marsden ended up selling on Ebay.

Come on , man, I was enjoying my tea.

The Joy · Unread post by **The Joy** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 12:24 pm

Funding for Wikimania has been canceled due to the U.S. government shutdown. Non-essential Wikipedians and Foundation employees will be laid off. Board members and those working on Flow and VisualEditor will continue to be paid and those projects funded.

In all seriousness, they've had a Wikimania on every continent save Australia and Antarctica.

Wikimania (T-H-L)

My guess is that Australia will the next place. I would also consider maybe South Africa. Egypt is in Africa, but North Africa is often tied in with the Middle East. So, a Wikimania in a place that is purely African sounds plausible.

Barring a job offer in London, I'm not likely to go. The Foundation does need to start focusing on getting Wikipedia working correctly on mobile devices. A presentation on that might work, if the WMF cares what I think. The format on my Kindle Fire is horrific.

Vigilant · Unread post by **Vigilant** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 12:25 pm

They should have in in Gibraltar.

dogbiscuit · Unread post by **dogbiscuit** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 1:01 pm

Vigilant wrote:They should have in in Gibraltar.

Nah, Alpha Centauri, I believe Wer900 is offering a free shuttle service as it's just round the corner.

The Joy · Unread post by **The Joy** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 1:05 pm

Vigilant wrote:They should have in in Gibraltar.

Well, the Spaniards were driven back.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... video.html

Vigilant · Unread post by **Vigilant** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 1:07 pm

The Joy wrote:
Vigilant wrote:They should have in in Gibraltar.
Well, the Spaniards were driven back.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... video.html

The "Britons" seem almost as hysterical as wikipediots.

Wer900 · Unread post by **Wer900** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:30 pm

dogbiscuit wrote:
Vigilant wrote:They should have in in Gibraltar.
Nah, Alpha Centauri, I believe Wer900 is offering a free shuttle service as it's just round the corner.

Call me back after a hundred years.

Randy from Boise · Unread post by **Randy from Boise** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:21 am

Vigilant wrote:They should have in in Gibraltar.

WINNAR!!!

RfB

Bielle · Unread post by **Bielle** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 5:12 am

The Joy wrote:Funding for Wikimania has been canceled due to the U.S. government shutdown. Non-essential Wikipedians and Foundation employees will be laid off. Board members and those working on Flow and VisualEditor will continue to be paid and those projects funded.

In all seriousness, they've had a Wikimania on every continent save Australia and Antarctica.

Wikimania (T-H-L)

My guess is that Australia will the next place. I would also consider maybe South Africa. Egypt is in Africa, but North Africa is often tied in with the Middle East. So, a Wikimania in a place that is purely African sounds plausible.

Barring a job offer in London, I'm not likely to go. The Foundation does need to start focusing on getting Wikipedia working correctly on mobile devices. A presentation on that might work, if the WMF cares what I think. The format on my Kindle Fire is horrific.

I think it might be a hoot to attend, but as someone else. That should be easy enough. The great benefit of having it in London is that the minute the humour fades (about 9:15 on the first morning), there is a whole wonderful city with which to reacquaint myself.

Unread post by **Midsize Jake** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 6:31 am

Mancunium wrote:And -- be still, my beating heart -- there will be lounge space and breaks throughout for participants to gather and innovate, with an unconference day for attendees to design their own schedule and participation around common interests!

Whoa, they're going to let us innovate right there in the lounge? We don't have to go into the men's room toilet stalls anymore?

AWESOME!

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.

Unread post by **Peter Damian** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 7:34 am

Midsize Jake wrote: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'.

Poetlister · Unread post by **Poetlister** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 11:51 am

Vigilant wrote:The "Britons" seem almost as hysterical as wikipediots.

There's a bit more at stake for those living in Gibraltar than some trivial incident on a website.

Vigilant · Unread post by **Vigilant** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 2:49 pm

Outsider wrote:
Vigilant wrote:The "Britons" seem almost as hysterical as wikipediots.
There's a bit more at stake for those living in Gibraltar than some trivial incident on a website.

Consequences of empire.

Anroth · Unread post by **Anroth** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 6:23 pm

I'm tempted to go.

Hex · Unread post by **Hex** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 7:01 pm

Can we merge this with the other thread?

Anroth, you were thinking about proposing a roundtable....

The Joy · Unread post by **The Joy** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 10:23 pm

Hex wrote:Can we merge this with the other thread?

Anroth, you were thinking about proposing a roundtable....

greyed.out.fields · Unread post by **greyed.out.fields** » Sat Oct 05, 2013 10:04 am

The Joy wrote:
Hex wrote:Can we merge this with the other thread?

Anroth, you were thinking about proposing a roundtable....

On second thought, let us not go to Wikimania. It is a silly place, etc, etc.

thekohser · Unread post by **thekohser** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 3:42 pm

Just had this delightful exchange with Andrew Lih (Fuzheado).

> On Fri, Jan 10, 2014 at 10:30 AM, Gregory Kohs <thekohser@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Regarding:
>> http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wi ... 29535.html
>>
>> Will any paid editors be invited to speak, or will they be banned?
>>
>> Greg
>>
>> --
>> Gregory Kohs
>> Founder, MyWikiBiz
>> Voice: 484-NEW-WIKI

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On Fri, Jan 10, 2014 at 10:32 AM, Andrew Lih <andrew.lih@gmail.com> wrote:
> Greg, good hearing from you.
>
> I think it'd be great to have paid editors in there, even folks that the
> Wikimedia community would consider … wolves?
>
> I'm a big fan of expanding the conversation.
>
> -Andrew
>
>
>

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gregory Kohs <thekohser@gmail.com>
10:35 AM

to Andrew

Imagine the spectacle of it all, as I enter the stage, the public
address system blasts "O Fortuna" (Carl Orff), the house lights lower,
limelight spot trained on me wearing a red silk cape, with plastic
devil horns on my head. Dry ice smoke fans in along the floor.

Think about it.

I'd just need a paid round-trip coach class ticket to London, and
rail, taxi, and shuttle expenses reimbursed. I can find friends for
lodging, so I'm really a cheap "expert speaker".

Greg

neved · Unread post by **neved** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:10 pm

thekohser wrote:Just had this delightful exchange with Andrew Lih (Fuzheado).
> On Fri, Jan 10, 2014 at 10:30 AM, Gregory Kohs <thekohser@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Regarding:
>> http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wi ... 29535.html
>>
>> Will any paid editors be invited to speak, or will they be banned?
>>
>> Greg
>>
>> --
>> Gregory Kohs
>> Founder, MyWikiBiz
>> Voice: 484-NEW-WIKI

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On Fri, Jan 10, 2014 at 10:32 AM, Andrew Lih <andrew.lih@gmail.com> wrote:
> Greg, good hearing from you.
>
> I think it'd be great to have paid editors in there, even folks that the
> Wikimedia community would consider … wolves?
>
> I'm a big fan of expanding the conversation.
>
> -Andrew
>
>
>

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gregory Kohs <thekohser@gmail.com>
10:35 AM

to Andrew

Imagine the spectacle of it all, as I enter the stage, the public
address system blasts "O Fortuna" (Carl Orff), the house lights lower,
limelight spot trained on me wearing a red silk cape, with plastic
devil horns on my head. Dry ice smoke fans in along the floor.

Think about it.

I'd just need a paid round-trip coach class ticket to London, and
rail, taxi, and shuttle expenses reimbursed. I can find friends for
lodging, so I'm really a cheap "expert speaker".

Greg

Well, if a long term paid editor cannot afford round trip to London, it is not a good advertisement to the paid editing.

Anthonyhcole · Unread post by **Anthonyhcole** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:35 pm

thekohser wrote:Just had this delightful exchange with Andrew Lih (Fuzheado).

Excellent.

thekohser · Unread post by **thekohser** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:38 pm

neved wrote:Well, if a long term paid editor cannot afford round trip to London, it is not a good advertisement to the paid editing.

It's the PR angle, as well as the principle.

EricBarbour · Unread post by **EricBarbour** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 8:21 pm

neved wrote:Well, if a long term paid editor cannot afford round trip to London, it is not a good advertisement to the paid editing.

So, where do all those poor starving Wikipedians get the money to travel? To Wikimania, no matter in the world where it is held, in order to shout down any critics?

Kelly Martin · Unread post by **Kelly Martin** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 8:54 pm

EricBarbour wrote:
neved wrote:Well, if a long term paid editor cannot afford round trip to London, it is not a good advertisement to the paid editing.
So, where do all those poor starving Wikipedians get the money to travel? To Wikimania, no matter in the world where it is held, in order to shout down any critics?

They get "scholarships" from the Foundation, natch. The nonprofit I used to work for would typically hold its annual meeting in some warm place in January, and the member organizations would reward VIPs with a trip to the annual meeting, where they'd go to a conference or two and spend three days someplace warm on someone else's dime paid for out of member dues. But it's a bit shady that at least some bit of the money the WMF raises goes to pay for travel for "random" editors to go to what amounts to a party.

Mancunium · Unread post by **Mancunium** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 9:55 pm

Sarah Stierch LinkedIn link

Sarah Stierch's Honors and Awards [...]

$2,000 scholarship
Wikimedia Netherlands for GLAMcamp, Amsterdam
December 2011

$1,600 scholarship
Wikimedia Foundation for Museum Computer Network (MCN) Conference
2011

$800 grant
George Washington University to attend Wikimania 2011, Haifa, Israel
2011

$1,800 scholarship
Wikimania 2011 to attend Wikimania 2011, Haifa, Israel
2011 [...]

Happy days: the crazy beach party at Wikimania 2011 in Haifa, Israel
(left to right: Lori Byrd Phillips, this guy they met, Sarah Stierch)

lilburne · Unread post by **lilburne** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 10:06 pm

Kelly Martin wrote:some bit of the money the WMF raises goes to pay for travel for "random" editors to go to what amounts to a party.

It won't be a party this year

they'll be plenty of tears.

Mancunium · Unread post by **Mancunium** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 10:21 pm

lilburne wrote:
Kelly Martin wrote:some bit of the money the WMF raises goes to pay for travel for "random" editors to go to what amounts to a party.
It won't be a party this year they'll be plenty of tears.

Will you still love me tomorrow?

enwikibadscience · Unread post by **enwikibadscience** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 11:09 pm

Vigilant wrote:They should have in in Gibraltar.

And Wikipedia already published the travel brochures for free (the DYKGibraltar thing is impossible to follow.)

Hex · Unread post by **Hex** » Sat Jan 11, 2014 1:03 am

I'd still like to merge this with the other thread... it even has the same title!

Mancunium · Unread post by **Mancunium** » Sun Jan 12, 2014 2:33 am

If there is to be a WPO delegation, it would be shame if there were no attempt made to renew and strengthen the ties of friendship between Jimmy Wales and those of his admirers who frequent this site. Respected Wikipedia editor/troll, and possible Wikipediocracy fan Nimrod_Kamer (T-H-L) has provided this guide to London's Clubland.

The gateleaper: how to get in to London's private members' clubs
The capital’s private members’ clubs are bastions of privilege where big deals are made and careers launched, with strictly no access for plebs. Until now. We have the secret guide to social mobility
London Evening Standard, 19 December 2013 link

[...] The biggest challenge facing social climbers today is entering an array of society strongholds called private members’ clubs. These upper-crust citadels have become London’s number one blue-blood obsession. They are kept and nourished like other tourist attractions, though tourists can’t get in, or hardly anyone else. [...] With the cost of living crisis and youth unemployment on the rise, creeping into members’ clubs is practically the only way for youngsters to get ahead in life, quickly, without fees. I’ve tried all these methods with unlimited success. [...]

Home House,
19, 20, 21 Portman Square, W1

The only club to get married in. Beautiful garden. Duncan Bannatyne and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales are members. Wales just happens to be on Foursquare (social network) so his whereabouts are known.

Home House has a policy of not asking members to leave their friends’ name at the door. Say you’re meeting a person whom you know is in. Check Instagram as well, as Coronation Street’s Elizabeth Tan might tag herself at the drawing room. Once inside leave a piece of clothing in the cloakroom and go home. The cloakroom ticket will be used to enter next time to “collect” your item. Never collect it.

At night, exit via number 21, the Vestibule Bar, like any other drunken member. Main reception should never see you leave. As you return insist you’re already in, even though you’re standing at reception, since there’s no record you ever left.

Tippi Hadron · Unread post by **Tippi Hadron** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 11:41 am

Mancunium wrote:If there is to be a WPO delegation, it would be shame if there were no attempt made to renew and strengthen the ties of friendship between Jimmy Wales and those of his admirers who frequent this site. Respected Wikipedia editor/troll, and possible Wikipediocracy fan Nimrod_Kamer (T-H-L) has provided this guide to London's Clubland.

Hah! Clearly, Mr Kamer has never heard of Maison Lisle-Burne, that most exclusive of London's private clubs, of which I believe you are a member. The trolling room is *to die for* and the guest quarters have complimentary box cutters and Commons-approved electric toothbrushes. As you would expect, their staff of highly-literate WP rejects are a bit on the gorgeous side and will serve you the best Salade aux Maggots this side of the equator. Come for the stimulating company (and the four-poster beds), stay for the out-of-this-world delicious Kohs Célèbre, a scrumptious snack rumoured to contain real tears of Wales.

Anthonyhcole · Unread post by **Anthonyhcole** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 2:44 am

(Would a mod please merge this thread with this same-named thread from several months earlier?)

Is anybody from WO speaking at Wikimania 2014? Is there any interest in a WO meet-up at or around the time of the conference?

Unread post by **Zoloft** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 3:28 am

Anthonyhcole wrote:(Would a mod please merge this thread with this same-named thread from several months earlier?)

Is anybody from WO speaking at Wikimania 2014? Is there any interest in a WO meet-up at or around the time of the conference?

My apologies to Hex for not doing this earlier. I blame the ghost of Rudyard Kipling.

Jim · Unread post by **Jim** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 3:38 am

Zoloft wrote:
Anthonyhcole wrote:(Would a mod please merge this thread with this same-named thread from several months earlier?)

Is anybody from WO speaking at Wikimania 2014? Is there any interest in a WO meet-up at or around the time of the conference?
My apologies to Hex for not doing this earlier. I blame the ghost of Rudyard Kipling.

The Glory of the Garden wrote:Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees
That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees,
So when your work is finished, you can wash your hands and pray
For the Glory of the Garden that it may not pass away!

Unread post by **Peter Damian** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:18 am

Anthonyhcole wrote:(Would a mod please merge this thread with this same-named thread from several months earlier?)

Is anybody from WO speaking at Wikimania 2014? Is there any interest in a WO meet-up at or around the time of the conference?

Indeed there is. Happy to meet up with anyone when finalised. There have already been WO meetups in London, by the way.

thekohser · Unread post by **thekohser** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 2:03 pm

Peter Damian wrote:Indeed there is. Happy to meet up with anyone when finalised. There have already been WO meetups in London, by the way.

Does your submission have to be accepted in order for it to be assured a spot on the agenda? If so, I would bank on Jimbo and his minions making sure your submission is rejected in the next couple of months.

Unread post by **Peter Damian** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 5:31 pm

thekohser wrote:
Peter Damian wrote:Indeed there is. Happy to meet up with anyone when finalised. There have already been WO meetups in London, by the way.
Does your submission have to be accepted in order for it to be assured a spot on the agenda? If so, I would bank on Jimbo and his minions making sure your submission is rejected in the next couple of months.

Well I was contacted by email by Jonathan Cardy saying it "looked interesting", and he was entering it on the list. I don't know what the acceptance criteria are, however.

Kumioko · Unread post by **Kumioko** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 5:43 pm

I have been to a Wikimania, the one that was here in DC. Met some cool people and got to meet some folks I have talked and worked with over the years. Other than that, it was really a bore. Mostly just a bunch of pointless and time wasting presentations trying to sell stuff like Wikidata or the campus ambassador programs.

Anthonyhcole · Unread post by **Anthonyhcole** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:34 am

Peter Damian wrote:
Anthonyhcole wrote:(Would a mod please merge this thread with this same-named thread from several months earlier?)

Is anybody from WO speaking at Wikimania 2014? Is there any interest in a WO meet-up at or around the time of the conference?
Indeed there is. Happy to meet up with anyone when finalised. There have already been WO meetups in London, by the way.

That does sound interesting. I'm still in two minds about attending the conference. It's a long haul from Australia.

Unread post by **Peter Damian** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 1:51 pm

Anthonyhcole wrote:That does sound interesting. I'm still in two minds about attending the conference. It's a long haul from Australia.

Noted.

The selection is made by the Program Committee which includes James Forrester (T-C-L), Sarah Stierch, Philippe Beaudette (T-C-L), all of whom I am sure will be favourably disposed towards my submission. We mustn’t forget Tom Morris (T-C-L), who was involved in the infamous ‘Peter Damian sex doll’ IRC chat incident. So it’s bound to be accepted.

Jonathan Cardy mentioned that it would be partly based on the number of people who sign up. Sadly, there is little interest in the subject of the humanities. Software presentations seem much more popular.

Unread post by **Peter Damian** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 2:08 pm

There’s only half an hour to talk, but part of the talk will be about this sort of project. The page there uses various anchoring techniques so that readers can link to the text in the standard way. In Aristotle’s case, this involves anchoring the so-called ‘Bekker number’ (the page, column and line number from Bekker’s Greek edition of 1831).

There is some Aristotle on Wikisource here for example, but it’s next to useless. The person who uploaded this used Owen’s edition and anchored it to Owen’s pagination - which no one uses. It was probably a lot of work, but no one told him/her about standard citation practice. This is why it is sometimes helpful to have specialist involvement in Wikipedia projects, except that specialists aren’t welcome. (I might hint at this in the talk, without being too crass about it).

Randy from Boise · Unread post by **Randy from Boise** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 4:09 pm

thekohser wrote:I'll be happy to present -- just need my airfare paid by the WMF. Or, I'll consent to a webinar for a nominal fee ($500).

Man, if $500 is "nominal" to you, you're buying the beer scotch for MSU v. Ducks.

tim

(fixed)

Hex · Unread post by **Hex** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:52 pm

This presentation sounds interesting: History of the Murder of Meredith Kercher Article

This proposal will involve a combined Presentation/Panel Discussion of about 45 minutes about the Murder of Meredith Kercher (MoMK) Article. The submitter is one of about a dozen editors blocked since 2010 for their participation in the topic. All those blocked had argued that the article did not treat Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito fairly.

The Murder of Meredith Kercher article is probably the most troubled entry in Wikipedia’s history and one that has caused profound harm to living human beings. This presentation will include discussion by three reliable sources not included in the article and a UK based university professor who has authored an academic paper about the MoMK Wikipedia coverage.

Anything that's described as including "significant criticism of the English Language Wikipedia Arbitration Committee" has got to be worth attending.

Unread post by **Peter Damian** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:28 pm

Hex wrote:This presentation sounds interesting: History of the Murder of Meredith Kercher Article

This proposal will involve a combined Presentation/Panel Discussion of about 45 minutes about the Murder of Meredith Kercher (MoMK) Article. The submitter is one of about a dozen editors blocked since 2010 for their participation in the topic. All those blocked had argued that the article did not treat Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito fairly.

The Murder of Meredith Kercher article is probably the most troubled entry in Wikipedia’s history and one that has caused profound harm to living human beings. This presentation will include discussion by three reliable sources not included in the article and a UK based university professor who has authored an academic paper about the MoMK Wikipedia coverage.
Anything that's described as including "significant criticism of the English Language Wikipedia Arbitration Committee" has got to be worth attending.

Agree, and also check out the talk page for further insight.