Dear wikimedians,
Nearly one year ago, the Graphs extension was disabled from all wikis, because there was a security issue that should be solved (https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334940). A wide team from the WMF worked on a solution for some weeks, but after Northern Hemisphere spring ended, summer came, then the monsoon season, and now it is again summer in the Southern Hemisphere... and Graphs are still disabled. All the solutions proposed have been dismissed, but every two months there's a proposal to make a new roadmap to solve the issue. We have plenty of roadmaps, but no vehicle to reach our destination.
Seven years ago, we were discussing our Strategy for 2030. We used thousands of volunteer hours, thousands of staff hours and millions of dollars to build a really well-balanced strategy. There we concluded that "By 2030, Wikimedia will become the essential infrastructure of the ecosystem of free knowledge". We also made some recommendations to improve the User Experience (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Movement_Strategy/Recommendations/Improve_U…) and claimed that we wanted to Innovate in Free Knowledge (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Movement_Strategy/Recommendations/Innovate_…). Well, the situation is now worse than it was seven years ago, let me give some examples:
* Graph extension is used in thousands of pages, some of them highly relevant, as COVID or Climate Change information. There are thousands of graphs broken now, and the only partial solution give is loading these graphs as images, instead of promoting an interactive solution.
*
Meanwhile, a place like Our World in Data has been publishing data and interactive content with a compatible license for years. (Remember, "By 2030, Wikimedia will become the essential infrastructure of the ecosystem of free knowledge"). Trying to add this data and graphs to Wikimedia projects has been done by WikiMed, and it is technically possible, but still blocked to deploy (https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T303853).
* Wolfram Alpha is like a light year ahead us on giving interactive solutions to knowledge questions, even the silliest ones (https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=how+many+oranges+fit+in+the+Earth%3F). We have good technical articles about a lot of things, but sometimes "becoming the essential infrastructure of the ecosystem of free knowledge" needs to provide solutions to exact problems, like the answer to an equation, and how to solve it. That's also "free knowledge".
*
Brilliant (https://brilliant.org/) is brilliant if you want to learn lots of things, like geometry or programming. Way better than Wikipedia. But... you need to pay for it. How could we even try if we can't add anything interactive to our platforms?
* We can build interactive timelines using Wikidata, but we can't embed them at Wikipedia. Weird, because I can do it in any external page. Hopefully, Histropedia will do it better. http://histropedia.com/<http://histropedia.com/>
* We could have something very special: inline links in video and audio subtitles. We used to have them, but the new video infrastructure doesn't allow it. Imagine a world where you can watch a video and link a link in the subtitles just to know more about that.
* ...
The list can go on an on ("which phase the moon is today?"), but I think that the idea is clear. We could have interactive content, but we are going in the opposite direction, and every year we are further from our goal, because other platforms are doing it better, way better. And this seems like some wild ideas, but then I read the 2023-2024 annual plan section called "Wiki Experiences" (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2023-2024/…) and it looks like we should be going there. But we aren't.
I'm sorry if this e-mail feels bitter. My experience in the last years is that we are now further of what we need that we were before, even if many chapters and volunteers are trying to overturn it.
Thank to everyone who have been trying.
Galder
Dear all,
I would like to share with you the outputs of the Wikimedia Foundation
Affiliate Strategy process [1], and to invite you to give feedback on the
proposed changes to requirements for all affiliates & to user groups
recognition process (more below).
The 2017 Strategic Direction
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_movement/2017> says
that we, the Wikimedia Movement, would build “the services and structures
that enable others to … advance our world by collecting knowledge that
fully represents human diversity” while carrying on “our mission of
developing content”. As Wikimedia affiliates are a key and integral part of
the Wikimedia movement and have knowledge and expertise to share, the
movement’s success depends greatly on affiliates as they help people join
us in doing mission-aligned work. The Wikimedia Foundation Affiliates
Strategy report [2] identified a need to streamline the role of the
Affiliations Committee (AffCom) on recognition of Wikimedia Affiliates, and
identified issues with the current state of the process.
After conversations with AffCom, the Board liaisons to AffCom identified
two areas for improvement. These areas are about the relevant work and
mandate of the Board related to affiliate recognition:
1) requirements for affiliates; and
2) improving the workflows around the process for the creation and
recognition of a user group.
The proposal on Meta [3] is suggesting to change the requirements for all
existing Wikimedia affiliates, not just the legal entities. There are ten
proposed criteria for a healthy affiliate. Examples include focusing on
continuity by being an active group and welcoming new users, having good
governance, and actively delivering on mission goals. Compliance with these
requirements would be self-reported by the affiliates. The Board liaisons
will work with the Affiliations Committee to publish a resolution outlining
how affiliates would be expected to fulfill these requirements to remain in
good standing.
Throughout the Wikimedia Foundation Affiliate Strategy process, there was
also feedback about user groups. Initially, user groups were meant as a
first step toward creating chapters or thematic organizations. Over the
years, user groups have evolved and there are now legally incorporated user
groups, user groups with boards, etc. Getting started does need to be easy,
but also needs to make sense, and so there is a proposal for changes to the
current workflow. The recommendations [3] include an outline of the
sequential steps of a revised process.
The feedback can be given from today up till March 20, 2024 (Anywhere on
Earth). Hopefully a fairly long feedback period will allow affiliates to
consult with their membership, thinking it through practically.
To provide your feedback, please review the page here, on Meta, [3] and
leave comments on the talk page. Alternatively, you can join an open
call (February
14 and 28 at 14:00 to 14:30 UTC) or request a conversation as a part of
Talking:2024
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…>.
You can use the Wikimedia Foundation Community Affairs Committee/Talking:
2024#Let’s Talk|Let’s Talk
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…'s_talk>
feature to sign up for a time to speak with me and other trustees about
this conversation or any other topic regarding the Wikimedia Foundation
Board, Movement Strategy, and more.
Note: New user group applications will be placed on hold for the duration
of this conversation – but the ones received before will be reviewed
according to the current process.
Best regards,
Nat & Mike & Lorenzo
Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees Liaisons to the Affiliations
Committee
[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Affiliates_Strategy
[2]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/Wiki…
[3]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Affiliates_Strategy/Re…
Best regards,
antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv
Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
*NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal working
hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during weekend. You
should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off. Thank you in
advance!*
How do we maintain the redirects for LL.wiki for the two-letter language
codes?
I recall these were gifted as a set to wikimedia, but currently don't seem
to work.
We have en-wp.org for English, but it is also not configured properly:
en-wp.org/TLDs redirects to en.wikipedia.org/TLDs and returns the error
We could not find the above page on our servers.
*Did you mean: /wiki/TLDs <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABCC11>*
--
Samuel Klein @metasj w:user:sj +1 617 529 4266
Dear Wikimedians around the world
With a profound sense of loss and deep sadness, we mourn the unexpected
passing of our esteemed colleague, Wilson Kelechi Oluoha, who passed away
on 13th September in Nigeria due to a sudden deadly health emergency.
Wilson was a tireless advocate for Igbo, Nigerian and African culture and
voices on the global Wikimedia Projects, intrinsically involved with
several Wikimedia groups across Africa, including Wiki In Africa
<https://www.wikiinafrica.org/>, Igbo Wikimedians User Group
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Igbo_Wikimedians_User_Gr…>,
and Wikimedia Community User Group Nigeria
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Community_User…>
[1].
As the project and community facilitator of Wiki Loves Africa
<https://www.wikilovesafrica.net/>, Wilson was a dedicated team member
and, as a Wikimedian, a passionate advocate for open knowledge and African
representation in the digital space. Wilson's leadership in the Nigeria
Wikimedia community and the Wiki In Africa projects was invaluable to the
expansion and development of the Wikimedia movement in Africa.
Wilson's passion for open access to knowledge, his skills as an amateur
photographer, and his dedication to the Wikimedia movement have left an
indelible mark on our organisations and the broader Wikimedia community.
Beyond Wikimedia, he was a passionate cyclist, public speaker, and lover of
jazz and the music of yesteryear.
His loss is deeply felt by all who had the privilege of working alongside
him, both those who knew him personally and who worked with him remotely.
The untimely death of Wilson Kelechi Oluoha is a significant loss not only
for his family and loved ones but for the entire Wikimedia community. Our
sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathies are extended to his wife,
Mercy, family, friends, and colleagues.
Wilson’s family has set up a memorial website for Wilson
<https://www.forevermissed.com/wilsonoluoha/about> where we encourage you
to leave a condolence message or share a tribute.
Wiki in Africa <https://www.wikiinafrica.org/>, Igbo Wikimedians User Group
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Igbo_Wikimedians_User_Gr…>,
and Wikimedia Community User Group Nigeria
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Community_User…>.
[1]
https://www.wikiinafrica.org/2024/09/30/joint-statement-africas-wikimedia-m…
--
*Isla Haddow-Flood*
UTC+2
Skype: Islahaddow | Twitter: havingaflood
Wikimedia <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Islahaddow> | LinkedIn
<http://za.linkedin.com/pub/isla-haddow-flood>
Hear my name <https://namedrop.io/islahaddowflood>
Dear all,
We invite you to contribute to *Wiki Loves Monuments 2024* by sharing
freely licensed photographs of *Emirati historical heritage on Wikimedia
Commons*! This session is perfect for anyone interested in participating in
this exciting global initiative.
📅 Date: Tuesday, October 1, 2024
🕔 Time: 5:00 PM UTC (Kindly convert to your local time)
📍 Virtual Event: https://meet.google.com/idg-zyes-uig
🎯 What to Expect:
Introduction to Wiki Loves Monuments in the UAE
How to participate and submit your photographs
Q&A with the organising team
Click here for more details about the campaign:
Wiki Loves Monuments 2024 in the UAE
<https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Monuments_2024_in_t…>
Join the session via Google Meet:
Virtual Onboarding: Wiki Loves Monuments 2024 UAE
<https://meet.google.com/idg-zyes-uig>
Join our community telegram group: https://t.me/+muJ1ECMVx7lkZTA0
Don't miss this opportunity to document and digitally preserve the
historical heritage of the UAE! 📸
Supported by *Wikimedians of UAE User Group
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedians_of_United_Ar…>*
Sincerely,
User:ZI Jony
On behalf of Wiki Loves Monuments 2024 UAE Team
Dear Wikimedians,
The #SheSaid campaign aims to celebrate and recognize inspirational women,
ensuring that their achievements and voices are properly documented and
easily accessible to the audience worldwide.
Endeavour to Register for the event so that your contributions will count.
Join the online launch on 1st October 2024.
For more details and registration👇
https://w.wiki/BBBQ
Thanks and best regards,
Kingsley Nkem
FOR: Igbo Wikimedians User Group
Hello everyone,
Effective and well defined communication plans and strategies are essential for successful outreach and consistent growth of any initiative. I'm delighted to invite you all to the 21st edition of DCW Conversation Hour, featuring Rachit Sharma, Senior Global Movement Communications Specialist (South Asia) at the Wikimedia Foundation, in which, we look forward to exploring the dynamics of communications in the Wikimedia ecosystem and how impactful communication strategies can be created and implemented.
The conversation hour is scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, 29 September 2024, at 15:00 UTC (08:30 PM IST). Please find more information on the event page on our website at:
https://dcwwiki.org/dc-eh
Keep your questions handy.
Kind regards
Aafi
Deoband Community Wikimedia
Greetings Dear Wikimedians,
The #Shesaid campaign aims to celebrate and recognize inspirational women,
ensuring that their achievements and voices are properly documented and
easily accessible to audience worldwide.
Join our online launch on 1st October 2024.
For more details and registration👇
https://w.wiki/BBBQ
Thank you!
Kind regards,
Kingsley Nkem
FOR: IGBO WIKIMEDIANS USER GROUP