[Wikimedia-l] Paid editing in Bulgarian Wikipedia?

[Mrb Rafi]

Hello all!

I became confused watching this [1] job post on Upwork with the title
"Create 20 pages in the Bulgarian Wikipedia". The client offered 30 USD for
this task.
The job post says:


>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *This is a small experimental project. The goal is to check if people on
> Upwork.com can help grow the Bulgarian Wikipedia in a quality way. I also
> wish to *not* cannibalize edits that would have happened anyway. The
> created content will be in the public domain. It's a gift to all
> Bulgarians. We follow all the values, guidelines and rules valid on the
> Bulgarian WIkipedia: https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/
> Уикипедия:Поведение . This includes
> following the specific wiki syntax and the usual expectations of all pages,
> especially good sources and categorization of the page. Some experience
> editing Wikipedia is desired, but not required. Since these are supposed to
> be net new edits, I will prefer people who have fewer than 100 Wikipedia
> edits so far. Due to this social benefit, the proposed price is far below
> market price. As Bulgarians say, the payment is symbolic. For this
> experiment, I've selected 20 articles that exist in the English Wikipedia,
> but don't yet exist in the Bulgarian Wikipedia. That gives you the option
> to use Wikipedia's translation tool, which may make your work much faster
> and more pleasant: Please note that the translation tool has some specifics
> that take time to get used to, e.g., adding references, representing other
> alphabets -- I can help with such issues. The list of proposed articles is
> here: https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/
> Потребител:Cryout/Чрез_ЪпУърк I hope you
> will enjoy this variety of content. Still, the list is negotiable and we
> can swap articles in and out per your preference. *
>

Is it going in the right way? I'm a Lil' bit confused.
Besides this, you'll get tons of paid editing job posts on Upwork,
freelancer and other freelance networks. At first, I used to report these
posts but there are so many of them that it's not possible for me to find
all of them and report them.

[1] https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~01371a50692d0540d0

Best regards,
Rafi
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Paid editing in Bulgarian Wikipedia?

[Mrb Rafi]

Hello all!

Does that mean not all paid editings are bad? I'm less knowledgeable on
this topic. I thought paid editing are completely forbidden.

Regards,
Rafi

On Sat, Dec 11, 2021 at 12:19 AM Dggenwp  wrote:

> T
>
> On Dec 10, 2021, at 11:53 AM, James Heilman  wrote:
>
> 
> I personally am more concerned about paid conflict of interest editing and
> much less concerned about paid non conflict of interest work. This appears
> on superficial overview to be the latter. Will be interested to see how
> this experiment turns out.
>
> James
>
> On Fri, Dec 10, 2021 at 9:47 AM Mrb Rafi  wrote:
>
>> Hello all!
>>
>> I became confused watching this [1] job post on Upwork with the title
>> "Create 20 pages in the Bulgarian Wikipedia". The client offered 30 USD for
>> this task.
>> The job post says:
>>
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *This is a small experimental project. The goal is to check if people on
>>> Upwork.com can help grow the Bulgarian Wikipedia in a quality way. I also
>>> wish to *not* cannibalize edits that would have happened anyway. The
>>> created content will be in the public domain. It's a gift to all
>>> Bulgarians. We follow all the values, guidelines and rules valid on the
>>> Bulgarian WIkipedia: https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/
>>> <https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/>Уикипедия:Поведение . This includes
>>> following the specific wiki syntax and the usual expectations of all pages,
>>> especially good sources and categorization of the page. Some experience
>>> editing Wikipedia is desired, but not required. Since these are supposed to
>>> be net new edits, I will prefer people who have fewer than 100 Wikipedia
>>> edits so far. Due to this social benefit, the proposed price is far below
>>> market price. As Bulgarians say, the payment is symbolic. For this
>>> experiment, I've selected 20 articles that exist in the English Wikipedia,
>>> but don't yet exist in the Bulgarian Wikipedia. That gives you the option
>>> to use Wikipedia's translation tool, which may make your work much faster
>>> and more pleasant: Please note that the translation tool has some specifics
>>> that take time to get used to, e.g., adding references, representing other
>>> alphabets -- I can help with such issues. The list of proposed articles is
>>> here: https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/
>>> <https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/>Потребител:Cryout/Чрез_ЪпУърк I hope you
>>> will enjoy this variety of content. Still, the list is negotiable and we
>>> can swap articles in and out per your preference. *
>>>
>>
>> Is it going in the right way? I'm a Lil' bit confused.
>> Besides this, you'll get tons of paid editing job posts on Upwork,
>> freelancer and other freelance networks. At first, I used to report these
>> posts but there are so many of them that it's not possible for me to find
>> all of them and report them.
>>
>> [1] https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~01371a50692d0540d0
>>
>> Best regards,
>> Rafi
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> James Heilman
> MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Foundation Trust & Safety action in the MENA Region

[Mrb Rafi]

Thanks for the question, a lot of wikimedians get confused about these
regional divisions.
We typically use the Wikimedia eight region model when doing structured
work (both as an affiliate or volunteer-led) in the global context of
Wikimedia: https://meta.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_regions

Best,
Mrb Rafi <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Mrb_Rafi>


On Wed, Dec 7, 2022, 3:04 AM Clover Moss 
wrote:

> That's actually the first thing I did when I saw the email, as I wasn't
> previously familar with the term.
>
> On Tue, Dec 6, 2022, 3:22 PM Neurodivergent Netizen <
> idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Of course Wikipedia has an article on it. :-) It refers to “the Middle
>> East and North Africa.”
>> From,
>> I dream of horses
>> She/her
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Dec 6, 2022, at 12:01 PM, Nathan  wrote:
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MENA?wprov=sfla1
>>
>> On Tue, Dec 6, 2022, 2:59 PM Neurodivergent Netizen <
>> idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Can you tell us what MENA stands for?
>>>
>>> From,
>>> I dream of horses
>>> She/her
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Dec 6, 2022, at 8:28 AM, Wikimedia Trust and Safety 
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hello all,
>>>
>>> On December 6th 2022, the Foundation undertook 16 global bans to users
>>> who were engaging in conflict of interest editing on Wikipedia projects in
>>> the MENA region. While we are  unable to discuss Foundation office actions
>>> in detail due to legal limitations and for the safety of our communities,
>>> we would like to speak a little more to this situation as it involves the
>>> safety and security of all of us.
>>>
>>> As Wikimedia projects have risen in prominence across the world, it has
>>> attracted increasing attention of those who would like to control the
>>> information published on it, for political or other reasons. Community
>>> members have addressed concerns of this sort for many years, but sometimes
>>> volunteers who intervene in such cases may themselves face retaliation for
>>> their actions. The Foundation does its best to support volunteers in such
>>> cases, in order to preserve their safety.
>>>
>>> In January of 2022, the Foundation began an investigation into alleged
>>> conflict of interest editing on Wikipedia projects in the MENA region. In
>>> that investigation, we were able to confirm that a number of users with
>>> close connections with external parties were editing the platform in a
>>> coordinated fashion to advance the aim of those parties. These connections
>>> are a source of serious concern for the safety of our users that go beyond
>>> the capacity of the local language project communities targeted to
>>> address.  Due to the gravity of this situation, and in order to keep our
>>> users and the projects safe, the Foundation issued these 16 global bans.
>>>
>>> Such actions can be distressing to those who know individuals involved
>>> and to those who don’t. They can cause volunteers to mistrust each other
>>> and to mistrust the Foundation and to be unsure if they can safely
>>> contribute. We are unable to share more details about this situation due to
>>> the reasons mentioned above, but we want to assure you that the Foundation
>>> will continue to explore various ways to keep everyone safe and free to
>>> contribute to the projects. We want to thank those community members across
>>> the globe who address such situations every day and encourage all of you to
>>> consider how to be safe in your volunteer activities. We recognize that as
>>> we move forward, we will need to work with our communities to find a global
>>> process to navigate safety challenges that allow such situations to be
>>> dealt with as transparently as possible while also prioritising avoiding
>>> risk to the safety of our users.
>>>
>>> For anyone who feels unsafe on Wikimedia projects we encourage you to
>>> use the local community processes or to contact us for assistance. The
>>> Foundation and the community will work together, or in parallel, to enhance
>>> the safety of all users whenever necessary with whatever means we can.
>>>
>>> To contact the Trust & Safety team please email  c...@wikimedia.or
>>> g.
>>>
>>> Kind regards,
>>>
>>> WMF Office/Trust and Safety
>>>
>

[Wikimedia-l] Re: My project was stolen by a user from Rwanda - User:Nkunda102

[Mrb Rafi]

Hi Derrick,

Thanks for forwarding it to the mailing list. In this particular case, the
credit-snatching instance has been committed by a newcomer, as you
mentioned. There can be a lot of arguments on whether the person did it
intentionally or it was just a newbie mistake, but I'm not going towards
that.

There are legal frameworks for determining the ownership of intellectual
property. But how do you give proper credit to an organizer who led, for
example, an image donation program? They must be credited for their hard
work as Wikimedia organizers. Unfortunately, similar and even more obvious
instances of credit snatching are taking place in the movement, sometimes
by some of the most experienced wikimedians with a clear understanding of
what they are doing. This is more evident in underrepresented communities,
and there is no preventive method against it.

Best,
Rafi

On Sun, Feb 19, 2023 at 8:11 PM Ndahiro Derrick Alter <
ndahiroder...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks Abel for bringing our community ‘s attention to this issue though (
> I don’t think using all these avenues before reaching to the user who did
> that was really necessary but I understand the context )
>
> I just had a phone call with user:Nkunda102 , he is newbie with no skills
> of editing the metapage, he regrets his actions and will write a formal
> apology to the original author and the team receiving grants .
>
> Best regards
>
> On Sat, 18 Feb 2023 at 13:10 Abel MBULA  wrote:
>
>> Forward as received
>>
>> FYI dear community member
>>
>> Abel Lifaefi Mbula
>> Free Software Dev
>> Free Culture Enthousiast
>>
>> Please do not send me Microsoft Office/Apple iWork documents. Send
>> OpenDocument instead! http://fsf.org/campaigns/opendocument/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -- Forwarded message -
>> From: patience kavira 
>> Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2023 at 13:07
>> Subject: Fwd: My project was stolen by a user from Rwanda - User:Nkunda102
>> To: Abel MBULA (via Google Drive) 
>>
>>
>>
>> -- Forwarded message -
>> De : patience kavira 
>> Date: sam. 18 févr. 2023 à 12:55
>> Subject: My project was stolen by a user from Rwanda - User:Nkunda102
>> To: fdevou...@anthere.org ,
>> donatien.ka...@gmail.com ,
>> emmanuelle...@gmail.com , i...@wikiinafrica.org
>> 
>> Cc: , <
>> african-wikimedi...@lists.wikimedia.org>, <
>> wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org>
>>
>>
>> Dear Florence,
>>
>> It is with great regret that I am writing to report suspicious behavior
>> by a user from Rwanda.
>>
>> As part of the African Environment project that you are conducting in
>> partnership with Wikimedia CI, I have submitted a funding request since
>> February 14th [1].
>>
>> However, as I was checking this morning to see if you have already
>> decided on my project, I was surprised to see that the project has been
>> slightly modified, and I am no longer the project owner. It is now the user
>> Nkunda102 who has taken over the project. I did not want to simply undo his
>> modifications, at the risk that he might come back again. I want to bring
>> the situation to your level so that you know what to do, but at the same
>> time, I would like to alert the whole community so that such behavior
>> cannot happen again, because it tarnishes the image of Africa, as well as
>> of Wikipedia.
>>
>> [1]
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Africa_Environment/Microfunding/Let%E2%80%99s_fight_climate_change_and_the_gender_gap_on_Wikipedia
>>
>>
>> Kind regards,
>>
>> Patience Kavira
>> Environmental specialist
>> University of Kisangani
>>
>>
>> --
> derrick
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: A request for recommendation.

[Mrb Rafi]

Hello Małgorzata,

I always find "The Wikipedia Adventure
" super
helpful when I'm training new wikimedians. It was released in 2013 and
surely was ahead of time. Still today, I find it unparallel to any other
learning resource. I have onboarded more than a hundred new wikimedians
giving the Wikipedia Adventure as an assignment in my training
sessions. Wikidata
tours  are something similar
for starting with wikidata.

If you want to find some really user-friendly tutorial videos, the movement
is lacking there. People are creating video tutorials but they are all
scattered and most people are reinventing the wheel. As I know, there is no
or very little learning, evaluation, and development, or collective
knowledge regarding the curriculum and the impact of Wikimedia tutorials.

Wikimedia Australia just released a playlist

9 days ago focusing on women's representation on Wikipedia, and I found it
really well made.
I'm also collaborating with Turkish wikimedian-designer, Caner on a
Wikipedia tutorial project
 where the videos
will be in Turkish language. I helped him with almost the whole outline and
I'm not satisfied with myself writing the outline. I need to know more
about learning and outcomes of similar previous projects, standing on the
shoulders of the giant is something that I need more than directly starting
from scratch.

You can also use the resources from the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom
program
.
We, the certified trainers use these resources when we train high school
teachers.

Best,
Rafi


On Thu, Mar 16, 2023 at 6:24 PM Małgorzata Gramatnikowska <
malgorzata.gramatnikow...@wikimedia.pl> wrote:

>   Dear All,
>
> I am looking for ideas on materials (especially interactive ones) for
> those who begin their journey with Wikipedia. Do you have any
> recommendations that you would like to share and which are working
> in your communities? :)
>
> Thank you in advance,
>
> Małgorzata Gramatnikowska
>
> Wikimedia Polska
>
> Junior Community Support Officer
>
>
> tel: +48 730 290 269
>
> e-mail: malgorzata.gramatnikow...@wikimedia.pl
>
>
>
>
>
> *Wesprzyj wolną wiedzę!* 
>
>
>
> *Stowarzyszenie Wikimedia Polska *
>
> al. Jana Chrystiana Szucha 16/15 Warszawa 00-580
>
> KRS 244732
>
> NIP 728-25-97-388
>
>
>
> Informacje na temat przetwarzania znajdują się w
> Polityce
> Prywatności .
> Kontakt: r...@wikimedia.pl
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Recognition of Wiki Advocates Philippines User Group

[Mrb Rafi]

Congratulations to the people from Wiki Advocate Philippines. I love their
graphical branding elements so much.
Their members are already working in the diverse areas of the movement.
Will be honored if I can do a collaboration with them.

Cheers!
Rafi

On Mon, Mar 27, 2023 at 8:58 PM Affiliations Committee 
wrote:

> Hi everyone!
>
> I'm very happy to announce that the Affiliations Committee has recognized
> [1] Wiki Advocates Philippines User Group [2] as a Wikimedia User Group.
> The group aims to advocate for free knowledge through the different
> Wikimedia projects, promoting the use of these projects primarily but not
> limited to education and promoting equal gender representation.
>
> Please join me in congratulating the members of this new user group!
>
> Regards,
> Jeffrey Keefer
> Chair, Affiliations Committee
>
> [1]
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee/Resolutions/Recognition_of_Wiki_Advocates_Philippines_User_Group
> [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Advocates_Philippines_User_Group
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Wikimedia Foundation launches Open the Knowledge Journalism Awards on World Press Freedom Day

[Mrb Rafi]

+1 to Paul.
I was thinking of the same thing but was confused about how to put it. Many
individuals from underrepresented communities, including myself, often feel
hesitant to contribute to global-level conversations in a meaningful way
and raise their concerns.

The connection between Wikimedia and this initiative is too weak. While
cost is not the primary concern, the potential impact on Wikimedia is
significant for any Wikimedia initiative.
I am not trying to discourage our fellow Wikimedians from Africa in any
way. On the contrary, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible work they
are doing despite facing numerous obstacles, and their contributions often
go unrecognized.

This is undoubtedly a good initiative that serves the local African
community. But how does this serve Wikimedia? How do we measure the direct
impact of this initiative on Wikimedia? How is it aligned with MS2030?
I am also slightly uncomfortable with the fact that the volunteer
organizers are not recognized in any visible place. They deserve proper
acknowledgment.

>From a broader perspective, there's something strange happening in the
movement. I fear that the focus is being shifted from community relations
and support to somewhere else. In the annual planning community
conversation, I expressed my concerns about the apparent reduction in
direct professional support from the Foundation for the communities.
Instead, it appears that the focus is shifting towards self-organized
initiatives, which will never be effective for underrepresented
communities. We require direct professional support from the Foundation,
which has been provided quietly but effectively in recent years. Wikimedia
communities need professional support from the foundation that empowers
them from the core and creates the capacity to work more independently.

The foundation possesses all the linguistic expertise and the required
in-depth, unique, and specialized knowledge of the local Wikimedia
community dynamics to align this initiative with MS2030 and enhance its
direct impact on the movement. But for some strange reason, they're not
doing that—not only for this initiative but almost everywhere; they're
instead fully destroying that capacity themselves through the recent
layoffs (probably). The radical changes may have a very negative long-term
impact on communities, specially the underrepresented ones.

I'm not sure, but I'm having the feeling that ideas like DEI and MS2030 are
being misinterpreted to justify a lot of things that don't necessarily
serve DEI or MS2030 in the movement. Even I had the feeling that the draft
annual plan was just MS2030-washed without any visible impact. I've always
supported the foundation and its staff in any of their meaningful
contributions with all my enthusiasm and knowledge as a volunteer, but for
the last few days, I've been hesitating.
I want everyone, including the foundation, to work in such a way that it
creates capacity in the local communities and, at the same time, serves our
goals as a movement.

Best,
Rafi

On Sat, May 6, 2023 at 9:58 AM Paul J. Weiss  wrote:

> To me, this award is reaching well beyond the scope of what the Wikimedia
> community should be doing. It does not, to me, align with our Movement
> Strategy's recommendations
>  nor
> their initiatives
> , nor the WMF
> 2023-2024 Annual Plan
> .
> Just because something might be positive for the world or our community
> does not mean we should do such. As a gay man, I appreciate all the
> literature awards for LGBT+ books, but I would not support such an award
> from the WMF or the community. Where would this stop? Is it in scope for us
> to give an award for scientific research? Social justice activism?
> Translation software? These could all be beneficial to our community, but I
> don't think it would be appropriate for us to take on those endeavors.
>
> In addition I am concerned this award will have negative effects on our
> fundraising. I would expect that some donors, if they found out we are
> awarding $3,500 to journalists in no way connected to our wikis, might be
> less likely to donate. I think this kind of thing has happened to other
> non-profits.
>
> We are stretched too thin enough already. I believe that we should stick
> to our core activities, which stem from the documents linked to above.
>
> Thanks,
> Paul
> User:Libcub
>
> On 2023-05-04 1:47 PM, Olushola Olaniyan wrote:
>
>
> *Dear all, *
>
>
> *My name is Olushola (User: Olaniyan Olushola). I am from Africa and have
> been a Wikimedia since 2014 and passionate about language. I co-lead the
> Oral History documentation of Nigerian indigenous languages ( see more
> about it **here*
> 
> * ). *I

[Wikimedia-l] Re: [Announcement] Establishment of Wikimedians of the Asia Pacific User Group

[Mrb Rafi]

Well, this is strange and interesting at the same time. There is a lot
going on inside South Asian communities that have been hidden from the
world and have started to surface now.

I have made an effort to analyze and document my observations regarding the
"WAP UG" and have outlined them in the following list:

1. The primary concern is undoubtedly the non-compliance of this UG with
the standard Affcom procedures, indicating either a lack of capacity or
willingness to adhere to the requisite rules for the initiation of a UG.

2. The home wiki for all three contact persons listed on the meta page
happens to be bnwiki. Notably, two of them are part of the bnwiki admin
panel, which comprises a total of 13 editors. bnwiki serves as the home
wiki for six out of the eight members affiliated with this UG also.

3. One of the three contact persons has explicitly stated on their user
page that they are an associate member of Wikimedia Bangladesh.
Furthermore, the other two individuals have close affiliations with the
local chapter in Bangladesh. Their names can be found in the CoT
 for the implementation of the local Wikimania in
2022. Those of us involved in the local movement, including myself, are
aware that these three individuals constitute a significant portion of the
capable workforce within Wikimedia Bangladesh. It is very unlikely that the
local chapter's three most active and leading organizers would make such a
substantial leap without internal discussions within Wikimedia Bangladesh,
and it is puzzling that the chapter appears to be unaware of this. It is
worth noting that there are allegations of off-wiki harassment against at
least one of these three UAP UG contact persons. Additionally, Wikimedia
Bangladesh is facing backlash within the local community.

4. Operating an organization without formal recognition from Affcom does
not present a fundamental obstacle. I, myself, am leading two non-affiliate
organized groups and believe that these non-affiliate groups are essential
to make the movement more distributed and transparent. But, to a lot of
people, getting recognized as affiliate leaders is rewarding enough which
may set unrealistic expectations. Personally, I am not a big fan of the
affiliate structure based on my observations in the local movement, as they
sometimes prioritize political territoriality over productive endeavors.
>From my experience, it appears that affiliates function as the sole
authority within a designated territory determined by Affcom, and they are
prepared to safeguard their sovereignty over that territory (including the
onwiki spaces covered by the language or culture of the territory) at any
cost. Regarding Bodhisattwa's expectations, it is improbable that Wikimedia
Bangladesh, "being a decentralized organization and with good community
connection and support", would extend assistance to other organizations
within their territory. Unfortunately, this local affiliate has a troubling
history of suppressing emerging leadership in order to maintain control
over its perceived "territory."

5. I am concerned that the emergence of this UG is an inevitable outcome of
long-standing tensions that have remained concealed within the region for
decades. It's more of what we can see with the naked eye. The South Asian
community has complex dynamics that are tricky to figure out. There are
currently several conflicting parties here without anyone to mediate. WMF
couldn't solve the legal complexities of sending grants here even after
working for more than a decade. The conflict was previously managed due to
the professional support extended by WMF in recent years. But WMF started
destroying that capacity themselves through the so-called "budget and staff
cuts" recently. There is literally no expert in the WMF with in-depth
knowledge about the socio-political realities of this region, which is
essential for mediating between these confronting parties and continuing
the resource flow and professional support here. Consequently, conflict
appears to be unavoidable.

I have made an attempt to articulate some of the shared perspectives held
by many local volunteers that often remain unvoiced on the global stage,
where they need to be heard. You may understand that I won't be able to
present everything, but I have tried my best while staying within the
boundary that preserves my safety. Hope it helps to understand the depth of
the situation.

Best,
Rafi
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[Wikimedia-l] Request for Comment

[Mrb Rafi]

Hello all,

I'm a bit uncertain if it's the right avenue to ask. I apologize if it's
not the appropriate place and I will refrain from using this platform
in the future for similar reasons. I'm asking here to invite a broader
community perspective in this RfC[1] since this issue needs opinions from
different viewpoints coming from a broader audience.

I would request you to take some time to go through this RfC and drop your
observations if possible. I'm specifically concerned with my safety now
centering on this incident.

Best,
Rafi

[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Requests_for_comment/Block_without_any_proof,_warning,_public_investigation_and_discussion
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Recognition of Wikimedians of Japan User Group

[Mrb Rafi]

Congratulations to to the new affiliate. I have seen a lot of Japanese
wikimedians being active on wikimedia platforms, specially in the
governance landscape in recent days. The new affiliate will hopefully
mobilize these activities.

I was sharing this news with some of my team members last night and l came
to know that there are a lot of "Otaku"s in my Wikimedia team who can't
wait to get in touch and do collaborations with you. 😛

See you in the wikimediaverse!

Hugs,
Rafi

On Thu, Oct 19, 2023, 7:14 AM Butch Bustria  wrote:

> To the Members of WJUG,
>
> Congratulations for setting up the group and we grad to welcome you again
> in ESEAP with open arms.
>
> Its been 15 years in the waiting.
>
> Thank you.
>
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Butch
>
> On Thu, Oct 19, 2023, 4:22 AM Shaba 50  wrote:
>
>> Congratulations to the new Wikimedians of Japan Usergroup!
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> Aliyu Shaba.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 18, 2023, 8:46 PM Yael Weissburg 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Congratulations to our friends and colleagues in Japan!
>>>
>>> *Yael Weissburg* (she/her)
>>> VP, Community Growth
>>> Wikimedia Foundation 
>>> M: (+1) 415.513.6643
>>> I work from San Francisco. My time zone is UTC -7/-8.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Oct 18, 2023 at 12:29 PM Ndahiro Derrick Alter <
>>> ndahiroder...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>

 Oh this is so exciting,

 おめでとう and all the best to the Wikimedians of Japan. Greetings from 
 Wikimedia User Group Rwanda



 Derrick Ndahiro


 On Wed, 18 Oct 2023 at 20:37 Joris Darlington Quarshie <
 billionairegeneration...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Congratulations members of Wikimedians of Japan Usergroup.
>
> Sent from Joris Darlington Quarshie
>
> On 18 Oct 2023, at 3:52 PM, João Alexandre Peschanski <
> joa...@wmnobrasil.org> wrote:
>
> Dear members of the Wikimedians of Japan User Group,
>
> Welcome, on behalf of Wiki Movimento Brasil! This is exciting! I hope
> we will find ways of working together in the near future!
>
> Best,
>
> João
>
> Em qua., 18 de out. de 2023 às 12:42, Affiliations Committee <
> aff...@wikimedia.org> escreveu:
>
>> Hi everyone!
>>
>> I'm very happy to announce that the Affiliations Committee has
>> recognized [1] Wikimedians of Japan User Group [2] as a Wikimedia User
>> Group. The group aims to establish a national organization to promote
>> Wikimedia projects and support Wikimedians in Japan.
>>
>> Please join me in congratulating the members of this new user group!
>>
>> Regards,
>> Jeffrey Keefer
>> Chair, Affiliations Committee
>>
>> [1]
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee/Resolutions/Recognition_of_Wikimedians_of_Japan_User_Group
>> [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedians_of_Japan_User_Group
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>
>
> --
>
> [image: Logo comemorativo do Grupo de Usuários Wiki Movimento Brasil]
>
> João Alexandre Peschanski | Usuário:JPeschanski (WMB)
>
> Diretor Executivo | Wiki Movimento Brasil
>
> wmnobrasil.org
>
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Hiba Abu Nada, RIP

[Mrb Rafi]

My heart goes with Hiba, and her family, and every child, and every adult
who lost their lives in this war. May the almighty Allah grant them the
highest prestigious place in the heaven. Aamin.

And responding to Butch and Aaqib, Hiba Abu Nada is a different person than
Nada Al Farra. We are in regular contact since we are working together in a
lot of wikimedia projects. I last talked to Nada just a few days ago and
she and her family were safe till then.
I'm trying to get in touch with her now after last night's s communication
cut down.

I take pride in being a close colleague of Nada Al Farra as she is working
as a doctor in that region with a very little supply.

I pray for everyone who are going through this nightmare, hope this ends
very fast and everyone including our colleagues in Gaza stay safe and
healthy. We wish to meet you guys again in any in person gathering in sha
Allah (if the almighty wants)

Sending a lot of love and prayers,
Rafi

On Sat, Oct 28, 2023, 10:42 PM The Aafi  wrote:

> Nada Alfarra has also edited recently on 25 Oct. I pray for her and
> everyone's safety.
>
> Aafi
>
>
>
> On Sat, 28 Oct 2023, 22:09 The Aafi,  wrote:
>
>> Unfortunate. I pray alongwith others that this comes to end. It has taken
>> so many lives. RIP Hiba. Your words will help. These will be remembered.
>> May Allah Almighty grant you a highest abode in paradise. Aamin!
>>
>> To Butch: I'm not sure if it's same as the Nada we had at Wikimania. Nada
>> Alfarra's Telegram shows last seen from yesterday and Hiba Abu Nada left
>> for the other world on 20 October. May she get peace.
>>
>> Regards
>> Aafi
>>
>> On Sat, 28 Oct 2023, 21:52 Butch Bustria,  wrote:
>>
>>> This is sad, especially she wrote a thoughtful diff post a month prior
>>> about her struggle in going to Singapore in Wikimania, a prior before that.
>>>
>>>
>>> https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/09/20/what-is-a-wikimedian-life-without-a-first-wikimania/
>>>
>>> On Sat, Oct 28, 2023, 11:28 PM Ruby D-Brown 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 This is so sad! Rest well, Nada.


 On Sat, Oct 28, 2023 at 1:43 PM Gnangarra  wrote:

> such sad news,
>
> Rest peacefully Nada
>
> On Sat, 28 Oct 2023 at 21:33, Ndahiro Derrick Alter <
> ndahiroder...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> This is really saddening,
>> RIP Nada
>> derrick
>>
>>
>> On Sat, 28 Oct 2023 at 14:45 Andy Mabbett 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I just learned that a Wikimedian, Hiba Abu Nada, was one of the
>>> casualties in Gaza. She was 32, and died on 20 October, during an
>>> airstrike.
>>>
>>>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiba_Abu_Nada
>>>
>>> May the region soon be at peace.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Andy Mabbett
>>> @pigsonthewing
>>> http://pigsonthewing.org.uk
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>
>
>
> --
> Boodarwun
> Gnangarra
> 'ngany dabakarn koorliny arn boodjera dardon nlangan Nyungar
> koortabodjar'
>
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>>>
>>> 

[Wikimedia-l] Re: Announcing the formation Wiki Club Jamia

[Mrb Rafi]

Hello Aafi,

Congratulations on the successful establishment of Wiki Club Jamia.

It's an amazing thing to experience that more and more wikimedia student
organizations are being formed which is extremely important for wikimedia
outreach and decentralization.

Hugs,
Rafi
ᐧ

On Wed, Nov 1, 2023 at 7:11 PM pavan santhosh 
wrote:

> Dear Aafi,
>
> I wanted to extend my congratulations on the establishment of "Wiki Club
> Jamia" at Jamia Millia Islamia University. This initiative promises to
> further the efforts in engaging students in the Wikimedia Movement.
>
> I wish Wiki Club Jamia all the best in its endeavours.
>
> Best regards,
> Pavan.
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 1, 2023 at 6:04 PM The Aafi  wrote:
>
>> Hello everyone,
>>
>> I am thrilled to announce the formation of "Wiki Club Jamia", an
>> extra-curricular club at Jamia Millia Islamia University, in New Delhi,
>> India. The club aims to engage the varsity's students in global knowledge
>> through the Wikimedia movement.
>>
>> This club has been formed as a part of the Deoband Community Wikimedia
>> 's
>> Leadership Development and Skills Infrastructure Program and a total of
>> seventeen students and research scholars are credited as its founders.
>>
>> The Chenab Times has covered this. Please take a look at the news piece
>> 
>>  and
>> find the Meta-Wiki page here
>> .
>>
>> Best regards
>> Aafi
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>
>
>
> --
> Pavan Santhosh.
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: We need more interactive content: we are doing it wrong

[Mrb Rafi]

+1 to Galder.

Sharing a current situation.

A significant number of non wikimedian photographers participate in the
wiki loves X campaigns and since the upload process in commons is complex
than any other site, most of them feel lost and don't retain.

We are arranging wiki loves folklore in Bangladesh this year and we have
prepared a handbook for the participants considering the above situation.
The handbook has been uploaded to commons and now we're receiving feedback
that our participants are feeling lost after visiting the description page,
they can't decide how to view the pdf.

Wikimedia commons needs a user friendly and intuitive pdf viewer asap.

Best,
Rafi

On Wed, Jan 24, 2024, 4:24 AM Ivan Martínez  wrote:

> Thank you Yaroslav, I would very much appreciate a link to the discussion.
> By not having a Youtube 2.0 we are avoiding a Wikipedia 2.0 with pure
> encyclopaedic videos. I see a false dilemma there.
>
> El mar, 23 ene 2024 a las 16:03, Galder Gonzalez Larrañaga (<
> galder...@hotmail.com>) escribió:
>
>> Thanks to everyone for your comments.
>> We don't need to worry about Commons being "Youtube 2.0", because we
>> can't embed Commons video outside. Furthermore, we can't even embed Commons
>> images or videos in Diff, because oEmbed is not working for Commons and
>> Wordpress can't take directly images or videos from Commons. This has been
>> known since... 2010!
>>
>>
>>- https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T27854
>>- https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T309101
>>
>>
>> Again, the problem is not about this code or that specific piece of code.
>> The problem is lack of direction, ambition and goals.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Galder
>> --
>> *From:* James Heilman 
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, January 23, 2024 10:49 PM
>> *To:* Wikimedia Mailing List 
>> *Subject:* [Wikimedia-l] Re: We need more interactive content: we are
>> doing it wrong
>>
>> Yes we see this sentiment regarding a number of issues in our movement.
>> The existing community wants to keep certain processes more difficult /
>> time consuming to make sure that those involved in the process are
>> sufficiently "dedicated".
>>
>> Maybe we just need a flag which can be given to allow certain folks we
>> trust to use an easier process or only allow video upload by people with so
>> many edits which can be removed if they misuse it?
>>
>> James
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 23, 2024 at 2:38 PM Yaroslav Blanter 
>> wrote:
>>
>> Specifically related to video uploads, we had discussions on Commons on
>> different strategic issues recently, in particular, about this. The general
>> sentiment was, to my understanding (pls correct me if I am wrong) that
>> Commons has no ambition to become Youtube 2.0 and we do not have any
>> resources for this. If video upload is encouraged, very strict policies
>> must be in force concerning of what is in the scope of Commons.
>>
>> Best
>> Yaroslav
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 23, 2024 at 10:05 PM Brion Vibber 
>> wrote:
>>
>> Converting them to suitably compact files in h.264/aac in .MP4 format
>> would be by far the simplest way. Use ffmpeg as we do on the server side
>> for online playback.
>>
>> Conforming to the arbitrary Wikimedia prohibition on h.264 you could use
>> mpeg-4 visual instead, still in .mp4 - afaik patents are expired and it'll
>> play in standalone files (not in HLS)
>>
>> If you jump through enough hoops you might get vp9 working in HLS
>> offline, but adaptive streaming may be irrelevant to offline use.
>>
>> -- brion
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 23, 2024, 12:52 PM James Heilman  wrote:
>>
>> It would be amazing if one could play videos on iPhones when the videos
>> are within ZIMs in an offline environment aswell. Brion not sure what
>> barriers there are to this currently?
>>
>> James
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 23, 2024 at 12:48 PM Paulo Santos Perneta <
>> paulospern...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Should read 2030 Strategy, not 2023 strategy, sorry.
>>
>> Paulo Santos Perneta  escreveu (terça,
>> 23/01/2024 à(s) 19:41):
>>
>> I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. We are currently grappling
>> with rather rudimentary approaches when it comes to uploading and reusing
>> video and music files...
>> The incredibly useful Graph has been down for quite some time. The
>> extensive capabilities of Wikidata query representations, particularly with
>> geolocated data on maps, appear to have barely scratched the surface.
>> Listeria frequently experiences issues and underwent a major update that
>> disrupted previous queries.
>>
>> On a personal note, I attempted to create a dynamic digital library of
>> works under a free license using Wikidata for our Digital Humanistics
>> centre. However, I discovered that with the available tools, I would need
>> to code the presentation myself, as the options for reuse outside of
>> Wikidata were very basic.
>>
>> On the whole, the Wikipedia experience remains challenging, especially
>> for newcomers. The much wanted Visual Editor developments and improvements
>> seem

[Wikimedia-l] Re: A Case for Mobile Editing

[Mrb Rafi]

Thanks for sharing the diff, Pavan.

Here are a few observations from our experience of working with probably
over a thousand new Wikimedians over the past five years, the majority of
whom are mobile phone users

We run annual Wikimedia bootcamps at a high school in Bangladesh, with the
number of participants ranging from 150 to 500 each year, the number
depends on the circumstances of that year's edition. You can know more
about it from this diff:
https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/06/24/ndec-wikimedia-bootcamp-2024-we-did-it/

Around 80% of our participants are mobile phone users. Since this bootcamp
is their first entry into the Wikimediaverse, it plays a crucial role in
shaping their overall Wikimedia experience. The statistics and other
learnings can be found in this diff:
https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/06/27/ndec-wikimedia-bootcamp-2024-the-lessons/

Our audience consists of 16-17-year-old high school students. Every year,
the most frequently asked question is whether they can work for the
Wikimedia movement using a mobile phone. While we respond positively, we do
so with some hesitation. The Wikipedia Adventure
 (TWA) is
a mandatory assignment for our Wikimedia bootcamp participants each year,
as it saves us a considerable amount of work. TWA is not designed for
mobile phones, so we suggest participants use the desktop web version from
their browsers (TWA was even down during our 2024 edition of the bootcamp).
Unfortunately, the small mobile phone screens make it difficult for the
desktop version to fit properly, leading to challenges like accurately
tapping on specific tool icons, which often results in unintentional bad
edits during the bootcamp. We don't suggest the mobile app since very few
features are available there.

The participants are just high schoolers and often have to depend on their
parents for digital devices. Parents either don't allow them to use a
laptop or desktop considering their age, or the families simply can't
afford one; the socio-economic context plays a big role here. As a result,
mobile phones are the most accessible device for them. Contributing to any
Wikimedia project via mobile phone, even using the desktop view, is very
challenging. This is one of the major reasons for the low retention rate of
our bootcamps. When participants who use mobile phones find that
contributing to Wikimedia is complex and time-consuming, it feels like a
waste of their time and effort. This is especially problematic given that
they have homework, assignments, labs, and exams every week, making it
difficult to carve out time for Wikimedia contributions.

I agree with what you said in your diff:

> It’s not just about providing alternative means of access; it’s about
> making sure that the primary mode of access for a majority of users—mobile
> devices—is as user-friendly and intuitive as possible.


But while working as organizers of such large-scale outreach projects, we
neither have the capacity to provide participants with alternatives nor can
we make the Wikimedia ecosystem mobile-friendly for them. We are trying to
convince a few tech startups in the country to donate some devices, as they
produce affordable Linux PCs in the price range of mobile phones (around 50
- 100 USD). Convincing them is tough since we don't have anything to offer
them in exchange. We are unable to buy these devices for our contributors
because we can't receive grants from Bangladesh. Managing a few PCs for the
participants is merely a bandaid solution rather than a sustainable fix,
but it's the least we can do for now.

Beyond direct on-wiki editing, there are other indirect bottlenecks too. I
lead Project Korikath
 and Project
Shoili .
Project Korikath works to bring media files related to local topics to
Wikimedia Commons. We have to edit hundreds, sometimes over a thousand
images after every photowalk
,
which is completely impossible without a PC, our volunteers take help from
their friends who have PCs. If you look at this cinematography
 produced by
Project Korikath, you'll see that the color grading has been messed up
because we were using an old cheap monitor that didn't display proper
colors.
Project Shoili helps Wikimedia communities from all over the world with
graphic design. Here, PCs are essential for our contributors. We
voluntarily design logos, posters, and even brand entire Wikimedia events
for any wikimedia group that requests

it. We can't create complex illustrations or 3D models because they crash
the PCs of our contributors. Having access to a standard device impacts
Wikimedians' capacity both dire

[Wikimedia-l] Re: Internet shutdown in Bangladesh

[Mrb Rafi]

Hello everyone,

[[User:Mrb Rafi]] from Bangladesh here.
We can't thank our Wikimedia colleagues enough for their incredible support
during this difficult period.

The prime minister resigned after the protest and Bangladesh is going
through a transitional period right now.

We are relieved to share the news of the release of our volunteer
photographer. We want to express our sincere gratitude to the Wikimedia
Foundation Human Rights Team for their support throughout this ordeal.
All our Wikimedia team members are safe and healthy. Those who sustained
minor injuries have received necessary medical attention.

We plan to build more legal and relevant capacity in our Wikimedia
community with the help of the Wikimedia Foundation and other Wikimedia and
open knowledge organizations from all over the world. It will help us to be
better prepared for any future similar situations. We are working to
document our learnings and make them accessible for the rest of the
Wikimediaverse. Platforms like Let's Connect
 will be
of great help for us in achieving this goal.

Best,
Rafi

On Wed, Jul 31, 2024 at 6:31 AM  wrote:

> Thanks for bringing this to the mailing list, Farah.
>
> I am the CEE coordinator of Project Korikath. Most of our members are from
> Bangladesh and are students. We are currently facing difficulties
> communicating with our Bangladeshi colleagues due to low internet bandwidth
> and the blocking of major messaging platforms there.
>
> >From what I've heard, three Project Korikath members sustained minor
> injuries. One young Wikimedian from Bangladesh was detained for
> interrogation a few days ago but was later released. We are particularly
> concerned about the high school Wikimedians, as they seem to be a major
> target of law enforcement. Our Bangladeshi colleagues are among the most
> experienced in ECWO (
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Extracurricular_Wikimedia_organizations)
> practices within the movement, and as a person who leads an ECWO in Greece,
> the help of Bangladeshi colleagues has been very important on the process
> of setting up my ECWO.
>
> Additionally, one of our Project Korikath photographers is currently being
> held unlawfully by the police in Bangladesh. We have issued a statement
> regarding this matter and are seeking support from the Wikimedia
> Foundation's human rights team. You can read the statement here:
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Project_Korikath/statements/July_30,_2024
>
> Nikos Likomitros, regional coordinator for the CEE Region, Project
> Korikath.
> ___
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>
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Internet shutdown in Bangladesh

[Mrb Rafi]

Hello again everyone,

I’ll be participating in a conversation hosted by the Open Learning
Collective on the role of open knowledge and Wikimedia during times of
significant unrest. I’ll be sharing my experiences from the revolution in
Bangladesh, offering insights as a student Wikimedian and open knowledge
activist. I’ll discuss the impact of open knowledge during communication
blackouts, the safety of Wikimedians and activists, the successes and
challenges faced during disinformation campaigns, and the effects of the
turmoil on my Wikimedia groups, among other topics.

You are warmly invited to join. This discussion will be particularly
beneficial for Wikimedia and education activists, Wikimedia organization
leaders, offline internet activists, and those interested in trust and
safety.

Here’s the link to register:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chat-with-mrb-rafi-on-open-knowledges-role-in-revolutionary-movements-tickets-984038725317

A big thank you to all our Wikimedia colleagues for standing with us during
those challenging times.

Warm regards,
Rafi
ᐧ

On Tue, Aug 6, 2024 at 9:55 PM Mrb Rafi  wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
> [[User:Mrb Rafi]] from Bangladesh here.
> We can't thank our Wikimedia colleagues enough for their incredible
> support during this difficult period.
>
> The prime minister resigned after the protest and Bangladesh is going
> through a transitional period right now.
>
> We are relieved to share the news of the release of our volunteer
> photographer. We want to express our sincere gratitude to the Wikimedia
> Foundation Human Rights Team for their support throughout this ordeal.
> All our Wikimedia team members are safe and healthy. Those who sustained
> minor injuries have received necessary medical attention.
>
> We plan to build more legal and relevant capacity in our Wikimedia
> community with the help of the Wikimedia Foundation and other Wikimedia and
> open knowledge organizations from all over the world. It will help us to be
> better prepared for any future similar situations. We are working to
> document our learnings and make them accessible for the rest of the
> Wikimediaverse. Platforms like Let's Connect
> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Knowledge_Sharing/Connect> will
> be of great help for us in achieving this goal.
>
> Best,
> Rafi
>
> On Wed, Jul 31, 2024 at 6:31 AM  wrote:
>
>> Thanks for bringing this to the mailing list, Farah.
>>
>> I am the CEE coordinator of Project Korikath. Most of our members are
>> from Bangladesh and are students. We are currently facing difficulties
>> communicating with our Bangladeshi colleagues due to low internet bandwidth
>> and the blocking of major messaging platforms there.
>>
>> >From what I've heard, three Project Korikath members sustained minor
>> injuries. One young Wikimedian from Bangladesh was detained for
>> interrogation a few days ago but was later released. We are particularly
>> concerned about the high school Wikimedians, as they seem to be a major
>> target of law enforcement. Our Bangladeshi colleagues are among the most
>> experienced in ECWO (
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Extracurricular_Wikimedia_organizations)
>> practices within the movement, and as a person who leads an ECWO in Greece,
>> the help of Bangladeshi colleagues has been very important on the process
>> of setting up my ECWO.
>>
>> Additionally, one of our Project Korikath photographers is currently
>> being held unlawfully by the police in Bangladesh. We have issued a
>> statement regarding this matter and are seeking support from the Wikimedia
>> Foundation's human rights team. You can read the statement here:
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Project_Korikath/statements/July_30,_2024
>>
>> Nikos Likomitros, regional coordinator for the CEE Region, Project
>> Korikath.
>> ___
>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines
>> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
>> Public archives at
>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/7G7OEZ7QG4VAUQQ45OT43NLTO6Q2YGIZ/
>> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
>>
>
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