Re: [Wikimediauk-l] TLS review of Jack Lynch, You Could Look It Up

[John Lubbock]

Thanks for this Charles and Andrew, this is exactly the kind of thing that
we would like to feature on our social media channels. It's by far one of
the most even handed looks at the strengths and weaknesses of Wikipedia and
therefore something that is useful to share to help people understand
Wikimedia projects better.

If you see stuff like this in future please let me know so I can repost it!

John

On 26 May 2016 at 13:42, Andrew Gray  wrote:

> The Thonemann article turns out to be public (about a third of TLS
> articles are):
>
> http://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/public/encyclopedic-knowledge/
>
> I rather enjoyed this -
>
> "Given the manner of its compilation, the accursed thing really is a
> whole lot more reliable than it has any right to be. Like many
> university lecturers, I used to warn my own students off using
> Wikipedia (as pointless an injunction as telling them not to use
> Google, or not to leave their essay to the last minute). I finally
> gave up doing so about three years ago, after reading a paper by an
> expert on South Asian coinage in which the author described the
> Wikipedia entry on the Indo-Greek Kingdom (c.200 BC–AD 10) as the most
> reliable overview of Indo-Greek history to be found anywhere – quite
> true, though not necessarily as much of a compliment to Wikipedia as
> you might think."
>
> Andrew.
>
> On 26 May 2016 at 11:56, Charles Matthews
>  wrote:
> > Enjoyable two-page review today in the Times Literary Supplement by Peter
> > Thonemann, flagged on the front page as "The triumph of Wikipedia?"
> >
> > Lynch's book You Could Look It Up has the subtitle "The reference shelf
> from
> > ancient Babylon", and WP is duly mentioned in the review at length, with
> > Rich Farmbrough getting a namecheck.
> >
> > Thonemann is at Wadham College, Oxford, and gives good quotes: e.g.
> > "Wiki-editors are, in my experience, an exceptionally friendly and
> helpful
> > bunch".
> >
> > Charles
> >
> >
> > ___
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> > wikimediau...@wikimedia.org
> > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l
> > WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
>
>
>
> --
> - Andrew Gray
>   andrew.g...@dunelm.org.uk
>
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[Wikimediauk-l] AGM and Meet Up on 9th July

[Lucy Crompton-Reid]

Dear all

I'm pleased to confirm that this year's Wikimedia UK AGM and WMUK Meet Up
will be on *Saturday 9th July* at Impact Hub in Birmingham. We will be
finalising the schedule over the next few weeks but are planning to start
at 10.30am, with half an hour for tea, coffee and networking before moving
into talks, workshops and other activities. The AGM itself will be at 3pm
and is scheduled to finish by 5.30pm at the latest. We would encourage you
to come and stay for the whole day, particularly if you are a member and
can vote at the AGM, although all volunteers, editors and potential
volunteers and editors are welcome. We will circulate registration details
soon - please make sure you do register if you are planning to attend.

We will provide a light lunch and refreshments.

We have scheduled time for a series of '*lightning talks*' after lunch,
which will generally be short, five minute presentations on any subject
relating to Wikimedia, open knowledge or the open sector more broadly. If
you would like to give one of these talks, please email Richard Nevell on
richard.nev...@wikimedia.org.uk with your name and the subject you'd like
to speak about.

We are also looking for a *volunteer photographer* to lead a 'Wiki Takes
Birmingham' tour of the local area, along with Richard Symonds (as the
local area expert!) Again, please let Richard Nevell know if you would like
to do this.

Any member who wishes to bring forward a resolution for consideration at
the AGM must inform the charity, and supply a copy of the suggested text,
by no later than Friday 3rd June 2016. The suggested text may either be
sent by email to the chair of the board at michael.ma...@wikimedia.org.uk or
may be posted online at
https://wikimedia.org.uk/w/index.php?title=2016_Annual_General_Meeting/Resolutions
.

If you have any more general comments or queries, please email me at
lucy.crompton-r...@wikimedia.org.uk.

With all best wishes
Lucy

-- 

Lucy Crompton-Reid

Chief Executive

Wikimedia UK

+44 (0) 207 065 0991



Wikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and
Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered
Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT.

Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia movement. The
Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate
Wikipedia, amongst other projects). *Wikimedia UK is an independent
non-profit charity with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility
for its contents.*
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Re: [Wikimediauk-l] TLS review of Jack Lynch, You Could Look It Up

[Andrew Gray]

The Thonemann article turns out to be public (about a third of TLS
articles are):

http://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/public/encyclopedic-knowledge/

I rather enjoyed this -

"Given the manner of its compilation, the accursed thing really is a
whole lot more reliable than it has any right to be. Like many
university lecturers, I used to warn my own students off using
Wikipedia (as pointless an injunction as telling them not to use
Google, or not to leave their essay to the last minute). I finally
gave up doing so about three years ago, after reading a paper by an
expert on South Asian coinage in which the author described the
Wikipedia entry on the Indo-Greek Kingdom (c.200 BC–AD 10) as the most
reliable overview of Indo-Greek history to be found anywhere – quite
true, though not necessarily as much of a compliment to Wikipedia as
you might think."

Andrew.

On 26 May 2016 at 11:56, Charles Matthews
 wrote:
> Enjoyable two-page review today in the Times Literary Supplement by Peter
> Thonemann, flagged on the front page as "The triumph of Wikipedia?"
>
> Lynch's book You Could Look It Up has the subtitle "The reference shelf from
> ancient Babylon", and WP is duly mentioned in the review at length, with
> Rich Farmbrough getting a namecheck.
>
> Thonemann is at Wadham College, Oxford, and gives good quotes: e.g.
> "Wiki-editors are, in my experience, an exceptionally friendly and helpful
> bunch".
>
> Charles
>
>
> ___
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> wikimediau...@wikimedia.org
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l
> WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk



-- 
- Andrew Gray
  andrew.g...@dunelm.org.uk

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[Wikimediauk-l] TLS review of Jack Lynch, You Could Look It Up

[Charles Matthews]

Enjoyable two-page review today in the Times Literary Supplement by Peter
Thonemann, flagged on the front page as "The triumph of Wikipedia?"

Lynch's book You Could Look It Up has the subtitle "The reference shelf from
ancient Babylon", and WP is duly mentioned in the review at length, with Rich
Farmbrough getting a namecheck.

Thonemann is at Wadham College, Oxford, and gives good quotes: e.g.
"Wiki-editors are, in my experience, an exceptionally friendly and helpful
bunch".

Charles___
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