[Wikimedia-l] Research + Chapters, User Groups, Affiliates at Wikimania

2019-07-30 Thread Leila Zia 
Hi all,

My apologies for posting this message here as I don't know of a better
place to reach out to many chapters, user groups and affiliates at
once. This message is for these groups [0] and in case their
representatives will be attending Wikimania 2019.

---
One of the empowering aspects of attending Wikimania for me in the
past years has been to be able to connect to many of you in person: to
build lasting relationships, to understand the challenges that you
face in your Wikimedia related efforts, and brainstorm with you about
how/if research can help you answer some of your open questions. These
conversations have been a source of inspiration for at least a few
projects that the Research team at Wikimedia Foundation has picked up
over the past years [1]. As our team is planning for our presence in
Wikimania 2019 [2], I only hope that we can have even more of this
kind of interaction together while we're in Stockholm.

To this end and in order to make the best use of our collective time
together, I'd like to propose an experimental meet-up during this
year's Wikimania where the interested representatives of chapters,
user groups, affiliates and the members of the Research team to meet.
In order to organize this session, we need your input and I have put
together a few questions at
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1YZmgxkJJA2lO6jl_nmOL9pwhbNu5GKVZ2klAqxRIG674Gw/viewform
that I'd appreciate if you answer if you find the idea of meeting up
interesting. If you do not want to go to the link above and still want
to provide your input, please send your responses to the questions at
the end of this email to me privately.

Whether the meet-up idea ends up being a useful one for you or not
will be determined by your responses. Independent of that, I look
forward to touch-basing with many of you soon. :)

Best,
Leila

[0] From earlier conversations with chapters, user groups, and
affiliates I've got the impression that it's useful to have a
dedicated session focused on these groups and their
needs/perspectives. This being said, this is not a hard rule. :) If
you are not a representative of these groups and you'd like to attend,
you're welcome to. Please fill out the survey.

[1] https://research.wikimedia.org/projects.html

[2] https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T229267


Survey questions if you don't want to fill out the survey by going to
the link provided in this email:

Description:
[The following is a tentative description of the event and it may
change based on your responses to this survey. The agenda for the meet
up will be finalized on 2019-08-07.]

Let's use the opportunity of being in Wikimania to get together and
discuss the following and beyond:
* [10-min] An update about what the Research team at Wikimedia
Foundation has done since we met last year in Wikimania. We will
provide updates on "Addressing Knowledge Gaps" and research
contributions to "Knowledge Integrity".
* [5-min] What stopped us from doing more? What challenges did we face?
* [15-min] Let's talk longer term: what does it take to have a global
network of researchers around Wikimedia projects? Why is having such a
network important? Can we work together on this?
* [30-min or more] What are some of the most pressing needs/questions
that chapters, affiliates, and user groups face? (with an eye for
converting them to research questions.)
* ...

---
To learn more about the Research team at Wikimedia Foundation and what
we do, please visit https://research.wikimedia.org/ .

---
Question 1. Are you interested to attend a meet-up with Wikimedia
Foundation's Research team?
Question 2. If your answer to the above question is Yes or Maybe,
please let us know which affiliate, user group or chapter do you
represent or are a member of?
Question 3. What is a good outcome of the meet-up for you if you
choose to attend it?
Question 4. If you have specific times and days that you cannot attend
the meet-up, please indicate them below.
Question 5. Anything else you'd like to share with us and we should
take into account when planning for this event?


--
Leila Zia
Principal Research Scientist, Head of Research
Wikimedia Foundation

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[Wikimedia-l] Announcement from the Board of Wikimedia Belgium (WMBE)

2019-07-30 Thread Geert Van Pamel 
Romaine has decided to step down as Board member of Wikimedia Belgium (WMBE). 
Following an international escalating conflict and an
unauthorized email, he has been feeling stressed and prefers to live in a safe 
environment, and give priority to his own health. [1]
 
It is important to provide a safe environment for all volunteers. As such the 
board of Wikimedia Belgium, based on a proposal of the
General Assembly, has requested the Affiliate Chairs to vote to request an 
Internal audit (based on international best
practices/standards/norms) of major WMF procedures. [2]
 
WMBE sincerely thanks Romaine for co-founding Wikimedia Belgium and for his 
valued work during his years as Board member. WMBE
regrets having lost one of her most active Board members. It is a loss for the 
association, our partners in Belgium and abroad, and
for the Wikimedia community as a whole. [3]
 
The WMBE Board temporarily assigns the Treasurer function to the Chair until a 
new candidate is found. The WMBE statutes allow the
Board to assign technical functions outside of the Board. We would welcome 
candidates. [4]
 
We hope we can return to a safe environment, and that the focus goes back to 
where WMBE was founded for: activities to get more free
knowledge.
 
-- The Board of Wikimedia Belgium (WMBE)
-- Geert Van Pamel, Chair of Wikimedia Belgium

[1] https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2019-June/092878.html
[2] 
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Request_for_WMF_Internal_audits_and_appeal_procedures
[3] https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2019-June/092909.html
[4] http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/tsv_pdf/2014/10/17/14190820.pdf
 




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