> On Aug 1, 2015, at 12:52 AM, Jane Darnell <[email protected]> wrote: > > Mina, > Thanks for your input, and I hope you are eventually able to work your idea > into a proposal. I see that my original mail (which included the link you > request) didn't make it to the list. You can still see it here in the > archives from July as the last mail in the list under "Thread". > > I don't know why it was blocked so I won't link it here but if you scroll to > the bottom of this mail and click there and then click through to archives > you will get there. > Maybe it's because I included too many links - I sometimes wonder about these > lists! > > Jane > > > > On Sat, Aug 1, 2015 at 9:38 AM, Mina Theofilatou <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > Hi all and happy August:) > > I've been watching this discussion on Wikimania Scholarships, and I'm happy > that Ellie joined in the discussion: I think her reply was the most valuable > and well-referenced in the thread. > > Being a first-time Wikimania scholarship participant - I was offered a > partial scholarship in 2011 but had to decline NOT because I wasn't satisfied > with the terms, but for serious personal reasons - I would like to add a few > comments to the discussion. > > 1) The Wikimania experience not only met my expecations, it exceeded them. It > was amazing to live the energy, the enthusiasm of the Wikimedia community > "live" for the first time instead of online. Finally meeting the faces behind > the usernames I had interacted with for years was magical. And words cannot > describe how I loved the place - Mexico City - all the new Mexican and > international friends I made both inside and outside the wiki commuity, > people I feel as if I've known for years... memories and acquantances that > will be treasured for life:) > > 2) That said, I have to agree with all those supporting newcomers to > Wikimania: this experience has added a new dimension to my relation with the > community, and even if I never attend another Wikimania, its impact will last > forever. So yes, I would be willing to "sacrifice" my chance at another > scholarship if I knew that in 2016 another equally eligible and enthusiastic > Wikimedian would have the opportunity to gain the Wikimania experience like I > did at Wikimania 2015. > > 3) New participants want to soak in as much Wikimania as they can: they > attend more sessions, interact with more people, attend all the receptions > and parties (which means MORE interaction, more acquaintances, more prospects > for collaboration on exciting transnational projects) and do not have the > attitude "been there, done that" that I discerned in a couple of repeat > scholarship recipients. > > 4) I agree that this doesn't mean repeat applications should be discouraged: > just that their applications should be STRINGENTLY reviewed. For example: for > me the most important session was IdeaLab, during which the two wonderful > ladies holding the session helped me shape an idea that was going around in > my mind for months into a proposal, which I will hopefully develop into a > grant. That was absolutely amazing and it wouldn't have been possible if I > weren't there. IF however I fail to develop the proposal further, I see no > reason why I should be entitled to eligibility for a scholarship next year. > > 5) Finally, I would like someone to please provide a quick link to the > Scholarship online report section for 2015, as I am eager to write about my > experience.. I don't recall having received an e-mail pointing to the wiki > for this (I've only submitted the general attendee survey).
Mina, I will be sending this out in an email next week to all the 2015 scholarship recipients. > > Thanks to Wikimania 2015 for an amazing experience, best wishes from > Kefalonia, Greece:) > > Mina (User:Saintfevrier) > _______________________________________________ > Wikimania-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
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