Hi Srikanth, While my work on the pilot project is over, the BNHS is still taking a look at it. The BNHS is yet to convey its decision about forming a partnership with the Wikimedia community. I shall soon write at length about transferable lessons and experiences from the pilot project and I hope to be able to address the points Ashwin and Vickram have raised above.
Regards, Rohini On Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 11:31 AM, Srikanth Ramakrishnan < srik.r...@wikimedia.in> wrote: > Hi Rohini, can you share some of your experiences, wrt to what Ashwin and > Vickram have pointed out? > > > On Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 7:15 AM, Vickram Crishna <vvcris...@radiophony.com > > wrote: > >> As Ashwin points out, from the point of view of a partnership, this was >> less than a resounding success. >> >> However, Rohini does not call it a partnership, because it isn't one. >> This was a pilot, intended to demonstrate to persons of influence at BNHS >> what a partnership could achieve for the Society. The partnership lies >> ahead. >> >> Pradeep does not call it a partnership either, he squarely labels it a >> pilot, and suggests to Wikimedians everywhere that they initiate similar >> efforts with similar physical archives in other parts of India. >> >> It would have been exceedingly unrealistic to imagine that the philosophy >> of open knowledge be instantly understood and enthusiastically embraced. >> None of us did at any stage of this pilot, which we well understand to be a >> foot in the door. I was warned by other senior Wikimedians, recognised >> naturalists in their own right, as well as naturalists who are not >> Wikimedians, but know the Society well, that this would be an uphill task, >> long before we even took the first steps. Dissing the organisation for its >> traditional mindset is easy, but not fruitful. >> >> For all I know, it may be easier to do this elsewhere, with other >> organisations. And the very best to others who take up that challenge. >> Everyone should do what they can, when they can, wherever they can. >> >> This is a work in progress. And I wish Rohini the very best, every >> encouragement, to continue her efforts to get that door opened wider now. >> >> -- >> Vickram >> Fool On The Hill communicall.wordpress.com >> " He's still watching me watching you watching ... >> And the way he stares - feel like locking my door >> and pulling my phone from the wall. >> His eyes, like lights from a laser, burn >> making my hair stand - making the goose-bumps crawl. " >> Jethro Tull: Watching Me Watching You (1982) >> On Aug 9, 2013 8:12 PM, "Ashwin Baindur" <ashwin.bain...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> From a point of view of GLAM partnership this was emphatically NOT a >>> success. It was not a complete failure also, because brave Rohini persisted >>> in the face of an unresponsive BNHS. In the end BNHS and Wikipedia got a >>> better article on Humayun Abdulali and Rohini got some hard-won experience >>> - that is all. >>> >>> But the potential for this project could have been so much greater. The >>> experiences of Wikipedians-in-residence in the Smithsonian and the British >>> Museum (and other initiatives) was so wonderful, so engaging to both sides >>> and so fruitful that the lacklustre report in the link Pradeep mentions >>> feels like ashes in one's mouth. >>> >>> BNHS has been for many years the iconic symbol of private wildlife >>> research. It has a very long history, had some truly wonderful people in it >>> including Salim Ali and Humayun Abdulali, has a very good library and a >>> very good collection of skins, shells, eggs etc. It has a peer-reviewed >>> scientific journal more than 100 years old which has high repute. It was >>> the place where eminent scientists like Johnsingh, Ravi Sankaran and Bharat >>> Bhushan, besides many others, began their careers or were encouraged. >>> Whether it is mammals, birds, reptiles, marine life or insects; anywhere in >>> India one can definitely say about BNHS - been there, done that! >>> >>> So one would expect BNHS to be open to the idea of helping Indians to >>> learn more about wildlife, nature, environment and conservation? Wrong. >>> >>> Check the site of BNHS for stuff which educates or informs or which >>> guides or helps and see the complete paucity of material. Its a nice enough >>> looking website & tells you very much what the organisation, its goals and >>> programmes, but there is zilch information about India's wildlife, from >>> India's premier wildlife NGO. If you compare that with a comparable >>> organisation in the USA and UK say Audobon or RSPB, you will find they have >>> useful articles, knowledge material aside from what they are involved in. >>> Compare Audobon which gives Tips on how to get nature to the classroom or >>> taking schoolchildren outdoors, or RSPB which provides a complete bird list >>> with short writeup. >>> >>> BNHS does not have an altruistic outlook towards IP and the resources >>> they hold. The reason for that is not difficult to understand. BNHS >>> publishes a variety of handbooks, coffee-table books etc and their >>> employees derive additional income from their publication, sale of >>> photographs they take on BNHS funded trips etc, Hardly any activity in BNHS >>> comes without a pricetag for the participants. Standard copyright model is >>> their bread and butter. >>> >>> No wonder, they are not interested very much in joining hands with >>> Wikipedia - there is a direct conflict of interest, if Wikipedia develops >>> pages on India's natural heritage well, the need/dependence for their >>> handbooks reduces. This will affect sales in the long run and affect income >>> of the organisation and its staff. >>> >>> So Rohini's valiant attempt was akin to trying to clap with one hand. >>> You can't hear the clap because BNHS never showed any eagerness other than >>> a bureaucratic acquiescence grudgingly obtained after much effort by >>> Rohini. Imho, Rohini could probably have written the Abdulali article to >>> the same quality even without the cooperation of BNHS. >>> >>> It would be my advice to GLAM enthusiasts who put in humungous amount of >>> hours of drudgery work in GLAM projects to please not take up pilots with >>> organisations which do not value the importance of Commons, common heritage >>> and public domain. >>> >>> Ashwin Baindur >>> >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Aug 9, 2013 at 6:14 PM, Pradeep Mohandas <prad2...@yahoo.com>wrote: >>> >>>> hi, >>>> >>>> It was announced earlier that a Wikipedian from Mumbai, Rohini Lakshane >>>> was working with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) on a GLAM pilot >>>> project. I am happy to inform you that this is now completed. A short note >>>> on the pilot was posted here - >>>> http://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/GLAM/Newsletter/July_2013/Contents/India_report >>>> >>>> It will be great to do similar projects in other cultural and/or >>>> scientific institutions in your city. If you need help from the Chapter in >>>> doing this, please feel free to contact me on this email id. >>>> >>>> warm regards, >>>> Pradeep Mohandas >>>> >>>> Pradeep Mohandas >>>> How Pradeep uses email? - http://goo.gl/6v1I9 >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Wikimediaindia-l mailing list >>>> Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org >>>> To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit >>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Warm regards, >>> >>> Ashwin Baindur >>> ------------------------------------------------------ >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Wikimedia-in-mum mailing list >>> wikimedia-in-...@lists.wikimedia.org >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-in-mum >>> >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimediaindia-l mailing list >> Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org >> To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l >> >> > > > -- > Srikanth Ramakrishnan > Treasurer, > Wikimedia Chapter [India] > > Donate to the Wikimedia India Chapter > today<http://wiki.wikimedia.in/Donations> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "wmin-members" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to wmin-members+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > >
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