Hello all,
Apologies for cross-posting.
For those who have not noticed till now, Google is not indexing any
Wikisource language editions for the last couple of years which practically
means that any Wikisource contents in any languages, which are being
created in these years, are not searchable on Google and hence largely
remain invisible on the web.
This is an extremely demotivating and frustrating situation for the
existing Wikisource volunteers to witness, draining away all of our past
and current efforts to bring and retain viewers, readers, GLAM partners and
any potential new editors. We already have a very low awareness and
visibility about Wikisource among general internet users due to lack of
organized support in these years but the invisibility on Google search
engine could become the last nail in our coffin, unless it is fixed soon.
There is a phabricator ticket raised by Darwinius back in December 2022 -
https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T325607.
Can't this issue be put into priority by sys admins and WMF to work upon?
Wikisource is still a sister project of Wikimedia and it needs some very
basic care, after all.
Regards,
Bodhisattwa
(Bengali Wikisource volunteer)
Dear Community,
Just a friendly reminder about the second Campaign Office Hour for Wiki
Loves Folklore's 2024 edition happening today.
Join us for engaging discussions, guidelines, and collective contributions
to shape the exciting five-year journey ahead. Your active participation is
highly valued, so feel free to share anything related to Folklore within
your community.
Meeting Details:
Date: Saturday, 20th January 2024
Time: 14:00hrs UTC
Venue: Online (Zoom) [1]
Please confirm your participation by sign up on meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Loves_Folklore_2024_Office_Hour#Partic…>
[2].
Looking forward to your valuable contributions and enriching discussions
that will shape the success of Wiki Loves Folklore 2024.
Best regards,
Isaac Kanguya
Communication Officer WLF 2024
[1] Zoom
<https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87530839056?pwd=EdyZ99R2NpPb5KvZFqTfucbj7zmbar.1>
[2] Sign-up link
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Loves_Folklore_2024_Office_Hour#Partic…>
Hello all,
I am writing to you today with an update on the *Universal Code of Conduct
Coordinating Committee (or U4C) Charter
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Coordinating_Comm…>*
development process. I know some of you might already be aware of it, but
I’ll just summarize here briefly for anyone who may need an update about
this part of the UCoC development.
Earlier this year, the *Building Committee
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/U4C_Building_Comm…>*
for the Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee Charter
started drafting
the Charter
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Coordinating_Comm…>.
The initial version was shared for community comment a couple of months
ago. After closing the community comment period, the Building Committee met
again to finalize some of the details before a community ratification vote.
This ratification was initially planned for late November.
The Building Committee continued their conversations into December so that
they could present a more comprehensive Charter for community ratification.
The ratification vote is now scheduled to open next week, on January 16.
We will provide more information about how to vote as it opens.
Thank you for following this process, and, on behalf of the Building
Committee, thanks to all Wikimedians who have provided comments and
direction for this document. We look forward to seeing the results.
Best regards,
Patrick
On behalf of the folks working on the UCoC Coordinating Committee Charter
Patrick Earley
Lead Trust & Safety Policy Manager
Wikimedia Foundation
pearley(a)wikimedia.org
Dear Wikimedians,
Welcome to the Wiki Indaba 2024
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiIndaba_conference_2024>! We are
thrilled to have you as part of this engaging and insightful event that
brings together members from around the world. To ensure that the Indaba
caters to your interests, experiences, and expectations, we invite you to
participate in our Pre-Indaba Survey.
This survey serves as a valuable opportunity for us to understand your
perspectives, preferences, and aspirations. Your responses will guide us in
shaping the Indaba agenda, tailoring discussions to address the most
pertinent issues, and fostering an environment that maximizes your
engagement experience.
We understand that each participant brings a unique set of insights, and
this survey aims to capture the diversity of voices within our global
community. Your input is crucial in creating an Event that not only meets
but exceeds all expectations.
The survey is designed to cover a range of topics, from your views on focus
areas to your expectations from the Indaba. Your honest and thoughtful
responses will contribute to the success of the Wiki Indaba 2024 and help
us create an event that resonates with your needs and interests.
Please give us your feedback by filling out this survey
https://forms.gle/SJisJDLM4qETiKX27 no later than February 5th, 2024.
We appreciate your time and commitment through your participation in this
survey. Thank you for being an integral part of the Wiki Indaba 2024, and
we look forward to your responses.
Kind regards,
Geoffrey Kateregga
On behalf of the Wiki Indaba 2024 Organizing Team
------------
Français.
Wiki Indaba 2024 - Enquête sur l'engagement communautaire
Chers Wikimédiens,
Bienvenue au Wiki Indaba 2024
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiIndaba_conference_2024> ! Nous sommes
ravis de vous compter parmi les participants à cet événement engageant et
instructif qui rassemble des membres du monde entier. Afin de nous assurer
que l'Indaba répond à vos intérêts, expériences et attentes, nous vous
invitons à participer à notre enquête pré-Indaba.
Cette enquête nous offre une occasion précieuse de comprendre vos
perspectives, vos préférences et vos aspirations. Vos réponses nous
aideront à élaborer le programme de l'Indaba, à adapter les discussions aux
questions les plus pertinentes et à favoriser un environnement qui maximise
votre expérience d'engagement.
Nous comprenons que chaque participant apporte un ensemble unique de points
de vue et cette enquête vise à saisir la diversité des voix au sein de
notre communauté mondiale. Votre contribution est essentielle pour créer un
événement qui ne se contente pas de répondre à toutes les attentes, mais
les dépasse.
L'enquête est conçue pour couvrir un large éventail de sujets, allant de
votre point de vue sur les domaines d'intérêt à vos attentes vis-à-vis de
l'Indaba. Vos réponses honnêtes et réfléchies contribueront au succès du
Wiki Indaba 2024 et nous aideront à créer un événement qui répondra à vos
besoins et à vos intérêts.
Veuillez nous faire part de vos commentaires en remplissant cette enquête
https://forms.gle/SJisJDLM4qETiKX27 au plus tard le 5 février 2024.
Nous apprécions le temps et l'engagement que vous avez consacrés à cette
enquête. Nous vous remercions de faire partie intégrante du Wiki Indaba
2024 et nous attendons vos réponses avec impatience
Cordialement,
Geoffrey Kateregga
Au nom de l'équipe d'organisation de la Wiki Indaba 2024
Hello Wikimedians,
Please find attached the activities report of the Gungbe Wikimedians User
Group: https://w.wiki/8sSh
Major highlight of the year is the approval and creation of the language
editions of Wikinews in Gungbe language ( https://w.wiki/8sSr ) on April 4,
2023 by the Language Committee after several months of sustained activities
in the Wikimedia Incubator by members of the user group. Thus, Gungbe
Wikinews becomes the first indigenous African language with a Wikinews
subdomain.
Best,
Misimawu
Hi all,
Today, we are opening nominations
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctHahuVnJQQNG2eo_3F7aB1Z2jQi1JxhN…>
for the next round of grants from the Knowledge Equity Fund.
The Knowledge Equity Fund was launched by the Wikimedia Foundation two
years ago as a pilot program to advance knowledge equity, one of the two
pillars of the movement strategy, through a focus on racial inequities in
free knowledge.
Since our launch, the Knowledge Equity Fund has gone through several
iterations. Over the past several months, the Knowledge Equity Fund
Committee has solicited feedback from Wikimedia communities on our approach
to supporting knowledge equity. We hosted an open community call
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Equity_Fund/Commmunication#Notes_…>
on October 6 to share more about our approach and discuss ideas for future
knowledge equity grants. Through this conversation and onwiki comments, we
heard consistent feedback
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Equity_Fund/Commmunication#Follow…>
about the need to connect grantees and their work more closely with the
Wikimedia projects. These suggestions have focused on increased
communication and visibility into the work of the Knowledge Equity Fund and
grantees; developing stronger connections between grantees and movement
groups in order to drive direct impact to the Wikimedia projects, which
will in turn benefit our larger mission of free knowledge; and clarifying
the impact of Knowledge Equity Fund grantees.
These are important suggestions that we as a Committee are taking on as we
launch the next round. We’ve just shared a Diff post
<https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/01/17/we-need-your-nominations-for-knowledg…>
with details on the changes that we’re making moving forward, including a
new Connected Grants pilot that will be available to movement groups to
support existing partnerships with external organizations.
We will also be hosting two community calls to answer questions and hear
suggestions for nominations for Round 3:
-
January 22, 11 am UTC
-
January 26, 3 pm UTC
If you are interested in attending these calls, please email
equityfund(a)wikimedia.org and we will share information to join. We welcome
your nominations for organizations for Round 3! Nominations will be open
through the end of February.
--
*Nadee Gunasena*
Chief of Staff
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
Hi all,
The next Research Showcase will be live-streamed on Wednesday, January 17,
at 9:30 AM PST / 17:30 UTC. Find your local time here
<https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1705512600>. The theme for this showcase is
*Connecting Action with Policy*.
You are welcome to watch via the YouTube stream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUuC6Q1SIoM. As usual, you can join the
conversation in the YouTube chat as soon as the showcase goes live.
This month's presentations:
Presenting the report "Unreliable Guidelines"By *Amber Berson and Monika
Jones*The goal behind the report Unreliable Guidelines: Reliable Sources
and Marginalized Communities in French, English and Spanish Wikipedias was
to understand the effects of the set of reliable source guidelines and
rules on the participation of and the content about marginalized
communities on three Wikipedias. Two years following the release of their
report, researchers Berson and Sengul-Jones reflect on the impact of their
research as well as the actionable next steps.Why Should This Article Be
Deleted? Transparent Stance Detection in Multilingual Wikipedia Editor
DiscussionsBy *Lucie-Aimée Kaffee and Arnav Arora*The moderation of content
on online platforms is usually non-transparent. On Wikipedia, however, this
discussion is carried out publicly and the editors are encouraged to use
the content moderation policies as explanations for making moderation
decisions. However, currently only a few comments explicitly mention those
policies. To aid in this process of understanding how content is moderated,
we construct a novel multilingual dataset of Wikipedia editor discussions
along with their reasoning in three languages. We demonstrate that stance
and corresponding reason (policy) can be predicted jointly with a high
degree of accuracy, adding transparency to the decision-making process.
Best,
Kinneret
--
Kinneret Gordon
Lead Research Community Officer
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
Dear all,
First of all -- Happy Wikipedia Day to all of us today! <3 Even if not all
of us are Wikipedians, the launch of Wikipedia on January 15, 2001, started
something precious for all of us.
And now to regular business --
The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees met virtually for their final
meeting of 2023 on December 6. Two members of the Movement Charter Drafting
Committee (MCDC) – Risker and Daria Cybulska – joined as Board visitors as
we have done in the past for Board meetings. The outcomes were briefly
reported at the Open Conversation with the Trustees on December 7, and here
is a letter with more details and corresponding links.
== Board Business ==
This Board meeting contained several administrative actions, including
officially appointing Kathy Collins
<https://wikimediafoundation.org/profile/kathy-collins/> to the Board,
which was announced back in November [1]. Kathy has replaced Tanya Capuano
as Audit Committee Chair. I would like to thank Tanya for her service on
the Board. Tanya has served as the Audit Chair for several years, and the
Board is fortunate that she will stay on as an Advisor to the Audit
Committee.
Each December, the Board approves its committee assignments for the
following year. You can see the new committee membership here [2]. Most of
the work of the Board is done via its committees, so these are important
assignments. We have also published the Board committee updates, which you
can read here [3]. In addition, the Board approved the August meeting
minutes [4].
== Foundation Updates ==
The Board received brief updates from Wikimedia Foundation staff, including
information on the ongoing Big English fundraising campaign and a recap of
the Foundation’s first quarter progress towards the goals set out in the Annual
Plan
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2023-2024>.
You can read more about the campaign here
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Fundraising/2023_banners#Campaign_u…>.
The Board meeting concluded with an executive session.
== Affiliations Committee Update ==
I would also like to provide an update related to the Affiliations
Committee (AffCom). The Community Affairs Committee (CAC) has appointed
Mike Peel as a Board Liaison to AffCom to replace Shani Evenstein Sigalov.
The Board Liaisons to AffCom are now Mike Peel, Nataliia Tymkiv, and
Lorenzo Losa.
In October, AffCom announced a call for volunteers
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee/Candidates/2023>
for the committee. AffCom received over thirty candidate applications,
which the Foundation staff vetted, conducting trust and safety checks. The
Board Liaisons, staff, and AffCom members not running this time, have been
interviewing candidates, including AffCom members who wish to renew their
terms, over the last few weeks. It is encouraging to see this level of
interest in joining AffCom, and with the large number of candidates, the
process has taken longer than was initially planned. Due to this, the CAC
has granted the current AffCom members' term a short extension until
February 29, 2024 (or until their replacements are appointed, whichever
comes first).
== Open Conversation with Trustees ==
On December 7, the CAC hosted an Open Conversation with the Trustees I
mentioned above. You can watch the recording [5] of the meeting or read the
notes [6].
[1]
https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org…
[2] https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Committee_Membership,_2023
[3]
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Minutes,_2023-08-15#Committee_updates
[4] https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Minutes,_2023-08-15
[5] Recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCQwwNiIkW0
[6] Notes
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…
Best regards,
antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv
Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
*NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal working
hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during weekend. You
should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off. Thank you in
advance!*