Talk:Cascadia Wikimedians/Archive 4
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This is a message from the Wikimedia Foundation. Translations are available.
As many of you know, January 15 is Wikipedia’s 15th Birthday!
People around the world are getting involved in the celebration and have started adding their events on Meta Page. While we are celebrating Wikipedia's birthday, we hope that all projects and affiliates will be able to utilize this celebration to raise awareness of our community's efforts.
Haven’t started planning? Don’t worry, there’s lots of ways to get involved. Here are some ideas:
- Join/host an event. We already have more than 80, and hope to have many more.
- Talk to local press. In the past 15 years, Wikipedia has accomplished extraordinary things. We’ve made a handy summary of milestones and encourage you to add your own. More resources, including a press release template and resources on working with the media, are also available.
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Thanks and Happy nearly Wikipedia 15!
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Posted by the MediaWiki message delivery, 20:53, 18 December 2015 (UTC) • Please help translate to your language • Help
2016 Meetups
Is the planning for a 2016 meetup in the works? I'm in Seattle at least until the end of March and would be interested in meeting up with local Wikipedians! Hexatekin (talk) 18:59, 8 February 2016 (UTC)
- w:Wikipedia:Meetup/Seattle#Upcoming events lists meetups on February 9 and March 8!--Pharos (talk) 19:52, 8 February 2016 (UTC)
- There will be Art+Feminism meetups in both Portland and Eugene, Oregon in March. You can view details about Seattle-specific meetups here. Hope you enjoy your time in the Pacific Northwest! -Another Believer (talk) 19:53, 8 February 2016 (UTC)
OCLC receives Knight Foundation grant
Seattle-based project to make librarians Wikipedia stars wins $250K in Knight News Challenge
I look forward to collaborating with Cascadia on this project. Blue Rasberry (talk) 13:23, 25 June 2016 (UTC)
Introducing a Wikipedian in Residence at the Living Computer Museum in Seattle
Would any friends of Cascadia please say hello to MBlairMartin, the Wikipedian-in-Residence intern at the Living Computer Museum in Seattle, Washington?
MBlairMartin, I also would help if you need any assistance. I saw that you posted on the Commons Copyright Pump about a copyright concern. If you ever want to chat by voice or video then please be in touch. Blue Rasberry (talk) 14:51, 14 July 2016 (UTC)
- I'm hoping that MBlairMartin comes to Wiknic this weekend! --Pine✉ 04:41, 15 July 2016 (UTC)
- Im sorry I couldn't make it, I planned to but something came up. Ill be on the lookout for any future meet ups though! MBlairMartin (talk) 16:30, 18 July 2016 (UTC)
Page question
Would anyone object to officially adding "Cascadia bioregion" states to your official list in the lead (i.e. Montana, Idaho, etc...) and also pinging the respective wikiprojects that they could join this group? (Montana is georgraphically split, but the next-nearest user group is Colorado, so if Eastern Montanans don't want to be part of Cascadia, we could offer it as an alternative... Montanabw (talk) 01:05, 23 July 2016 (UTC)
- Montanabw Invite anyone and add the bioregion if you like.
- The historical problem is that a few years ago there were not sources identified which defined the limit of Cascadia. There need not be any sharp boundary - anyone anywhere in the world who wants to join or request support may. Until and unless anything better develops for anyone in the region, any individual or group can have Cascadia support to the extent that it is useful without regard to political lines. Blue Rasberry (talk) 16:01, 10 August 2016 (UTC)
- Montanabw and Bluerasberry I'd be glad to see us supporting Idaho and Montana. However, please note that there are legal requirements (not Wikimedia requirements) if we conduct official activities in certain jurisdictions, such as states where we have not registered our organization. Therefore, if anyone wants to hold activities in the name of Cascadia Wikimedians in a jurisdiction, please discuss that in advance with me. There is legal paperwork and real money involved. Those aren't necessarily roadblocks, and expanding our reach is usually a good thing, but we need to think carefully if there is a lot of legal paperwork and/or money involved especially for small or isolated events. We need to look at the cost-benefit ratio before we make commitments. Note that being a member of Cascadia is a much lower threshold than holding events in Cascadia's name. We want to support events, and we need to make sure we do things the right way. Thanks! --Pine✉ 06:01, 11 August 2016 (UTC)
- I presume you are incorporated in Washington State? No worries, but how do the Oregonians feel about that? (LOL) I doubt Montana would be hosting WikiConNA any time soon, so no worries. There's a movement afoot to start a Rocky Mountain user group, but given that it's a long way from Shelby to Tuscon, it's not going to be a meetup kind of gig, either. Montanabw (talk) 07:19, 11 August 2016 (UTC)
- @Montanabw: we're incorporated in Washington, and the plan is to register in Oregon in the short term and British Columbia in the long term. British Columbia is probably more of a stretch than Idaho or Montana would be in terms of paperwork. We've also had occasional discussions about Alaska. If any of these other states looks like they're seriously interested in a meetup group, we'd certainly consider supporting them. --Pine✉ 19:09, 12 August 2016 (UTC)
- Any particular reason to incorporate even in two states? (WMF is incorporated in Florida, after all)(Canada makes sense, though...) Local usergroups probably could do so, but as far as the Cascadia "chapter" (as opposed to a usergroup for meetups), seems that one state is plenty -- maybe if a big event was sponsored, yes, but... All that said, filing nonprofit incorporation for liability purposes is pretty easy in any state, usually a one-page form. But it's the keeping it current by filing the annual reports and such that's daunting, hence why I ask. Filing for federal 501(c)(3) status is a bigger and more complicated deal, though. So, basically, I guess I'm not sure why a multi-stae incorporation is needed if the HQ is in one state, all the dues or monies come to one state, etc... (but if you are talking to a legal eqgle, I'd be interested in knowing more about what they say -- perhaps email me if you'd prefer to chat further.) Montanabw (talk) 23:17, 13 August 2016 (UTC)
- @Montanabw: registration is different than incorporation. Many jurisdictions at various levels of government require organizations to register in their jurisdictions when the organization "does business" in that jurisdiction, so that the jurisdictions can tax the organizations. Some jurisdictions provide for reduced or no taxes for nonprofits, particularly 501(c)(3) nonprofits, while other jurisdictions make no distinction between for-profit and nonprofit organizations when assessing taxes. --Pine✉ 07:10, 14 August 2016 (UTC)
- Yes and no. (you do know I'm a lawyer, right? LOL! I don't do business law, but...) Basically a "foreign corporation" (i.e. an out of state group) has to register in other states where they "conduct business," but the definition of that varies (see [1] as an example). It's a question of liability, access to the courts, the ability to contract and so on. (So it's a good idea and I'm basically agreeing with you) But it's not a question of taxation, the ability of the state to tax (example: in Montana, any corporation doing business here can be taxed whether they meet the legal requirement to register or not [2]) is independent of the ability to register corporations. Also, where I find local people trip up, state nonprofit incorporation only gets you out from under state taxes, not federal; federal requires the 501(c)(3). All of this is why I don't do business law (lol) it makes my head want to explode. Montanabw (talk) 05:06, 16 August 2016 (UTC)
Announcing WikiConference North America in San Diego, Fri-Mon 7-10 October
I am inviting participants in Wiki Cascadia to WikiConference North America to be held in San Diego Friday to Monday 7-10 October. Here are further details:
- The conference includes a track called "community", and I anticipate that topics relating to community organization will be raised in those presentations
- We are accepting submissions until 31 August.
- We are accepting scholarship applications 9 August - 23 August. About 40 scholarships are available only for people in Canada, the US, and Mexico. Last year about 200 people applied for scholarships.
- More volunteers are needed. In the usual wiki-way, anyone may comment on program submissions. At the conference in person, all staff will be volunteer and all attendees are encouraged check in with conference organizers about volunteering for the task queue even for an hour. Anyone interested may contact FloNight or Rosiestep to offer volunteer support.
- Major sponsorship for the conference comes from the San Diego Public Library who are providing the venue and a grant from the Wikimedia Foundation.
- This is the third year of this conference, with WikiConference USA being in New York in 2014 and in Washington DC in 2015. Check the schedules of those for examples of what kinds of programming will be offered this year.
Discussion about the conference on-wiki could happen at WikiConference North America.
I am one of the organizers for this event. If anyone has questions or comments, then conversation can happen here also. I am a participant in this Wiki Cascadia, and I want the interests of this WikiProject represented at all regional wiki meetups. Thanks. Blue Rasberry (talk) 16:01, 10 August 2016 (UTC)
- Bluerasberry, we maybe should have a local chapter meeting time during the conference, block it out and make rooms available to those who request them ahead of time. Montanabw (talk) 23:18, 13 August 2016 (UTC)
- Montanabw Yes, this should happen. I am not aware of how to put this on the schedule just yet. I am still not sure what rooms can be reserved when. Blue Rasberry (talk) 11:17, 15 August 2016 (UTC)
- I'd take it to the programming committee; aren't you on that one? FloNight is the chair. Montanabw (talk) 05:07, 16 August 2016 (UTC)
- Montanabw I am not in a hurry to do this because a Cascadia meeting would be 5-10 people at most, so with a small group, it would be easier to coordinate that spontaneously at the venue. I would prefer to get the larger talks on the schedule, let everyone commit to those, then post something in the leftover space rather than post this smaller meeting first when other events could push it out.
- I expect there to be a Cascadia meetup. I just do not expect it to get scheduled first with other things around it. There will be time and space for things to be put on the schedule after the main events are posted. Blue Rasberry (talk) 10:46, 16 August 2016 (UTC)
- My thinking would be to have a "meetup hour" -- or social hour or some sort of designated time for all the user groups and chapters to meet, we could assign DC and NYC to big rooms, Cascadia might get a study carrel (!). But the idea would be a designated spot for everyone. Thoughts? Montanabw (talk) 18:08, 16 August 2016 (UTC)
- Montanabw The schedule is still being developed but in 2014 and 2015, Sunday was the day for meetings of insiders who themselves do outreach. For this conference I am not sure if it is best to sneak these meetings between presentations or even competing against presentations, or to continue to have Sunday be an insiders' meeting day. NYC and DC would likely wish to join smaller groups and not meet, just because people in those groups already meet several times a month and have said enough among themselves. I think everyone wants these things to happen, but since the attendees of these sorts of meetups are likely to be the ones who stay for the whole conference, these meetups tend to get the least-requested schedule slots. Blue Rasberry (talk) 19:54, 16 August 2016 (UTC)
- Hmmm. If that's the deal, given that we are going to have that gap Sunday morning when the library is not available, and then go into Monday on the schedule (but lots of people might leave early)... hmmm.... Do you know anyone in the SoCal groups? Maybe the thing to do would be to find a big breakfast place and have meetups around 10 am Sunday morning before the conference... push together tables, etc... Montanabw (talk) 20:17, 16 August 2016 (UTC)
- Montanabw I forgot that we cannot meet Sunday morning. Actually, I am not sure how this will work.
- There was not any SoCal group until a few months ago, and I am not aware of any Wikipedians involved in user group / chapter management in San Diego. Right now I do not have insight into how or when meetings will happen, except that I can say that the kind of meeting you describe is enough of a priority that I consider it essential and think others would feel the same. It has to be planned somehow. Blue Rasberry (talk) 20:32, 16 August 2016 (UTC)
- Shoot me an email and we can discuss further off-wiki, maybe you can talk with your fellow Cascadians and I could look at logistics. A late breakfast on Sunday morning (say about 10am) at a venue within spitting distance of the Library might be the way to go. Montanabw (talk) 18:54, 18 August 2016 (UTC)
- Hmmm. If that's the deal, given that we are going to have that gap Sunday morning when the library is not available, and then go into Monday on the schedule (but lots of people might leave early)... hmmm.... Do you know anyone in the SoCal groups? Maybe the thing to do would be to find a big breakfast place and have meetups around 10 am Sunday morning before the conference... push together tables, etc... Montanabw (talk) 20:17, 16 August 2016 (UTC)
- Montanabw The schedule is still being developed but in 2014 and 2015, Sunday was the day for meetings of insiders who themselves do outreach. For this conference I am not sure if it is best to sneak these meetings between presentations or even competing against presentations, or to continue to have Sunday be an insiders' meeting day. NYC and DC would likely wish to join smaller groups and not meet, just because people in those groups already meet several times a month and have said enough among themselves. I think everyone wants these things to happen, but since the attendees of these sorts of meetups are likely to be the ones who stay for the whole conference, these meetups tend to get the least-requested schedule slots. Blue Rasberry (talk) 19:54, 16 August 2016 (UTC)
- My thinking would be to have a "meetup hour" -- or social hour or some sort of designated time for all the user groups and chapters to meet, we could assign DC and NYC to big rooms, Cascadia might get a study carrel (!). But the idea would be a designated spot for everyone. Thoughts? Montanabw (talk) 18:08, 16 August 2016 (UTC)
- I'd take it to the programming committee; aren't you on that one? FloNight is the chair. Montanabw (talk) 05:07, 16 August 2016 (UTC)
WikiProject United States: 50,000 Challenge
-Another Believer (talk) 02:59, 13 November 2016 (UTC)
Consultants for WMF strategy plan based in Seattle
Katherine at the Wikimedia Foundation just shared an update on the 2017 WMF strategic plan.
More details on the plan are at Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2017.
In the mailing list, Pine commented that the consultant assisting with this, williamsworks, is based in Seattle. Pine also noted that this could present an opportunity for wiki people in Seattle to exchange ideas with the planners at williamsworks. I agree - the possibility might arise, and if it does, then it would be interesting if Wiki Cascadia people could have a conversation. Blue Rasberry (talk) 15:19, 12 January 2017 (UTC)
De-Recognition of Affiliates with Long-standing Non-Compliance
This is an update from the Wikimedia Affiliations Committee. Translations are available.
Recognition as a Wikimedia affiliate - a chapter, thematic organization, or user group - is a privilege that allows an independent group to officially use the Wikimedia name to further the Wikimedia mission. While most Wikimedia affiliates adhere to the basic compliance standards set forth in their agreements with the Wikimedia Foundation, a protocol has been developed to address the exceptional cases when a Wikimedia affiliate does not meet basic compliance standards and their continued recognition as a Wikimedia affiliate presents a risk to the Wikimedia movement.
In the past year, the Affiliations Committee - with support from Wikimedia Foundation staff - has made a concerted effort to address a handful of chapters with long-standing issues of non-compliance. As a result, in the coming days and months, a small number of chapters that have been unable to return to compliance through their efforts in the past year will not have their chapter agreements renewed. As a consequence, these organizations will no longer have the additional rights to use the Wikimedia trademarks, including the Wikimedia name, that had been granted under those agreements.
If you have questions about what this means for community members in the affected affiliates’ region or language areas, we have put together a basic FAQ. The FAQ talk page is available for additional questions and comments, and the Affiliations Committee is happy to answer questions directly.
Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Affiliations Committee, 15:54, 13 February 2017 (UTC) • Please help translate to your language • Get help • Subscribe or unsubscribe.
We invite you to join the movement strategy conversation (now through April 15)
- This message, "We invite you to join the movement strategy conversation (now through April 15)", was sent through multiple channels by Gregory Varnum on 15 and 16 of March 2017 to village pumps, affiliate talk pages, movement mailing lists, and MassMessage groups. A similar message was sent by Nicole Ebber to organized groups and their mailing lists on 15 of March 2017. This version of the message is available for translation and documentation purposes
Dear Wikimedians/Wikipedians:
Today we are starting a broad discussion to define Wikimedia's future role in the world and develop a collaborative strategy to fulfill that role. You are warmly invited to join the conversation.
There are many ways to participate, by joining an existing conversation or starting your own:
Track A (organized groups): Discussions with your affiliate, committee or other organized group (these are groups that support the Wikimedia movement).
Track B (individual contributors): On Meta or your local language or project wiki.
This is the first of three conversations, and it will run between now and April 15. The purpose of cycle 1 is to discuss the future of the movement and generate major themes around potential directions. What do we want to build or achieve together over the next 15 years?
We welcome you, as we create this conversation together, and look forward to broad and diverse participation from all parts of our movement.
- Find out more about the movement strategy process
- Learn more about volunteering to be a Discussion Coordinator
Sincerely,
Nicole Ebber (Track A Lead), Jaime Anstee (Track B Lead), & the engagement support teams05:00, 18 March 2017 (UTC)
Voting has begun for eligible voters in the 2017 elections for the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.
The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees is the ultimate governing authority of the Wikimedia Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization registered in the United States. The Wikimedia Foundation manages many diverse projects such as Wikipedia and Commons.
The voting phase lasts from 00:00 UTC May 1 to 23:59 UTC May 14. Click here to vote. More information on the candidates and the elections can be found on the 2017 Board of Trustees election page on Meta-Wiki.
On behalf of the Elections Committee,
Katie Chan, Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee
Joe Sutherland, Community Advocate, Wikimedia Foundation
19:02, 3 May 2017 (UTC)
The Wikimedia movement strategy core team and working groups have completed reviewing the more than 1800 thematic statements we received from the first discussion. They have identified 5 themes that were consistent across all the conversations - each with their own set of sub-themes. These are not the final themes, just an initial working draft of the core concepts.
You are invited to join the online and offline discussions taking place on these 5 themes. This round of discussions will take place between now and June 12th. You can discuss as many as you like; we ask you to participate in the ones that are most (or least) important to you.
Here are the five themes, each has a page on Meta-Wiki with more information about the theme and how to participate in that theme's discussion:
- Healthy, Inclusive Communities
- The Augmented Age
- A Truly Global Movement
- The Most Respected Source of Knowledge
- Engaging in the Knowledge Ecosystem
On the movement strategy portal on Meta-Wiki, you can find more information about each of these themes, their discussions, and how to participate.
Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation • Please help translate to your language • Get help19:24, 16 May 2017 (UTC)
On behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee, we are pleased to announce that self-nominations are being accepted for the 2017 Wikimedia Foundation Funds Dissemination Committee and Funds Dissemination Committee Ombudsperson elections. Please read the letter from the Wikimedia Foundation calling for candidates at on the 2017 Wikimedia Foundation elections portal.
Funds Dissemination Committee
The Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC) makes recommendations about how to allocate Wikimedia movement funds to eligible entities. There are five positions being filled. More information about this role can be found at the FDC elections page.
Funds Dissemination Committee Ombudsperson
The Funds Dissemination Committee Ombudsperson receives complaints and feedback about the FDC process, investigates complaints at the request of the Board of Trustees, and summarizes the investigations and feedback for the Board of Trustees on an annual basis. One position is being filled. More information about this role can be found at the FDC Ombudsperson elections page.
The candidacy submission phase will last until May 28 (23:59 UTC).
We will also be accepting questions to ask the candidates until May 28. You can submit your questions on Meta-Wiki. Once the questions submission period has ended on May 28, the Elections Committee will then collate the questions for the candidates to respond to.
The goal of this process is to fill the five community-selected seats on the Wikimedia Foundation Funds Dissemination Committee and the community-selected ombudsperson. The election results will be used by the Board itself to make the appointments.
The full schedule for the FDC elections is as follows. All dates are inclusive, that is, from the beginning of the first day (UTC) to the end of the last.
- May 15 (00:00 UTC) – May 28 (23:59 UTC) – Nominations
- May 15 – May 28 – Candidates questions submission period
- May 29 – June 2 – Candidates answer questions
- June 3 – June 11 – Voting period
- June 12–14 – Vote checking
- June 15 – Goal date for announcing election results
More information on this year's elections can be found at the 2017 Wikimedia Foundation elections portal.
Please feel free to post a note about the election on your project's village pump. Any questions related to the election can be posted on the talk page on Meta-Wiki, or sent to the election committee's mailing list, board-electionswikimedia.org.
On behalf of the Election Committee,
Katie Chan, Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee
Joe Sutherland, Community Advocate, Wikimedia Foundation
21:03, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
Review of initial updates on Wikimedia movement strategy process
Note: Apologies for cross-posting and sending in English. Message is available for translation on Meta-Wiki.
The Wikimedia movement is beginning a movement-wide strategy discussion, a process which will run throughout 2017. For 15 years, Wikimedians have worked together to build the largest free knowledge resource in human history. During this time, we've grown from a small group of editors to a diverse network of editors, developers, affiliates, readers, donors, and partners. Today, we are more than a group of websites. We are a movement rooted in values and a powerful vision: all knowledge for all people. As a movement, we have an opportunity to decide where we go from here.
This movement strategy discussion will focus on the future of our movement: where we want to go together, and what we want to achieve. We hope to design an inclusive process that makes space for everyone: editors, community leaders, affiliates, developers, readers, donors, technology platforms, institutional partners, and people we have yet to reach. There will be multiple ways to participate including on-wiki, in private spaces, and in-person meetings. You are warmly invited to join and make your voice heard.
The immediate goal is to have a strategic direction by Wikimania 2017 to help frame a discussion on how we work together toward that strategic direction.
Regular updates are being sent to the Wikimedia-l mailing list, and posted on Meta-Wiki. Beginning with this message, monthly reviews of these updates will be sent to this page as well. Sign up to receive future announcements and monthly highlights of strategy updates on your user talk page.
Here is a review of the updates that have been sent so far:
- Update 1 on Wikimedia movement strategy process (15 December 2016)
- Introduction to process and information about budget spending resolution to support it
- Update 2 on Wikimedia movement strategy process (23 December 2016)
- Start of search for Lead Architect for movement strategy process
- Update 3 on Wikimedia movement strategy process (8 January 2017)
- Plans for strategy sessions at upcoming Wikimedia Conference 2017
- Update 4 on Wikimedia movement strategy process (11 January 2017)
- Introduction of williamsworks
- Update 5 on Wikimedia movement strategy process (2 February 2017)
- The core movement strategy team, team tracks being developed, introduction of the Community Process Steering Committee, discussions at WikiIndaba conference 2017 and the Wikimedia movement affiliates executive directors gathering in Switzerland
- Update 6 on Wikimedia movement strategy process (10 February 2017)
- Tracks A & B process prototypes and providing feedback, updates on development of all four Tracks
More information about the movement strategy is available on the Meta-Wiki 2017 Wikimedia movement strategy portal.
Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation, 20:27, 15 February 2017 (UTC) • Please help translate to your language • Get help
Overview #2 of updates on Wikimedia movement strategy process
Note: Apologies for cross-posting and sending in English. This message is available for translation on Meta-Wiki.
As we mentioned last month, the Wikimedia movement is beginning a movement-wide strategy discussion, a process which will run throughout 2017. This movement strategy discussion will focus on the future of our movement: where we want to go together, and what we want to achieve.
Regular updates are being sent to the Wikimedia-l mailing list, and posted on Meta-Wiki. Each month, we are sending overviews of these updates to this page as well. Sign up to receive future announcements and monthly highlights of strategy updates on your user talk page.
Here is a overview of the updates that have been sent since our message last month:
- Update 7 on Wikimedia movement strategy process (16 February 2017)
- Development of documentation for Tracks A & B
- Update 8 on Wikimedia movement strategy process (24 February 2017)
- Introduction of Track Leads for all four audience tracks
- Update 9 on Wikimedia movement strategy process (2 March 2017)
- Seeking feedback on documents being used to help facilitate upcoming community discussions
More information about the movement strategy is available on the Meta-Wiki 2017 Wikimedia movement strategy portal.
Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation, 19:42, 9 March 2017 (UTC) • Please help translate to your language • Get help
Please accept our apologies for cross-posting this message. This message is available for translation on Meta-Wiki.
On behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee, I am pleased to announce that self-nominations are being accepted for the 2017 Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees Elections.
The Board of Trustees (Board) is the decision-making body that is ultimately responsible for the long-term sustainability of the Wikimedia Foundation, so we value wide input into its selection. More information about this role can be found on Meta-Wiki. Please read the letter from the Board of Trustees calling for candidates.
The candidacy submission phase will last from April 7 (00:00 UTC) to April 20 (23:59 UTC).
We will also be accepting questions to ask the candidates from April 7 to April 20. You can submit your questions on Meta-Wiki.
Once the questions submission period has ended on April 20, the Elections Committee will then collate the questions for the candidates to respond to beginning on April 21.
The goal of this process is to fill the three community-selected seats on the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees. The election results will be used by the Board itself to select its new members.
The full schedule for the Board elections is as follows. All dates are inclusive, that is, from the beginning of the first day (UTC) to the end of the last.
- April 7 (00:00 UTC) – April 20 (23:59 UTC) – Board nominations
- April 7 – April 20 – Board candidates questions submission period
- April 21 – April 30 – Board candidates answer questions
- May 1 – May 14 – Board voting period
- May 15–19 – Board vote checking
- May 20 – Board result announcement goal
In addition to the Board elections, we will also soon be holding elections for the following roles:
- Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC)
- There are five positions being filled. More information about this election will be available on Meta-Wiki.
- Funds Dissemination Committee Ombudsperson (Ombuds)
- One position is being filled. More information about this election will be available on Meta-Wiki.
Please note that this year the Board of Trustees elections will be held before the FDC and Ombuds elections. Candidates who are not elected to the Board are explicitly permitted and encouraged to submit themselves as candidates to the FDC or Ombuds positions after the results of the Board elections are announced.
More information on this year's elections can be found on Meta-Wiki. Any questions related to the election can be posted on the election talk page on Meta-Wiki, or sent to the election committee's mailing list, board-electionswikimedia.org.
On behalf of the Election Committee,
Katie Chan, Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee
Joe Sutherland, Community Advocate, Wikimedia Foundation
Learning Quarterly: October 2017
L&E Newsletter / Volume 4 / Issue 14 / October 2017
Learning Quarterly
Frontpage:
#Learning Days
#CEInsightsReport
Stay tuned
blogs, events
& more!
Leave your mark on Meta!
New AffCom corner, plus learning patterns you can contribute to.
Learning Quarterly: January 2018
L&E Newsletter / Volume 5 / Issue 15 / January 2018
Learning Quarterly
Frontpage:
#LeadershipDevelopment
#CaseStudies
Stay tuned
blogs, events
& more!
Leave your mark on Meta!
Inspire New Readers campaign, and AffCom elections
Wikimedia Conference 2018
Just a reminder, we are eligible to send two representatives to the upcoming Wikimedia Conference. See Wikimedia Conference 2018/Participants' List. -Another Believer (talk) 14:34, 21 December 2017 (UTC)
Inviting you to participate in the women editing contest "The women you have never met"
Dear Cascadia Wikimedians!
Hope this message finds you all well :) On behalf of Iberocoop network I want to invite you to be part of the women editing contest we are organizing along with many other chapters and user groups in the movement. You are doing an excellent work on your local context and we will be so pleased to have you on board. In this very early stage, we are asking the organizations to add their interest in the following meta page Hope to see you there soon! Hugs----Anna Torres (WMAR) --Anna Torres (WMAR) (talk) 15:31, 25 January 2018 (UTC)
2018 activities
I invite members to add to Cascadia Wikimedians/2018 report throughout the year. Thanks! -Another Believer (talk) 02:05, 6 February 2018 (UTC)
Share your feedback in this global Wikimedia survey
Dear Wikimedia Affiliates,
My name is María Cruz and I work for the Wikimedia Foundation on the Learning and Evaluation team. In one week or so, the Foundation is starting a global survey to learn about the experiences and feedback of Wikimedians. I am writing here, because I wanted to share with you a bit more about the project.
The survey is called "Wikimedia Communities and Contributors" and is conducted annually. We will send the survey to editors across all the Wikimedia projects, as well as Wikimedia affiliates and volunteer developers. This survey is going to be our way of making sure that we can hear feedback from a significant number of users from across the projects. This research supports editors and Wikipedia’s mission. This is our second annual CE Insights survey, and we look forward to improving it every year.
We will be contacting 2 people from each affiliate, based on the primary contact information that we have. Each affiliate will receive an additional third link which they can distribute to any leader in their chapter or user group.
Go to the project page to see the results of last year’s survey, and to see how your feedback helps the Wikimedia Foundation support communities. You can sign up to be notified about the results of the survey, or to learn how you can help with planning the survey next year.
If you have any questions or concerns about this project, please feel free to send them to Edward Galvez's talk page on Meta-Wiki or email him directly at surveyswikimedia · org in any language. You can learn more about this project and read about frequently asked questions. You can also share your feedback on Meta-Wiki.
Thank you for your time supporting this project!
María Cruz
MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 23:42, 19 March 2018 (UTC)
Learning Quarterly: June 2018
L&E Newsletter / Volume 5 / Issue 16 / June 2018
Learning Quarterly
Frontpage:
#WikiWomen
#WikiEduAsia
Stay tuned
blogs, events
& more!
Leave your mark on Meta!
Inspire New Readers campaign, and AffCom elections
Move to Cascadia Wikimedians User Group
I propose moving this page (and corresponding category) to Cascadia Wikimedians User Group. -Another Believer (talk) 02:43, 28 June 2018 (UTC)
Upcoming Spokane event
There will be a Wikipedia edit-a-thon in Spokane on October 6: https://www.facebook.com/events/254766412011335/ -Another Believer (talk) 18:01, 13 August 2018 (UTC)
Learning Quarterly: November 2018
L&E Newsletter / Volume 5 / Issue 17 / November 2018
Learning Quarterly
Frontpage:
#CEInsights18
#GenderEquity
Stay tuned
blogs, events
& more!
Leave your mark on Meta!
AffCom corner and Wikimania Poster session
This is an update from the Wikimedia Affiliations Committee.
The Affiliations Committee – the committee responsible for guiding volunteers in establishing Wikimedia chapters, thematic organizations, and user groups – is looking for new members!
The main role of the Affiliations Committee is to guide groups of volunteers that are interested in forming Wikimedia affiliates. We review applications from new groups, answer questions and provide advice about the different Wikimedia affiliation models and processes, review affiliate bylaws for compliance with requirements and best practices, and advise the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees on issues connected to chapters, thematic organizations and Wikimedia user groups.
The committee can include up to fifteen members, roughly half of whom are selected every twelve months for staggered two-year terms. Those joining the committee during the current process will serve a two-year term ending in December 2020.
- Key skills
Being a part of the Affiliations Committee requires communication with volunteers all over the world, negotiating skills, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to understand legal texts. We look for a healthy mix of different skill sets in our members, including the following key skills and experience:
- Willingness to process applications through a set, perhaps bureaucratic process.
- Readiness to participate in political discussions on the role and future of affiliates, models of affiliation, and similar topics.
- Availability of up to 5 hours per week, and the time to participate in a monthly two-hour voice/video meeting.
- International orientation.
- Fluency in English.
- Ability to work and communicate with other languages and cultures.
- Strong understanding of the structure and work of affiliates and the Wikimedia Foundation.
- Knowledge of different legal systems and experience in community building and organizing are a plus.
- Skills in other languages are a major plus.
- Experience with or in an active affiliate is a major plus.
- Strong track record of effective collaboration (such as evidenced skills at facilitation, mediation, negotiation, and so forth) are a major plus.
- Willingness to use one's real name in committee activities (including contacts with current and potential affiliates) when appropriate.
We are looking for people who are excited by the challenge of empowering volunteers to get organized and form communities that further our mission around the world. In exchange, committee members selected will gain the experience of supporting their world-wide colleagues to develop their communities as well as personal development in guiding organizational development, facilitating affiliate partnerships, and professional communications.
- Selection process
As a reflection of our commitment to openness, transparency, and bilateral engagement with the Wikimedia community, the 2018 member selection process will include a public review and comment period. All applications received by the committee will be posted on Meta at Affiliations Committee/Candidates/December 2018, and the community will be invited to provide comments and feedback about each candidate.
At the end of the public comment period, the applications will be voted on by the members of the committee who are not seeking re-election, taking into account comments put forward by the committee's members, advisors, Wikimedia Foundation staff and board liaisons, and the community. A final decision will be made by mid-January 2019, with new members expected to join later that month.
- How to apply
If you are interested in joining the committee, please post your application on the nomination page and send an email announcing your application to [email protected] by 31 December 2018. Your application must include the following information:
- Your full name and Wikimedia username
- A statement describing your relevant experience, skills, and motivation for joining the committee.
- Answers to the following three questions:
- How do you think affiliates work best together to partner on effective projects and initiatives?
- What do you see as the role of affiliates in the Wikimedia movement in the next three years?
- What do you feel you will bring to the committee that makes you a uniquely qualified candidate?
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me and/or the committee as a whole. We are happy to chat or have a phone call with anyone about our work if this helps them decide to apply. Please distribute this call among your networks, and do apply if you are interested!
Best regards,
Kirill Lokshin
Chair, Affiliations Committee
Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Affiliations Committee, 06:25, 17 December 2018 (UTC)