Frequently asked questions

'''Wikimedia Australia Inc.''' (also known as WMAU) is the Australian chapter of the [[wikimedia:Main Page|Wikimedia Foundation]]. The Wikimedia Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which provides several online collaborative ''wiki'' projects, most notably [[wikipedia:Main Page|Wikipedia]], an internet-based encyclopaedia which is the largest and most popular reference website and one of the top ten most-visited websites worldwide.

'''[[w:Australian Business Number|ABN]]:''' 74 761 792 996<br />'''[[w:Consumer Affairs Victoria|Consumer Affairs Victoria]] Registration No.:''' A0051923E

== What is the mission of the Chapter ? ==

The purpose of the organisation is to:
* Organise, support and participate in educational and social events that promote development of [[w:Free content|Free Cultural Works]] and related open source software systems, in particular ''wikis''.
* Increase public awareness, support and participation in the projects hosted by the [[foundation:|''Wikimedia Foundation'']] (WMF).
* Develop resources to assist Australians in the creation and maintenance of Free Cultural Works.

Wikimedia Australia is recognised by the Wikimedia Foundation as a [[foundation:Local chapters|official chapter]] and as such will offer members an official voice in the global Wikimedia community, whose aim is to create unencumbered resources for use throughout the world.

Local chapters of the Wikimedia Foundation are self-dependent organisations that share the goals of the foundation and support them within a specified geographical region. They support the Wikimedia Foundation, the Wikimedia community and the Wikimedia projects in different ways - by collecting donations, organising local events and projects and spreading the word of Wikimedia and Free Culture. They also provide the volunteer community and potential partners and supporters with a point of contact capable of fulfilling specific local needs.

==Are you a charity?==

Wikimedia Australia is a [[wikipedia:non-profit|non-profit]] association incorporated under the laws of [[wikipedia:Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], [[wikipedia:Australia|Australia]]. We do not currently have tax-deductible status for donations.

==What is the difference between Wikimedia Australia and the Wikimedia Foundation?==
Wikimedia ''Australia'' is a not for profit association incorporated in the state of [[w:Victoria, Australia|Victoria, Australia]]. The Wikimedia ''Foundation'' is an American non-profit charitable organisation and it operates Wikipedia and other sites. Please read their [[foundation:Frequently Asked Questions|FAQ]] for more information about the Wikimedia Foundation.

==Which projects do you support?==

Wikimedia Australia supports all projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation and most of our members are actively contributing to one or more of these projects.

{{wikimedia projects}}

==How is the chapter run? ==

The Wikimedia Australia chapter is administered by a [[Committee]].

This site also includes a complete list of [[meetings|committee meetings]] and [[resolutions]].

Most of the interaction between committee members, members and the community happens online through wikis, mailing lists and electronic chat ([[IRC]]). Face-to-face meetings, known as ''WikiMeetups'', occasionally occur around Australia. These meetups are generally organised locally by members in their local capital city and both project participants and new people are always welcome to attend.

The chapter also has a [[Statement of Purpose]] and [[Rules]].

==Is Wikimedia Australia responsible for content on Wikipedia?==
No. Wikipedia editors are responsible for what they themselves add.

==Can Wikimedia Australia control content on Wikipedia?==
No. Wikipedia is run by the Wikipedia editing community and Wikimedia Australia has no particular power to enforce control over what any content there should or should not look like.

However, as many of our members are Wikipedia editors, as individuals we can attempt to persuade others -- like anyone else at Wikipedia.

== How can I contact the Chapter? ==

Please see the [[Contact]] page for information on contacting Wikimedia Australia.