2009 chapters meeting

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Introduction

On April 3-5 2009 there will be a meeting of all the Wikimedia chapters in Berlin. Information about the meeting is available at http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Chapters_meeting_2009 .

Thanks to the generosity of some of the other Wikimedia chapters, both Brianna Laugher and Liam Wyatt will be attending and participating for Wikimedia Australia. As it is a big investment of our time and others' money we are keen to give and get the most from the meeting possible.

Our introduction/preparation notes for the other chapters is here - http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Chapters_meeting_2009/Preparation/Wikimedia_Australia .

--Brianna (pfctdayelise) 02:13, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

Brianna's notes

http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Chapters_meeting_2009/Schedule

State of the chapters

Attended w/Liam; see supplied notes at http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Chapters_meeting_2009/Preparation

Selected notes:

  • WMBR - not incorporated, don't want to manage financials - see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Brasil/Chapter_Report_2008 for more explanation of what they're doing
  • WMDE - 450 members, office, ~10 staff (not all FT)
    • 2009 budget 940k EUR (projected)
    • Offer scholarships for student to access scientific literature
    • "Wikipedia machte Schule" - WP goes to school
  • WMCH - hold AGMs in different cities. Headache: different languages (4 official langs, currently their ctte has no single common language!)
  • WMFR -140 members. release 5-10 press releases a year.
    • Received 50k EUR from the 2008 WMF fundraising agreement - revenue is 93% donations (rest is membership)
    • '2009 the year of the image'
    • 4 streams - ** v good
    • Planning: increase to 250 members, 1st hire
  • WMID - 25 members (since Mar 2009) - http://wikimedia.or.id/
    • good r'ship w/govt - given space for metings
    • appointed as affiliate institution for CC
    • got a famous actor as "goodwill ambassador" - helped w/press conf
  • WMIL - participating w/Israeli OLPC - preloaded static he.wp (90k articles)
  • WMIT - budget ~30k EUR (provisional) - mainly royalties from it.wp DVD
  • WMNYC - no membership? planning - classes in libraries - north American conf
  • WMPL - v active - v pretty slides! organising 'Free education conference in Polish parliament
  • WMRU - 12 members - preparing a 3rd annual conf?!

Relationships between chapters

  • Delphine asked me to speak briefly at the start of this, and I summarised my ideas presented at http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pfctdayelise/Chapters_communication - basically the slow progress in the chapter-selected WMF Board seats, of the chapters actually figuring out a process and following it, was a catalyst for me to think that we could benefit from some kind of "chapters association" or organisation.
  • We lack a clear common vision (of relations b/n chapters)

Communication & marketing

with Catrin (WMDE) & Guillaume

  • PR: advertising without advertising
  • Press as colleagues - give them a good story.
  • Follow up bad press - find out why.
  • give compliments after a fair/positive story
  • Invite journos to meetings "press meeting"? to introduce yourself - invite them for coffee... good for freelancers
  • Find a pro-bono PR agency???????
  • Fairs and shows - e.g. youth fair
  • PR activity plan for the year - coordinate with other chapters?
  • Sandy had a Google Docs spreadsheet set up with contacts - perhaps still exists?
  • **chapter website - "press book"/press clippings

Todo ideas:

  • investigate shared (amongst chapters) web-calendar. calagator? http://code.google.com/p/calagator/
  • suggest WMF to organise "press trip"? (journo + chapter person travel to SFO?)
  • Video press release before fundraiser? testimonials, celebrities?
  • coordinate PR - **Wikipedia user survey - need to get news from Jay a bit earlier?

Public outreach

  • Aim: encourage (increase) & broaden participation, raising understanding
  • Wikipedia user survey - 130k respondents, 87% editors male (subject to official announcement)
  • Currently educational materials mostly focus on tech issues (syntax). should also say "this is where we need help"
  • invite, welcome people
  • WMF - July 2009 - March 2010 - "Bookshelf" of outreach material - creating templates e.g. (brainstorming)
    • 'Best practices' series for chapters
    • guide for uploading
    • screencasts
    • education - handbook for teachers, academics, companies
    • general Wikimedia philosophy
    • Cases (case studies)
    • slide templates
    • CommonCraft's "Wikis in plain English" --> "Categories in plain English"/"Templates in plain English" ?
    • WP comic!!
  • Frank to run a regular survey of chapters? (find out what they are doing/need help with?)
  • Extra days for workshops before/after wikimania?

Trademark policy & chapter agreements

Attended w/Liam

  • Lots of info about the purpose of TMs
  • WP TMs - puzzle globe, 'WikipediA', Wikipedia (the word)
  • Why centralise TM management? one reason is to avoid conflicting business arrangements
  • Prior to 2007, WMF staff undervalued WM TMs
  • principles for partnerships:
    • avoid exclusive licensing
    • license in order to promote free culture (e.g. let a new audience read/edit)

So, changes:

  • "Chapters will always be able to do what they have traditionally done" (e.g. merch)
  • Mission focused projects that require TM licensing will have such licensing reviewed by WMF for consistency with overall strategy
  • New draft chapter agreement, but want feedback before releasing it
  • Possible option - not yet decided - "affiliate marks" which won't require review or approval by WMF (the "Second Life" model) (suggestion - WP puzzle piece)
  • wikimedia marks will stay the same (WMAU logo)

Q&A:

  • should be 1 month or less turnaround after approaching WMF with a proposition
  • new chapter agreement - launched in maybe 2 weeks (20th April?)

Development of chapters and relationships with WMF

Attended w/Liam

WMF board is planning to undertake strategic planning over 1 year. Sue will be facilitating. Cttes etc will be set up. So there will be some process for chapters involvement in this, as well as "unaffiliated volunteers" of course. Likely themes - "Reach" "Participation" "Quality".

Misc

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