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Chapters meeting 2010/Brainstorming

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Below is a list of general topics to get started. Feel free to list specific issues, workshops, resolutions, you would like to discuss one way or another.

This is a brainstorm page for the program of the 2010 chapters meeting in Berlin. For a successful meeting it is very important to have a schedule that covers most of the topics that are considered important to discuss by the chapters and/or WMF. Therefore I hope that you will all be giving input on which topics you find important or you think others will find important! You are welcomed to give your input on this page. Please also indicate if you think it is important to have certain Wikimedia Staff/Board members present at those topics. You might get some inspiration at the program of last year: [1] , [2].

Please indicate the topics that you think would be best discussed at the meeting. Usually this would be topics which are hard to discuss over email or online, or discussions/misunderstandings that are already taking a long time and that could use some extra inspiration.

There are only three days planned for this meeting, and therefore it might be that your topic does not make it to the agenda, or that it is combined with another. However, don't let that be a limiting factor to you to suggest topics! Also, please indicate if you prefer a certain broad type of sessions.


Program Brainstorm

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General

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  • example: I would like to have a lot of discussions/presentations/Q&A
  • Board & chapters round table discussion meeting
Not sure where that fits. I think that the chapters meeting should address as few topics as possible, but on a larger scale. Last year, we never really came to any workable conclusion of anything. This year, I think that the meeting should focus on one big topic (for example: international organisational development strategy) and not on many little ones. In any case, topics like fundraising or communications should be left for more focused meetings such as the fundraising summit. The idea is to take advantage of the presence of all chapters to get at least one thing done, rather than many not done at all. notafish }<';> 21:39, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Although I wasn't there last year, I think we would benefit from a vision session, discussing the overall relationship between the chapters and the Foundation. Given what has happened since then with both the aborted Chapters Agreement revision and the elongated Fundraising Agreement discussions, we could do with having a good "setting the scene" discussion to start with. AndrewRT 22:07, 28 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Topics

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Case study by, e.g. WMDE/WMFR/WMPL? AndrewRT 22:13, 28 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
WMFr's new employee could participate to this sesssion as one of his first task was to write an astonishement report about WMFr. We can also plan to explain how we organize his recruitement 82.224.13.192 15:01, 16 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  • Volunteer recruitment / retention
I sencond this, it should get a lot more attention, and it would be nice to know different strategies --Solstag 03:32, 3 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I imagine that you imagine here mainly a discussion session, where people can exchange experiences like that happened in Nijmegen2008? [3] Effeietsanders 16:27, 4 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Well I dunno who proposed it initially, but personally I think a discussion session would be nice. --Solstag 17:48, 4 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  • Cultural partnerships
Case study - GLAM-WIKI by WMAU? Wiki Loves Art by WMNL?
Also second this, by itself and also connected to a topic below, difficulties chapters are facing, as such partnerships may be way to overcome those. --Solstag 03:32, 3 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
How about "Wikimedia Usability: Working with the chapters" as a title? AndrewRT 22:13, 28 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I don't totally understand what exactly this topic would be about. What do you imagine here, a presentation? A discussion how chapters can support this? Effeietsanders 16:30, 4 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I would like to present projects (mainly, development projects) that the Multimedia usability project can't fund, but that the chapters could help support if they want. guillom 23:29, 15 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Who did you have in mind? AndrewRT 22:10, 28 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
A case study or perhaps more a broad discussion? The latter seems more realistic, since then we can use it for the future. I assume attendence by the chapters committee would be welcome here. Effeietsanders 16:30, 4 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  • Wikimedia organisational charter
Huh? AndrewRT 22:10, 28 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  • Difficulties the formed chapters are facing; Morgand536 13:14, 2/27/2010 (UTC+8)
Such as? Topic should focus on a particular issue. AndrewRT 22:10, 28 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Let take Hong Kong as an example, now we are facing some problems on membership and funding, the membership system seems useless as we don't have much events and campaign focused on members, also we don't have much money to organize more and more events to public and members separately. Morgand536 13:54, 3/5/2010 (UTC+8)
  • The roles of chapters for the China/India issue; Morgand536 13:14, 2/27/2010 (UTC+8)
What's the China/India issue? I know of issues in China and India, but they are different issues... --Tango 22:48, 27 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Well, actually i mean China OR India issue, in the Strategy Planning or WMF, they may already have some common grounds or even some actionable tasks or proposals that the chapters can do, the meetup is a very good chance for all the chapters to see anything that we can help on those issue, especially for the chapters near China or India. Morgand536 12:03, 2/28/2010 (UTC+8)
Sorry I still don't understand - who help whom? Existing chapters help future chapters? AndrewRT 22:10, 28 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think we need further clarifications for this. Morgand do you mean the GFW issue or something else? --Ted Chien 04:59, 1 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think we can add Brazilian chapter at this discussion and likely other that don't come to my mind now. We just have recently a discussion with the Chapters Committee and we are preparing our answers for their (important) questions about having a chapter without a legal entity. We can have a lot of interesting discussions on this issue and it'd be interesting exchanging ideas with Wikimedians from these other contries, which maybe face similar difficulties as in Brazil. --Tom 05:34, 2 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I am not so sure specific chapters are the most ideal topics for this meeting. I would rather prefer to keep the topics a little more broad and appliccable to multiple chapters - unless you are trying to find a way for multiple chapters to help resolve an issue? Effeietsanders 16:53, 4 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I still do not understand clearly what is being proposed here, but I agree with Effeietsanders that it is preferable to address broader issues. This sounds more like lunch talk to me, or a parallel session independently organized and attended, not something to be put forward for everybody. --Solstag 17:48, 4 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe this topic is more relevant about Asia-Pacific chapters and Strategy Planning committees. My concern is about the China like censorship and characteristics of Wikipedia/Wikimedia Projects in China. The meetup provides a excellent chance for APAC chapters to share and report the latest information of China to WMF and other chapters members. Morgand536 13:46, 3/5/2010 (UTC+8)
Do you mean to learn something, to exchange information, to do something else? Effeietsanders 16:53, 4 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
less learning, more share ideas, work methods, thinking and improving of press and marketing work... --Itzike
Wikimedia Indonesia did a road show to 10 Universities in Jakarta-Bogor-Tangerang and can share experience here (related to Free Your Knowledge 2010 Project). (Btw OOT, this thing is really difficult to edit - too long, can we break it down?)Serenity.id 14:34, 16 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Outreach issues
What did the outreach committee formed last year in Berlin? Exchange of the outreach ideas and best practicies develeoped independly by chapter Polimerek 12:43, 12 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Local conferences and meetings coordination
How to effectivley coordinate local Wikimedia meetings to avoid overlaping. Differences and similarities of them. Ideas to organize local, international meetings (for example Wikimedia meeting US, Wikimedia meeting East Asia, etc.) and local goal-specified workshops (photographic, GLAM etc.) Should they be organised by single chapter or as a kind of chapters cooperation. Polimerek 12:43, 12 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Committee meetings

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  • ...

Session for wannabe chapters

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  • There are a lot of people that want to form chapters but aren't quite there yet and probably won't be invited to the meeting (they weren't last year). It would be good to invite them to one afternoon session where existing chapters will give talks on how they got set up, problems faced and how they were resolved, etc. and then they could come to the bar with everyone in the evening and chat to people and get to know people from chapters and what is going on in the world of chapters. Hopefully the WMF would fund their expenses. (This proposal was formed during a meeting between me and Frank Schulenburg.) --Tango 23:42, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
    • I personally would like to leave this one to Wikimania, I would like to leave this meet up exclusive for those approved chapters.-- ※   JéRRy   ┼   雨雨   ※  16:14, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
      • That is a possible alternative, but I would rather not lose an afternoon of Wikimania. --Tango 16:49, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
      • Reviewing the situation in Buenos Aires, I think the inter-chapters issue, and those question from Chapters wannabe, can totally support a full day for chapters in Wikimania, ahead or after the main proceeding. -- ※   JéRRy   ┼   雨雨   ※  19:50, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
        • Yes, it certainly could, but that makes Wikimania very long and more difficult to attend (getting time off work, etc.). --Tango 19:53, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
          • I agree with Yuyu. This is better done during Wikimania. Experience says that it can be done, it does not take a whole day (even if it might be better to have real space in the program for it), and the informal atmosphere of Wikimania is more suited to this kind of meetings, not to mention that inviting people for an afternoon to Berlin when there is nothing else Wikimedia to do is a bit counter-productive, when on the contrary, inviting them to Wikimania makes them even more involved in the community and give them something "else" than just present their chapter-to-be. notafish }<';> 21:42, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
            • Ok, those arguments make sense. It makes we wonder, though, why last year there were so many issues with proto-chapters wanting to come and not being allowed (I can think of at least 2 such chapters, I think there were more). Do they feel that Wikimania isn't enough or do we just need to schedule such a meeting as part of Wikimania rather than hoping it will happen organically? Perhaps we need to ask some proto-chapters. --Tango 22:53, 27 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

See talk page for discussion.

Strategy

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Could you clarify what you are referring to? It is not really clear to me what you mean. Effeietsanders 16:55, 4 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The German chapter has done work on a strategic plan, independent of the work being done on the strategy wiki. I'd like to hear about it. Philippe (WMF) 17:35, 9 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Do you mean a brainstorm-like meeting, or something more specific? Effeietsanders 16:55, 4 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
More specific than brainstorming, less specific than a lecture. A presentation which shows where chapters are mentioned or be affected by recommendations or just by being the entity which could start needed processes can give an overview about the current state of the planning process with regard to chapters. This can help to realize where within the strategy planning chapters' power is needed. This can be completed with a discussion, following for example the question "What can be a benefit for chapters giving their power into the process?" Other questions are of course also possible. --Lyzzy 21:04, 4 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Lyzzy and others. The Wikimedia Foundation would be very happy to do a workshop on the strategy project -- basically, to 1) update the chapters on what's happened since the project was announced last year, 2) walk through the strategy at a high level, and 3) have an open discussion of how chapters might want to fit themselves into it. Also, the Foundation has articulated some areas of work that it plans to stay out of, because it thinks the chapters are better suited to it ----- I doubt the particular areas would be tremendously surprising to anyone, but it is likely still worth talking about. Anyway, there is lots to discuss, and I believe Lodewijk is currently talking with Eugene and Philippe to decide how much of the agenda to devote to it. Sue Gardner 01:57, 13 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

WMF board / chapter-selected seats

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  • It would be great if we could find some time for a discussion about the chapter selected board seats and the relationship between the chapters and the WMF board as a whole. I don't know what the status of the process for this year's selection is. However, as a chapter-selected board member I'm pretty sure we will find enough stuff to talk about: about how it is being a WMF board member these days, about how the first year went, about expectations for the future, about the board's view on the chapters and vice versa... you name it. -- Arne (akl) 16:08, 10 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Next

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There seem to be a few major conclusions to draw from this discussion. First of all, the suggestions that we should pick a few topics and make sure we finish them off and get actual results, and second the strive of some people (mainly from the "newer" chapters) to learn something more specific. I think to accommodate both groups, we should try to do both types of sessions.

Returning major topics in this brainstorm were:

  • Chapter development (incl professionalization)
  • Cultural partnerships & Outreach
  • Strategy - impact to chapters

Some "smaller" topics:

  • Chapter selected board seats (discussion)
  • Marketing and communications (workshop, sharing ideas)
  • Wikimedia in developing countries (discussion, sharing ideas)
  • ...

What I would like to try is to focus in the schedule on the "returning topics" - and spend a few sessions on them. Besides that, there will be several smaller topics, but those will usually be less focused on achieving results but rather exchanging ideas etc.

Lets for now focus mainly on the three major topics, are those OK? The smaller topics are imho somewhat more flexible. Based on this, I think it would be useful to ask Frank Schulenburg and Eugene to join the respective parts of the meeting, and also ask some board involvement when it coves to Chapter development and Strategy (the responsible board members). Any other suggestions?

Also, other suggestions regarding the schedule based on this would be welcome. Effeietsanders 23:07, 15 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

ps: more detailed outcomes of this brainstorm will of course be taken into account, but this is mainly about the general direction I would like to propose.

The sessions that will fill these major topics are more interesting than the topics themselves, of course, but if you want to focus on 3 themes I would say you pretty much have the headlines, yes. Perhaps the last one can be broader than the Strategy process alone:
  • Outreach & Cultural partnerships - best practices, information on the bookshelf project, communications etc.
  • Chapter development (of chapters individually) - professionalisation, fundraising, working with volunteers etc.
  • Chapters in the movement - the Strategy process and how chapters can be involved and affected by it (which is perhaps most important), but also the recent discussions on determining the criteria for chapters and how to deal with groups that we want to support, but don't fit in that set of criteria, relation and communications between chapters and the WMF etc.
I also agree with the idea of having different kinds of sessions: broader, more strategic discussions and practical case studies etc. Jose 16:09, 16 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Sounds right. Ijon 19:28, 17 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
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