Talk:Wikimedia Belgium

From Meta, a Wikimedia project coordination wiki

Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

[edit] Status of wikimedia belgium

I wonder what the current status of the creation of a chapter is. So i'm beginning to wonder if this is still alive?--DerekvG 13:23, 22 November 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Fundamental purpose of Wikimedia chapter

I have no doubt as to the validity of the decision to create a Belgian Chapter of Wikimedia foundation. Actually there is a necessity. But what should be its purpose? I'm far from convinced we should have the same structure and activities of a conventional chapter. Being a multilingual chapter would be the cause of our problem(s). And the non-issue of Flanders-Wallonia stresses that fact. I do agree to some of the current basic principles :

  • Administrative language : English - sorry no exceptions , and you will risk to be reprimanded for using inadequate english!
  • Primary Content languages : Deutsch - Français - Nederlands (arranged in alfabetical order no othe preference).

I'm addament that we should reunite ALL Belgian wiki-contributors of any language.

Why will we be different to a conventional chapter and in what manner could that difference be realised. Being a multi-lingual chapter other chapters have created the language-based wikiprojects :

  • Wikipedia (a nl.wikipedia, a fr.wikipedia and a de.wikipedia) exist
  • Wiktionary (idem) exist

Question is should we create be-nl.wikipedia, be-fr.wikipedia be-de.wikipedia? IMHO that would be useless and an utter waste of time and lead to unnecesary duplication of pages with the original-language wikipedia.

What Wikimedia projects could be established as typically Belgian projects : be.Wikibooks, be.Wikiversity, be.Wikisource can be established because we could contribute belgian authors, educational items related to our educational system, etc.

So how could we be active in projects like wikipedia and wiktionary? I think the belgian chapter should be the platform for belgian contributors to nl.wikipedia, fr.wikipedia and de.wikipedia. The chapter should negotiate a collaboration-protocol to ensure that belgian editors will be represented in the management / administration / moderation of the original wikipedia. The protocol would define how belgian contributors could be shown respect, and how belgians should respect the other contributors. The belgians should contribute to a more generic description of certain articles, should contribute specific belgian paragraphs and should edit / judge pages related to Belgium, belgian subjects etc. The protocol should be negotiated with the German, French and Dutch wikimedia chapters. It should also contain items such as multi-dialect support. Finally the protocol should foresee the establishment of multi-lingual belgian pages : (a special templete could be made for such a page. Such pages which are linked accross the nl. fr. de. (en.) wiki's and on the top of the page a small switching application allows to switch between the different language versions of the same page. A multi-lingual page has a single Talk:-page because any suggestion about the subject / change to the content of the page should be translated before being implemented.

These are some of my thoughts please feel free to submit your POV on this matter--DerekvG 15:34, 19 November 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Flandres -Wallonie

I think it would be better if we create Wikimedia Flanders and Wikimedia Wallonia instead of one for Belgium, because that's much easier to solve the language problems etc., and it also seems it are mostly French-speaking users who are interested. SPQRobin (inc!) 18:34, 4 September 2008 (UTC)

That's mainly a "troll" using the current political situation in Belgium that shouldn't be used here Template:Smile I think we must be united as "waals, vlaams, duits, francophones, néerlandophones, germanophones, flamands, bruxellois, fouronais, wallons" and not decide now to split something that still hasn't been created... :) Min's 06:48, 5 September 2008 (UTC)
Although I'm in favour of Flemish independence, that has nothing to do with this proposal here. As I said, it would be better because of languages and all problems coming with that. And also most interested members are French-speaking, and a chapter should be serving the whole area to the same extent. SPQRobin (inc!) 15:08, 5 September 2008 (UTC)
Be patient, we've a support of French-speaking contributors because I've spammed fr. and explained users what's a local chapter is & co. The local chapter goal is indeed to serve Belgium in this integrity. Now we've the FAQ page translated in Dutch, we can start to seek and find Dutch-speaking contributors on nl.wikip. and English-speaking contributor on en.wikip. We'll get 25 to 50 supporters this way. --Dereckson 22:49, 6 September 2008 (UTC)
By the way, see also my long answer to some answers to MADe or the fragment I've put into the FAQ. And don't forget we've to take in account all the English-speaking community living at Brussels. --Dereckson 23:27, 6 September 2008 (UTC)
Then German should be on the list too, since it's an official language and English isn't. But I agree that English is good as main working language. SPQRobin (inc!) 15:09, 7 September 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Beyond Belgium

As I have proposed to Dereckson in my response to his email query seeking interest in a local chapter I believe the above factional approach is completely wrong. A more inclusive approach is more logical, one where the chapter scope is extended beyond Belgium and instead we aim for Wikimedia Belux by bringing in the people of Luxembourg. This has been successful for another organisation I am a member of, DECUS Belux. The Netherlands is big enough to support its own org, but neither be or lu are alone. --Brian McNeil / talk 14:38, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

The first question is to know if there are Luxembourg contributors interested. An that's exactly you've started to do, perfect :-) The second point is to get Foundation advice about a two country local chapter. --Dereckson 22:49, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Support where it can be found

I will see what I can do to help raise the profile of this attempt to get a chapter going in my capacity as a member of the communications committee. I've already mailed the comcom mailing list to see if they have any LU people who might be interested in teaming up and getting involved with this. --Brian McNeil / talk 14:38, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

Afraid nobody from Luxembourg on ComCom, may have to wait until I am out of hospital and better able to track down people who may be interested. --Brian McNeil / talk 14:31, 7 September 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Progress towards spamming Flemish Wikimedians?

Is there any progress on a Netherlands translation and inviting Flemish people to get involved. I've raised the Luxembourg issue on the Communications Committee mailing list (no luck) and had a response about Dutch speaking Wikimedians as well as one somewhat hostile response.

The response on Dutch speakers was that a handful had been invited to join WM NL and about 8 expressed interest. The hostile response was from a Flemish resident who I believe may have felt slighted that the Walloons were approached first. As I am a UK ex-pat I'm not fully up on the Belgian political issues that others may have grown u with and been indoctrinated with, I may be naive to think that should be put to one side if only to get charitable status for tax-deductability of donations. I'd think that was a pretty big deal with Belgium being in the top-five taxed countries in the world. --Brian McNeil / talk 08:49, 15 September 2008 (UTC)

Oh, and I've contacted one Luxembourg native who is involved with the English WP WikiProject Luxembourg. Not too sure where to look for people contributing in the country's official languages and confirmed Luxembourg residents. Some help with that would be appreciated. --Brian McNeil / talk 08:51, 15 September 2008 (UTC)
Regarding charitable status for tax-deductability of donations: rather difficult in Belgium. The best solution would be to apply as a cultural cause, but one of the mandatory requirements there is that the organisation receives subventions or subsidies, state intervention ... 84.194.153.63 23:47, 25 November 2008 (UTC)
It could turn out that as subsidies are a prerequisite, and as cultural policies are laid out by the communities, the chapter wil HAVE TO BE split in two chapters to make any chance of obtaining the status of tax-deductable cause. Hahaha. Anyway, this is an issue that needs proper attention before continuing in planning or discussing the creation of a federal Belgian chapter. Kvdh 12:19, 26 November 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Are you serious ?

Hello, I've read some of the pages regarding the future startup of a Belgian chapter. I don't buy it. I think it would make much more sense to have a be-vl and be-fr chapter. The argument of one chapter for each country does not stand anymore. us-pa, us-nyc and us-dc chapters are in planning phase. Yes, the be-vl and be-fr chapter can cooperate on organising a major event (conference style), or spread the word on wikipedia, but the differences are bigger than the similarities. A be chapter would consist of people working most of the time on different encyclopedias ...

But if you are serious, please review the text you're displaying now: OK, I can accept the equal weight of Dutch and French languages (and German and English as well) but in the current text (look at the CONSISTENT ORDER):

  • In other languages: English (en) Français (fr) Nederlands (nl) Deutsch (de)
  • with translation efforts to French and Dutch
  • IRC On the Freenode network, #wikimedia-fr channel (an effort to give an English IRC channel ???)
  • The Belgian contributors are mainly French, Dutch and English speaking people.
  • Participate at the Foire du livre de Bruxelles in March 2009 (Is this the only example ???)
  • conferences in French, Dutch or English.

Kvdh 21:29, 22 November 2008 (UTC)

Regarding the entry on nl:Overleg_gebruiker:MADe#Wikimedia Belgium some translations:

  • an association is viable (you can use sustainable).
  • We should montrer l'exemple (you can use show the way, or set an example).

Kvdh 20:37, 23 November 2008 (UTC)


[edit] Links

Please find below some links.

Potential partners
Events
Ressources

~Pyb 17:41, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Retrieved from "http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Belgium"