Wikimedia New England/20 July 2013
Pre-meeting preparation
[edit]Below is a proposed agenda for the meeting on Saturday:
Join the etherpad to take live collaborative notes at http://notes.wikimediadc.org/p/NE
- Icebreakers! (15 minutes)
- Getting lunch (15 minutes)
- Introduction and brainstorming of goals (15 minutes)
- Where do we want to go? (15 minutes)
- Discussion of user group status (15 minutes)
- Outreach (30 minutes)
- Future meetups and events
- Wikipedia education program, New England region
- Possible GLAM collaborations
- WP:WALRUS and coordinated national events like the Wiknic, Wikipedia Loves Libraries, Wikipedia Loves Monuments, Wikipedia Day, and WikiWomen's History Month
- Peabody Essex Museum is looking for a Wikipedian in Residence
- Other suggestions?
- Create steering committee (15 minutes) - see talk page for the two options put forward thus far
- Fin (possible editathon?)
Meeting notes
[edit]Useful Links
[edit]- Wikimedia New England page in Meta
- WikimediaNewEngland Facebook
- WikimediaNE Twitter
- Planned User groups Affiliations Committee listing of proposed user group
- Mailing list
- #wikimedia-northeastconnect IRC Channel
Notes
[edit]- Sven: Participation level is an issue; some recent events had only two or three participants.
- Richard / Kevin - Need to do a better job with spreading the word. NYC has not done a great job with social media, but DC has done better, so should be used as a model.
- Maia asked about Facebook and Twitter. Both are mentioned on the Wikimedia New England page:
- Facebook WikimediaNewEngland
- Twitter WikimediaNE
- EdwardsBot message has been effective.
- Pi: Suggests notices on WP Massachusetts etc - and work on making the various state boards more active
Goals?
[edit]- Do we want to get a Boston chapter done? No form consensus, but as it would take some time, no deed to decide immediately
- Molly: Why do we need a chapter?
- Richard: It's a lot easier if you have an organization people can identify with. It creates an identifiable community.
- Funding from external groups can be accomplished if a user group, but often easier if a formal chapter. Funding from WMF Foundation generally requires chapter status
- Chicken and egg cycle - chapter makes it easier to hold events, but holding events as a prerequisite to chapter
- Processes
- Usual sequence is to set up user group, and then consider more formal chapter
- Application to become a chapter requires success as a user group.
- Process to become a chapter takes roughly a year
- Both types of groups are created by application to Affiliations Committee, which is a user community group created by the WMF Board
- User Group application already in progress, see Planned User groups
Discussion of open positions
[edit]- (Wikipedian in residence, etc.)
- One in Salem Peabody Essex Museum Some funding possible
- one in NY ("requires" Polish speaker)
- Blue Raspberry is currently WIR at Consumer reports
Communication
[edit]- Mailing list exists wikimedia-boston@lists.wikimedia.org
- Signup sheet passed around at meeting to add new names
Monthly meeting options
[edit]- IRC suggested, but not all members are on or feel comfortable with IRC
- Google Hangouts suggested, no consensus
Suggested activities
[edit]- Tagging day
- Identify articles needing images
- Follow-up with photo day to take images
- Use Faolin's app, as it looks like it is very user-friendly. Kevin Rutherford (talk) 04:36, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
- Wiki loves Monuments
- Planned for September (all month), we should coordinate activity in connection with this initiative
- Coordination with Wikimedians Active in Local Regions of the United States' (WALRUS) committee
Action items
[edit]- Someone (Kevin?) to summarize advantages and disadvantages of user groups and chapters so member can be fully informed about options
- Maia to review Wikimedia User Group Agreement in preparation to be one of the two signees
- Someone (?) to add names collected to the mailing list
- A lawyer member (name?) agreed to play role in the legal aspects of organization
