Wikizine/2006-31

******************************************
 __    __ _ _    _     _            
/ / /\ \ (_) | _(_)___(_)_ __   ___ 
\ \/  \/ / | |/ / |_  / | '_ \ / _ \
 \  /\  /| |   <| |/ /| | | | |  __/
  \/  \/ |_|_|\_\_/___|_|_| |_|\___|
                                    .org 
Year: 2006  Week: 31  Number: 36       

******************************************

An independent internal news bulletin 
for the members of the Wikimedia community

//////////////////////////////////////////

=== Technical news ===

[More] servers are coming. The WMF board approved the purchase of 20 new servers with a value of $61440.00. There are now already 167 servers in service.
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolution:Hardware_Purchase_Jul-06
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Wikimedia_server.jpg - View of the distribution of the server around the world

=== Request for help ===

["Free"] - There is a project for creating a clear definition about what a free content licence needs to be to be called "free". Main forces behind this are Erik Möller/[[meta:User:Eloquence]] and [[w:en:Benjamin Mako Hill]]. Input is requested to work on the definition and move it to version 1.0
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.org.wikimedia.foundation/7076/focus=7090 - First announcement 2006-05-01
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.org.wikimedia.foundation/8935/focus=8935 - Update 2006-07-30
http://freecontentdefinition.org/Definition/Unstable

[Job] Wiki expert in Nigeria needed
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.science.linguistics.wikipedia.misc/27781/focus=27781

=== New project proposals ===

[Wikicat] a project to create an open, bibliographical catalog.
http://article.gmane.org/gmane.org.wikimedia.foundation/8892

=== Policy ===

[Ombudsman] - A special ombudsman commission is founded to take care of complaints regarding possible privacy violations. This includes complaints about the use of the checkuser function.
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolution_ombudsperson_checkuser

[Logo] - The name for the incubator-wiki is confirmed. It stays "Incubator". The project also now has its own logo now and is live. And even the test-wiki has now a logo.
http://incubator.wikimedia.org/
http://test.wikipedia.org/

=== Foundation ===

[Move] - The WiktionaryZ test site will be hosted by the WMF. This does not mean that WiktionaryZ has become an official Wikimedia project.
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolution:WiktionaryZ
http://www.wiktionaryz.org

=== Community ===

[DE.wp news] The Signpost brings a report about how the the German language Wikipedia is doing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2006-07-24/German_Wikipedia_report

=== Media ===

[Front page] - In Japan Wikipedia made it to the front page of one of
the leading newspapers with a long and positive article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Tangotango/Asahi - Translation of the article
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.science.linguistics.wikipedia.misc/27775/focus=27775 - more info

[Onion] - They say parody is the greatest praise ...
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/50902

=== Stats ===

The Simple English Wikipedia has reached 10,000 articles
http://simple.wikipedia.org/
The Chinese Wikipedia has reached 80,000 articles.
http://zh.wikipedia.org/
The English Wikibooks has reached 20,000 book modules. 
http://en.wikibooks.org/

=== Other news ===

[Censor] Saudi Arabia blocks Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2006-07-24/Country_blocking

[Private Wikipedia] - Wolf Mountain Group now offers servers for sale with Wikipedia installed (or any other project/language) on a configuration with updating software and support for this. With this setup companies and organisations can offer access to Wikipedia content yet exercise control because it allows them to remove topics they find less suitable for their audiences.
A very special function is machine translation of the project installed to many native American languages like Cherokee and Comanche. Support for Spanish, German and Latin are expected. These translations are also available on the website Wikigadugi.
http://www.wolfmountaingroup.com
http://www.wikigadugi.org/

[Wikizine] - In an attempt to get more people from different project and languages exposed to Wikizine nearly all wikis will be visited with a request to support Wikizine in the coming weeks or months. Thanks to wikis who agreed to help recently will be included in the footer weekly.

=== Did you know ...  ===

... that you can add functionality to MediaWiki yourself?

MediaWiki has the option that you as a user can override the default settings and change the behavior, add functionality and the look of the wiki by editing your [[Special:Mypage/monobook.js]] and[[Special:Mypage/monobook.css]].

There is a useful javascript extension called "popups". It has many functions. Highlights are; preview of the page where a hyperlink leads to. So you can check an edit done by an anonymous without the need to open that page. A "roll back" option like the sysops have to revert easy edits.

See;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Tools/Navigation_popups
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:POPFAQ

=== Ferengi Rules of Acquisition ===

"Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity." Rule 6
"Enough... is never enough." - Rule 97
"Even in the worst of times, someone turns a profit." - Rule 162

//////////////////////////////////////////
Number of subscribers: 467
Editor(s): Walter
Corrector(s): oscar
Thanks for promoting Wikizine to the wikis;
Wikispecies,en.wikipedia,ja.wikiquote,pt.wikiquote
E-mail: ihavenews AT wikizine DOT org
//////////////////////////////////////////

Wikizine.org makes no guarantee of accuracy, 
validity and especially but not limited to, 
correct grammar and spelling. 
Wikizine.org is not a publication of the Wikimedia Foundation.
Content is available under the GNU Free Documentation License. 
Publisher:[[meta:user:Walter]]