ESEAP Conference 2024/Report/Aspere

Collaboration beyond the Horizon
수평선 너머의 협력

ESEAP Conference 2024 was opened from May 10th to 12th in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. I received Travel Grant from the Foundation to attend in person and listened to each session, focusing on sister projects like Wikisource. I intend to introduce each session's key content, especially activities conducted on sister projects, and share the "Things that we can do" from the perspective of Korean Wikisource.

For those who are reading this from the Meta

This report is a translated version of Same report in Korean Wikisource. I wanted to share about the conference also in Korean Wikisource, my most active Wiki project, so I wrote the report first in Korean, then translated it into English.

Because the 'requirements' in both wikis are not exactly the same, I modified some portions in the Meta version.

Content of each session

Lanyard I received from the Conference.

Actually this is the simplified version: I made the complete list of summaries of each session in Korean version, but I think that is unnecessarily long for the Meta report. You can read them in the Korean Wikisource if you are interested.

I also excluded sessions that have little relevance with the Wikisource and other sister projects.

Day 1

Central stage just before the opening ceremony.

Session C3

Can Oral Hokkien Language be Written? How Can Wikidata help?

Korean has little concept of 'regional language' (excluding dialects), so I think we cannot apply this process directly, but there is a possibility of using 'duplicate resolution' presented in the session.

Wikidata Data Partnerships: use cases for the Region

Although Wikidata and Wikisource have differences in the method of storing information. If we wish to make Wikisource usable for academic research, I think that standardization of contents inside Wikisource and intense campaigns about Wikisource should be done first.

Session D2

Utilizing Let's Connect in the ESEAP Region

Currently, Korean Wikisource doesn't have enough users to use this program. We could increase the user numbers using this program, but it will involve calling for other Korean Wiki communities. "Good program, but not right now."

Wikisource Loves Manuscripts: A Partnership Perspective on Collaborative Efforts to Preserve Cultural Heritage

Korean Wikisource's most urgent problem is that we have no OCR technology that can read medieval scripts right now. Currently, the National Library of Korea is developing the technology, but I don't expect that to come fast. But developing it ourselves will be nearly impossible, so there is no way around this problem.

Session E1

WikiNaskah: Digitization of Manuscripts as a Massive Effort to Provide Resources for the Development of the Sundanese Wikisource (Wikipabukon)

Digitalization is not in priority in Korean Wikisource: Although we have a lot of works that are not in digital form, we didn't finish the ones in digital anyway, so why make more messes right now? I could use the part about using Wikisource in school education, but considering the Korean educational system, I assume that will be very hard.

Wikimedia Australia’s Partnership with Alice Springs Public Library: Adding an Image Collection to Wikimedia Commons

There are also a few Korean individuals or organizations that have old photos. Korean Wikipedia does not lack critical images right now, but if we do a project like this, I assume this presentation will be helpful.

Lisa's Wikipedia Bookclub and other initiatives from Aotearoa New Zealand

Using Wikipedia as a collecting place for stories is very interesting. I think using Wikisource as the story-centered library is also possible and sounds good, but making the platform a story-friendly one should be done first, which is very intensive and time-consuming work.

Day 2

Session G1

Challenges in Building Multilingual Technology Platforms

Not much to reference from the perspective of a normal Wiki contributor, but I think the question of "What is a language" should be discussed in the Korean Wiki community, because of the existence of dialects and Jeju langauge.

Session H2

Preserving The Manuscripts Of The Malay World Using Wikisource

Using Wikisource as a preservation method of old language was very insightful. But I think that the case of Malay was made more dramatic because there was no such place before, and as such Korean Wikisource cannot be the same because we have some old Korean scripts laying around before the era of Wikisource. But, I think Korean Wikisource can become the collecting place of such old manuscripts.

WikiMelayu: Inheriting the Malay AudioVisual Heritage of North Sumatra

Currently Korean Wikimedia projects can't fully use available media, so collecting data itself is not in a hurry. But most good-quality medias are in a protected state, so we should keep an eye on this project, to collect good media onto Wiki.

Transforming Boarding School Students through Wikipedia

The concept of using Wikipedia in school education is very interesting, but as stated above, I don't think the same can be achieved in Korean society. If we wish to do that, the cleanup of Korean Wikipedia should be done first.

Session I1

Optimizing the Role of Social Media as a Learning and Collaboration Platform

I should contact someone who does social media because I don't.

Burn out! – Experience of Taiwan GLAM Program

Suggestions about cooperation are welcome at any time, but like this case, not Wiki-centered planning can result in a catastrophic result. We should be ready to reject if it's out of range that we can achieve realistically.

WikiDunong: An Eduwiki Initiative in the Philippines

An educational program targeting ordinary people sounds good, but considering the environment inside Wikisource, I think it couldn't be applied inside Wikisource. Realistic candidates should be Wikipedia (famous) and Wikibooks (not that difficult).

Beyond Borders, Beyond Images: The Impact of the Commons Photography User Group's Activities and Partnerships on Global Knowledge Sharing

Theoretically, Wiki community groups can be arranged by theme, not region or language. I think it has its applications, but currently not so sure what it is.

Creating a Wiki Club in a University & Encouraging Students' Engagement in Wikimedia Projects

Programs targeting university students can happen right now in the Korean wiki community, but still need some preparations to do, especially if we try to do that in Wikisource.

Day 3

Session J2

WikiRenjana: Perpetuating Sundanese Culinary on Wikibooks Indonesia to Maintain Cultural Heritage

I think the advantage of Wikibooks is that it does not require additional sources and can be written with just the editors themselves' knowledge. So the potential is high, but we have a paradox: Because it's not active so no actual content inside, and because it doesn't have actual content inside so not active. But like this case, if we do an event like edit-a-thon, I think that the contributor number could be increased.

What is WANZ?

It was very interesting to witness the creation of a new community inside of broad Wiki community.

Human Rights Day in the Philippines: A Community Outreach

Focusing on relaying information, rather than Wiki editing itself, is quite unusual in the Wiki-centered Conference. I think we can organize the event like this, by setting a specific theme (like problems of society) and using Wiki as an auxiliary tool.

Facing the Heritage Language Crisis, We Provide Promotion and Teaching through Wikipedia

There is a possibility to apply Wiki as a tool for recording Korean regional culture (like dialects), as shown here. The idea itself is good, but the problem of physical distance will emerge if we actually execute this.

Uniting networks for free knowledge

It opened the possibility of cooperation with Universities that research the Korean language. But how they will respond is another problem. (I don't think they will be positive)

Photos outside of the sessions

Day 2 Photowalk

Day 2 Photowalk location 1: Seaside Market

Day 2 Photowalk location 2: Todak Waterfront

A free-to-attend photowalk was conducted on the evening of Day 2 (17:30 ~ 18:00), starting from Market just outside of the Hotel, and to the Northern Todak Waterfront.

Outside portion of the Market
Mangoes at the Market (Korean were written, which was funny for me)
Le Meridian Hotel (Place of the Conference)
Food Market at the roadside
Ships. (Why not?)
Landscape 1
Landscape 2
I later heard that this sculpture was famous
Marlin sculpture
Cute so why not
Sky 1
Sky 2
Harbor that the ships were stationed

Day 3 photowalk

Day 3 phtowalk location: Gaya Street Market

A free-to-attend photowalk was conducted on the morning of Day 3 (07:00 ~ 09:00), at the Gaya Street Market near the Hotel.

Street (when going to the Market)
Australian armed forces war memorial
Kota Kinabalu City Hall
It says 'Monument' but I'm not quite sure
Entrance of Gaya Market.
DUCKS! (cute)
Foods at the Market.
Clothes at the Market.
Overview of the Market.
Street (when going back to Hotel)

Plans after the conference / Suggestions to the Korean Wiki community

I consider myself as Wikisource user, so attended sessions that are relevant to Koren Wikisource. They were very helpful and insightful, but no information that could be applied immediately.

About the perspective of 'making indigenous language active'

When viewed from linguistic perspective, the Southeast Asian region has a lot of cases that, aside from the centrally used language (often made or administrated by the government), many indigenous languages coexist. These languages have active speakers, therefore if we wanted to include that language in the Wiki, we just have to make the language speakers to contribute to various Wiki projects. It can be summarized as There are people, just not doing Wiki stuff. The conference's main focus was the methods to make these language speakers contribute.

But Korean doesn't have such indigenous or regional languages. The closest example is Jeju language, however, there are many controversies inside Korea whether the Jeju language is an independent language or just a dialect of central Korean, and the number of speakers of the Jeju language is at constant decrease. It can be said as No one is speaking Jeju language. We Koreans have to study a new language just to contribute in Jeju language, so I think that the methods introduced in the conference cannot be applied in Korean wiki community.

Korean community suggested multiple times 'Using Wiktionary to record dialects', which has the advantage of 1) Not requiring an exact source, unlike Wikipedia, and 2) Not requiring an exact book, unlike Wikisource. But the problem of 'No one is able to contribute because we don't speak that' persists, therefore no actual activities were conducted. We currently have a paradox of 'Need to gather people to do something', but at the same time 'Need to do something to gather people'. Unless somewhat revolutionary ideas come, this stalemate is and will persist.

About the perspective of 'making Wiki more active'

I think the difficulty of starting the first edit in Wikipedia is very high. Wikisource appears to be easier because you just have to type the exact same thing, but if we consider the 'formatting', it becomes hell if the contributor doesn't have intensive knowledge of Wiki formatting.

Background knowledge about the Wiki itself is required when starting a contribution to Wikisource, and therefore most of the 'First-time editors' are from Wikipedia. However, making Wikipedia users interested at Wikisource is quite hard to achieve realistically. Yes, I tried.

To make ordinary people who don't know about Wiki editors, if we exclude famous Wikipedia, using Wikibooks or Wiktionary, which doesn't require strict citing, is realistically the best option. Wiktionary is quite at the border, so I think Wikibooks will be most optimal, but Korean Wikibooks is currently in the state of 'dead', so...

To conclude: Current activities and campaigns are conducted around Wikipedia, but I think unexpected good results can emerge if we renew the directions of activities and give sister projects some interest. Many cases were introduced at the conference, so actually we can just follow some of them.

Why do you want me to do something

See also: s:ko:사용자:Aspere/에디터톤 초안

I am receiving the pressure of 'Open edit-a-thon' after the conference. I am good with that, but I'm currently lacking good ideas. Please do tell me if you have any ideas, or "I want to receive prizes by doing this".

Comments / Suggestions about the Conference

Three days are not that long, but I am quite touched by the many activities that I was able to experience at the conference. Aside from session presentations (which were explained in detail above), by attending a cultural performance or photowalk I was able to feel the exotic culture of Malay.

But because the session was split by 3 rooms, I had to choose one of three. I understand that, because of the physical limitation, conducting sessions simultaneously was simply impossible, but it's quite a shame that, if sessions I wanted to attend were at the same time, I had to choose and only the summary of the other sessions was available. If possible, I think that providing a way to watch the 'replay' of missed sessions in the form of recording or anything.