Grants:IdeaLab/"Sapere aude!"

statusfunded

Rapid Grants

"Sapere aude!"

"Dare to know". Let's really make contemporary this celebrated Latin phrase originally used by the Roman poet Horace. The goal of this project is to support editors to improve the italian Wikiplatform by collaborating with cultural centers, starting with the "Istituto di studi storici Gaetano Salvemini" and the "Associazione Italiana di Cultura Classica".

targetItalian Wikipedia, Commons, Wikidata, Italian Wikiversity, Italian Wikibooks, Italian Wikisource, Italian Wikiquote, italian Wiktionary

start dateMay, 15

end dateJanuary, 31 15 May

budget (local currency)1900 EUR

budget (USD)1975 USD

grant typeIndividual

non-profit statusNo

grantee• Alexmar983

contact(s)• alexmar983@yahoo.it

created on10:41, 8 February 2017 (UTC)

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Project idea

What is the problem you're trying to solve?

This project aims to improve the quality of Commons and the italian Wikiversity, Wikipedia, Wikisource, specifically historical content.

What is your solution?

Experts from cultural associations, starting from the "Istituto di studi storici Gaetano Salvemini" and the "Associazione Italiana Cultura Classica" will be asked to analyze the contents of wikimedia platform and to support editors in improving them.

We will organize a series of meetings in different areas, specifically Messina (Sicily) and Pontedera (Tuscany). We will use wikimetrics to specifically contact users with strong expertise of the subjects promoted by the association, namely history of Southern Italy and Ancient Greece and Rome.

Our goal is not a simple "production of articles" but the set up of a solid network, that we (the volunteers) will continue to assist in the following years. This is a "slow target" that can be used with many other cultural associations. The goal is to spread curiosity amongst their members with specific tasks, which can also help with further activities such as more specific projects involving selected groups of members. Another interesting aspect is the use of their mailing lists (or social media accounts) to share informations about other wiki-related events in their territory.

The level of output of many edit-a-thon can be far from great, but since it costs energy and resources people feel often forced to get some results, leading to massive upload of poorly categorized metadata or the creation of too many stubs. We want to avoid that and focus here on the networking, so the main target of the task is to show few clear but complete examples. We will spend more time to show every wikimedia project, especially those that are less addressed in edit-a-thon mainly because we want to be sure to address all the possibilities of interaction on the long term.

We will start with topics such as:

• lesson about wikipedia.
• proposing articles for a third-party revision, especially those marked by the community as "good or high quality articles". We won't ask to edit the article per se, unless anyone feel to do so. We expect people to write feedbacks about possible issues on talk pages.
• lesson about copyright,
• lesson about commons: updloading of pictures on commons from old sources if some of the member have pleasure to work with volunteers.
• lesson about wikisource: explaining the revision of pages, selecting books in the libraries of the associations that can be uploaded on wikisource if some members have pleasure to work with volunteers.
• lesson about wikibooks and wikiversity: looking for works made by members of the associations (for example old lecture notes) to be uploaded if some members have pleasure to work with volunteers.

Who will you be doing outreach with?

The target of the project are "cultural associations", specifically about history. We focused on one defined topic to be less dispersive.

• Istituto di studi storici Gaetano Salvemini - Messina.
• Associazione Italiana di Cultura Classica (AICC) - Pontedera. Pontedera is one of the most important AICC "circle" in italy, in April it will host the National Assembly. Also, it has already hosted a seminar about itwikipedia at the local high school in October 2014, as stated on their bullettin Atene e Roma few months later. They have already offered their mailing list for promoting WMI initiatives and we hope that their example could be replicated by other circles in Italy.
• Associazione Italiana di Cultura Classica (AICC) - Messina. Thanks to the network of academics in the area, the AICC of Messina joined the project in the preparation phase.

Goals

• long-term relationship.
• flexible future projects depending on the interest of the single member and the single volunteer.
• at least 3 articles revised on itwikipedia, leaving comments in the talk page or in a specific review procedure.
• at least 10 pictures uploaded on commons during the lesson. More uploaded file are welcome, depending on the interest of the audience.
• at least 1 book revised on wikisource during the lesson. More upload is welcome, depending on the interest of the audience.
• at least 2 entries created on Wiktionary during the lesson. More entries are welcome, depending on the interest of the audience.
• at least 1 book or lesson revised on wikibooks and wikiversity during the lesson. More upload is welcome, depending on the interest of the audience.

Get Involved

About the idea creator

Alexmar983 I am active as much as I can everywhere on the wiki platform and chapters. I like to do everything different every time, and share my expertise with people.

Kenzia PhD in History.

Participants

• Researcher Needed project for PEER REVIEW on the content and on the items really useful. Effems (talk) 08:07, 10 February 2017 (UTC)
• Fabior1984 (talk) 17:49, 11 March 2017 (UTC)

Endorsements

• I like this project Kaspo (talk) 14:32, 9 March 2017 (UTC)
• I am sure that it is a good way to help enhance many articles in italian WikipediaUser:Giaccai talk, 15.55, 9 March 2017 (UTC)
• A really nice idea! Codas 10:17, 10 march 2017
• Good idea! Fabior1984 (talk) 09:10, 11 March 2017 (UTC)

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Project plan

Activities

We will organize:

• lesson about Wikimedia in general
• lesson about wikipedia and core concepts about the code.
• lesson where articles for a third-party revision are proposed, especially those marked by the community as "good or high quality articles". We won't ask to edit the article per se, unless anyone feel to do so. We expect people to write feedbacks about possible issues on talk pages.
• lesson about copyright,
• lesson about commons: uploading of pictures on commons from old sources if some of the member have pleasure to work with volunteers.
• lesson about wikisource: explaining the revision of pages, selecting books in the libraries of the associations that can be uploaded on wikisource if some members have pleasure to work with volunteers.
• lesson about wikiquote and wikctionary. These platforms are not the main goal, we will suggest to make some entries as an example.
• lesson about wikibooks and wikiversity: looking for works made by members of the associations (for example old lecture notes) to be uploaded if some members have pleasure to work with volunteers.
• lesson about wikidata.

If possible at the end, we could organize a final "lesson-workshop" exchanging ideas for the future.

Impact

Networking can be successful only if a long-term relationship is established. We have a strong presence at least in the area of Pontedera so we hope that future projects depending on the interest of the single member and the single volunteer can start. Specifically:

• we hope that the association mailing list can be used to inform about wiki events.
• we hope that members of the associations working in the education system (schools or academia) will ask for future collaborations.

For what concern the most simple tasks, we can expect:

• at least 15 new users registered to the wikimedia platform(s).
• at least 3 articles revised on itwikipedia, leaving comments in the talk page or in a specific review procedure.
• at least 10 pictures uploaded on commons during the lesson. More upload are welcome, depending on the interest of the audience.
• at least 1 book revised on wikisource during the lesson. More upload welcome, depending on the interest of the audience.
• at least 1 book or lesson revised on wikibooks and wikiversity during the lesson. More upload welcome, depending on the interest of the audience.

Resources

We have no resources. Funds are necessary mainly to support "expert" (topic and platform) volunteers. A long-term commitment with high-level associations require to show the best our community can offer. We will have standard volunteers, but we want to be sure that people from other regions can come to help, if they fit a specific profile.

In the case of Pontedera, we assume for 8 platforms and 7-8 lessons (some of which could partially be merged on one single day, we will calibrate the schedule also on the reactivity of the audience) that at least 5-6 users will join us from other regions and we would like to fully reimburse their travel expenses. Approximately we can spend up to 50 euros per users, so 300 euros should be enough.

We would like to offer a meal to the volunteers (or a snack to the students, if there is money left). If we assume at least 5 volunteers per lessons, it is possible we have to buy up to 30 meal by the end of the lessons cycle. That makes 600 euros.

Finally, although gathering spaces should be provided by the involved associations, in case of scheduling problems we might need to book a multimedia room in some community center (in Pontedera for example the centre "Il Poliedro"). We request 100 euros to cover such emergency scenario.

Totally, that makes 1000 euros.

If we assume that in Messina the network of volunteers is slightly less robust, and that less platforms will be presented (there are no volunteers of wikiversity and wikibooks so far), we can ask for a slightly lower amount. If we request 850 euros, we can also stay below the limit of the rapid grant.

Totally, 1000+850 euros, that is 1850 EUR=1975 USD.

We want to be cautious and frugal but for a good cause. If we have enough money left, we would like to spend them for an additional lesson as a simple workshop to discuss future initiatives and share experience. We will use the money to pay a last travel to the volunteers, offer a refreshment and print a poster to show also at future WMF and WMI meeting.