Nordic Wikimedia/Oslo April 2012 Meeting

Draft agenda Nordic Wikimedia Chapters Oslo April, 2012 Meeting

  • Venue: LO, Youngstorvet, Oslo
  • Date: Sunday, April 22, 2012
  • Time: 10:00 - 17:30
  • Hotel: Comfort Hotel Xpress, Möllergaten 26
Participants in Wikimedia meeting

Participants edit

  • Jakob Hammerbäck, WMSE
  • Holger Motzkau, WMSE
  • Bengt Oberger, WMSE
  • Lennart Guldbrandsson, WMSE
  • Steen Thomassen, WMDK
  • Jarle Vines, WMNO
  • Erlend Björtvedt, WMNO
  • Kjetil Ree, WMNO

Agenda edit

1) Wikimedia chapter strategy processes edit

  • 1000-1130: Holger went through the strategy process that was conducted through the assistance of WMF (Sebastian Moleski) in 2011. We worked through some of the steps related to Norway. There was a broad discussion of the quality of the strategy processes that have been carried out in Norway and Sweden. The strategy process ended by WMSE about halving the number of projects and themes, and prioritizing much tougher. The annual assembly received the change well, with some fruitful changes, and the strategy was followed up by a budget funded by the WMF. Now is the time to strictly follow the strategy and deliver on the performance indicators.
  • 1130-1200: Erlend went through the methodology and process of the WMNO strategy, published as Strategy 2011-15. The strategy was closely linked to the WMF strategy, and disaggregated to extract quantitative goals for Norway. the strategy has 6 quantitative and 4 qualitative goals. There are performance indicators and a strategy and action-plans dedicated to each goal. The mportant task now is to strictly following the strategy and plans. The discussion revealed that WMNO has linked their strategy strictly to Wikipedia (quantitative) goals, while WMSE and WMDK has rather de-linked their strategic rationale from Wikipedia. This aroused an interesting debate.
  • 1200-1230: Steen went through the WMDK strategy, which has a strong focus on action-points. The chapter aims at annual events, 100 paying members, and 3 local clubs. The discussion focused on local clubs, localities, and organisational strengthening.
  • 1230-1300: Holger showed the CRP system of WMSE, where members can administer their own membership, payments and status. Officials can see budgets, incomes and spending as graphic representations, and manage accounting trhough a system og project numbers and accounts. Officials can also see each members account history (payments, grants, etc). The system can generate economic reports. Further, officials can invite ,members in a certain geographic area to local events.

2) Nordic Wikimedia/Yearbook 2011 edit

There is already a site with 16 ideas in place, and external funding from the Chelha Foundation of USD 4.000 for this project. Discussion on the content and how to publish it. Holger showed some printed copies of yearbooks from Foundation, Germany, etc. The publication should be issued in the english language.

Target group: Decision-makers, funding entities and authorities, sponsors and officials of GLAM institutions, educational institutions, public entities, content companies, etc.

Rationale: Motivate through best practice. Utilize best practice projects and chapter activities to get buy-in among key target groups. Show that we have the capacity to drive projects. Explain the unique capacities of Wikimedia chapters versus other potential partners (i.e, Wikipedia).

Regularity: Approximately every two years.

Title: Working with Wikimedia in Scandinavia

Proposed build-up:

  • Front page:
  • Page 2-3: GLAM flagship story (Nordiska, Folkemuseet, Nationalmuseet), Wikipedian in Residence. Fact box: project institutions
  • Page 4-5
    • Page 4: The Wikipedia phenomenon
    • Page 5: Wikipedia Academy, editing courses
  • Mid-pages: Wikipedia anatomy (incl interwiki)
  • Page 8-9
    • Page 8: The Wikimedia Commons phenomenon, photo donations
    • Page 9: Wiki Loves Monuments, photo safaris
  • Page 10-11
    • Page 10: Nobel interviews, Internet Sweden Project, The Saami project (Norway)
    • Page 11: Kolofon, addresses, bank accounts, map
  • Back-page:


The yearbook should tell a thorough story through the examples, focusing on the potentials for cross-country / interwiki distribution of cultural content and heritage. Stick to much photos, less text than the German report (Tätigkeitsbericht 2011). Keep it closer to the WMF report with more photos and good graphics. If possible keep it to 12 pages, A4.

  • We should have a text by end-June. Layout preparations in advance, texts fitted to layout. Printing in early July.
  • Co-ordinating responsibility: Sweden (WMSE).

Follow-up edit

Broschure to be printed next week and ready to be distributed to WMNO, WMDK and visitors at FSCONS in Gothenburg November 9-11, 2012. As project has been a little delayed, "Yearbook 2011" has been omitted in the title.Boberger (talk)

3) Saami Wikipedia project edit

WMNO board 2008-09 got NOK 175.000 - 350.000 from the Saami Thing (Sametinget) for a Saami Wikipedia project, originally applied as an IT project. The board 2010-11 changed the project into a writing projct, and spent much effort to find an editing environment. Recruited 8 persons at the Saami College in Kautokeino, and trained them in Kautokeino and Oslo. After training, the editors got the grants from the Sametinget according to article volume. The project has spent NOK 130.000 (USD 25.000), but can be continued with new founding from the Sametinget through a new project. The project has greatly stimulated Saami Wikipedia. From a level of 150 new articles per year, this has risen to c. 1.000 new articles per year.

Sweden: Samernas Utbildningscentrum could be a potential partner. There is a swedish professor at the University of Tromsö (Norway) who is from Kiruna, and might facilitate some contacts. WMSE does not reach this directly in the 2012 action plan (Verksamhetsplan), but has a focus on Nordic co-operation. WMSE can take part under a Nordic setting with Norwegian (WMNO) operational leadership.

  • WMNO continues the present project alone, while WMSE is open to join a second phase under Norwegian leadership.
  • Consider to add a GLAM topic to the project.
  • Co-ordinating responsibility: Norway (WMNO).

4) FSCONS 2012 edit

This is a large conference every November in Gothenburg (Free Society Conference and Nordic Summit). The idea is to arrange a Mini Wikimania for Nordic wikipedians. WMDE has run similar conventions and share-camps. FSCONS has an established infrastructure where we can get a separate track with 6 sessions. FSCONS can fund upto SEK 4.000 (USD 700) in travelling costs, but we would need to make this our own main responsibility and apply for mini-grants. FSCONS want a fixed program by mid-August.

The main goal will be to facilitate the need for wikipedians to meet each other in person. This will strengten the internal motivation and development of the Wikipedia environments. The event should be focused on Wikipedia and the contributors. It should also stive to call for participation and contributions from the Wikipedia society. Accommodation (80 nights) would probably be SEK 40.000 (USD 7.000), and travelling SEK 30.000 (USD 5.000), totally approximately SEK 70.000 (USD 12.000). Including other costs, total budget needs might reach SEK 100.000 (USD 16.000).

  • WMNO and WMDK are interested in joining this option.
  • This could be a potential Nordic Council project.
  • Co-ordinating responsibility: Sweden (WMSE).

5) Nordic Council options edit

Potential projects:

  1. FSCONS Gothenburg, November
  2. Nordic GLAM conference
    1. WMSE run a three-year project with Europeana to connect Wikimedia and Wikipedia to that process. Shall conduct 6 conferences in Europe, including Nordiska Museet (Stockholm, Sweden) in 2012 and 2013. This could integrate n all-Nordic scope and participation, by means of Nordic Council funding.
  3. Editing / photo competitions
    1. "Nordic culture" topic competition
  4. Wiki Loves Monuments - could be organized all-Nordic with a common site, databases, map solution, and prizes
  5. Wiki Loves Companies will be carried out in Sweden in H1, 2013, and it could be expanded at the Nordic level.
  6. Saami Project (only if Sametinget funding fails).

Co-ordinating responsibility: Norway (WMNO)

History of page edit

  • First entrances in meeting in Berlin April 1 (no joke!) between Jarle, Kjetil, Ole, Ulpu, Niklas, Holger, Johan, Bengt