Talk:Asian Chapters Meeting

Meeting during Wikimania 2013

During the Wikimedia Conference 2013, the Asian chapters who attended the conference met for about an hour after the conference to discuss having a meeting around the time of Wikimania 2013 in Hong Kong. Given that many Asians will be present during the meeting, it is in our best interest to have such a meeting during Wikimania so we can decide the future not only of Wikimedia Asia, but also of Wikimedia in Asia. To that effect, we need to discuss the following:

• When we should have this meeting (before, during or after Wikimania)
• What should this meeting discuss (agenda)
• Will we follow this up with another meeting at some point in the future?

I hope we can have a productive discussion about this, and it will do a lot of good if we can start discussing the Asia meeting well before Wikimania so that when we get to Hong Kong, we are prepared to discuss it. --Sky Harbor ^(talk) 05:55, 21 April 2013 (UTC)

Wikimania would be the best place to have our (Asians) first meet. Yes, we do have our mailing list, and if we keep it active, things will be at its best. As Wikimania is also happening in Asia this time, probably we got a best chance to take this forward.

Regarding agenda; we should discuss on how Asian chapters can work together? Probably, most of us will/may be like-minded and so work on together to take many things forward.

We should infact organise many events; but yes, we will need some direct or in-direct impact coming out of it to the Wikimedia movement. -- ♪Karthik♫ ♪Nadar♫ 20:43, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

In addition to discussing how chapters can work together, I think it's also important to discuss how we can engage Wikimedia communities in Asia which do not have have established affiliates, and how we can continue supporting them. This is particularly true for countries which either have small communities, or it is not feasible to establish an affiliate. This has been brought up in previous Wikimanias, but I think it will be better-discussed this time around, as there will be a larger Asian presence at Wikimania this year.

I still hope that discussions that will take place during Wikimania will invariably lead to the possibility of holding an Asian Wikimedia Conference in 2014, along the lines of the 2012 Central and Eastern European Wikimedia meeting which was held in Belgrade. Such a meeting will allow us to concentrate better on how to improve Wikimedia's position in Asia. --Sky Harbor ^(talk) 16:50, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

Yes, I agree with you, and will really appreciate to include thematic organisations and user group also under this umbrella. Though I should support the proposal (if proposed) for organising Wikimedia Asia Conference, what we should focus is to generate impact and not only hold such conferences. -- ♪Karthik♫ ♪Nadar♫ 18:37, 3 May 2013 (UTC)

I am saying that it should be a goal, not the goal. But for now, I think it would be wise if we get people together and have them in one place so we can thresh out Wikimedia's place on the continent. For that, I suggest the following agenda:

• State of the community (getting an idea of how Wikimedia communities in different Asian countries are doing)
• Possible common projects which chapters and communities can pursue
• Promoting the WMF grants program
• "Global South" issues

There are probably many more things to discuss, but I cannot effectively articulate them, and it would be better if people can just add on to this as they see fit. --Sky Harbor ^(talk) 07:01, 7 May 2013 (UTC)

Is there real energy here?

This conversation about "Wikimedia Asia" and "let's get together and do things" repeats once or twice a year, but it seems to me there is no actual energy behind it. I have witnessed at least three "Wikimedia Asia" get-togethers at WMCON and Wikimania, and I can't say there's anything to show for it (glad to be proven wrong!). I therefore suggest to either:

1. start an online conversation about what this group wants to do (and what it can do), so that, if that conversation goes anywhere, more progress can be made in person at Wikimania 2013
2. stop pretending "Wikimedia Asia" is a useful label or an active group

I would of course be happy to see you pick option #1, and I commit to participate in that conversation should it begin.

Your thoughts welcome. Asaf Bartov (WMF Grants) talk 20:39, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

I am not a right person for response as I am not active in conversiation with "Wikimedia Asia" and I can't attend wikimania 2013.

Asaf, Remember 2002-2004 of enwp. The idwp and mswp have only 200.000 articles. kmwp has 3500. I don't know the actual situation but I think so many fruitless meeting would have held in early days of growing process of US or Europe wikiproject. Wikimedia community of asian nations are so small to show "energy" you expect. Even the jawp, one of the largist project in asia don't have energy to repeat "let's get together and do things" once or twice a year. Repeating conversation needs "energy" and it make possible to be conscious about "Asia" and "Wikimedia Asia. Newbees can find coleagues and place to join. Though I can't attend there, I believe face to face meeting at wikimania is good for Asian wikimedians' future and wikimedia projects' growth in Asia.

Each asian nation has different languages and cultures, quite a distance, complex histories. "Wikimedia Asia" is useful and active enough for me. I can't catch up if faster responce is needed in English. I can find asian wikimedians on online conversation at facebook before you commented here. I'm considering can wikiproject use effectively to learn languages and to connect foreign workers and foreign student to their family. I can ask them to help if project started. --Ks aka 98 (talk) 09:17, 18 July 2013 (UTC)

I am at the meeting at this moment. I heard a lot of loud suggestions and seconds. I feel there is enough energy. The minute is being written at http://epl.wikimedia.org/p/WikimediaAsia https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/WikimediaAsia . --Ryuch (talk) 10:30, 10 August 2013 (UTC)