Talk:WikiConference India 2011/Programs

Initial Suggestions

Suggested tracks

1. Indic wiki projects (All the points mentioned by Achal can be covered in this track) (Suggestion by Shiju)
2. Wikipedia and Indian Society : Wikipedia and Indian Copyright Law can also be part of this (Suggestion by Shiju)
3. Technology track.- Offline access to Wikipedia (Suggestion by Shiju)
4. GLAM - the way forward in India (Suggestion by AroundTheGlobe)
5. WikiMahila - gender bias on Wikipedia (WikiMahila coined by user Bishdutta, WikiMohtarma suggested by user Ashlin, suggested as track by AroundTheGlobe)
6. An Editathon (Guiness World Record attempt?) (Suggestion by user Prad2609)
7. Best Practices in Outreach: How do increase the number of editors in India from ~1000 to ~100,000 Hmundol 06:52, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
8. Wikipedia in Education: Learnings from Pune & Roll-Out Plan Hmundol 06:52, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
9. Old is Gold: How do we tap the enormous potential of senior citizens in Wikimedia projects (especially Indic languages) Hmundol 06:52, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
10. Wikipedia & Indian Society (thread). AshLin 07:20, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
11. A lecture on Indian Biodiversity in Wikipedia - Issues, challenges & the way ahead (or something like that) by User:Shyamal. AshLin 07:20, 22 June 2011 (UTC) Lecture confirmed. AshLin 05:05, 23 June 2011 (UTC)
12. "State of the Wikipedia" - a roundup session where each language wikipedia speaks for five minutes on its state, statistics, achievements &challenges. AshLin 07:20, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
13. Offline Wikipedia & Wikipedia for Schools (Offline edition). AshLin 07:20, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
14. Some Indians got selected for some coding projects etc. Indian GSoCers on Wikimedia They could be asked to give a presentation for what they did. AshLin 07:20, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
15. Ask Tory Read & the person researching Hindi Wikipedia's formation history to give a presentation/talk of their findings. AshLin 07:20, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
16. Partnering with Wikipedia - What commercial companies can help with (Controversial but might be interesting?) Gautam John
17. Home grown technology / tools / technical practices inside Indic Wikipedia -- Open discussion, sharing best practices. User:Logicwiki
18. Tech track - developing *for* mediawiki (Extensions) or developing with mediawiki (API) User:YuviPanda

Suggested Activities

They can happen after the sessions, but ideally sometime in day when most people would be available.

1. Making videos like "You too can edit" in as many languages. WikimediaFoundation videos were made at Wikimania 2010.
2. Talk page signing (?) like Keysigning , so that more Wikipedians will be connected by face, on talk pages. -- More of a networking activity.
3. Of course a group photo. Its ideal a time is earmarked before. Logicwiki 09:35, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
4. A youth fest/bashup - strictly for kids & teens? We have a few such Wikipedians in Pune. AshLin 13:02, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
5. Release of the CD etc, if executed :-). AshLin 07:20, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
6. Supporting the "Wikipedia for World Heritage" movement and support by organising some activity around this. Prad2609 09:09, 11 July 2011 (UTC)
7. A live en:WP:PINQ ?

Possible Bottleneck/s & suggestions to avoid them

These aspects may all have been considered and taken into account by the Conference Team, yet, just in case not, for whatever it is worth:

1. Day 1 Registrations

First day registrations have been alotted 90 mins; immediately followed by Mr. Wales' Keynote address. There are to be about 700 attendees. Most of them from out of town. Over 100 of them with scholarships. Some with special needs. Some will be arriving late on 17 Nov evening. Some may even be arriving early on the morning of 18 Nov. For most Mumbai based delegates too, arriving at the venue at 7 am would be difficult (anybody not living in South Bombay proper will have to leave home at 6 am at least). People will need time for breakfast - few could be in a position to take breakfast at 6.30 am.

The on-site registration process looks to be a bit lengthy. There is to be a) QR code verification; b) delegate photograph/s to be provided - obviously to be affixed on on-site regn. form and/or delegate badge/id card; c) these forms/cards would have to be filled/made out; d) some kind of conference kits etc. would be given out; e) scholarship recipients & speakers (esp. those immediately following the Keynote) would probably need extra time during the process; f) there may also be some additional matters re. delegates from abroad. All in all, I do not see per-head registration time being below 6 minutes on average.

Which means each registration desk can handle a maximum of 20 registrations upto the moment the Kyenote begins. Assuming all delegates arrive on the first day for registration and do so evenly over the period from 7 am to 8.30 am, the requirement would be for about 40 registration desks on Day 1. An almost impossible number.

My above assumptions may be over-blown/wrong. Even then it still seems about 20 desks would be called for. Still a difficult number. And I do appreciate that the Conference Team members have been working very hard and beyond normal hours.

Suggestions:

Please consider opening registrations on 17 Nov - both for those arriving on 17 Nov from out of town as well as for those in Mumbai. This will a) reduce the press of people seeking registration on 18 Nov morning b) stream-line and smoothen matters for scholarship-holders and speakers and for the Conference Team vis-a-vis such delegates, and c) be a courteous facility for out-of-towners, esp. those visitng Bombay for the first time or after a long time or from abroad, and arriving on 17 Nov (i.e. people not having any independent support-system in Mumbai).

Or registration desks may please be arranged at the 2/3 hotels hosting the most number of delegates.

If possible, the Conference Team may consider placing one-person Help-desks at CSTM/Airport/Churchgate (on 17 and 18 Nov) which will direct/assist arriving delegates and co-ordinate for them with the appropriate Conference Team member, in case of any need.

If any of these are possible to implement, and decision can be taken on 15 Nov, appropriate intimations may be sent out on FB, Twitter, talk pages, email on 15 Nov itself - those traveling from distant places and by train (or from abroad) would likely be traveling by the evening of 15 Nov, India time.

Also, a general help/contact-number may please be provided for all those delegates who still, for any reason do not get intimation sent per the previous paragraph, and this be displayed prominently on the landing and all pages of the Conference website.

Lastly, esp. if opening registrations on 17 Nov is not possible by any means, Conference proceedings on Day 1 may be moved up by 30/45 mins. This will give more time for the registrations process, while still leaving a gap of at least 1 hour before the start of the Dinner & party.

To all delegates reading this:

Please understand that the schedule is packed, the Conference Team are doing their best and this Conference is a first for the Indian Wiki Community. So please try to reach the venue on Day 1 morning as early as possible, carrying a packed breakfast if necessary.

2. Delegates Registered to Attend

The link for this appears only on the Registration page of this site. Nor is there intimation in any other way to delegates that they need to do this ASAP. This also can be done by appropriate e-mails and social-media notices. Obviously, the objective is to enable the Conference Team to know who is arriving/leaving when and to schedule work/manpower accordingly. To this end, to the page : WikiConference India 2011/Attendees, some columns such as - Arriving At (Stn/Airport), Scholarship (Y/N), Speaker (Y/N), Areas of interest on Wiki-projects - may please be added.

If this tool is used well by all concerned, then, it will also be a good and easy way for delegates to find, connect and interact with each other.

Of course, this is the first conference of Wikipedians in India and has been made possible only by the efforts of all who have worked to realise the idea. Please also view this as part of sharing-learning for future events to be organised by the Indian community.

Lastly, arriving as I am on the morning of 17 Nov, I offer myself as a volunteer on that day for use of me by the Conference Team in any way. However, if so, I would appreciate if I could have intimation/confirmation by email for the same by the evening of 15 Nov, India time - since I am travelling from 6 am on 16 Nov.

Thanks & Regards, VivekM 20:41, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

Colour coding?

What are the green, orange colour backgrounds in the cells of the program schedule?

green are for workshops/practical sessions. orange is for talks/presentations--Sodabottle 18:18, 16 November 2011 (UTC)