Affiliations Committee (AffCom) Call for candidates - January 2022

Translations are available.

The Affiliations Committee – the committee responsible for guiding volunteers in establishing Wikimedia chapters, thematic organizations, and user groups – is looking for new members!

The main role of the AffCom is to guide groups of volunteers that are interested in forming Wikimedia affiliates. We review applications from new groups, answer questions and provide advice about the different Wikimedia affiliation models and processes, review affiliate bylaws for compliance with requirements and best practices, and update the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees as well as advise them on issues connected to chapters, thematic organizations and Wikimedia user groups.

The committee consists of five to fifteen members, selected at least once every year, to serve two-year terms.

Being a part of the AffCom requires communication with volunteers all over the world, negotiating skills, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to understand legal texts. We look for a mix of different skill sets in our members.

Responsibilities
  • Availability of up to 5-8 hours per month
  • Participate in monthly one and two-hour voice/video meetings
  • Commitment to carry out assigned tasks in a given time.
  • Facilitate and support communications
  • Affiliate Support and growth
Required and Recommended Abilities, Skills, Knowledge for Affiliations Committee Members

Strong interpersonal relationship among members of the committee and also with the Wikimedia community members. Across all committee members, there are additional relevant skills as well as requirements which help to support the committee and its sustainability which include both required and relevant general skills

Required
  • Fluency in English
  • Availability of up to 5 hours per week, and the time to participate in a monthly one and two-hour voice/video meetings.
  • Willingness to use one's real name in committee activities (including contacts with current and potential affiliates) when appropriate.
  • Strong track record of effective collaboration
  • International orientation
Relevant for all members
  • Public Communications (English writing and speaking skills)
  • Skills in other languages are a major plus.
  • Understanding of the structure and work of affiliates and the Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Documentation practices
  • Interviewing experience
  • Experience with, or in, an active affiliate is a major plus.
  • Teamwork: Project and people management skills to coordinate and collaborate with different parties on a shared plan and see it through to completion.
  • Problem-Solving: Ability to evaluate various solutions, consider multiple interests and points of view, revisit unresolved issues, seek compromise and work and communicate across languages and cultures.

Given the expectations for maintaining the course in 2022 and preparing for potential 2022 transitions as part of the Movement Strategy implementation process, it is important that we are also clear about two different skill sets critical to committee support at this time. The first skillset is oriented to understanding affiliate dynamics and organizational development patterns to successfully process affiliate applications for recognition; the other is oriented to conflict prevention and intervention support for affiliates in conflict.

Relevant to Affiliate Recognitions
  • Administration & Attention to detail
  • Readiness to participate in political discussions on the role and future of affiliates, models of affiliation, and similar topics.
  • Awareness of the affiliates ecosystem and models and understanding of community building, organizational development, and group dynamics
Relevant to Conflict Prevention & Intervention
  • Communication skills for active listening, clear instruction and turn-taking.
  • Stress Management skills for maintaining patience and positivity
  • Emotional intelligence to maintain awareness of emotions of oneself and others to practice empathy, impartiality, and mutual respect.
  • Facilitation, negotiation, and mediation skills to guide diverse individuals and groups toward cooperation.
  • Ability to work within a team

Do you have relevant skills and interest to support movement affiliates?

We are looking for people who are excited by the challenge of empowering volunteers to get organized and form communities that further our mission around the world. In exchange, committee members will gain the experience of supporting their world-wide colleagues to develop their communities as well as personal development in guiding organizational development, facilitating affiliate partnerships, and professional communications.

Selection process

As a reflection of our commitment to openness, transparency, and bilateral engagement with the Wikimedia community, the 2022 member selection process will include a public review and comment period and a self-assessment survey for candidates to share their skills and their experience. This self-assessment information will help the committee to identify the skill sets relevant and supportive to our affiliate support processes. We invite you to apply for membership to the committee and join us in supporting the affiliates. The data shared in the self-assessment will only be made available to the committee and the relevant staff support. The nomination, candidate Q&A, and endorsements will still take place posted on Meta for public review at January 2022 page. Here the global community is welcome to provide comments and feedback about each candidate.

Once the nomination window closes 31 January 2022, the sitting members who are not candidates for re-election in this cycle will deliberate and then vote, taking into account all inputs from the meta page, self-assessment, advisors, Wikimedia Foundation staff and board liaisons, and committee member discussion.

A final decision will be made in late-February 2022, with new members to be notified for onboarding in February.

How to apply

If you are interested in joining the committee, please:

Step 1. Post your application on the nomination page by 31 January 2022. Your application must include the following information:

  1. Your full name and Wikimedia username
  2. A statement describing your relevant education, experience, abilities, skills, knowledge, availability, and motivation for joining the committee.

Step 2. Complete the self-assessment survey between January 1, 2021 and January 31, 2021.

  • The privacy statement that applies to the survey can be found here.
  • NOTE: The survey will take 15 mins. Please do not close your browser. If you need a break, you are advised to keep the browser open. In case of losing the link, please reach out to mkaur-ctr wikimedia.org
  • This survey must be completed before Steps 3 & 4, as it will provide more background as to the type of work and expectations of members of AffCom.

Step 3. Answers the following questions:

  • NOTE: Questions 1-3 are required for all candidates.
  • Question 4 & 5 should be answered by those interested in joining the Recognitions subcommittee.
  • Question 6 & 7 should be answered by those interested in joining the Conflicts Intervention subcommittee.
  • If you are willing to nominate yourself for both subcommittees, answer all questions.
  1. What roles have you served across any Wikimedia projects and affiliates that you think have prepared you for this role?
  2. AffCom members need to manage time, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, and diverse situations across the global movement. How do you envision managing these?
  3. Members of AffCom serve on one of two subcommittees: Recognitions OR Conflicts Intervention. Which one of these are you most interested in serving on?
  4. If you are interested in serving on the Recognitions subcommittee, what do you think makes a group of Wikimedians ready to function together as an affiliate?
  5. If you are interested in serving on the Recognitions subcommittee, what do you think are the benefits and responsibilities of functioning as formal affiliates?
  6. If you are interested in serving on the Conflicts Intervention subcommittee, please describe your experience working with conflicts resolution.
  7. If you are interested in serving on the Conflicts Intervention subcommittee, please describe how you have helped build consensus and support diversity.

Step 4. Once you have completed the above, send an email announcing your application to affcom wikimedia.org before the application deadline.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me and/or the committee as a whole. We are happy to chat or have a webinar call with anyone about our work if this helps them decide to apply. Please distribute this call among your networks, and do apply if you are interested!

On behalf of the committee,

--FULBERT (talk) 13:18, 19 December 2021 (UTC)

Affiliations Committee (AffCom) Call for advisors - January 2022

Translations are available.

The Affiliations Committee – the committee responsible for guiding volunteers in establishing Wikimedia chapters, thematic organizations, and user groups – is looking for new members!

The Affiliations Committee – the committee responsible for guiding volunteers in establishing Wikimedia Chapters, Thematic Organizations, and User Groups – is looking for advisors!

The main role of the Affiliations Committee is to guide groups of volunteers that are interested in forming Wikimedia affiliates. We review applications from new groups, answer questions and provide advice about the different Wikimedia affiliation models and processes, review affiliate bylaws for compliance with requirements and best practices, and advise the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees on issues connected to chapters, thematic organizations and Wikimedia user groups.

We are looking for advisors who are excited by the challenge of empowering volunteers to get organized and form communities that further our mission around the world. In exchange, committee advisors selected will gain the experience of supporting their world-wide colleagues to develop their communities as well as personal development in guiding organizational development, facilitating affiliate partnerships, and professional communications.

AffCom advisors can engage with the committee in a variety of capacities:

Consultant

Individuals with extensive movement experience can be engaged as Consultants for specific cases or initiatives by AffCom.

Trainer

Individuals with specific expertise may be engaged for short-term projects for training AffCom or Affiliates. They might also lead the Capacity Building initiatives for AffCom or affiliates.

Observer

AffCom can request specific or all advisors to act as an observer in different cases to ensure neutrality & compliance with guidelines.

AffCom Support

Development of Policies: While advisors cannot create legally binding policies for the committee, they can help create policies that provide direction and support for the committee.

Planning and Implementing Community Relations: The advisors are long-term wikimedians & also include influential community leaders who can be effective at spreading the word about initiatives and services.

Supporting Subcommittees: The advisors can support subcommittees that have assigned tasks in specific areas.

Other Tasks: Advisors can be engaged to address a specific need. Such engagements are usually short-lived and are disbanded as soon as their specific goals are met.


Key skills

We look for a healthy mix of different skill sets in our advisors, including the following key skills and experience:

  1. Strong understanding of the structure and work of Wikimedia affiliates and the Wikimedia Foundation.
  2. Readiness to participate in political discussions on the role and future of affiliates, models of affiliation, and similar topics.
  3. Availability of up to 2 hours per week, and the time to participate in a monthly two-hour voice/video meeting
  4. International orientation and ability to work and communicate with other languages and cultures.
  5. Knowledge of different legal systems and experience in community building and organizing are a plus.
  6. Fluency in English is required; skills in other languages are a major plus.
  7. Experience with or in an active Wikimedia affiliate is a major plus.
  8. Strong track record of effective collaboration (such as evidenced skills at facilitation, mediation, negotiation, and so forth) is a major plus.
  9. Willingness to use one's real name in committee activities (including contacts with current and potential affiliates) when appropriate.
Selection process

As a reflection of our commitment to openness, transparency, and bilateral engagement with the Wikimedia community, the 2022 advisors selection process will include a public review and comment period. All applications must be posted on Meta between January 01 and January 31, 2022 at Affiliations Committee/Advisors/2022, and the community will be invited to provide comments and feedback about each candidate. At the end of the nomination period, the applications will be voted on by the members of the committee, taking into account comments put forward by the committee's members, advisors, Wikimedia Foundation staff and board liaisons, and the community. A final decision will be made in February 2022, with new advisors expected to begin later that month.

How to apply

If you are interested in advising the committee, please submit your candidacy on Affiliations Committee/Advisors/2022 between January 01 to January 31, 2022. Your application must include the following information:

  1. Your full name and Wikimedia username
  2. A statement describing your relevant experience, skills, and motivation for joining the committee as an advisor.
  3. The advisor role you would like to serve
  4. Answers to the following three questions:
    1. How do you think affiliates work best together to partner on effective projects and initiatives?
    2. What do you see as the role of affiliates in the Wikimedia movement in the next three years?
    3. What do you feel you will bring as an advisor to the committee that makes you a uniquely qualified candidate?

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the committee. We are happy to chat or have a phone call with anyone about our work if this helps them decide to apply. Please distribute this call among your networks, and do apply if you are interested!

On behalf of the committee,

--FULBERT (talk) 13:17, 19 December 2021 (UTC)

Movement Strategy Implementation Grants

Dear all,

The Movement Strategy and Governance team wishes you a good start of the new 2022!

As we begin this year, we look forward to seeing more collaboration, increased support and connection between communities and affiliates. We would like to use this chance to share some information on the Movement Strategy Implementation Grants that aim to support volunteers and affiliates looking to help in implementing the Movement Strategy Initiatives within their communities.

These grants support big and small projects that aim to take the current state of an initiative and push it one step forward. Apply for a grant to implement a Movement Strategy initiative with a budget up to $25,000.

We understand that ideas flow at their own pace, so Movement Strategy Implementation Grants are designed to be flexible with no set deadline. Your applications are welcome at any time. Applications received after the 15th of each month will be reviewed in the following month.

Get in touch with us if you would like to discuss your project proposal or if you need more information about the program. The Movement Strategy and Governance team is happy to host conversations regarding these grants. Conversations may help answer your questions, develop your ideas, and connect with other communities with similar interests.

Please visit this meta page to look at some suggested examples, and you are welcome to join the “MS – Grants Community of Practice” group on Telegram!

Best regards,

Movement Strategy and Governance team

Zuz (WMF) (talk) 15:52, 6 January 2022 (UTC)

(First Reminder) Notification of Affiliate Expiration - Renewal pending submission of reporting

Greetings group contacts,

This is a notification to bring to your attention that your organization is currently past due on its required annual reporting. Wikimedia Affiliates are required to submit an annual activity report covering the entirety of the 12-month agreement period in order to prompt review for a renewal. Reports must be written in English, posted to meta via the Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal.

This page is used to track how organizations and groups are meeting reporting requirements described in their agreements with the Wikimedia Foundation (e.g. chapter agreements, thematic organization agreements, user group agreements). It is the central place where affiliates can add reports about their activities, share their plans, and even news or social media channels with the wider movement. When new reports are available, organizations and groups should add them to this page to keep their columns up to date.

As noted on the meta Reports page, your organization’s 2021 annual reporting became past due in 2021-11-07. Please be sure to:

  • Post your 2021 annual reporting to the meta via the Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal as soon as possible to return to compliance with your user group agreement.
  • Check that your group’s page is also up to date with past report links for historical record-keeping, and
  • Please send an email to Wikimedia-l in order to share with a movement-wide audience.

If you have any questions or need any further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to wadportal wikimedia.org.

Best regards,
Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal

The Call for Feedback about the Board of Trustees elections is now open

The Call for Feedback: Board of Trustees elections is now open and will close on 7 February 2022.

With this Call for Feedback, the Movement Strategy and Governance team is taking a different approach. This approach incorporates community feedback from 2021. Instead of leading with proposals, the Call is framed around key questions from the Board of Trustees. The key questions came from the feedback about the 2021 Board of Trustees election. The intention is to inspire collective conversation and collaborative proposal development about these key questions.

There are two confirmed questions that will be asked during this Call for Feedback:

  1. What is the best way to ensure more diverse representation among elected candidates? The Board of Trustees noted the importance of selecting candidates who represent the full diversity of the Wikimedia movement. The current processes have favored volunteers from North America and Europe.
  2. What are the expectations for the candidates during the election? Board candidates have traditionally completed applications and answered community questions. How can an election provide appropriate insight into candidates while also appreciating candidates’ status as volunteers?

There is one additional question that may be presented during the Call about selection processes. This question is still under discussion, but the Board wanted to give insight into the confirmed questions as soon as possible. Hopefully if an additional question is going to be asked, it will be ready during the first week of the Call for Feedback.

Join the conversation.

Best,

Movement Strategy and Governance, Zuz (WMF) (talk) 13:17, 12 January 2022 (UTC)

Subscribe to the This Month in Education newsletter - learn from others and share your stories

Dear community members,

Greetings from the EWOC Newsletter team and the education team at Wikimedia Foundation. We are very excited to share that we on tenth years of Education Newsletter (This Month in Education) invite you to join us by subscribing to the newsletter on your talk page or by sharing your activities in the upcoming newsletters. The Wikimedia Education newsletter is a monthly newsletter that collects articles written by community members using Wikimedia projects in education around the world, and it is published by the EWOC Newsletter team in collaboration with the Education team. These stories can bring you new ideas to try, valuable insights about the success and challenges of our community members in running education programs in their context.

If your affiliate/language project is developing its own education initiatives, please remember to take advantage of this newsletter to publish your stories with the wider movement that shares your passion for education. You can submit newsletter articles in your own language or submit bilingual articles for the education newsletter. For the month of January the deadline to submit articles is on the 20th January. We look forward to reading your stories.

Older versions of this newsletter can be found in the complete archive.

More information about the newsletter can be found at Education/Newsletter/About.

For more information, please contact spatnaik wikimedia.org.


Affiliations Committee (AffCom) Member & Advisor Elections - Final Reminder for January 2022

Translations are available.

This is a friendly reminder that the Affiliations Committee – which is responsible for guiding volunteers in establishing and sustaining Wikimedia chapters, thematic organizations, and user groups – is seeking new members and advisors! The deadline to post your application on the Member nomination page and Advisor nomination is 31 January 2022.

If you know somebody you think may be interested, please share and encourage them to consider applying. If you have any questions please email affcom@wikimedia.org before the application deadline or reach out to any of the current members. Good luck to all the candidates!

On behalf of the committee,
FULBERT (talk) 17:32, 25 January 2022 (UTC)

(Second Reminder) Notification of Affiliate Expiration - Renewal pending submission of reporting

Greetings group contacts,

This is a notification to bring to your attention that your organization is currently past due on its required annual reporting. Wikimedia Affiliates are required to submit an annual activity report covering the entirety of the 12-month agreement period in order to prompt review for a renewal. Reports must be written in English, posted to meta via the Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal.

This page is used to track how organizations and groups are meeting reporting requirements described in their agreements with the Wikimedia Foundation (e.g. chapter agreements, thematic organization agreements, user group agreements). It is the central place where affiliates can add reports about their activities, share their plans, and even news or social media channels with the wider movement. When new reports are available, organizations and groups should add them to this page to keep their columns up to date.

As noted on the meta Reports page, your organization’s 2021 annual reporting became past due in 2021-11-07. Please be sure to:

  • Post your 2021 annual reporting to the meta via the Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal as soon as possible to return to compliance with your user group agreement.
  • Check that your group’s page is also up to date with past report links for historical record-keeping, and
  • Please send an email to Wikimedia-l in order to share with a movement-wide audience.

If you have any questions or need any further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to wadportal wikimedia.org.

Best regards,
Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal

  Resolved.
I just submitted the report Wikimedians_in_Residence_Exchange_Network/2021 to the portal and emailed the mailing list. Bluerasberry (talk) 15:23, 7 February 2022 (UTC)

UCoC Ratification Voting Begins in March

Dear all,

The drafting period of the Universal Code of Conduct project is coming to a close. Thank you for your interest and for the valuable participation during the entire process.

After working with community members to develop a set of enforcement recommendations and receiving approval from the Wikimedia Board of Trustees, the UCoC enforcement guidelines will be up for ratification in March, with voting running from Monday, 7 March 2022 to Monday, 22 March 2022. Everyone in the movement, including affiliates’ staff, are invited to participate.

Voting will be done using SecurePoll. We would like to kindly ask you to encourage your staff members to vote. Voting is important to capture thoughts about the enforcement of the UCoC policy and to help find a way forward with the UCoC. Anyone can refer to the following guidelines to make sure they can understand the proposed enforcement structures. Everyone is of course encouraged to vote as they choose.

Every vote makes a difference, and the results will help decide how to proceed, so please consider participating. We will send a reminder when the voting is starting.

Best, Zuz (WMF) (talk) 14:41, 18 February 2022 (UTC)

Sunday February 27 Strategic Wikimedia Affiliates Network meeting

 
To dance is to fly.

The Strategic Wikimedia Affiliates Network (SWAN) is a developing forum for all Wikimedia movement affiliates to share ideas on the Wikimedia 2030 strategy process. It expands on the model of the All-Affiliates Brand Meeting to help lay some of the groundwork for a future Global Council.

We'll focus on strategic and outreach topics of mutual concern to all affiliates including Hubs+Dialogue, Movement Charter, Universal Code of Conduct+Enforcement Voting, Brand, International Women's Day+Gender Gap and WikiForHumanRights campaigns, and other ongoing activities.

This month we are meeting on Sunday February 27, and you are all invited to RSVP here.

(UTC meeting times are and ).----Pharos (talk) 18:06, 23 February 2022 (UTC)

Voting on the ratification of the UCoC enforcement guidelines begins today

This is a kind reminder that voting on the ratification of the UCoC enforcement guidelines starts today Monday, 7 March 2022 and will last until Monday, 21 March 2022. Staff and members of every community have the opportunity to vote. For instructions on voting using SecurePoll and voting eligibility, please refer to the voter information.

For any questions or concerns, please contact ucocproject@wikimedia.org

Best, Zuz (WMF) (talk) 10:01, 7 March 2022 (UTC)

Universal Code of Conduct Enforcement guidelines ratification voting now closed

You can find this message translated into additional languages on Meta-wiki.

Greetings,

The ratification voting process for the revised enforcement guidelines of the Universal Code of Conduct (UCoC) came to a close on 21 March 2022. Over 2300 Wikimedians voted across different regions of our movement. Thank you to everyone who participated in this process! The scrutinizing group is now reviewing the vote for accuracy, so please allow up to two weeks for them to finish their work.

The final results from the voting process will be announced here, along with the relevant statistics and a summary of comments as soon as they are available. Please check out the voter information page to learn about the next steps. You can comment on the project talk page on Meta-wiki in any language. You may also contact the UCoC project team by email: ucocproject wikimedia.org

Best regards,

Movement Strategy and Governance

Zuz (WMF) (talk) Zuz (WMF) (talk) 09:45, 24 March 2022 (UTC)

Sunday April 3 Strategic Wikimedia Affiliates Network meeting

 
Bots in precious metals are part of our community too.

The Strategic Wikimedia Affiliates Network (SWAN) is a developing forum for all Wikimedia movement affiliates to share ideas on the Wikimedia 2030 strategy process. It expands on the model of the All-Affiliates Brand Meeting to help lay some of the groundwork for a future Global Council.

We'll focus on strategic and outreach topics of mutual concern to all affiliates including UCoC Voting, Hubs Global Conversation held + CEE Hub update, Movement Charter + Leadership Development Working Group, Desktop Improvements, Celebrate Women in March + International Women's Day, Wikimania 2022 survey concluded + Wikimedia Hackathon 2022 May 20-22 + local events, and other ongoing activities.

This month we are meeting on Sunday April 3, and you are all invited to RSVP here.

(UTC meeting times are and , note that some areas recently experienced daylight savings time changes).--Pharos (talk) 17:36, 29 March 2022 (UTC)

When is the next meeting?

Just what the topic line says ;) /Sofie Sigrinn (talk) 13:43, 3 May 2022 (UTC)

Thanks for asking - we are planning on one tomorrow! Wikimedians_in_Residence_Exchange_Network/2022-05-04 - Fuzheado (talk) 16:53, 3 May 2022 (UTC)

Sunday May 8 Strategic Wikimedia Affiliates Network meeting

 
Swans are musical creatures.

The Strategic Wikimedia Affiliates Network (SWAN) is a developing forum for all Wikimedia movement affiliates to share ideas on the Wikimedia 2030 strategy process. It expands on the model of the All-Affiliates Brand Meeting to help lay some of the groundwork for a future Global Council.

We'll focus on strategic and outreach topics of mutual concern to all affiliates including 2022 Board of Trustees Call for Candidates, Movement Charter/Content preliminary narrative, Human Rights Policy Community Conversations, Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan Feedback, IP blocking and Open Proxies discussion, Wikimedia Hackathon 2022 May 20-22 + local events, and other ongoing activities.

This month we are meeting on Sunday May 8, and you are all invited to RSVP here.

(UTC meeting times are and , note that some areas recently experienced daylight savings time changes).--Pharos (talk) 18:08, 3 May 2022 (UTC)

2022 Wikimedia Hackathon - May 20th - 22nd

 

Hello all,

This is to invite you for this year's Wikimedia Hackathon from May 20-22. We hope to see you there! You can share the update with your community as well.

The main event will be held online this year. We have an open call for sessions on our schedule page. If you'd like to host a session, you can simply pick an open slot in the category which best fits your topic. The developer advocacy team also put together some suggestions for how to create a fun session.


You can also add project ideas to the Phabricator Board

We will share more information soon about how to join the online space. You can also check through the list of local meetups holding around the world, you may find any closer to you.

If you have any enquiry or translation requests, please contact hlepp@wikimedia.org


See you there!

Best regards,

James Popoola

On behalf of the 2022 Wikimedia Hackathon Committee.

James Moore200 (talk) 17:50, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

2022 Wikimedia Hackathon - May 20th - 22nd

 

Hello all,

This is to invite you for this year's Wikimedia Hackathon from May 20-22. We hope to see you there! You can share the update with your community as well.

The main event will be held online this year. We have an open call for sessions on our schedule page. If you'd like to host a session, you can simply pick an open slot in the category which best fits your topic. The developer advocacy team also put together some suggestions for how to create a fun session.


You can also add project ideas to the Phabricator Board

We will share more information soon about how to join the online space. You can also check through the list of local meetups holding around the world, you may find any closer to you.

If you have any enquiry or translation requests, please contact hlepp@wikimedia.org


See you there!

Best regards,

James Popoola

On behalf of the 2022 Wikimedia Hackathon Committee.

James Moore200 (talk) 17:52, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

When is the next meeting?

Not very original I know. But would like to join. Battleofalma (talk) 13:05, 26 May 2022 (UTC)

@Battleofalma: Not scheduled but soon, add agenda items to Wikimedians in Residence Exchange Network/2022-06. Bluerasberry (talk) 14:35, 26 May 2022 (UTC)

Sunday June 5 Strategic Wikimedia Affiliates Network meeting

 
Swan impressions.

The Strategic Wikimedia Affiliates Network (SWAN) is a developing forum for all Wikimedia movement affiliates to share ideas on the Wikimedia 2030 strategy process. It expands on the model of the All-Affiliates Brand Meeting to help lay some of the groundwork for a future Global Council.

We'll focus on strategic and outreach topics of mutual concern to all affiliates including Movement Charter, Hubs Global Conversation this June, WMF Proposal for Movement Strategy Forum, New rounds of WMF Conference Funds including in-person events, WMF Proposal for Sound Logo Contest, WMF Elections Analysis Committee selection, wikimania:Program submissions due June 10 (scholarship and local event grants due June 3) and other ongoing activities.

This month we are meeting on Sunday June 5, and you are all invited to RSVP here.

(UTC meeting times are and ).--Pharos (talk) 20:49, 31 May 2022 (UTC)

Need Help!

Just got hired as WiR for an educational institution. Have no idea what steps to take next. Anyone with uself tips? Will be super grateful really. OtuNwachinemere (talk) 12:58, 3 June 2022 (UTC)

Hi, happy to discuss this whenever's good for you. Battleofalma (talk) 15:17, 22 June 2022 (UTC)

Sunday July 3 Strategic Wikimedia Affiliates Network meeting

 
Swan celestial.

The Strategic Wikimedia Affiliates Network (SWAN) is a developing forum for all Wikimedia movement affiliates to share ideas on the Wikimedia 2030 strategy process. It expands on the model of the All-Affiliates Brand Meeting to help lay some of the groundwork for a future Global Council.

We'll focus on strategic and outreach topics of mutual concern to all affiliates including Movement Charter, Hubs Global Conversation last week, Affiliate voting period to shortlist WMF Board candidates (July 1-15), Wikimania updates, Desktop improvements, Wikimedia Enterprise first customers, Call for program submissions and updates for a global diversity of regional/linguistic Wiki-Conferences, Wikidata:Wiki Mentor Africa and other ongoing activities.

This month we are meeting on Sunday July 3, and you are all invited to RSVP here.

(UTC meeting times are and ).--Pharos via MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 12:55, 30 June 2022 (UTC)

2022 reporting

Notification of upcoming reporting due date

Greetings Pharos, Fuzheado,

This is a notification to bring to your attention that your organization reporting date is coming up in 27 day(s). Wikimedia Affiliates are required to submit an annual activity report covering the entirety of the 12-month agreement period in order to prompt review for a renewal. Reports must be written in English, posted to meta via the Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal.

This page is used to track how organizations and groups are meeting reporting requirements described in their agreements with the Wikimedia Foundation (e.g. chapter agreements, thematic organization agreements, user group agreements). It is the central place where affiliates can add reports about their activities, share their plans, and even news or social media channels with the wider movement. When new reports are available, organizations and groups should add them to this page to keep their columns up to date.

As noted on the meta Reports page, your organization’s 2022 annual reporting will be due in 2022-12-07. Please be sure to:

  • Post your 2022 annual reporting to the meta via the Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal as soon as possible to return to compliance with your user group agreement.
  • Check that your group’s page is also up to date with past report links for historical record-keeping, and
  • Please send an email to Wikimedia-l in order to share with a movement-wide audience.

If you have any questions or need any further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to wadportal wikimedia.org.

Best regards,
Dumisani Ndubane


Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

(Initial Review) Notification of Affiliate Expiration - Renewal pending submission of reporting

Greetings Pharos, Fuzheado,

This is a notification to bring to your attention that your organization is currently past due on its required annual reporting. Wikimedia Affiliates are required to submit an annual activity report covering the entirety of the 12-month agreement period in order to prompt review for a renewal. Reports must be written in English, posted to meta via the Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal.

This page is used to track how organizations and groups are meeting reporting requirements described in their agreements with the Wikimedia Foundation (e.g. chapter agreements, thematic organization agreements, user group agreements). It is the central place where affiliates can add reports about their activities, share their plans, and even news or social media channels with the wider movement. When new reports are available, organizations and groups should add them to this page to keep their columns up to date.

As noted on the meta Reports page, your organization’s 2022 annual reporting became past due in 2022-12-07. Please be sure to:

  • Post your 2022 annual reporting to the meta via the Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal as soon as possible to return to compliance with your user group agreement.
  • Check that your group’s page is also up to date with past report links for historical record-keeping, and
  • Please send an email to Wikimedia-l in order to share with a movement-wide audience.

If you have any questions or need any further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to wadportal wikimedia.org.

Best regards,
Dumisani Ndubane


Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal

Thursday, December 8, 2022

Drafting report

The draft is at Wikimedians in Residence Exchange Network/2022 See other years for other reports. I will contribute something soon - anyone else may jump into it. Bluerasberry (talk) 18:27, 9 December 2022 (UTC)

Sunday November 13 Strategic Wikimedia Affiliates Network meeting

 
bestiary (Q830560)compendium (Q1459574)reference work (Q13136).

The Strategic Wikimedia Affiliates Network (SWAN) is a developing forum for all Wikimedia movement affiliates to share ideas on the Wikimedia 2030 strategy process. It expands on the model of the All-Affiliates Brand Meeting to help lay some of the groundwork for a future Global Council.

We'll focus on strategic and outreach topics of mutual concern to all affiliates including Wikimedia Research Fund, 2023 Ombuds commission and Case Review Committee appointments process, feedback on consultation and community session of the Movement Charter Drafting Committee, various Wikimania topics: (ideas/suggestions for Wikimania 2023, expressions of interest for Wikimania 2024 and beyond, expressions of interest to join Wikimania Steering Committee), and other ongoing activities.

This month we are meeting on Sunday November 13, and you are all invited to RSVP here.

(UTC meeting times are and
UTC times are different from before, and also note that some areas may have recently experienced daylight savings time changes.).--MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 18:18, 9 November 2022 (UTC)

Use of title "Wikimedian in Residence"

At English Wikipedia a series of accounts were discovered claiming a "Wikimedian in Residence" title when they seem to be fake user accounts and not users who are doing Wikimedian in Residence activities.

en:special:permalink/1126504331#Possible_fake_"Wikimedian_In_Residence"_user_accounts

One solution to this could be that WREN has a recognition or certification program. If a user is in compliance with some minimal criteria, and that user requested recognition from WREN, then WREN could publicly list that person as a "Wikimedian in Residence" in good standing with the organization. Bluerasberry (talk) 18:18, 9 December 2022 (UTC)

From en:ChatGPT


write a set of professional criteria for Wikimedians in Residence who are officially representing cultural institutes to share free and open knowledge in Wikipedia, Wikidata, and other Wikimedia projects

  1. Wikimedians in Residence must be knowledgeable about the goals and values of the Wikimedia movement, including the promotion of free and open knowledge.
  2. Wikimedians in Residence must be familiar with the principles of inclusivity and diversity, and must strive to ensure that the cultural institutes they represent are represented in a fair and accurate manner on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects.
  3. Wikimedians in Residence must have excellent communication and collaboration skills, and must be able to work effectively with a variety of stakeholders, including cultural institute staff, volunteers, and the general public.
  4. Wikimedians in Residence must be able to plan and implement educational programs and initiatives that promote the use of Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects by cultural institute staff and the public.
  5. Wikimedians in Residence must be able to collect, organize, and share relevant cultural institute content in a way that adheres to Wikipedia's editorial policies and guidelines.
  6. Wikimedians in Residence must be able to provide training and support to cultural institute staff and volunteers who are interested in contributing to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects.
  7. Wikimedians in Residence must be able to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of their work, and must be willing to adapt their approach based on feedback and best practices.
  8. Wikimedians in Residence must be committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards, and must avoid conflicts of interest or other situations that could compromise the integrity of Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects.

Bluerasberry (talk) 18:53, 9 December 2022 (UTC)

@Bluerasberry how does your use of chatgpt for this interact with our licensing policy and their usage rules?
  • Viewing it in just its textual form for now. Point 1 - fine. Point 2, the strive probably gives enough flexibility, given the need to comply with our sourcing rules even if they personally think it's not accurate. I also don't understand why the first half of that point is linked to the second. Point 3 - fine, but perhaps needed a point to note that each of those three categories must be demonstrated to meet the criterion. Point 4 - this is flawed, seriously, in several forms. One is that it actually just specified they are able, with no obligation to actually carry it out. But beyond that, while it might be nice, I don't believe it's actually obligatory for them to run programmes that promote the use of Wikipedia...that seems morally dubious. And for both staff and public at that. Point 5 this is actually the fundamental point of WiRs, and again just notes they have to be able to do it. Point 6 - fine. Point 7 - fine. Point 8 - the first half is fine, but WIRs have a certain degree of conflict of interest that simply cannot be avoided. In fact, a primary usage of WiR is to exempt them from our standard COI (especially PaidCOI) rules, because we feel a lighter touch can be used to mitigate issues.

Additional points - I think an editor would probably have attached wikilinks where they'd have helped. Many of these obligations would have no detail to assess at the onset of someone's WIR job. Additionally, some consideration of how willing WREN would be to fail someone who had got a WIR job but didn't meet the standards. Nosebagbear (talk) 22:21, 13 December 2022 (UTC)
@Nosebagbear: Are you not amazed that I gave that simple prompt to a tool which is a week into its public release and not before tested by wiki community members, and yet this tool already is adequate for giving rules of a specialized wiki community role? I am going to throw this out there: If the Wikimedia Foundation had commissioned consultants with one of the US$25,000 movement strategy grants to come up with a guide for cultural partnerships, then based on past outcomes I have doubts that the outcome would have been as good as this. You are casually critiquing this as "fine" but this tool spews out accurate policy with bare prompting.
You argue with point 4 but from my perspective, every Wikimedian in Residence program does this. Replace "Wikipedia" with any social media platform, and any organization's Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or whatever-in-residence person practices guideline 4. I think your objection is a matter of semantics and a different word choice would bring agreement.
As to the appropriateness of brining in ChatGPT, see Wikipedia:Village_pump_(policy)#Wikipedia_response_to_chatbot-generated_content. From a copyright perspective this content is public domain as is AI-generated content in general. I am unsure about nuance in OpenAI's terms of use regarding compatibility with Wikimedia projects but there is no one raising objections on those grounds so far as I know.
Thanks for reacting here. Would discuss more anytime. Bluerasberry (talk) 02:00, 14 December 2022 (UTC)
@Bluerasberry - I'm going to focus on two core points: one is that you think where I say "fine" I am "casually critiquing" - fine means fine, otherwise why would I say "fine"? Secondly, it isn't adequate. Some of the more detailed feedback I give could certainly be viewed as non-critical (like the latter half of my feedback on point 2), but other points are not. I'm sure a rewording could fix the ables, but it's not merely semantics, can/could/should/must variations were a source of major disagreement over on the UCOC side. What social-media equivalents to our WiRs do is completely irrelevant. You're no doubt right about what they do. And? For us, I would rather not rule out the possibility of a WIR who is there to aid Wikipedia directly without having to use it for both staff and editors. Perhaps more likely on an image basis, but not impossible otherwise. Nosebagbear (talk) 10:34, 14 December 2022 (UTC)
@Nosebagbear: Okay, I hear you! There are more points to critique and your feedback is not an indication of support. I will not assume you like or approve these guidelines.
If you ever find anyone who wants to talk in a public recorded video about how Wikimedian in Residence stuff works I am happy to meet for a chat. On my own I am trying to record more explanations anyway. I think our disagreements here, as well as misunderstandings about Wikimedian in Residence projects elsewhere on wiki, are all semantic and that they only exist because the discussion is text on a talk page rather than in a live conversation. Bluerasberry (talk) 15:35, 14 December 2022 (UTC)

Passing of Effie Kapsalis / Digitaleffie

Wikimedians in the United States and the wiki museum world will know of Digitaleffie, wiki community organizer at the Smithsonian for more than 10 years. She died this week. More details are on her user page. She was a great advocate for the appointment of Wikimedians in Residence at cultural institutions, and key in the placement of Wikimedians in Residence in Washington DC or supported by the Wikimedia chapter there.

Anyone with thoughts to share may do so on her talk page. Bluerasberry (talk) 19:18, 14 December 2022 (UTC)

Return to "Wikimedians in Residence Exchange Network/Archive 4" page.