Wiki Support Czech Republic User Group

Wiki Support Czech Republic User Group is linked to Wiki Support, z.s. a Czech based NGO, which supports wiki and Facebook communities to spread free information and share resources (circular economy). We help WMF projects where it is most needed. We help expand Wikipedia and Wikidata (editatons, Wikiexpeditions, copyright release negotiations), expand the editorial base, and develop facilitating tools for editors.

Objectives

• extend and improve the content on Wikimedia projects
• help Wikimedia contributors with their work
• recruit and onboard new participants

Activities

• Wikiexpeditions
• Edit-a-thons
• Tools developmnet
• New tool translation and workshops
• Supporting new participants

Ongoing projects

• Sylva Lacinová works database (*2020)– the goal of the project is to create a database of works of the Czech sculptor on Wikidata. We believe we can get photographs of most of her artworks and receive rights to use them.
• Documentation of endangered buildings and artworks (*2018) – this project scope is to photograph and describe notable endangered buildings and artworks on Wikipedia before they are demolished or fall down. It is mostly cased of works from the 1970s and 80s, but it may also include other periods. The project does not cover just endangered works, but also the works, where we have prior consent from the license holder, to release them under the free license. The project targets also an increase in the number of contributors because we maintain a group of enthusiast on Facebook, who starts slowly to contribute to Wikimedia projects. Actually, some of the activities are on hold due to the lack of resources. Examples:
  • Sylva Lacinová – in summer/fall 2020 we negotiated releases of Sylva Lacinová studio works under the free license and organized a photo walk of four Wikimedians, who have created 450 images of her work in a studio and outside. After that, we have created an article on Czech Wikipedia. As a continuation, we follow with a WikiProject on Wikidata aiming to create a database of her artwork (see above).
  • Transgas – from fall 2017 till winter 2018 we have been covering the destruction of the Transgas building. Our efforts brought photographic and translation contribution of five people, who created accounts and contributed under accounts. With such people, we can work in the future to fully integrate them into the movement.
  • Židenice mourning hall − is an example of a building that may fall down and at the same time is notable for Wikipedia. We have created the article and negotiated with the owner the possibility to create photographs in the interior, which we had done at the end of 2020. Actually, we are at the stage of negotiating rights to release photographs under the free license (note that the Czech Republic does not have freedom of interiors).

Upcoming activities

Previously planed Wikiexpeditions and Edit-a-thons for 2021 are on hold awaiting the development of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision will be made at the beginning of summer 2021.

• documentating endangered buildings and artworks (WMF individual grant)
• VicunaUploader fix and improvment
• recruiting new members in off wiki communities

History

• 2013-2019 VicuñaUploader translation and workshops
• 2018 Edit-a-thon with a topic of Prague 2 (report)
• 2019 Edit-a-thon with a topic of Prachatice town (grant report)
• 2019 Wikiexpedition to the Polish Lower Silesia (report)
• 2019 Wikiexpedition to the Czech Mlada Vozice reagion (report)
• 2020 Edit-a-thon on the topic of COVID-19
• 2020 Wikiexpedition to gather photographs of works of Sylva Lacinová (article, photographs)

Contact information

Contact via janlochman at gmail.com (write down into the e-mail title the name of this user group please) or via the talk page.

Interested in participating

Our goal is to help develop Wikimedia projects. We focus primarily on those areas that are most burning. I.e. if we see a problem that has not been solved for a long time and needs to be solved because it will help editors or projects, we will start to deal with it. In addition, we like to take photos and document photographs, so we organize various photo events. If you see a problem, which has to be fixed or enjoy photographic documentation don't hesitate to accompany us and sign down.

1. --Juandev (talk) 12:05, 27 August 2020 (UTC)
2. --Art Jarka (talk) 07:41, 29 August 2020 (UTC)
3. --Al.trcka (talk) 13:04, 30 June 2021 (UTC)
4. I would like to collaborate mainly with you on bringing more bibliographic content to Wikidata.--Lean Liron (talk) 10:03, 13 July 2021 (UTC)
5. --V0lkanic (talk) 21:34, 11 August 2023 (UTC)