Wikimedia Community User Group Turkey/Reports/2018
Summary
2018 was another year without access to Wikipedia, the flagship project of Wikimedia. The block affected the activities of the user group as well as the possibility of having Education Programs in universities. Furthermore edith-a-thons and partnerships with museums were declined due to the the block. The major event of 2018 was the Wikidata Birthday celebrated at Üsküdar University, Istanbul. This was the first event, during which the members of the user group addressed the questions on the Wikipedia block in public.
Social Media Campaign: We Miss Wikipedia
edit- March 5. WMF started a social media campaign under the slogan "We Miss Turkey." The User Group members colloberated with the Communication team before and during the campaign. The Turkish-speaking users were encouraged to support the campaign by using the slogan "Vikipedi'yi Özledik" (We Miss Wikipedia). Turkish Wikipedia still has the "Özledik" ("We miss (it)") logo on.
Presentations
edit- March 28. A user group member was the guest speaker at a graduate level social psychology seminar at Uludağ University, Bursa. A presentation on Wikimedia projects and particularly functioning of Wikipedia was made. In order to better understand the social psychological dimensions of technological communications, the students were tasked with write a Wikipedia article. They received support from experienced users.
- April 6. presentation on Wikipedia was made on a student organisation named Patika Akademi in Bursa, Turkey. Different motivations for being a Wikimedian were discussed with the group.
- May 1. A presentation on Wikipedia was given in the English-speaking Gönüllü Hareketi Derneği, a volunteer organisation in Bursa, Turkey. The concept of digital volunteerism was discussed, and the Wikimedia Movement was introduced.
Editing contests
edit- Organized the local competition for Vikibahar 2018 Wikimedia CEE Spring between March 21 - May 31 2018.
- Organized the local competition for Bridges across Cultures contest between December 5 - January 20 (2019)
International Wikimedia events
edit- April 20 - April 22 - Two user group members participated in WMCON in Berlin. Participant notes are here: Basak, Elmacenderesi
- October 13 - 15 - Two members represented the user group at the Wikimedia CEE meeting in Lviv. Please find the notes here: HakanIST
Wikidata Birthday
edit- October 31. We celebrated the birthday of Wikidata at Uskudar University, Istanbul. A panel on Wikidata was organized. We had a guest speaker from the UK. Before his speech on Wikidata, one Turkish Wikimedian delivered a presentation on the Wikimedia movement as well as how Wikipedia functions, and 3 members of the user group ran a panel to discuss projects of Wikimedia and to take questions from the audience.
Social Media
edit- Wikimedia User Group Turkey's Facebook and Twitter accounts have been used more actively in order to invite authorities to remove the block and support the image of Wikipedia in public opinion.