Or -- my favorite solution -- leaving LOTS of time in the schedule for meetups and discussion tracks, so that all kinds of groups -- including those interested specifically in North America-related issues (like building a coalition of NA usergroups, planning future conferences, doing NA-specific outreach or lobbying) can meet to discuss such things.
We've had discussion time historically at most Wikimanias but I think we can always leave more time in the schedule for this kind of meetup. Additionally a preconference day could work too, when multiple thematic tracks could be scheduled (lots of people have historically asked for preconferences, not just the hackers -- everyone from researchers to librarians to glam outreach coordinators to affiliates have considered it in the past). (Of course, if I was in charge of the schedule I would probably get rid of individual presentations altogether during Wikimania, and just have panels/lightning talks/discussions. Best not to put me in charge of the schedule! :) -- Phoebe On Wed, Jul 6, 2016 at 1:00 PM, Leila Zia <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Pine, > > Co-located events in conferences work well if the event that is co-located > with the main conference attracts a new audience that the main conference > doesn't usually get by default. In the case of Wikimania and WikiConference > North America, I can see a lot of overlap based on the last couple of > years' schedules. This will result in what Lodewijk is concerned about: > splitting the potential audience in smaller groups while they can benefit > from getting in one room. Also, an already hard task of scheduling events > will become even harder: For example, we need to worry about not scheduling > two GLAM events at the same time, one focusing on North America and the > other a general/global event. > > This being said, I understand that you want to be mindful of the cost and > time spent for these conferences. My suggestion would be for you to > consider a 1-2 day event pre/post Wikimania focused on North America. > > Best, > Leila > > Leila Zia > Research Scientist > Wikimedia Foundation > > On Wed, Jul 6, 2016 at 1:43 AM, Lodewijk <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Hi Pine, >> >> Thanks for sharing your thought process. I can see why you identify a >> topical overlap between Wikimania in North America and the North American >> WikiConference. I also see why those topics should be part of the programme >> at Wikimania - I don't expect much disagreement in that field. And whatever >> you do, it will be. >> >> The question is, why would you want to organise it in a special 'track' >> beyond a grouping of similar topics - which seems overly formal and >> separatist. There's an overlap between all topics that you mention, and I >> wouldn't see either why there should be a 'legal track', 'glam track' etc. >> Every 'regional topic' will likely also fall under Nature, Glam, >> Technology, Law, Education or one of the other topical groupings. >> >> Having a 'track' in a formal way, is much more heavy than grouping topics >> that are related, together. To me it would suggest that 1) North Americans >> can't learn from projects from elsewhere (I think the opposite is true) and >> 2) Non-North Americans should not attend those presentations (which I also >> think would be quite untrue). >> >> The question is what you're trying to accomplish. I would be a fan of >> rather mingling geographies, rather than separating them out, unless you >> have a strong reason to do otherwise. It makes more sense to me to have >> three presentations about education grouped together where they come from >> different regions, with different approaches than to have three >> presentations about North America on a variety of topics grouped together. >> I would find it even more odd to have a whole track dedicated to a region - >> and it would be without precedent (I think). >> >> Best, >> Lodewijk >> >> 2016-07-06 9:06 GMT+02:00 Pine W <[email protected]>: >> >>> I'm fine with multiple language tracks (most likely including French and >>> Spanish). >>> >>> The reason for a geographic track (in this case, North America) is that >>> otherwise we'd be having a separate conference that served this purpose. >>> I'm sure that many of us in North America will want to attend tracks on >>> subjects other than geographic interest (technology, research, GLAM, STEM, >>> law, education, outreach, community health, and governance come to mind), >>> so there will be substantial benefit in effectively co-locating the >>> conferences. My guess is that this can be done in a way that is a net >>> positive for all. For example, the scholarship budget that would otherwise >>> be requested for a separate WikiConference North America 2017 could instead >>> be used to facilitate increased attendance by North Americans in Montreal, >>> which I think would have the benefit of increasing attendance at Wikimania, >>> and at the same time we would eliminate the need to find a time and venue >>> for a separate conference with separate expenses. >>> >>> Pine >>> On Jul 5, 2016 23:36, "Lodewijk" <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Hey pine, >>>> >>>> As most people will be able to confirm, having a bigger presence of >>>> regional topics is likely to happen anyway in any Wikimania. When Wikimania >>>> is in Asia, you'll see more Asian speakers, and when it's in Europe, more >>>> Europeans. >>>> >>>> Separate and successful tracks have been organised before, to the best >>>> of my knowledge, in three ways: 1) language tracks - which were separate >>>> for very practical reasons (translations). 2) type-of-session tracks - >>>> which again are very practical (different needs for a discussion than for a >>>> presentation) and 3) A thematic track - but that was often organised like a >>>> type of side conference (with the US govt in 2012, with WikiSym and the >>>> hackathon). >>>> >>>> To be honest, I don't see right away why 'North American regional and >>>> local subjects' would require such track and even more why it would require >>>> a special committee. It will find its way in the programme, and it's not >>>> like non-Americans won't enjoy those topics per se. Why try to separate it >>>> from the rest of the programme? In general I'm no big fan of splitting up >>>> the programme into smaller pieces too much - it leaves too much opportunity >>>> for good proposals to fall between the cracks and get lost. And it gets >>>> confusing easily to the participants. >>>> >>>> Now I *do* see an added value for a French language track... but I >>>> guess that'll be of little use to you. >>>> >>>> Best, >>>> Lodewijk >>>> >>>> 2016-07-06 7:44 GMT+02:00 Pine W <[email protected]>: >>>> >>>>> Hi Wikimania folks (Ellie and the Montreal organizers in particular), >>>>> >>>>> Those of us in the US have expressed a hope that WikiConference North >>>>> America 2017 can be united with Wikimania 2017 in Montreal. This would >>>>> likely lead to economies of scale and reduced total cost, in terms of both >>>>> time and money, for what would otherwise be separate conferences. >>>>> >>>>> I would like to ask if WMF and the Montreal organizers would be >>>>> willing and able to have some tracks at that conference dedicated to North >>>>> American regional and local subjects, perhaps coordinated by a dedicated >>>>> North America program committee. I foresee a modest increase in attendance >>>>> at Wikimania 2017, and decreases in personal and WMF costs, if we can make >>>>> what would otherwise be separate conferences happen harmoniously. >>>>> >>>>> Thanks, and I hope to see you in Montreal next year. >>>>> >>>>> Pine >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Wikimania-l mailing list >>>>> [email protected] >>>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Wikimania-l mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >>>> >>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Wikimania-l mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >>> >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimania-l mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimania-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l > >
_______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
