Yes, we were thinking more along the lines of an expanded preconference with greater regional opportunities, rather than a separate track during the actual Wikimania.
Thanks, Pharos On Wed, Jul 6, 2016 at 1:11 PM, phoebe ayers <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 > >
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