Hi Rohini, can you share some of your experiences, wrt to what Ashwin and Vickram have pointed out?
On Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 7:15 AM, Vickram Crishna <[email protected]>wrote: > As Ashwin points out, from the point of view of a partnership, this was > less than a resounding success. > > However, Rohini does not call it a partnership, because it isn't one. This > was a pilot, intended to demonstrate to persons of influence at BNHS what a > partnership could achieve for the Society. The partnership lies ahead. > > Pradeep does not call it a partnership either, he squarely labels it a > pilot, and suggests to Wikimedians everywhere that they initiate similar > efforts with similar physical archives in other parts of India. > > It would have been exceedingly unrealistic to imagine that the philosophy > of open knowledge be instantly understood and enthusiastically embraced. > None of us did at any stage of this pilot, which we well understand to be a > foot in the door. I was warned by other senior Wikimedians, recognised > naturalists in their own right, as well as naturalists who are not > Wikimedians, but know the Society well, that this would be an uphill task, > long before we even took the first steps. Dissing the organisation for its > traditional mindset is easy, but not fruitful. > > For all I know, it may be easier to do this elsewhere, with other > organisations. And the very best to others who take up that challenge. > Everyone should do what they can, when they can, wherever they can. > > This is a work in progress. And I wish Rohini the very best, every > encouragement, to continue her efforts to get that door opened wider now. > > -- > Vickram > Fool On The Hill communicall.wordpress.com > " He's still watching me watching you watching ... > And the way he stares - feel like locking my door > and pulling my phone from the wall. > His eyes, like lights from a laser, burn > making my hair stand - making the goose-bumps crawl. " > Jethro Tull: Watching Me Watching You (1982) > On Aug 9, 2013 8:12 PM, "Ashwin Baindur" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> From a point of view of GLAM partnership this was emphatically NOT a >> success. It was not a complete failure also, because brave Rohini persisted >> in the face of an unresponsive BNHS. In the end BNHS and Wikipedia got a >> better article on Humayun Abdulali and Rohini got some hard-won experience >> - that is all. >> >> But the potential for this project could have been so much greater. The >> experiences of Wikipedians-in-residence in the Smithsonian and the British >> Museum (and other initiatives) was so wonderful, so engaging to both sides >> and so fruitful that the lacklustre report in the link Pradeep mentions >> feels like ashes in one's mouth. >> >> BNHS has been for many years the iconic symbol of private wildlife >> research. It has a very long history, had some truly wonderful people in it >> including Salim Ali and Humayun Abdulali, has a very good library and a >> very good collection of skins, shells, eggs etc. It has a peer-reviewed >> scientific journal more than 100 years old which has high repute. It was >> the place where eminent scientists like Johnsingh, Ravi Sankaran and Bharat >> Bhushan, besides many others, began their careers or were encouraged. >> Whether it is mammals, birds, reptiles, marine life or insects; anywhere in >> India one can definitely say about BNHS - been there, done that! >> >> So one would expect BNHS to be open to the idea of helping Indians to >> learn more about wildlife, nature, environment and conservation? Wrong. >> >> Check the site of BNHS for stuff which educates or informs or which >> guides or helps and see the complete paucity of material. Its a nice enough >> looking website & tells you very much what the organisation, its goals and >> programmes, but there is zilch information about India's wildlife, from >> India's premier wildlife NGO. If you compare that with a comparable >> organisation in the USA and UK say Audobon or RSPB, you will find they have >> useful articles, knowledge material aside from what they are involved in. >> Compare Audobon which gives Tips on how to get nature to the classroom or >> taking schoolchildren outdoors, or RSPB which provides a complete bird list >> with short writeup. >> >> BNHS does not have an altruistic outlook towards IP and the resources >> they hold. The reason for that is not difficult to understand. BNHS >> publishes a variety of handbooks, coffee-table books etc and their >> employees derive additional income from their publication, sale of >> photographs they take on BNHS funded trips etc, Hardly any activity in BNHS >> comes without a pricetag for the participants. Standard copyright model is >> their bread and butter. >> >> No wonder, they are not interested very much in joining hands with >> Wikipedia - there is a direct conflict of interest, if Wikipedia develops >> pages on India's natural heritage well, the need/dependence for their >> handbooks reduces. This will affect sales in the long run and affect income >> of the organisation and its staff. >> >> So Rohini's valiant attempt was akin to trying to clap with one hand. You >> can't hear the clap because BNHS never showed any eagerness other than a >> bureaucratic acquiescence grudgingly obtained after much effort by Rohini. >> Imho, Rohini could probably have written the Abdulali article to the same >> quality even without the cooperation of BNHS. >> >> It would be my advice to GLAM enthusiasts who put in humungous amount of >> hours of drudgery work in GLAM projects to please not take up pilots with >> organisations which do not value the importance of Commons, common heritage >> and public domain. >> >> Ashwin Baindur >> >> >> >> On Fri, Aug 9, 2013 at 6:14 PM, Pradeep Mohandas <[email protected]>wrote: >> >>> hi, >>> >>> It was announced earlier that a Wikipedian from Mumbai, Rohini Lakshane >>> was working with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) on a GLAM pilot >>> project. I am happy to inform you that this is now completed. A short note >>> on the pilot was posted here - >>> http://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/GLAM/Newsletter/July_2013/Contents/India_report >>> >>> It will be great to do similar projects in other cultural and/or >>> scientific institutions in your city. If you need help from the Chapter in >>> doing this, please feel free to contact me on this email id. >>> >>> warm regards, >>> Pradeep Mohandas >>> >>> Pradeep Mohandas >>> How Pradeep uses email? - http://goo.gl/6v1I9 >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Wikimediaindia-l mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Warm regards, >> >> Ashwin Baindur >> ------------------------------------------------------ >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-in-mum mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-in-mum >> >> > _______________________________________________ > Wikimediaindia-l mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l > > -- Srikanth Ramakrishnan Treasurer, Wikimedia Chapter [India] Donate to the Wikimedia India Chapter today<http://wiki.wikimedia.in/Donations>
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