Wikimania planning discussion/notes

Notes from the Wikimania open discussion

• Notes from the Wikimania_planning session and discussion at Wikimania 2009

• participants: several chapter representatives, staff members (Frank, Cary, James); other interested parties

discussion topics

what is the purpose of wikimania?

The conference is for...

• community
• academic
• outreach
• press

• It was noted that in the current form of the conference (3 day conference) it is very difficult to have everyone who might be interested

• question: perhaps we should have a four day wikimania?
  • with one open day just to talk?
  • or an open day with lightning talks?

• question: do the same people always come to Wikimania?
  • answer: to some extent yes

• question: should we open up wikimania? --
  • note: wikimania has been a large global event for 400ppl; how much more open do we want it?
  • shouldn't we meet representatives from other organizations and invite them to come? the staff are going to all sorts of conferences
  • some want Wikimania to stay the same size it's been
  • should wikimania be everything for everybody?

more Wikimedia meetings?

• Frank S. asked discussion participants if they would like to have more general Wikimedia meetings. He has noticed that many participants have said they would like to meet more often; for instance, the chapters meeting in march & then wikimania
  • yes -- there was general agreement that this would be good

• there is a question of regional conferences vs local conferences
  • idea: alternating regional conferences & global conferences (problem: the board can't come to all)

• James noted that the time commitment is a lot for the board --

3 day meeting just for chapters, board & staff,

Types of events: regional vs international

• there are currently three types of events:
  • international wikimania
  • national conferences -- e.g. wikimedia netherlands
  • regional conferences (e.g. wm-nyc)
  • plus: chapters meeting -- every spring

• Regional meetings:
  • would it be the easier if it were always in the same venue?
  • example: new york conference -- excellent local conference
  • if we see benefit from a regional conference -- then we should do it? chapters can do whateverever they want

• take the model of other foundations -- e.g. the Apache Foundation

Wikimania and board meetings

• 2 days for the board meeting this time -- should wikimania be a business meeting?

• the board should have been at:
  • discussion sessions
  • the first night welcome dinner (not conflicting with the sponsor's dinner)
  • have everyone together in the same hotel; seems like a class difference (there were logistical reasons why not)

Recap of 2009

• what was good about wikimania 2009?

• • video recording
  • simultaneous translation -- closed captioning? could we get them to sponsor us?
  • getting fiber into the venue

• unconference --

• things to improve:
  • party -- not noisy so people can talk
  • big group dinner for everyone to meet
  • better lunches -- onsite

Ideas for future Wikimanias

• ideas:
• dinner planning
  • outdoor hanging out in the venue
  • outdoor hanging out in the old town
• have irc & twitter projected on the wall -- a screen with all the tweets displayed

Lightning talks and program ideas

• lots of value for having the program; unconference & formal talks together ++++++

• lightning talk ideas:
  • lightning talks in the lounge
  • lightning talks in a big hall that everyone could go to? a signup sheet --

• opening each day with a rundown of what has happened