Friday, November 05, 2010

#Wikipedia becomes a teenager .. so lets party

Almost 10 years ago a web project decided to ignore all rules. Conventional wisdom did not an encyclopaedia make instead the assumption of good faith of the people who just arrived proved more effective.

These people were not only well intentioned, they made it their own project and, some mastery of philosophy or benevolent rulings were not enough to control what did not need control. You cannot even speak of an encyclopaedia because there are over 270 encyclopaedias and several other projects that do things that may be educational but are certainly not encyclopaedic.


When a community as widespread as Wikimedia starts celebrating, the place where it all started St Petersburg is as logical as San Francisco because it is unlikely that you will be there. The best people to party with are the people who enjoy themselves with you on the same project(s).

Organising a party costs money, never mind if you drink water infused with herbs or the yeasty stuff. Chapters are the local organisations that can support your Wikipedia birthday bash. It is a bit more tricky when there is no chapter.

Venue, t-shirts, the cost adds up

The Wikimedia foundation may sponsor your party when you have a fine plan for a party. You can increase your chances by making sure that the WMF has the money to do so. The best way to do so is to make sure that the 2010 fundraiser is all set to succeed in your country. That will surely make the WMF feel more generous ..
Thanks,
      GerardM

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Anyone can organize a party for Wikipedia's 10th Anniversary. The hope is there will hundreds of local gatherings. Wikimedia will send t-shirts and stuff. Start your party planning here:
http://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_10