WikiIndaba:Community portal
 Sign your posts with
~~~~ |
Welcome
Do you have questions, comments or suggestions about Wiki Indaba? That is what this page is for! Before asking a question, you can find some general information at: |
Current Discussions.
Eligibility Criteria: Who should attend this conference
Who do you think should attend this conference? What aspects should we be using to determine if the prospective invitee will add value to the conference. Should we be looking at:
- Activeness in Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia and other sister projects)?
- Part of a chapter or working group?
- Attendance to previous Wikimedia conferences?
Did I leave anything out? lets talk. --Dumisani (talk) 13:29, 19 August 2013 (UTC)
--Nkansahrexford (talk) 13:31, 9 December 2013 (SAST)
- Activeness in WMF projects are essential and should be given key priority. Should the individual be a part of a working group or Chapter, that's fine. Aside ZA no chapter on the African continent, thus working groups consideration is fine to be included. Higher priority should be given to persons who've not been to any WMF conference(s)
Conference Format
What format should the conference take?
- Workshop sessions ( One big group discussion and training)
- Track sessions (Presentation in small groups)
- Panel of experts session
This will give us all a better view of what we are trying to achieve out of this gathering. --Dumisani (talk) 19:31, 20 August 2013 (UTC)
--Nkansahrexford (talk) 13:34, 9 December 2013 (SAST)
- Each of the listed formats above have their prons and cons. I think using a bit of each's benefits at the conference will harness a collective better experience at the conference.
What are you interested in?
In order for the organizers to be satisfied that our perceived priorities are aligned with the attendants, we need your input on the following questions:
- What kind of capacity building do you need most in your country working group?
- Project management Training?
- Community building training?
- Administrative training?
- Legal crash course in setting up a legally recognized NPO in your country?
- What kind of capacity building do you need most in your country working group?
Do you feel that we should approach experts within or outside the community to offer above training or support? During the conference and beyond.--Dumisani (talk) 09:06, 22 August 2013 (UTC)
--Nkansahrexford (talk) 13:37, 9 December 2013 (SAST) I think bringing experts on the above subjects from outside the continent will be great. I personally will love to enjoy each of the above subjects equally
Follow up mechanisms?
What is your preferred method of staying in touch with organizers and like minded groups during and beyond the conference?
- e-mail/mailing lists?
- Social media?
- This wiki?
Also how much effort do you think should be put in formalizing these mechanism? -- Dumisani (talk) 09:06, 22 August 2013 (UTC)
--Nkansahrexford (talk) 13:39, 9 December 2013 (SAST) I think mailing lists and Social Media are the easiest, quickest and simplest. The wiki? Not a good choice, I think.
High profile guests from WMF and Community
Who from the foundation do you wish to attend the conference and why?
- Jimmy Wales -- Chairman Emeritus Wikimedia Foundation
- Asaf Bartov -- Head of Global South Relationships
- Anasuya Sengupta -- Senior Director of Grantmaking
Please also offer a motivation for your choice(s).--Dumisani (talk) 19:53, 20 August 2013 (UTC)
- Reading maketh a full man; Wikipedia a ready man; and writing an exact man. i liked this motivation and thought could suite this conference.Oarabile Mudongo (talk) 16:00, 28 October 2013 (UTC)
--Nkansahrexford (talk) 13:42, 9 December 2013 (SAST) IMHO, all the above have something great to offer. I will like to hear from all of them. Perhaps a few others can be invited. Sanders Lodejwik (sorry if name is wrong) of WLM can be of great inspirition and support at the conference too.
Pre-conference Ideas
Offsite Events
One of the best reasons to offer post-event entertainment options is to keep attendees engaged after hours instead of letting them retreat to their hotel rooms. Popular options for offsite events include happy hours, sightseeing tours and sporting events. Functions like these can build lasting friendships and enhance the conference experience beyond just learning.--Oarabile Mudongo (talk) 06:59, 22 August 2013 (UTC)
Panel Discussions
Avoiding lecture-style education sessions should be a priority, but it does take strategic planning. One option is to incorporate panels into learning tracks. With these, you assemble three to five experts on the stage at the same time. Questions are then presented to the panel, and each member is offered a short time to share their opinion. It works well because attendees get multiple answers for each question asked.--Oarabile Mudongo (talk) 06:59, 22 August 2013 (UTC)
Rapid Fire Learning
In this format, multiple speakers present in the same track under a strict set of guidelines designed to keep the information flowing. For example, a session might feature five speakers with each one scheduled for ten PowerPoint slides and ten minutes to present their ideas. The result is a fast-paced session that changes topics several times in an effort to keep the audience on their toes.
One of the best ways to keep attendees engaged with this conference is to keep them comfortable in their surrounding environment. This can be done by adding coffee stations, WiFi connectivity and charging stations to the common areas. Art displays and other conversation pieces are also good additions to the open space found in hallways and staging zones. The goal of course is to keep the guests on-site between sessions, instead of running to their cars and hotel rooms.--Oarabile Mudongo (talk) 06:59, 22 August 2013 (UTC)
Wiki Indaba Conference Insight
I offer below a list of things, which in my experience of attending conferences are, more often than not, essential in order to make a conference successful.In many ways, organising a conference is similar to preparing a lesson. There are pre-, during and post- arrangements to be made, and a backup plan for each phase. The more thought that is put into the planning phase, the better the conference.
I like there to be a good range of presentations in my area of interest (GLAM,Wikipedia & Wikiversity), but also other choices too in case I fancy exploring other fields. I also like it when there is something different about the format, such as mini-courses which run over a couple of hours during a conference, talking posters, or whatever else is proposed. I feel that regular conference participants are entitled to variety. On the practical side of things, the printed program should be attractive looking, easy to use and easy to digest – some think of it as a souvenir of the conference. Last but not least, it should be made available on-line at least a week or so before the conference starts so that we can decide what to see, and sometimes even to book sessions in advance.
Plenary sessions: We all know that plenary sessions are not to be missed because they are a chance to see and hear our favourite speakers. Along with that, there is the warm feeling of belonging to a group when the auditorium is packed full. Memorable plenary sessions are part and parcel of successful conferences please consider that organisers.
Exhibition room:(Wiki Loves Monuments) contest photos from each chapter/user groups. The rule of thumb for organisers here is to locate the chapters/user groups in Africa that participated in WLM contest to publish stands where contact with participants can be maximised. Oarabile Mudongo (talk) 15:50, 28 October 2013 (UTC)
