Presentation given to Bristol Ignite 3

1. Steve Virgin
Board Director Wikimedia UK
Could Wikipedia Ignite Bristol?

2. Wikimedia Foundation
• All sites run Foundation (including Wikipedia)
• Budget ~$20 million, ~40 staff members
• Outreach by independent non-profit making chapters
• Volunteer driven; staff keep sites running

3. Wikimedia UK
• Promote values of Wikimedia Foundation
• One of ~30 national chapters
• Support freely licensed material in UK
• Membership based - volunteer run
• Donor-sourced budget
• Founded November 2008

4. Wikipedia - “The free encyclopaedia that
anyone can edit”
• World’s largest encyclopaedia
(bigger than 11,095-volume 永樂大典 /Yongle Encyclopaedia from 1403-8)
• Over 16,000,000 articles (over 3,400,000 million in
English)
• Written in over 240 different languages
• 10 years old on 15 January 2011

5. The Pillars of Wikipedia
Written from a neutral point of view
• Represent all significant views published by reliable sources
Verifiability
• Any contentious fact need published evidence
No Original Research
• No fresh analysis or synthesis of existing published material
...Avoid conflicts of interest...Paid for editing is frowned
upon...Be Open, Assume Good Faith
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Five_pillars

6. Wikipedia only one of many projects
This presentation is CC-BY-SA except for logos and screen prints which are Fair Use
or used with permission

7. Wikimedia site global reach
• 373m unique visitors/13.4bn page requests p/m
• 5th largest web property
• 35m articles and images on all projects
• 7.3m freely licensed images
Stats as of August 2010 - see http://stats.wikimedia.org/reportcard/

8. Free & open knowledge empowers people

9. Download Wikipedia for Schools for free

10. Download Mediawiki – your own website
software for free

11. Get involved...as a journalist for
Wikinews

12. Get involved in Wikiversity
Write & share learning material

13. Wikimedia Commons
Add new photos, maps or videos

14. How has Wikimedia content been used

Embed information into web pages
BBC Wildlife Finder

Use images to illustrate content
EU Observer

SOS Children & Schools CD
In Africa Online and offline

Use of Media Wiki software – 112 examples @
http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Sites_using_MediaWiki/corporate

15. 2008 Share content
German State Archive
puts 82,500 low res
images on Wikimedia
Commons
Summer ‘10 - Get involved
BackStage Pass British Museum
Hosts expert tour day for Wikimedians
to encourage cooperation &
collaboration on pages
2008 Share content
Museum of the Tropics
Amsterdam – 45,000
images on Maroon &
their culture
2010 Share content
New images from the
salvage of the Mary
Rose
June 2010 – Wikipedian in
Residence @ British Museum
Museum of the Tropics
Amsterdam – 45,000
images on Maroon &
their culture
Summer ‘10 – Hoxne Challenge
Museum team work together to
edit Hoxne Hoard Wikipedia
article with aim to meet
exacting quality standards
Projects Wikimedia has been involved with

16. Where could it go in Bristol
2012: The Word and Bristol – an idea under discussion
Celebrate all forms of writing in the city
Encourage companies to write their histories
Schools
Communities
Sports groups
Theatres
Museums
Writers in residence...training...quality/style

17. Expansion of Wikipedia Pages in African
or Asian languages
• Diasporas from Africa/Asia in every city
• Often digitally marginalised
• Involve them writing about their language, culture
• Working with the Wikimedian community will help them skill up
• We need them & the community needs efforts

18. There is stunning content to share

20. 10th
Anniversary Celebrations
Founder of Wikipedia
Jimmy Wales is
scheduled to be speaking
In Bristol on January 13th
2011 – two days before
Wikipedia’s official birthday
The hosts will be Wikimedia
UK the University of Bristol &
the Festival of Ideas –
supported by HP Labs

21. Join us – together we can Ignite Bristol
Wanted:
Editors
Proof Readers
Researchers
Video editing
Photo editing
Photo clean up
Or just get involved
anyway you can
• Membership is just £5
• The opportunities limitless

22. Thank you
You can find us on the Wikimedia UK
website
or you can send questions or comments
to...
steve.virgin@wikimedia.org.uk