The Discussion Room is a space for open and facilitated discussions at Wikimania that are actually about the content projects.

Round table discussions involve the audience!
Discussion topics
  • Session 4a, 16.30 - 17.10: "Admins with extra buttons or community leaders."
  • Session 4b, 17:15 - 18.00: "Mass article creation - who should write Wikipedia?"
Author of the submission
Lodewijk Gelauff & Iolanda Pensa (facilitators)
Track
  • WikiCulture & Community
Length of session
90 minutes.

Discussion Program Session 4

Abstract
This is one of the discussion sessions in the overarching Discussion Room concept. It will focus on the following two discussions:
  • Session 4a, 16.30 - 17.10: "Admins with extra buttons or community leaders."
  • Session 4b, 17:15 - 18.00: "Mass article creation - who should write Wikipedia?"
General approach

Each discussion targets specifically online Wikimedia projects, it lasts 40 minutes and it starts with a short 5 minutes introduction.
To set the tone of our discussions, we have three rules:

  1. Focus on YOU. We are interested in discussing and triggering individual action, things people can personally do and change to improve our Wikimedia projects. We trust the discussion can be much more interesting if we do not focus on what others should do ("the others", Wikimedia chapters and Wikimedia Foundation).
  2. Be constructive and polite. Disagreements animate discussions and they can allow us to unfold all issues related to a topic. Let's avoid personal attacks, let's consider that we have different backgrounds and let's aim at making everybody comfortable in sharing their legitimate point of view.
  3. Be short and on topic. Let's create space for everyone to express his/her opinion.

4a: Admins with extra buttons or community leaders

Objective
Identify the extreme positions, and highlight advantages and disadvantages of letting admins be more than 'editors with some extra buttons':
Approach
The discussion will focus in describing the role of admins and community leaders, and in highlighting the existing and inexistent relationship between access and power.

4b: Mass article creation - who should write Wikipedia?

Objective
Document in a SWOT analysis the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of mass article creation.
Approach
The discussion will explore strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of mass article creation on Wikipedia in different languages, to unfold a topic which has recently received media attention.

Saturday discussions

All sessions are on Saturday (day 2).

  • Session 1a, 09.30 - 10.10: "Welcoming and retaining new users."
  • Session 1b, 10.15 - 11.00: "What do new users need to be successful?"

Morning break

  • Session 2a, 11.30 - 12.10: "Wikimedia Commons - Needs and wishes for the perfect Wikimedia media database."
  • Session 2b, 12.15 - 13.00: "Will we still need categories in times of Wikidata?"

Lunch break

  • Session 3a, 14.30 - 15.10: "What topics are relevant/notable?"
  • Session 3b, 15:15 - 16.00: "Exchange of deletion/review processes and best practices."

Afternoon break

  • Session 4a, 16.30 - 17.10: "Admins: editors with extra buttons or community leaders."
  • Session 4b, 17:15 - 18.00: "Mass article creation - who should write Wikipedia?"

Interested attendees

If you are interested in attending this this specific session (one or both discussions), please sign with your username below. This will help reviewers to decide which sessions are of high interest. Sign with a hash and four tildes. (# ~~~~).

  1. 3a, 3b and 4a - I'm interested and plan to drop in. Although if I'm alone there won't be much to discuss! QuiteUnusual (talk) 14:31, 1 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  2. Will be interested in 4a if I will not be alone — NickK (talk) 00:08, 8 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]