wmf present wikiconference japan nov 2009
TRANSCRIPT
1
Helping you build Wikipedia: How we support the growth of Wikipedia and our free knowledge projects around the world
November 2009Jay Walsh, Head of Communications
Overview of today’s talk
Wikipedia (history and more)
The state of the wiki, recent findings
What is the Wikimedia Foundation?
The people behind the projects
Challenges and the future
Canadian born, working in the USA
Studied English and creative writing
Government, education, public media background
NHK / CBC
Working at Wikimedia since January 2008
About your presenter
Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia
“Imagine a world in which every singlehuman being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge . . . That’s what we’re doing.”
CCBYSA3.0 by Nicolas Goldberg
The Free Encyclopedia
Wikipedia is the largest encyclopedia in history
2 billion+ words
14 million+ articles
4 million+ images
250+ languages
La enciclopedia libre
Die freie Enzyklopädie
Wolna encyklopedia
De vrije encyclopedie
الموسوعة الحرة
L'encyclopédie libre Свободная энциклопедия
维基百科
フリー百科事典
L’enciclopedia libera
History of Wikipedia
Before Wikipedia, Nupedia
January 15, 2001, Wikipedia is born
More projects follow Wikipedia (not everything should be in an encyclopedia)
Traffic is slow at first
Editing increases, policy evolves
A grassroots project takes flight
“Assume good faith” and “Be Bold” become key ideas.
Jimmy is intent on giving this idea to everyone – making it a not for profit venture.
Common Questions
Who is in charge?
Why do people edit?
Who fact-checks Wikipedia?
How can you operate without experts?
Why are there no ads?
State ofThe Wiki
5th most popular website world-wide
325 million unique visitors monthly
Source: comScore, Media Metrix, Sept 2009
7th most popular website in Japan
30.5 million unique visitors monthly
Source: comScore, Media Metrix, Sept 2009
Wikipedia Global Traffic
Source: comScore
Select information sites, monthly unique visitors
From strategy.Wikimedia.org
From strategy.Wikimedia.org
From strategy.Wikimedia.org
However . . .
Wikimedia is more than Wikipedia
Wikimania
Wikibooks
Meta-wiki
Wikiquote
Wikispecies
Media-wiki
Wikimedia IncubatorWikiversity
Wiktionary
Wikinews
Wikisource
WikimediaCommons
Wikipedia
Wikimedia’s Projects
What is the Wikimedia Foundation?
A not-for-profit charity based in San Francisco, California
A global, mission-focused organization:
“Spread free knowledge throughout the world.”
ReachParticipationQuality
Focusing on our projects and our people – our community of volunteers
Wikimedia’s Board of TrusteesGoverning bodyCommunity Elected
Board appointedChapter appointed
CCBYSA 3.0 byNicolas Goldberg
The Wikimedia Foundation is the 501(c)(3) non-profit that runs Wikipedia.
34
Wikimedia Organization
Wikimedia Staff
CCBYSA 3.0 byDeniz Gultekin
Wikimedia Foundation HeadquartersSan Francisco, California
CCBYSA 3.0 byDeniz Gultekin
ProgramsPartnerships
Advocacy
Volunteer Outreach
Education
Communication
CCBYSA 3.0 byMathias Schindler
Technology
Infrastructure
Uptime
Software development
Scalability
Media-wiki
Office technology
CCBYSA 3.0 byFlorence Devouard
Fundraising
Finance / Admin
Global financial managementInternational business developmentDefending our trademark
Protecting free contentProtecting user privacy
Financial accountability
CCBYSA 3.0 byJay Walsh
strategy.wikimedia.org
Usability
Understand user experienceSimplify editingEngage new users
CCBYSA 3.0 byParul Vora
People
Wikimedia considers any person who supports our mission or edits on our projects to be a volunteer.
On our projects we consider an active editor to be anyone who has edited at least five times in a month.
In September 2009 over 85,353 people edited a Wikimedia project at least five times.
Since the creation of Wikipedia over 350,000,000 individual edits have been made to Wikimedia projects.
Global Chapters
27 volunteer-run Wikimedia Chapters support the Foundation’s mission around the world.
Global chaptersNational
outreachFundraisers
Engaging new volunteers
Representing Wikimedia locally
CCBYSA 3.0 byUser:Bidgee
Wikimania
The annual, global gathering ofSupporters and enthusiasts of the Wikimedia projects.
CCBYSA 3.0 byNicolas Goldberg
CCBYSA 3.0 byNicolas Goldberg
CCBYSA 3.0 byNicolas Goldberg
CCBYSA 3.0 byNicolas Goldberg
Challenges &The Future
Perceptions of quality and credibility
Sustaining participation
Long-term financial security
Complexity and evolution of the internet
Reducing barriers, building partnershipsExpanding free knowledge globally
Challenges &The Future
Perceptions of quality and credibility
Flagged revisions
Usability initiative
Challenges &The Future
Perceptions of quality and credibility
Media still question qualityShifts in our notions of Trust and credibility on-lineWe have to do more to helpothers understand the movement
Challenges &The Future
Sustaining participation
Complex problem
Involving global experts and academics to study our challenges.We continue to grow, but as with any movement we need to be sustainable.
Challenges &The Future
Long-term financial security
Ad-free for a reason.
Non-profit during the toughest recession in decades.
Which models can ensure Wikipedia Forever?
Challenges &The Future
Complexity and evolution of the internet
Wikipedia has changed little in 8 years.Need to keep up with web leaders, but maintain open-source roots.
Mobile access is becoming more prominent than desktop.
Challenges &The Future
Reducing barriers, building partnershipsExpanding free knowledge globally
Vast population of earth is still not online.The knowledge is only powerful if in the hands of readers.
Wikimedia and its chapters must expand to build partnerships and alliances globally.
Challenges &The Future
Challenges &The Future
A global challenge, that needs your help.http://strategy.wikimedia.org