Panel on Wikimedia chapters

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Panel on Wikimedia chapters
Panelists	Brianna J. Laugher (Wikimedia Australia), Alice Wiegand (Wikimedia Deutschland), Manuel Schneider (Wikimedia CH), Thomas de Souza Buckup (Wikimedia Brasil), Enrique A. Chaparro (Wikimedia Argentina), ??? (Chapters committee)
Themes	Communities
About the panelists
Brianna J. Laugher (User:Pfctdayelise) is a wikipedian from Australia, voted administrator at Commons in 2006. Alice Wiegand (User:Lyzzy) is a member of Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. Wikimedian Manuel Schneider: In Wikipedia since 2004, since 2005 member of Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. and since 2006 founding member of Wikimedia CH and in charge of organising events, hosting and project lead. Involved in both regional and global Wikimedian's meetings since 2006 and sponsor of several chapters and the chapters wiki. Personal: Born 1981 in Lörrach (D). 2000-2003 apprenticeship as IT specialist in the field of systems integration. 2004-2007 studies at the university of applied computer science in Basel (CH) with main focus on internet engineering. Since 2007 working as IT engineer for a global company, since 1999 up to now owner of a webhosting & servermanagement service provider. Thomas de Souza Buckup (User TSB on Meta) is an independent consultant in collaboration, innovation and sustainability that joined Wikimedia Brasil in 2008. Previously, he has worked for the Brazilian Ministry of Culture, the Times Group in India and Natura Cosméticos in Brazil and in France. Enrique A. Chaparro is a B.S., M.Sc., M.Phil. in Mathematics, working in the fields of cryptography and language theory. es-WP contributor since Nov. 2004, with more than 20,000 edits. Has also contributed in commons, en-WP and fr-WP Former admin (´bibliotecario´), checkuser and member of the es-WP ArbCom. Frequent lecturer in computer security and free software, has also written and lectured on social issues of technology. Presenters/???/Biography
Abstract
Although chapters have existed since 2004 when Wikimedia Deutschland was founded, and there are now over 20 with many more fledging groups nearing official approval, many people know little about what chapters are and what they do. This panel will explore questions relating to the development and functioning of chapters. Why would you want to start a chapter? What types of things do they typically do? What is the relationship between a chapter and editing communities like? What forms may a chapter take? What are common difficulties faced by would-be chapters and young chapters? Panel speakers (to be confirmed closer to the date): Wikimedia Australia (WMAU) was founded in 2008. It faces the challenges of having a small national population dispersed over a very large area, and like Wikimedia Argentina lacks an exclusive language to rally behind. Brianna is the current President of Wikimedia Australia. Alice Wiegand, Wikimedia Deutschland (Germany) (WMDE) Wikimedia Deutschland was the first Wikimedia chapter, founded in 2004. It now has over 400 members, an office, around 10 paid staff and has organised numerous projects with government and cultural bodies in Germany. Alice has been a member since 2005 and is the current Vice President. Manuel Schneider, Wikimedia CH member (Switzerland) (WMCH) Wikimedia CH was founded in 2006. Its diversity reflects the diversity of its nation -- there are four official languages (German, French, Italian and Romansch) as well as English. Thus Wikimedia CH is not strongly tied to any single language used in Wikimedia, as many of the European chapters are. Manuel helped found Wikimedia CH and is their current Chief Information Officer. He also helped organise the first Swiss "Wikipedia Day". Thomas de Souza Buckup, Wikimedia Brasil (Brazil) (WMBR) Wikimedia Brasil was founded in 2008. After internal deliberation, it chose to form as an informal "mutirão" -- a "self-assigned task force of socially motivated volunteers" rather than a formal legal entity. Thomas has been one of the leading participants, reaching out to extant chapters to learn from their experience, while keeping an open mind about what works locally for their group. Wikimedia Argentina (WMAR) was founded in 2008. The official language of Argentina is Spanish, but this is of course shared with many other nations, giving WMAR a "non-exclusive" relationship to the Spanish projects. WMAR is hosting and organising this year's Wikimania! The chapters committee (ChapCom) is a committee of the Wikimedia Foundation, charged with helping nascent chapters find their feet and their bylaws.
Language	English
Video (download)