Wikibase Community User Group/2021 contact election/Candidates/GreenReaper

GreenReaper (Laurence Parry)

I've been involved with Wikibase since August 2019 (stepping boldly into an impasse between WMF and WMDE…), joined the community's Telegram chat that September and gave detailed input on federation.

I participated in meetings including last July and in March, April, May and the ones this June establishing this election, which I drafted. Ideally, that might have been done by those not planning to run in it, but here we are!

Wikibase and WBStack feedback, support, testing and development

Over the last year I've spent much time on Telegram supporting users of Wikibase and WBStack, as well as learning about them for myself. As outlined on Twitter I created a WikiFur Data prototype, exhibiting features of the platform such as lexemes and mapped entities, rank-based SPARQL, and the use of Shape Expressions (EntitySchema) for validation and Cradle form-based creation – incidentally identifying various issues.

I've worked with Wikibase developers identifying concerns around Docker/WDQS security and poking about updates, as well as feedback on time intervals and a denial-of-service with Extended Date/Time Format.

Wiki editing, administration, and presentations

I started editing in 2004 as co-founder and promoter of the Creatures Wiki and founder of WikiFur on Wikicities, later known as Wikia. I was the original developer of Extension:MediaWikiAuth to aid WikiFur's migration from Wikia (now Fandom) to our own hosting in 2008-9, including negotiations with its then-CEO over an amicable departure, service mark registration, and setting up a 20+ language wiki farm.

In terms of real-world events, I spoke at Wikimania 2006, giving a presentation on techniques for building, managing and promoting collaborative communities; and attended NYC Wiki-Conference 2009, presenting on starting a WikiProject and making MediaWiki fly, for which I received a real life barnstar. More recently, I attended Wikimania 2014, including its developer days, and handed out flyers.

Much of my editing is related to furry fandom. When WikiProject Furry started in July 2007, I was one of its original members. I placed bounties on the development of good articles and created Furry convention and Samuel Conway (review) myself. I also wrote a couple of feature stories for Wikinews, which led to me taking a more active role in journalism. (The portal I made for WP:FURRY has now gone, but ironically Portal:Portal remains.)

I'm an Inclusionist and much of my time has been spent saving articles from deletion through additional references, etc. Not everything can be saved; that's why I set up WikiFur, and why I think Wikibase has value as a standalone tool for e.g. Furry Convention Map – one example of features I intend to power by Wikibase, as many of the events it covers might never have sufficient references to incorporate into Wikidata.

I previously edited the GalCiv Wiki as part of my duties for a previous employer. All of my current activity is voluntary – I'm not paid for wiki editing or development, nor have I received any grants for it from organizations.

Other experience and activity

I have a degree in Computer Science from the University of Bath. My professional history includes software development and research, testing and documentation at Motorola, Stardock and GameStop. I'm lead administrator of furry art community Inkbunny (WikiFur) and site builder and editor-in-chief of news magazine Flayrah (WikiFur). I was editor of Society/People/Furry and related categories on DMOZ, and on its successor, Curlie.