Wikimedia India/Wikimedia101

Wikimedia101 attempts to provide a overview and introduction to various efforts surrounding Wikimedia projects in India. There tends to be confusion regarding who's who, and who does what. This information might be especially helpful for the Indian media.

Wikimedia Community

What is the community and what does it do?

The short answer is that the community is everything. Well, almost everything. The community refers to the people who make Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, people who edit, contribute to, organise, help and promote Wikimedia projects.

What are interest groups within communities?

Often, groups of Wikipedians with common purpose will network online and offline; so you may hear of "Hindi Wikipedians" or "Kannada Wikipedians" or Wikimedians interested in flora and fauna in India, or people who are helping put out a newsletter for the Indian community. These groups are not necessarily formal organisations and don't have to be: they are people united by a common purpose within Wikimedia.

How can I find out what the Wikimedia India community is up to?

Check out our newsletter, or join/view the WikimediaIndia general mailing list.

Wikimedia India chapter

What is a chapter?

Wikimedia Chapters are independent organizations founded to support and promote Wikimedia projects within a country. Chapters are formed by people from within the community and enable volunteers to take their work beyond what they can do individually, besides providing the benefit of a formal organisational set-up. While independent, chapters are recognised by, and affiliated to, the Wikimedia Foundation.

What is the status of the Wikimedia India chapter?

Wikimedia India was formally approved by the Chapters Committee in June 2010 to become the 29th country to host a Wikimedia Chapter. The Wikimedia India chapter is now awaiting formal registration as a national non-profit society in Karnataka. Note that Wikimedia India refers to the chapter, whether or not the word appears in the title.

Who are the people involved in the Wikimedia India chapter?

Currently, the Wikimedia India chapter is constituted by the people who helped set it up. On registration as a society, membership will be opened to anyone interested in joining.

Wikimedia Foundation

What exactly is the Wikimedia Foundation?

The Wikimedia Foundation is a USA-registered non-profit organisation that is the legal home of all Wikimedia projects since 2003. Operating with staff who facilitate Wikimedia projects around the world, the Wikimedia Foundation is governed by a board of trustees and assisted by an advisory board.

I know Wikipedia, what are these other 'Wikimedia projects'?

Wikipedia is the best-known project of the Wikimedia movement, but there are a lot more: Wikibooks, Wiktionary, Wikiquote, Wikisource, Wikispecies, Wikinews, Wikiversity, Wikimedia Commons and MediaWiki.

Wikileaks is NOT run by Wikimedia Foundation or any has anything related to Wikimedia.

Wikimedia Foundation office in India

I thought the Wikimedia Foundation was based in San Francisco. Why are they opening an office in India?

Over the last year, the Wikimedia Foundation facilitated a strategic plan with the input of thousands of movement members, and one of the results was an increased focus on key regions, including India. For more on the Wikimedia Foundation's plans in India, see emails from the Chief Global Development Officer regarding the rationale and hiring of a National Director.

Terminology: Things to watch out for

• The Wikimedia Community consists of Wikimedians or Wikipedians, who are sometimes named by the interest group that brings them together, for example, a language or subject or project.

• Wikimedia India refers to the Wikimedia India chapter, which is a formal non-profit organisation recognised by the Wikimedia Foundation and (shortly to be) registered in India, consisting of members of the community; it exists to further the goals of the Wikimedia movement in/around/about India.

• The Wikimedia Foundation is a central non-profit organisation based in San Francisco, USA, that serves as the legal home of the Wikimedia movement and all Wikimedia projects.

• The Wikimedia Foundation office in India, shortly to commence, will be an off-shoot of the Wikimedia Foundation; the India office is intended to serve as a catalyst to the chapter and community in India, a geography which has special strategic significance to the Wikimedia Foundation.