Wikipedia 22nd Birthday Celebration in South Africa
Wikipedia was launched on 15 January 2001, and to commemorate its 22nd birthday, the South African chapter hosted a celebration in Johannesburg and Cape Town on 15 January 2023, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, thirteen Wikipedians gathered at the Olives & Plates Embassy Towers in Johannesburg, while twelve joined the celebration in Cape Town at Tiger's Milk in Claremont from Wikimedia Foundation employees, Wikimedia ZA team, volunteers and Wikipedia editors.
Cape Town
editDespite technological advancements, having face-to-face meetings allowed for more effective communication and the formation of solid connections. Taking this mostly virtual community and transforming it into a 3D community of people who share a common interest in sharing information. People learned about each other and the Wikimedia community, so topics such as "How did you discover you could edit on Wiki and why?" and "What's the connection between Wikipedia and Wikimedia?" were discussed. and "How does one navigate the online Wikipedia community?" to entertaining questions like "Would AI eventually take over and replace humans?". No question or topic was off-limits, and anyone with knowledge or know-how had the opportunity to respond and contribute to the many discussions taking place between one another.
Johannesburg
editWikipedians had an opportunity to network, share opinions, thoughts, and suggestions, and ask questions. Some of the most asked questions were, “What are the reasons for articles not being approved” and “What are we doing to make sure our stories are told accurately and right?” The Wikimedia ZA team had an opportunity to respond and provide guidance on the significance of understanding the five pillars of Wikipedia which is an encyclopedia, written from a neutral point of view, free content that anyone can use, edit, and distribute, editors, should treat each other with respect and civility and they are no firm rules.
At the end of the day, Wikipedians show more desire to preserve African history by committing to writing more in African languages. The Wikimedia ZA team also informed the attendees that the date for the 2023 training will be communicated soon.
Conclusion
editFollowing the pandemic and the rise of working from home, this was a good way to change our surroundings and provide a different experience to engage with everyone in the Wikimedia ZA community
The invitation to attend the event can be found HERE
