The first version of the “Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom” program was successfully implemented in Jordan on May 25, 2024. Following its launch, the program’s development gained momentum through collaborative partnerships. The initiative was initially proposed by Mohammed Hajeer during a Wikimedia Levant meeting on the 19th Arabic Wikipedia Day. Mervat Salman emerged as a key supporter, driving its implementation forward. To facilitate the program, I translated the teacher’s guide into Arabic, ensuring it met the needs of Arabic-speaking educators and updated previous versions into a standard Arabic format. Financial and logistical support from the Wikimedia Levant group further enabled the program’s launch. 

Initial Challenges and Progress 

The program faced significant hurdles, particularly in gaining access to teachers and convincing them to participate. While 25 teachers initially registered, only 10 actively participated, representing three different governorates in Jordan. Despite the modest attendance, encouragement from the Wikimedia Levant group and individuals like Melissa Guadalupe—who remarked, “It’s certainly commendable to start small and continue the growth from the learnings that proximity to teachers bring”—kept the momentum alive. 

The participants’ reactions during the honoring ceremony on the 20th Arabic Wikipedia Day were particularly inspiring. Teachers expressed enthusiasm for contributing more to Wikipedia, even creating articles to mark the occasion. One teacher, in particular, displayed a keen interest in expanding the program to her school, Al-Durra Al-Sharifa School in Amman. With further support from Wikimedia Levant, preparations for a second session at this school were initiated. This event, scheduled for November 30, 2024, demonstrates the rapid progress between the first and second sessions. Additionally, I suggested engaging Miss Salam alSarayrah as a trainer for a program segment, aiming to strengthen the team and ensure continuity. 

Scaling Up: Government Support and Future Goals

While planning the second session, I received a significant endorsement from the Ministry of Education in Jordan, where I am employed. They approved the program’s expansion into schools in Zarqa city, marking a pivotal moment in the program’s development. This governmental recognition not only validates the program but also paves the way for broader implementation. 

In just under six months, the program has transformed from a small pilot into an initiative with national potential. This success is not solely due to individual efforts but to the collective belief and support from a dedicated community. Our vision is to institutionalize the program within the Ministry of Education, expand it to additional regions in Jordan, and empower teachers to become program ambassadors in their schools. 

The journey has just begun, but the foundation has been laid for sustainable growth and lasting educational impact. 

• Program page on MetaWiki
• Program page on Commons

In October 2024, the African Wikipedian Alliance (AWA) held two bi-weekly webinars for its Anglophone community, aimed at equipping participants with essential skills in editing and content enhancement on Wikidata and Wikivoyage. The sessions, held on October 23 and October 25, were led by Romeo Ronald Lomora, Team Leader at Wikimedia Community User Group South Sudan, and Chris Benard Macholi from Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda. AWA Community Coordinator Bukola James moderated both sessions, attracting attendees from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Botswana, Uganda, and Ghana. These webinars provided a practical introduction to Wikidata and Wikivoyage, with the goal of fostering more precise and culturally rich contributions from African Wikimedians.

Key Highlights

Conclusion

The October 2024 bi-weekly webinars provided participants with foundational and practical skills to enrich Wikidata and Wikivoyage. By focusing on data structure and cultural authenticity, attendees left with a deeper understanding of how their contributions can impact Wikimedia’s mission of accessible knowledge. The hands-on approach of both sessions fostered confidence and skill-building, with participants encouraged to utilise tools like the Wikidata Query Service to enhance their work. Additionally, the emphasis on local insights in Wikivoyage entries reinforced the importance of cultural representation on the platform. These sessions exemplify AWA’s commitment to empowering African Wikimedians, enhancing their ability to share Africa’s diverse knowledge across Wikimedia projects. For those who missed these sessions, recorded versions are available on the community programs page. Don’t forget to register for upcoming CfA WiR bi-weekly webinars to join our growing community and shape Africa’s digital presence on Wikimedia!

At Wikimedia Spain, we promote cooperation and mutual support with other Wikimedia communities both locally and globally, forming a collaborative network that not only strengthens our mission of promoting free access to knowledge, but also facilitates an enriching cultural exchange. It also contributes to the creation of an extensive national and international support network. 

Promoting global knowledge 

Wikimedia Spain works vigorously to establish and strengthen relationships with other Wikimedia groups and chapters around the world. These collaborations are essential to: 

1. Exchange of ideas and experiences: Learning from the best practices and strategies of other groups and chapters helps to improve local activities and projects. An example of this was our participation as hosts together with Wikimedia Germany at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2022. We had the opportunity to highlight our local culture and heritage on a global stage. 

2. Joint national and international projects: Participating in global events such as International Day in 2022 together with Amical Wikimedia, Euskal Wikilarien Kultura Elkartea, Wikimedia Portugal, Galician Wikipedia y Asturian Wikipedia; as well as, the Spanish Wikipedia 20th Anniversary Celebration and ¡Alto! Mujeres trabajando with Spanish-speaking chapters and groups; or in countless local projects together with Amical Wikimedia, such as the Corpus Christi Festival in Valencia. This experience has allowed us to contribute significantly to the diversity and improvement of content in different languages and cultural contexts. 

3. Innovation and creativity: Initiatives such as our participation in the 20th Triennial ICOM-CC Conference in Valencia 2023, together with the Wikimedia Foundation, chapters from Italy, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland and Amical Wikimedia, have allowed us to connect with the GLAM world, give visibility to our work on Wikimedia projects, and discover new opportunities for collaboration. 

Likewise, at the Porto Meeting in 2023, with the Italian and Portuguese chapters, aimed at promoting linguistic diversity in Wikimedia projects, we were able to reflect and analyse together the difficulties and opportunities, and open the debate to researchers, academics and other interested parties. 

4. Training and skills development: Through our participation in different international conferences, workshops and seminars, our community acquires new skills and knowledge that enrich the work at Wikimedia Spain. We have continuously participated in Wikimania, sharing with free knowledge leaders from around the world, building collaborative networks, and debating projects and approaches. 

We also participated in the GLAM Wiki Conference in Uruguay 2023, sharing experience with cultural and heritage professionals in the Wikimedia community. 

Positive impact and future collaborations 

The impact of these local and international relationships is reflected in the growth and diversification of Wikimedia Spain’s content and community. By working with alliances around the world, Wikimedia Spain achieves the following: 

1. Increase diversity of content: Ensure that Wikipedia and other projects contain accurate and diverse information, representing multiple cultural perspectives. 

2. Promote inclusion and equity: Collaborate on projects that promote the inclusion of historically underrepresented voices in the digital sphere. 

3. Expand the volunteer network: Motivate new volunteers to join in promoting free knowledge, inspired by the global impact of their contributions. 

4. Strengthening the community: mainly with our Wikimedia communities around the world. 

Wikimedia Spain invites all people interested in free knowledge to participate. In this way, we can continue to build a world where everyone has access to the sum of all human knowledge.  

For more information on how to participate in our initiatives and collaborate with free knowledge, please visit our website or write to us through our contact form. 

I am Emmanuelle Guebo (username : Manouka), wikimedian and general coordinator of Wikimedia Côte d’Ivoire. After Agadir (Morocco) in 2023, I took part in Wiki Indaba for the 2nd year running, with the 2024 edition (4 – 6 October), in Johannesburg (South Africa), by means of the Code for Africa (CfA) grant. 

Like most Wikipedians in Africa, I applied for a Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) grant to take part in WikiIndaba 2024. After this stage, I received a hopeful reply informing me that I was on a waiting list, only to be turned down, much to my dismay. 

WMF grant not obtained, CfA to the rescue

I was beginning to resign myself to following the opening of Wiki Indaba 2024 from afar, via the broadcast on Eventyay, when I received a call from Bukola James, the Code for Africa representative. It was a great surprise! She informed me that the African Wikipedian Alliance (AWA) would like to sponsor my participation in Wiki Indaba 2024 to encourage my contribution and support in facilitating the French-speaking community. 

It is with honor and eagerness that I have accepted the CfA scholarship. This is to carry the torch of AWA high, of which I am an ambassador for the French-speaking community, and to contribute to the exchanges during Wiki Indaba 2024 on the theme ‘‘United in Diversity’’.

Participation and activities at Wiki Indaba 2024

My presence in Johannesburg at this edition of Wiki Indaba was an opportunity to take part in several enriching sessions, to meet Wikipedians from different backgrounds and, above all, to share good practices with them, while discovering an environment marked by the presence of South African culture.

On behalf of the African Wikipedian Alliance, I took part in the various sessions run by Code for Africa, while at the same time encouraging members of my community on our local channels to take part in the online sessions run by Code for Africa via the Eventyay platform. These sessions were also an opportunity for me to provide logistical support to the CfA team: setting up and maintaining the CfA kakemono, providing the Wiki Indaba 2024 souvenir stand and distributing CfA gadgets to participants.

I also took part as a speaker in the session led by the DRC user group on ‘‘How to implement a capacity building programme for your community: lessons learned from WM DR Congo’’. I shared my experiences as a mentor and trainer during the 2024 campaign in the DRC.

As a wikimedian from Côte d’Ivoire, I also contributed to the enrichment of exchanges at Wiki Indaba 2024, by being a panellist at the session on October 4th, 2024 on the theme of ‘‘Managing Wikimedia User Groups’’ with the contribution of our Wikimedian friends from Morocco.

In my capacity as general coordinator of Wikimedia Côte d’Ivoire, I also worked on organizing the participation of two Ivorian wikipedians at Wiki Indaba 2024. Their expenses were fully covered by the Côte d’Ivoire user group, and my presence at Wiki Indaba helped to finalize the coordination work that had been underway since the beginning of July to ensure the effective participation of the Ivorian user group grant holders.

Emmanuelle and CfA, a growing partnership

My story with Code for Africa began when I met Bukola James at Wiki Indaba 2023 in Agadir. At that first meeting, Bukola enthusiastically explained to me the work being carried out by the Wikimedia movement in Africa and the need to find French-speaking people who could accompany them on this adventure. 

The idea immediately appealed to me, because as long as it’s about sharing and contributing to the development of communities, I’m fully committed to the good of the community. I told her that I was willing to make a contribution and we kept in touch. 

A month later, I was contacted by Code for Africa to be a panelist at the online meeting on December 6th, 2023 on the theme of ‘‘Establishing better collaboration between African Wikipedians’’. 

In March 2024, I was also invited to join the EmpowerHer 2024 Editathon campaign, from March 22nd to April 23rd, 2024, as a Wikipedia trainer. It was an exciting time of sharing knowledge with Wikipedians from different countries and contributing to the production of content on the theme of women in democracy, elections and governance in African Union (AU) countries.

In July 2024, in order to continue to contribute, while supporting AWA and the French-speaking members of the movement, I joined AWA, which is the network of African wikipedians who are agents of change and who work together to strengthen the integrity of information.

Taking part in Wiki Indaba 2024 in Johannesburg as an AWA ambassador was an opportunity for me to understand the involvement and scope of the work I do and the CfA scholarship is recognition of my voluntary work and commitment.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the entire Code for Africa team, especially Amanda Strydom – Senior Programme Manager – whom I was delighted to meet at Wiki Indaba 2024, and the dynamic Bukola James – whom I met again in Johannesburg (South Africa). I would also like to express my gratitude to my user group, whose chairman is committed to working with other communities for the benefit of all.

Emmanuelle Guebo (u:Manouka)

We often celebrate Wikipedia, and how it deepens our understanding of the world through sharing facts, lists (and lists of lists of lists!), articles and information about cultures, people, inventions and events from all over the world. But behind every article lies the dedication of individuals who shape and share the stories of their communities. One such individual is Chabota Isaac Kanguya (User:Icem4k), a passionate contributor from Zambia, whose journey through the Wikimedia movement embodies resilience, collaboration, and a commitment to representing underrepresented voices. Today, together with Africa Baraza, we Wikicelebrate Chabota and his contributions to the movement. 

The rocky beginnings of a resilient Wikimedian

While some users integrate into the Wikimedia community seamlessly, and grasp the project’s policies and goal from their very first edits, Chabota’s first steps were somewhat challenging. “My journey as a Wikimedian began on November 7, 2011, while I was a high school student at Linda High School in Livingstone, Zambia. I started contributing to Wikimedia out of necessity for a research assignment that required information from Wikipedia. Fascinated by the platform’s collaborative nature and extensive knowledge base, I created my account and joined the global community” Chabota recalls. But enthusiasm alone wasn’t enough. Early attempts to upload content, including personal photos and an autobiographical article, were quickly deleted due to a lack of what Wikipedians value deeply – verified sources. Worse still, a copyright misunderstanding led to a lifetime ban on Wikimedia Commons. “I treated Wikipedia like any other website,” Chabota admits. 

This could be an end to his Wikimedia journey, but Chabota was so fascinated by Wikimedia, and the possibilities it gave to share knowledge and awareness about Zambian culture, that he was determined not to give up. He spent four years immersing himself in learning the dynamics of Wikimedia projects, carefully studying the guidelines, policies, and best practices that govern Wikipedia and its sister projects. This deliberate pause allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of the “dos and don’ts,” equipping him to navigate the platform more effectively. Once confident in his knowledge, Chabota decided to focus on writing articles about places in Zambia, ensuring they were well-sourced and aligned with Wikipedia’s standards. His first official contribution after the ban was an article about David Kaunda Technical High School. Seeing this article successfully published boosted his confidence and inspired him to revisit biographies—an area that had challenged him before. 

Now he is a contributor with more than 27 000 edits in Wikimedia projects, including 11 000 edits in English language Wikipedia, and over 2400 edits in Wikipedia in Chewa language. 

When reflecting on his initial challenges Chabota adds one, very practical one – access to equipment in times where mobile editing was more challenging than it is now. “The funny thing about this whole journey is that I was using a very small, pocket smartphone for the first three articles. I know it sounds impossible, but I managed to get the most out of it,” he says. “My father even had to get me a bigger phone when he saw my efforts and that pushed me all the way to completing seven articles until I finally got my first laptop in 2018 through the Wikimedia  hardware program.”

Elevating African narratives

From the start Chabota was strongly motivated by the Wikimedia mission of sharing free knowledge with the world. Especially when it comes to sharing knowledge about his local community and culture. “Knowing that my efforts help bridge information gaps and ensure that Zambian voices are represented globally fuels my passion. I am also inspired by the reminder someone once shared with me: No one will write your story better unless you do it yourself. This drives me to take ownership of our narratives and represent them authentically”, he says. 

Chabota knows that while the Wikipedia knowledge repository is huge, there is still so much more to do. “Despite Wikimedia’s global reach, many regions, particularly in the Global South, remain underrepresented in terms of both content and contributors. This means that the knowledge shared on platforms like Wikipedia often lacks the perspectives, histories, and cultures of these regions. For example, in Zambia and other African countries, there is still a need to increase local participation and create content that accurately reflects our diverse cultures, languages, and histories” – he reflects. 

He takes this mission to action. He himself creates content about Zambia, among his many articles, he is especially proud of his contributions to the article about B’Flow – a Zambian singer and songwriter known for his impactful music and activism. 

Addressing challenges through collaboration

When asked about the challenges that Wikimedia projects face, he says that addressing them “requires ongoing efforts to recruit and train new contributors, improve access to technology, and ensure that our platforms are more inclusive and reflective of global knowledge”. He funded Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia, and participates in initiatives such as training new editors, organizing events, and supporting content creation that highlights Zambian and African narratives. 

He is also looking forward to the Wikimedia Zambia Fan Clubs, a pilot project in schools to engage students and promote participation in Wikimedia initiatives which is set to start in 2025.

Belonging and connection 

In 2018 Chabota participated in his first Wikimania. This beloved global event, connecting Wikimedians from around the world in a joint celebration of a shared mission, did its usual magic: it showed Chabota that he is part of a huge community, it brought new friendships, connections, and most of all: fueled his sense of belonging. In his own words: this changed everything and fueled his motivation to do more. 

The connection to a collaborative movement is what keeps Chabota going: “The support and collaboration within the Wikimedia community further inspire me—it’s motivating to be part of a collective mission where each contribution plays a role in empowering people with accessible, free knowledge”, he says. 

Thank you Chabota for all that you are doing, we are celebrating you and your dedication to the movement!

Over the past week I have spent some time writing some code to start running a little bot on the wikibase.world project, aimed at expanding the number of Wikibases that are collected there, and automating collection of some of the data that can easily be automated.

Over the past week, the bot has imported 650 Wikibase installs that increases the total to 784, and active to 755.

I mainly wanted to do this to try and visualize “federation” or rather, links between Wikibases that are currently occurring, hence creating P55 (links to Wikibase) and P56 (linked from Wikibase).

251 Wikibases seem to link to each other, and Wikidata is very clearly at the centre of that web.

Many Wikibases only link to Wikidata, but there are a few other notable clusters, including Wikimedia Commons (but see the improvements section below, as some of these may be false positives).

I’m not sure why Q2 didn’t render the label, but Q2 is Commons in the below image.

Others such as LexBib, MaRDi portal, PersonalData.io, Librarybase, R74n and more also seem to have multiple connections (more than one)

Here is a fairly nice SPARQL query that can get you these links in their current state, in a table…

PREFIX wwdt: <https://wikibase.world/prop/direct/>
PREFIX wwd: <https://wikibase.world/entity/>

SELECT ?wikibase ?wikibaseLabel ?linksTo ?linksToLabel
WHERE {
    ?wikibase wwdt:P3 wwd:Q10.
    ?wikibase wwdt:P13 wwd:Q54.
    ?wikibase wwdt:P55 ?linksTo
    SERVICE wikibase:label { bd:serviceParam wikibase:language "[AUTO_LANGUAGE],en". }
}   

Runnable here: https://tinyurl.com/28dor4qe

The scripts

Very briefly, there are a collection of scripts that import Wikibases found via a variety of methods (I’m open to new ideas if you have them).

• wikibase.cloud: which exposes an API of all currently active installations
• wikibase-metadata.toolforge.org: which as some data collected about usage of “Wikibase Suite” installed elsewhere
• google: with some painfully long, crafted search terms that match the few things identifying a Wikibase that might get indexed.

These scripts import a very bare-bones version of an Item, such as [1], [2], [3]…

Once the data is in wikibase.world, a separate process loads all currently active Wikibases, and tries to add and refine information.

• Load the site and see if it is a 200
• Try to normalize the URLs a bit if possible
• Try to detect and record the host
• Add an inception date, based on the first logged action by MediaWiki
• Add entity types and tools used (sometimes)… (extensions to come soon?)
• Add links to and from other Wikibases based on some External Identifiers, and all URL properties.

The code makes use of wikibase-edit and wikibase-sdk written by maxlath. They were a pleasure to use, really simplify Wikibase APIs down to basics, which is all I needed here.

Improvements

There are many other elements of data that could be added, and that also would be nice to be able to filter by across all Wikibases, such as number of entities, number of users, date of first Wikibase edit etc. I plan on slowly trying to tackle these parts moving forward.

There are also possibly a few issues with the current process

• Not all External Identifier properties are currently inspected. Only those that have a formatter URL property defined, and also that have that formatter URL property exposed via WikibaseManifest (so the WikibaseManifest extension is also a requirement)
• All URLs are inspected for known domains, and these may link to NON Wikibase and NON entity pages. Such as a URL that just links to https://commons.wikimedia.org would currently appear as a link…

Currently, I have just been running the scripts locally, but I’ll aim to set them up on GitHub Actions so they run weekly perhaps?

And let’s pretend that I wrote the code in a nice tidy way, haha, naaah

That will come (if this all still seems like a good idea)

Themed “!ke e: /xarra //ke,” which means “United in diversity” the 2024 Wiki Indaba Conference saw the inflow of diverse African Wikimedians from different African regions trooping into the O. R. Tambo International Airport on the wake of 1st and 2nd October 2024 and I was one of those African Wikimedians flying in from Nigeria thanks to the support and sponsorship of the Wiki Loves Monuments International Team. Though I embarked on this journey ‘solo’, before touching down in the beautiful city of Johannesburg, I was already among the many vibrant Wikimedians attending the Wiki Indaba 2024 – one cannot overlook our energetic demeanour even after long hours in the air.

Fast-forward to Arrival

Arriving and checking in at the conference venue – The Capital on the Park – first helped me recover and rejuvenate from the long hours of travel before convening for a mini welcome party with a dinner of finger food. The African spirit and our diversity was reawakened by this welcome party and dinner, giving us the opportunity to socialize, interact and spark up meaningful conversation that would sustain the tempo all through the conference days. During the welcoming party, I had the opportunity to network, interact and engage with fellow Wikimedians I have been working with online. It was a moment of reconnection and reintroduction, matching the online faces to the onsite faces. Our convergence was an avenue for cultural exchange and social events, enriching my experience, and highlighting the diversity and richness of African cultures as I got to taste lots of South African delicacies and chops – I teased my taste buds with variant delicacies.

Wiki Indaba Conference Proper

The conference commenced with a Welcome Ceremony facilitated by Bobby Shabangu and later featured a keynote address from Professor Langa Khumalo (SADiLaR) presenting on The importance of online Indigenous Language Preservation. As someone passionate about indigenous language advocacy, this sparked lots of interest and reactions within me, equipping me with lots of vital information and findings that are beneficial to my indigenous language advocacy goal. Also, the plenary session on Conversation: Information integrity and the role of the Media with Maryana Iskander (WMF) Anusha Alikhan (WMF), Ferial Haffejee (Daily Maverick) ushered in the various sessions of the conference of which I participated in both as a presenter, co-presenter, panelist and participants.

One Conference, Different Roles!

The Wiki Indaba conference program was fully robust with Lightning talks, Lectures, Workshops, Panels, Roundtables and even Hackathon sessions, all of them focused on bridging African content gaps, digital literacy initiatives, and policy advocacy for open access – demonstrating our strength even in our diversity. The two-time Wiki Indaba Participant me embraced each of these sessions with open mindedness, ensuring that I am engaged with the free knowledge knowledge shared.

Hacking at Wiki Indaba

Co-facilitating with Purity during the Language sessions at Wiki Indaba Hackathon | CC BY 4.0, PWaigi-WMF

My first session as a co-presenter was a Hackathon session with Purity. Before my Hackathon experience at Wiki Indaba 2024, I have always had this notion that hackathon has to do with coding and writing programming languages ONLY. Onboarding as a co-facilitator with Purity for Hackathon sessions on Translatewiki, Content translation and Section Translation helped me rewrite the wrong narrative and I was equipped with lots of knowledge and skills on these topics. During these hackathon sessions, we got to engage participants on the optimization of tools such as Translatewiki, content translation and section translation tools to carry out translation tasks on language Wikipedias. As someone passionate about indigenous language digitization, I was happy engaging and equipping participants with the technical know-how of these tools so to ensure proper optimization in their various translation projects within their language communities. Co-facilitating the Language sessions at Wiki Indaba Hackathon gave me this sense of fulfilment as I see it as a means through which I can continue my indigenous language advocacy goals.

Wiki Loves Monuments Lightening Talk

As a member of the International Wiki Loves Monument Team I had the opportunity to facilitate a Lightening Talk on the Dynamics of Organizing WLM in the African Region which I was meant to present with Ciell. During this 15-minutes session, I got to learn the challenges African Wikimedians face in participating in the Global WLM Campaign. Some of the problems mentioned were generic such as the issue of Freedom of Panorama, low organizing skills, lack of funding etc. while some were relative – internal management. Some were short-term challenges while some were long-term challenges. However, this session offered an incredible opportunity to learn about their difficulties and to plan for possible means of mitigating them to ensure their active participation for the Wiki Loves Monuments 2025.

A Panelist on the Afrika Agenda Session

I represented the Afrika Baraza Working Group Team, in the panel session on the discussion on The Afrika Agenda: Fostering Effective Collaboration & Inclusion for African Wikimedians where I took part in discussing some of the challenges the African Wikimedians face in the Wikimedia space. This session emphasizes the need for African Wikimedians to take a stance on the table where administrative and governance topics are being discussed to be able to their stories themselves.

De-Conferencing

The social activities are the elements that help ensure the attainment of the Wiki Indaba climaxing – I always look forward to it! Some social activities include embarking on a tour of the famous Soweto streets that once housed two great African figures – Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. We explored the street of Soweto and made a stop-over at Nelson Mandela’s house. It was also all fun cutting the Wiki Indaba 10th Anniversary cake. Wiki Indaba 2024 reinforced that even in our #Diversity, we are strongly #United! Wiki Indaba 2025 would usher in lots of possibilities – !ke e: /xarra //ke!

In WikiAfrica Hour’s 39th Episode, aired live on 18th October  2024. The episode was dedicated to celebrating the 2024 Wiki Loves Africa International media contest winners. Guest host Ceslause Ogbonnaya engaged in a lively conversation with the ambassadors, local organizers, international jury members and the winners of the Wiki Loves Africa International media contest 2024. 

In the moments preceding the conversation, Nonny and Donia shared the WikiAfrica Hour News. Then it was time for some serious conversation. After an eventful and successful Wiki Loves Africa international media contest where we recorded 14,000+ Images, videos and audio submissions under the theme Africa Creates, we met the organizers at the local level, the jury that selected the final winners, and the winners themselves! The Wiki Loves Africa 2024 international prize winners shared their creative journeys that led up to the win.

“It was my first time to be the winner internationally. And I think this achievement makes me even more passionate about my career in photography.” – Mutijima Germain from Rwanda (Joint 2nd photography prize winner).

“When I won the wiki of Africa Best Audio story last year, Mr. Wilson pushed me to learn it further. And I can see that sound audio storytelling is growing as a medium to tell better stories.” – Abdullahi Tanimu Abubakar from Nigeria (Best Audio prize winner).

Watch the full episode on YouTube

This WikiAfrica Hour episode’s guest host is Ceslause Ogbonnaya, who has been a Wikimedian since 2018 and has been contributing to Wikimedia projects under the Igbo Wikimedians User Group. 

He joined Wiki In Africa as an intern in 2021, and later transitioned into Host & Project manager for WikiAfrica Hour. In 2022, he joined Africa No Filter as Wikimedian-In-Residence for Africa Knowledge Initiative (AKI). He currently is the Wikimedian-In-Residence for AfroCreatives WikiProject, working to document the African creative industry on Wikipedia and its sister projects

member of the Afrika Baraza Working Group.

Our guests include  …

Hilary Ogali  

Wiki Loves Africa 2024 ambassador. 

Hilary is a Wikimedian from Nigeria who joined the Wikimedia movement in 2022 through the Igbo Wikimedians User Group. He joined the Wiki Loves Africa international team as an ambassador in 2023 where he supported the english communities to achieve a successful Wiki Loves Africa 2024 campaign under the theme “Africa Creates”.

Eric Chidom 

Wiki Loves Africa 2024 jury member.

Eric Chidom is a documentary photographer and filmmaker based in Abuja, Nigeria, with over four years of experience. He focuses on documenting culture in South-Eastern Nigeria and is a partner and Head of Productions at Ònye Ijé Productions, which specializes in research-based documentaries. He is also the Lead Creative at Dorick Productions, a media company excelling in event coverage, corporate videos, and commercial productions.

Eric has worked with international teams to produce documentaries in Nigeria, bringing a global perspective to local stories

FUMEY Adjovi Essenam

Wiki Loves Africa 2024 organizer, Wikimedia Senegal.

Adjovi Essenam Fumey is an engineer in Documentary Information Sciences. She works as a media librarian and is involved in the Wikimedia movement within the Senegalese community, which she co-founded. Since 2020, she has contributed to various Wikimedia projects.

Adjovi is passionate about sharing free knowledge, addressing the gender gap, and promoting community development, motivations that drive her to contribute and encourage others to do the same.

Kano TCHAPI 

Wiki Loves Africa 2024 organizer, Wikimedia community user group Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville)

Kano Tchapi is a professional passionate about technology and committed to the development of developers in the Republic of Congo. A mechatronics engineer and graphic designer by training, he has solid experience in community and event organization.

Founder and active facilitator of Wikimedia User Group of the Republic of Congo, he has dedicated his time to promoting the sharing of free knowledge and creating a collaborative space for Congolese developers. His technical expertise and leadership have helped to unite a community around technological innovation.

Demmane Mohammed Fawzi 

WLA 2024 1st photography prize winner

Demmane Mohammed Fawzi  has been an Algerian amateur photographer since 2000. He has participated in many exhibitions in Algeria and Tunisia as a photographer.

Doaa Adel Ahmed Mohamed 

WLA 2024 Joint 2nd photography prize winner

Doaa Adel is an Egyptian photographer working in street and documentary photography for the past five years, aiming to document daily life in Egypt. He doesn’t capture people only; he also captures details that come together to form a compelling narrative.

Doaa’s notable awards include:

First place in the Al-Nadeem Foundation Photography Competition, second place in the Turthy Competition, second place in the UN Women Egypt Documentary Competition, third place in the photo story section for the best press photo in Egypt (2023), first place in the Smile Competition sponsored by Sync, and

first place in the Egyptian Culture Discovery Competition sponsored by OPPO Egypt.

Doaa has participated in numerous local and international photographic exhibitions. His work has been published in prominent outlets, including Getty Images, AFP, AP, Al-Ahram newspaper, Akher Sa’a magazine, Sabah Alkhayr magazine, and Al-Shorouk newspaper.

Germain Mutijima 

WLA 2024 Joint 2nd photography prize winner

Germain Mutijima is a dedicated Wikimedian and community trainer from Rwanda. Since 2020, he has contributed to Wikimedia projects, empowering his community through training on Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikidata.

He has attended Wikimedia conferences like Wiki Indaba and Wikimania 2024, broadening his perspective and connecting with fellow Wikimedians. Through his work, he bridges the knowledge gap, fosters online communities, and inspires others to join the Wikimedia movement.

Mohamed Nageeb Nasr 

WLA 2024 3rd photography prize winner

Egyptian Amateur photographer  with experience in Travel& Street  photography since 2012,Holds EFIAP ,  GPU Crown 2  distinctions, Winner of many international photography competitions and got more than 60 awards in photography , presenter in several workshops on street and travel photography,Member of the International Federation of Photography FIAP & the Global Photographers Union GPU, Main education : BA in Media and  Journalism , based in Qatar

Saalyha Eeman Oyiza 

WLA 2024 Best narrative video prize.

Eeman Oyiza is a Nigerian and African Muslim. Growing up, she accompanied my father, a media professional, to his studio and shoots, sparking her passion for photography and videography. At 12, she landed her first paid gig and received her first camera from my father.

As she studies Geography and Environmental Management at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in Nigeria, photography remains her cherished hobby. With a growing portfolio and occasional job offers, she is now considering taking my skills to the next level.

Green Wilfred Somoni 

WLA 2024 reportage video prize winner

Green Wilfred Somoni, also known as Somoni, is a filmmaker from Bonny, Nigeria.

He has worked on several film, documentary, event, and commercial projects. On 12th April 2022, he filmed his first short film Dream Home with which he entered as a participant in the Commons: Wiki Loves Africa 2022 photographic Contest.

The video was later announced as the best video of the 2022 Wiki Loves Africa Photographic contest. He also won the best video prize for Wiki Loves Africa 2023 and Wiki Loves Africa 2024 best video prize made it the third time he has won in a row.

Abdullahi Tanimu Abubakar 

WLA 2024 Best Audio prize winner 

Abdullahi T.A is a Photojournalist and Documentary Filmmaker, originally from Sheshe in Kano, Nigeria but he was raised in the slums of Lagos, specifically Idiaraba. His multicultural upbringing informs his community-driven approach to storytelling. He’s received awards and recognition for his work, including Wiki Loves Africa 2023 Best Audio Prize.

Abdullahi collaborates with organizations to tell impactful stories, believing authentic narratives emerge from community engagement. A student at Dikan Art Center and alumnus of Bayero University Kano, he harnesses storytelling to enact change, challenge single narratives, and educate others.

This WikiAfrica Hour episode aired live: check out our Website or the WikiAfrica Hour meta page to watch this or previous episodes.  All WikiAfrica Hour episodes are available on YouTube.

Episode notes:

• Wiki Loves Africa
• Wiki Loves Africa 2024
• Wiki Loves Africa 2024 winners

Seniors belong on Wikipedia! This has been confirmed for many years by the successful Seniors Write Wikipedia programme in Czech Republic. We welcomed new active seniors to Wikipedia, introduced several new features and had many successes.

Courses as a shop window

As every year, the senior activities in 2023 revolved primarily around the flagship of the entire Seniors Write Wikipedia programme, i.e. courses for seniors. The time-tested six-week scenario of courses for seniors-beginners took Wikipedia to Prague, Ostrava, Plzeň, České Budějovice, Olomouc and through online courses to other parts of the country. As every year, the graduates of the beginners’ courses could further improve their skills. This is thanks to the offer of follow-up courses for advanced editors and for those who want to delve deeper into Wikimedia Commons.

In 2023, we opened 14 Senior Write Wikipedia courses with 83 participants. Of these courses, ten were for beginners and four were for advanced learners. These courses were taught by a total of 10 tutors from the Wikimedia CZ tutoring team, to whom we are very grateful for their excellent work.

Would you like a Wikipedia Night School?

A senior Wikipedian can take a beginner’s course and two different follow-up courses. But what next? For the most active of the most active, we’ve launched a Wikipedia Night School course! This offers the opportunity to focus on developing specific skills that active Wikipedians need to do their job. This allows participants to focus on techniques and tweaks that can be used in editing practice and that are not covered in detail in Senior Write Wikipedia courses. It is important to note, however, that the online Wikipedia Night School is popular not only among seniors.

Last year, Wikipedians had the chance to visit nine such Wikipedia Night Schools. The range of topics was varied and everyone could choose. Some of the Night Schools topics included infoboxes, uploading images to Wikimedia Commons, Wikicests, and basic information about Wikidata. However, editors and photographers were also in the mix.

Senior Wikipedians Day – Senior WikiTown!

The real reward for active senior Wikipedians is traditionally the September Senior WikiTown. With a group of seniors we visited Lysá nad Labem in 2023, where participants could enjoy sightseeing, excursions and Wikipedia work. Wikipedians took home valuable documentation of places, people and historical context from the town and its surroundings. They documented in detail the Lysá Castle, the historical archive, the Bon Repos Chateau or the power plant on the Elbe. 

On the basis of our detective work, we have published rare photographs of the interior of Benies’ villa, which document the unique movement of Czech architectural cubism and thus expanded the article about this monument. In total, 583 photographs that were taken during the Senior WikiTown in Lysá nad Labem were published under a free license. A dozen articles were created and another 32 were expanded or corrected.

One of the participants, Mrs. Eva Mžourková, was at the Senior WikiTown in Lysá lad Labem for the first time and she left excited. 

“Thank you for opening up a space of Wikipedia that I had no idea about. I observe that there is a community of Wikipedians where there are specific rules – sympathetic. I hope to make progress on Wikipedia, it’s been fun so far.”

However, it’s important to note that it’s not just senior events where you can meet our senior Wikipedians. At every editathon, every reunion, and in Wikimedia Czech Republic itself, WikiSeniors are one of the most active and appreciative groups of Wikipedia users and contributors.

WikiSeniors were heard and seen

The Seniors Write Wikipedia programme is not just about working and enriching Wikipedia. The senior program is all about the people, their stories and valuable experiences that active seniors can pass on, not only by working on Wikipedia. It was with this message that we launched Wikipedia Senior Month last year. The whole month of December was dedicated to the most active WikiSeniors.

As every year, we also showed up with booths and the opportunity to try editing for yourself at the Prague Fresh Senior Festival and the Elpida Centre Open Day, where visitors could learn more about our activities for seniors, but also talk to our alumni. Our active WikiSeniors were able to chat not only with festival visitors but also with the editor of Czech Radio!

Conclusion

In 2023, we dedicated the year to the most active WikiSeniors, for whom we introduced a brand new format of education – Wikipedia Night School. Thanks to this, seniors can improve their skills on Wikipedia every month and become an even more prominent editorial group. We dedicated the whole month of December to this group. With the large number of courses, the Senior WikiTown and all the other events, we can say with a calm heart and full of joy that in 2023 the seniors were definitely not bored with us!

The 10th annual Wiki Indaba conference, held from October 4–6, 2024, in Johannesburg, South Africa, has left a lasting impression and reinforced the commitment to building sustainable Wikimedia communities across Africa and the diaspora. This year’s theme, “! ke e: /xarra //ke” — “United in diversity” — perfectly captured the spirit of collaboration and unity that defined this milestone event . Code for Africa (CfA) and the African Wikipedian Alliance (AWA) joined this year’s event with renewed purpose, with its staff members- Amanda Strydom and Bukola James bringing their expertise to deliver a keynote, conduct a workshop, and engage in vital discussions on misinformation.

For AWA’s Francophone member, Emmanuelle Kakou,  who is also the Coordonnatrice Générale, Wikimedia Community User Group of Côte d’Ivoire this marked a unique milestone as the first volunteer from the AWA Francophone community to receive an all-expenses-paid sponsorship from CfA to attend the conference as a result of her commitment to promoting AWA’s mission and her unwavering support towards the community growth. Emmanuelle also had an opportunity to take back all she had learnt from participating in different conversations back to the AWA Francophone community, sharing first-hand experience with the rest of the community. 

In many ways, Code for Africa has grown to become the backbone of digital empowerment in Africa. As the continent’s largest civic tech and data journalism network, CfA supports groundbreaking initiatives, from AfricanDRONE and PesaCheck to AFCA and sensors.AFRICA. But beyond these programs, CfA is also the proud sponsor of AWA—a community initiative that has brought together over 308 African Wikipedians across both Anglophone and Francophone communities. Together, CfA and AWA represent a movement where people from all walks of life work to verify facts, close knowledge gaps, and stand as guardians against content manipulation on Wikipedia and its sister platforms.

On the second day of the conference, Amanda Strydom, CfA’s Senior Program Manager for CivicSignal, opened with a keynote that left a lasting impact on everyone in the room. Amanda spoke passionately about “The Value of Fact-Checking for Open Knowledge,” sharing insights on how CfA uses its resources to support community engagement and fight misinformation. The talk wasn’t just about CfA’s many projects but about how our communities, united by shared goals, are actively protecting and promoting African narratives. For Emmanuelle and other attendees, Amanda’s address reinforced the importance of this work and the sense of shared responsibility across African Wikimedia communities.

The commitment to accuracy came alive later that day when I led the AWA fact-checking workshop with Amanda. The session, titled “How to Tackle Mis/Disinformation on African Content on Wikipedia,” drew a diverse group of participants, eager to understand the inner workings of fact-checking on one of the world’s most visited websites. The workshop blended theory with practical exercises, guiding participants through scenarios on identifying and correcting false information on Wikipedia. Together, we tackled real issues, like debunking misinformation on an African Wikipedia article such as  Chindima Adetshina, while covering essential topics like:

• Recognising information disorder and its effects
• Tools and methods for fact-checking on Wikipedia
• Practical application through scenario-based exercises

As we walked participants through the hands-on activities, I watched the group’s curiosity deepen. The questions grew more nuanced, the discussions more engaging with everyone contributing to the questions generated from the workshop exercise fully, showing a determination that reflected their commitment to bringing these skills back to their various communities. By the end, the session felt less like a workshop and more like a mission shared by everyone in the room. The participants left with the tools they needed and a new sense of how to contribute to Wikipedia in a way that would ensure the accuracy of African content for future generations.

Throughout the conference, feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Participants expressed appreciation for the workshop, with many describing it as a unique experience in their Wikipedia journeys. Some community leaders voiced their desire to host similar workshops in their own regions, opening the door for even more collaboration with AWA and CfA. The atmosphere was alive with the excitement of potential new partnerships, and I couldn’t help but feel that this event was just the beginning.

In the days following Wiki Indaba, as we all returned to our respective countries, the lessons we learned and the relationships we built continued to resonate. For AWA, the experience offered not just the chance to help African Wikimedians acquire fact-checking skills but to be part of something larger—a community where each contribution, each fact-checked article, adds to the rich, diverse story of Africa.

As AWA and CfA look ahead, we’re reminded that this journey is about more than just workshops or conferences. It’s about building a foundation that amplifies African voices and has the resources and support they need to make factual contributions to global knowledge. By fostering these connections and empowering these voices, we are building a future where Africa’s stories are told by those who live them, ensuring they are accurate, verified, and celebrated across the world. Join our growing community of fact-checking practitioners on Wikipedia and its sister projects by completing our membership form and connect via our Anglophone and Francophone channels for instant update. Also check out all of our past and present programs via meta. 

Every year Wikimedia Ukraine brings the Ukrainian community for its annual Wikiconference. This year’s edition took place in October and early November, bringing a record 120 people across two cities and online.

Because of the ongoing Russia’s war against Ukraine, we decided to hold three smaller conferences in one to include as many participants as possible. Here’s a brief look at our biggest event of the year.

The format: three conferences in one

Since 2021, Wikimedia Ukraine has a tradition of dividing our annual Wikiconference into several separate events, both online and offline. First it was caused by pandemic restrictions, now by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Because of Russia’s war against Ukraine millions of Ukrainians are abroad or unable to travel within Ukraine. Some are serving in the Armed Forces and can join online but cannot take a leave to participate in-person. However, we still want the conference to be inclusive of everyone.

Doing a truly hybrid event where online participants wouldn’t get an inferior experience is too difficult and expensive (note: live-streaming an offline event for people to tune in on YouTube is great, and we are also doing it, but it’s still an offline event). The solution for us is organizing a separate online-only event on a separate weekend, with its own program.

In 2024, our Wikiconference consisted of three events:

• Online conference on October 19th-20th
• The main offline conference in Kyiv on October 26th-27th
• A smaller conference in Kharkiv on November 3rd

Both the online event and the Kyiv conference attracted over 60 people each, and the Kharkiv meetup gathered 25 people. Some people attended two or three events, but we had at least 124 confirmed unique participants overall (likely an undercount as we cannot capture all online participants).

Online conference: 60+ people, two days

The online edition took place on the weekend of October 19th and 20th. The conference featured 21 sessions, including our small “Wikimania at home”, as one organizing team member joked – 6 sessions from invited international speakers. 

Participants rated the program highly, and the feedback form shows that the international program was particularly popular – especially two sessions about AI and Wikimedia from the Wikimedia Foundation’s Asaf Bartov and Wikimedia Polska’s Natalia Ćwik. Other notable sessions included a slate of sessions on the Ukrainian community during the war, interactive welcome sessions, and a review of Wikimedia Ukraine’s activities. 

• See full program in English
• How to make an online conference engaging and tackle Zoom fatigue? It’s a big question for us, one that we’re hoping to tackle in a separate Diff post.

Kyiv conference: 60+ people from across Ukraine

A week later we gathered 63 people in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital city. It was the biggest offline event of the year with people coming from all over Ukraine and even abroad. 

The two-day event included sessions on traditional topics like the Wikipedia Education Program, news and trends of the international wiki movement, practical workshops and project updates. We’ve also had one major innovation – an award ceremony for “Wikipedia 20”, a newly created award to distinguish people who’ve helped build Ukrainian Wikipedia over the 20 years of its existence. 

Although this event was offline-first, we also had a high-quality online stream on YouTube, which helped more people tune in virtually. 

• Photos from the Kyiv event on Wikimedia Commons
• More about the “Wikipedia 20” award (in Ukrainian)

Kharkiv conference: a meetup in a bomb shelter for 25 people

Despite being located close to the Russian border and suffering from constant Russian attacks, Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv has a vibrant Wikimedia community. On the first Sunday of November it gathered in a bomb shelter for a day-long conference for Wikimedians from the city and the surrounding region. 

Participants had a packed program, featuring everything from the experience of implementing a wikischool for high-school students held in Bohodukhiv last year to ideas for engaging young people in Wikipedia.

In the words of the Kharkiv event’s lead organizer, Wikiconference 2024 in Kharkiv showed the potential of community development in a frontline city and region, even under constant security threats.

• More about the Kharkiv event (in Ukrainian)

🕑 1 hour

Stephen Harrison is a tech lawyer and journalist who has been writing about Wikipedia since 2018, including dozens of articles for the online magazine Slate as part of his Source Notes column. He is the author of the 2024 novel The Editors, which is about a group of editors of the fictional user-editable online encyclopedia "Infopendium" who are drawn together by dramatic events.

Links for some of the topics discussed:

• Stephen Harrison website
• Source Notes blog/newsletter
• Stephen Harrison's list of Wikipedia-related articles
  • More comprehensive list
• Reddit /r/pics subreddit (my apologies for casting aspersions - it's not that political any more! It was more political during the recent U.S. presidential election.)
• "Times of London: Wikipedia, AI, & THE EDITORS | An Audiobook Update" (October 2024 blog post)

The report “Open Movement’s Common(s) Causes” maps the current threats and opportunities facing the open movement, based on the ongoing work of the organisations behind the Common(s) Cause event, which took place in Katowice, Poland; as a pre-conference event for Wikimania 2024 on 6 August, 2024.

The meeting was organised by Creative Commons, Open Knowledge Foundation, Open Future, and Wikimedia Europe in collaboration with the Wikimedia Foundation. The goal of the meeting was to create links between different advocacy efforts so that a shared advocacy strategy for the Knowledge Commons can be created.

One of the calls that jumped out for us was a call for defining new open principles – principles that could clarify what openness means in the context of today’s digital space and ensure its pro-public, democratic potential. Formulating such principles could help against several challenges, e.g. open washing.

Another clear call is the one confirming the assumptions behind the Common(s) Cause project: it is the call for a shared advocacy agenda, which could help ensure that Knowledge Commons are treated and sustained as critical digital infrastructures.

The event gathered over 55 participants from 20 countries, most of whom travelled to Katowice to attend the Wikimania conference. The majority of attendees were from open advocacy communities. The event not only enabled the organizers to build stronger working ties with one another, but with the many other organisations who were represented at the event. 

Participants acknowledged that the power of the open movement is only as strong as the bonds of the people working to advance an open, equitable agenda, and collective impact can only be achieved through individuals from different organisations working closely together.

The report identifies a few common causes that can be found at the intersection of open movement organisations’ strategies, the socio-technological zeitgeist, and current policy opportunities, such as: 

1. (Re)defining openness in a new technological era.
2. Creation of a shared advocacy strategy and enhanced regional and thematic cooperation across the organisations.
3. Developing and testing governance approaches for our digital commons.
4. Advancing openness and sustainability for the technology, data, content, and governance of Digital Public Infrastructure.

This report is a starting point and serves as an invitation to the wider open community to join these causes as well as to formulate their own, which could then be backed by other organisations. The next step in this process will be disseminating its findings, hopefully resulting in further backing and refinement of the causes and additional feedback from the wider community, which this small convening could not fully represent.

Read the full report

Pode parecer uma pergunta filosófica, mas atualmente essa é uma pergunta bastante prática, considerando os recentes avanços na inteligência artificial generativa e nos modelos de linguagem de grande escala (do inglês large language models, ou LLMs). Devido ao uso generalizado da tecnologia de IA generativa, projetada para prever e imitar respostas humanas, agora é possível criar, quase sem esforço, textos que parecem ter saído da Wikipédia.

Minha resposta a essa pergunta é simples: não, não seria a mesma coisa.

O processo de criar conhecimento de forma livre, compartilhá-lo e aperfeiçoá-lo ao longo do tempo, publicamente e com a ajuda de centenas de milhares de pessoas voluntárias, é o que, há 20 anos, tem definido a Wikipédia e os diversos outros projetos da Wikimedia. A Wikipédia contém conhecimento confiável e de fontes seguras justamente porque esses conteúdos são criados, debatidos e selecionados por pessoas. Ela também se baseia em um modelo aberto e não comercial, o que significa que a Wikipédia é livre para acessar e compartilhar, e sempre será. E em uma internet inundada de conteúdos gerados por máquinas, isso significa que a Wikipédia tem ainda mais valor.

Nos últimos seis meses, dezenas de LLMs foram lançados ao público, treinados com base em amplos conjuntos de dados capazes de ler, resumir e gerar textos. A Wikipédia é uma das maiores bases abertas de informação da internet, com versões em mais de 300 idiomas. Até o momento, todos os LLMs são treinados com base nos conteúdos da Wikipédia, e ela é quase sempre a maior fonte de dados de treinamento nos conjuntos de dados desses LLMs.

Uma coisa óbvia a se fazer com alguma  desses novos sistemas é tentar gerar artigos da Wikipédia. É claro que as pessoas já tentaram. E, tenho certeza de que muitos leitores já perceberam isso em primeira mão, essas tentativas mostram muitos desafios no uso de LLMs para produzir o que wikipedistas chamam de conhecimento, ou seja, textos e imagens confiáveis, em formato enciclopédico, com fontes seguras. Algumas dessas limitações incluem as seguintes:

• Atualmente, os resultados dos LLMs não passam por uma checagem de fatos, e já há muitos casos conhecidos de pessoas que usam a IA generativa para tentar realizar seus trabalhos. Há inúmeras situações de baixo risco em que os resultados podem ser úteis sem causar nenhum risco, como prompts para criar textos de agradecimento, planos para férias divertidas ou um roteiro para dar início a uma redação. No entanto, em outras situações, os resultados não são tão bons, como no caso em que um LLM fabricou processos judiciais, e o advogado que usou esses resultados em um tribunal acabou sendo multado. Em outra situação, um médico demonstrou que um sistema de IA generativa apresentava diagnósticos inadequados ao analisar sintomas de pacientes atendidos no pronto-socorro. Com o tempo, acredito que esses sistemas ficarão muito melhores e se tornarão mais confiáveis em uma variedade de contextos. Uma possibilidade interessante é que a demanda por melhores fontes melhorará o acesso a pesquisas e livros on-line. Mas será preciso tempo para chegar lá e, provavelmente, uma pressão significativa por parte dos órgãos reguladores e do público para que haja melhorias que beneficiem todas as pessoas.
• Os LLMs não podem contar com informações que não foram usadas em seu treinamento para responder aos prompts. Isso significa que todos os livros do mundo que não estão disponíveis na íntegra on-line, conteúdos de pesquisas anteriores ao advento da internet e informações em outros idiomas que não o inglês não fazem parte daquilo que um LLM típico “sabe”. Consequentemente, os conjuntos de dados usados para treinar LLMs atualmente podem ampliar as desigualdades e os vieses existentes em muitas áreas – como nas contratações, na medicina e em sentenças criminais. Talvez um dia isso mude, mas estamos muito longe de poder acessar livremente e treinar LLMs em todos os diferentes tipos de informações que as pessoas em todos os idiomas usam atualmente para criar conteúdo para a Wikipédia. E, mesmo então, será necessário mais trabalho para mitigar os vieses.
• Por fim, já foi demonstrado que LLMs treinados a partir dos resultados de LLMs têm um desempenho comprovadamente pior, e chegam até mesmo a esquecer de coisas que eles já “sabiam”, uma condição chamada de “colapso do modelo”. Isso significa que, para que os LLMs tenham bons resultados e continuem melhorando, eles precisarão de um abastecimento constante de conteúdos originais, escritos por humanos, o que torna a Wikipédia e outras fontes de conteúdos gerados por humanos ainda mais valiosas. Também significa que as empresas de IA generativa de todo o mundo precisam descobrir como manter as fontes de conteúdos humanos originais, o elemento mais importante do nosso ecossistema de informações, sustentável e crescendo com o tempo.

Esses são apenas alguns dos problemas que precisam ser resolvidos enquanto internautas exploram como os LLMs podem ser usados. Acreditamos que internautas darão cada vez mais valor a fontes confiáveis de informações que tenham sido validadas por pessoas. As políticas da Wikipédia e nossa experiência de mais de uma década no uso do aprendizado de máquina para apoiar voluntários humanos oferecem lições valiosas sobre esse futuro.

Princípios para uso da IA generativa

O conteúdo gerado por máquina e as ferramentas de aprendizado de máquina não são novidade na Wikipédia e nos demais projetos da Wikimedia. Na Wikimedia Foundation, desenvolvemos ferramentas de aprendizado de máquina e IA com base nos mesmos princípios que tornaram a Wikipédia um recurso tão útil para tantas pessoas: dando centralidade à moderação de conteúdo e à governança humana. Continuamos a experimentar novas maneiras de atender às necessidades das pessoas por conhecimento de forma responsável, inclusive com plataformas de IA generativa, com o objetivo de colocar a contribuição humana e a reciprocidade em primeiro plano. As pessoas editoras da Wikipédia têm controle sobre todo o conteúdo gerado por máquina – elas editam, aprimoram e auditam qualquer trabalho feito por IA – e criam políticas e estruturas para controlar as ferramentas de aprendizado de máquina usadas para gerar conteúdo para a Wikipédia.

Esses princípios podem ser um bom ponto de partida para o uso dos LLMs atuais e em desenvolvimento. Para começar, os LLMs devem considerar como seus modelos auxiliam as pessoas de três maneiras principais:

1. Sustentabilidade. A tecnologia de IA generativa tem o potencial de afetar negativamente a motivação humana para criar conteúdo. Para preservar e incentivar mais pessoas a contribuir com seu conhecimento para o bem comum, os LLMs devem procurar aumentar e apoiar a participação humana no cultivo e na criação de conhecimento. Eles não devem jamais impedir ou substituir a criação humana de conhecimento. Isso pode ser alcançado mantendo sempre os humanos no processo e dando o devido crédito às suas contribuições. Continuar a apoiar os seres humanos no compartilhamento de seus conhecimentos não só é algo que está alinhado à missão estratégica do movimento Wikimedia, como também será necessário para continuar a expandir nosso ecossistema geral de informações, que é o que cria os dados de treinamento atualizados dos quais os LLMs dependem.
2. Equidade. Na melhor das hipóteses, os LLMs podem ampliar o acesso às informações e oferecer formas inovadoras de fornecer informações a quem busca conhecimento. Para isso, essas plataformas precisam incorporar verificações e contrapesos que não reproduzam os vieses de informação, não ampliem as lacunas de conhecimento, não perpetuem o apagamento de histórias e perspectivas tradicionalmente excluídas nem contribuam com danos aos direitos humanos. Os LLMs também devem considerar como identificar, tratar e corrigir vieses nos dados de treinamento que podem produzir resultados imprecisos e extremamente injustos.
3. Transparência. Os LLMs e suas interfaces devem permitir que os humanos entendam a origem dos resultados do modelo, verifiquem e corrijam esses resultados. Uma maior transparência na forma como os resultados são gerados pode nos ajudar a entender e, então, mitigar vieses sistêmicos nocivos. Ao permitir que os usuários desses sistemas avaliem as causas e as consequências dos vieses que podem estar presentes nos dados de treinamento ou nos resultados, pessoas criadoras e usuárias poderão contribuir para uma maior compreensão e a aplicação criteriosa dessas ferramentas.

Visão para um futuro confiável

A contribuição humana é parte essencial da internet. As pessoas são o motor que impulsionou o crescimento e a expansão da web, criando um espaço incrível para o aprendizado, os negócios e a conexão com outras pessoas.

A IA generativa pode substituir a Wikipédia? Ela pode tentar, mas essa é uma substituição que ninguém realmente deseja. Não há nada de inevitável nas novas tecnologias. Em vez disso, cabe a todos nós escolher o que é mais importante. Podemos priorizar a compreensão humana e sua contribuição com o conhecimento no mundo – de forma sustentável, equitativa e transparente – como um dos principais objetivos dos sistemas de IA generativa, e não como algo secundário. Isso ajudaria a mitigar o aumento da desinformação e das alucinações dos LLMs; garantiria que a criatividade humana fosse reconhecida pelo conhecimento criado; e, o mais importante, assegurará que os LLMs e as pessoas possam continuar a contar com um ecossistema de informações atualizado, em evolução e confiável a longo prazo.

Selena Deckelmann é Diretora de Produtos e Tecnologia na Wikimedia Foundation.

The post O valor da Wikipédia na era da IA generativa appeared first on Wikimedia Foundation.

David-James Gonzales is an Assistant Professor of History at Brigham Young University and the host of New Books in Latino Studies. He is a historian of migration, urbanization, and social movements in the U.S., and specializes in Latina/o/x politics and social movements. 

I began teaching with the Wikipedia assignment in the spring of 2018. At the time, I sought an alternative to the standard term paper that had been, and likely remains, the staple of most college history courses. My motivation was to find an assignment that students would enjoy completing and that I would enjoy grading. Over my previous six years of university teaching, I developed a dread for grading term papers as it became apparent that most students either did not have the time or did not see the point in writing a well-researched argumentative paper. Moreover, I noticed that many of my students were developing bad habits in their rush to complete term papers, including committing to an argument before establishing a research question, cherry-picking sources that confirmed unfounded assumptions, and ignoring counterevidence. I desired an assignment that would reinforce the teaching of historical methodology and leverage the accessibility of the internet, allowing students to reach a broader audience, which I hoped would motivate them to take greater pride in their work.

After speaking with colleagues and searching the internet for ideas, I stumbled upon the Wiki Education website and found the Wikipedia assignment. Despite my lack of experience editing or authoring Wikipedia pages, I was drawn to the assignment because it facilitates experiential learning by requiring students to apply the knowledge acquired through course readings, lectures, and research to a public-facing project. In my US history survey course, for example, I use the Wikipedia assignment instead of a final paper to evaluate students’ ability to do the work of a historian by choosing a topic, developing a research question, selecting and evaluating sources, and writing a historical narrative. 

I also use the assignment to help students build social and professional skills applicable beyond the classroom. To promote peer collaboration in larger classes, I have students work in pairs. Admittedly, most groan when they hear this is a group project; however, by the end of the semester, they overwhelmingly express appreciation for their partner and the flexibility the assignment provides to capitalize on each person’s strengths. For example, those interested in computer programming and coding tend to enjoy learning about wikitext and the formatting aspects of the assignment. For others, conducting research, locating images, videos, and sound clips, or writing the text of the article is preferred. While I require them to work in pairs, students decide how to manage their workload by deciding who does what and evaluating each other’s performance at the end of the term.   

To facilitate student-teacher mentoring, I require students to meet with me throughout the semester to approve their topics and receive feedback on sources and drafts. These interactions help break down the reluctance and intimidation students feel towards interacting with authority figures and often lead to future opportunities to advise them about their degree progress, university resources, and career opportunities. To teach information and media literacy, I have students turn in an annotated bibliography halfway through the term. Although not a required part of the Wikipedia assignment, I find that it reinforces the dashboard’s trainings on evaluating sources according to the credibility of the author and publication. It also teaches students to pay as much, if not more, attention to the sources used in a publication than the text itself. 

I have used the Wikipedia assignment in thirteen courses over the past six years and have been thrilled by the results. Overall, my students have published 180 new articles, edited an additional 492 articles, and added 8,500 references to Wikipedia! Incredibly, their work has received over 13 million views as of spring 2024. But the best part is that my students admit they enjoy the assignment. 

Here are a few examples of what students appreciate about the Wikipedia assignment: 

“The Wikipedia project we had over the course of the semester was very effective in getting us all to participate in the learning process. It helped us to be more involved in research and in learning how to be historians.”

“I loved the Wikipedia project we worked on throughout the semester. We got to pick our own topic and I appreciated what it taught me about doing accurate historical research.”

“I loved the Wikipedia Assignment in this class and using our research skills to be able to put something useful out onto the internet.”

“The incorporation of making a Wikipedia article was the best way to actually be part of making and recording history.”

As reflected in the comments above, students relish the “hands-on” opportunity provided by the Wikipedia assignment to apply what they learn through a medium that allows them to create something that makes a public contribution beyond the classroom. And this is the primary reason why I continue to teach with Wikipedia; it encourages students to become more informed knowledge producers rather than passive consumers of information.

Interested in incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your courses? Visit teach.wikiedu.org to learn more about the free resources, digital tools, and staff support that Wiki Education offers to postsecondary instructors in the United States and Canada. 

As far as the English Wikipedia is concerned, there is no red nor a blue link for the 2024 awardees of the Brewster medal. Its information ends in 2021. The German Wikipedia is up to date. There are no articles for Renée A. Duckworth and for Juan C. Reboreda on both Wikipedias, the German has two red links.

When you maintain information like this, there are three options. You can include an awardee in text or as a link and as luck will have it the link will turn red or blue. This is complicated because a link may have homonyms. With a red link you will only know an homonym issue once an article is created, with a blue link you may know immediately.

The Wikimedia Foundation solved a similar problem a long time ago for another type of link, the "interwiki link".  The solution is Wikidata. It works because there is only one identifier for every topic and every article needs a link to a Wikidata item to have a more global relevance.

Thanks to the ongoing development of Wikidata, there is the Wikibase. We should do a similar job for the red and blue links. It will do away with the false friends problems in Wikipedia. It will improve quality for each Wikipedia and it will improve the quality of Wikidata. Any data related updates that are not strictly local will remain at Wikidata because that helps us in the sharing of the sum of all knowledge.

When a new a link is to be added in any of the 333+ Wikipedias, it starts with disambiguation.. Is the subject already known in any of the other Wikipedias? If not a new Wikidata item will be created and extend options in any future disambiguation. If it is, available information and references are available from the start and consequently a Scholia, a Reasonator or any other generated view of the information may become available dependent on the policies of a Wikipedia.

Implementing such a Wikibase is not really problematic because all the blue links still refer through the local Wikipedia article to Wikidata. The red links are the more tricky bit. They are opened up once they are linked to a Wikidata item. 

With such a Wikibase in place, we can start doing the smart things. The Brewster medal, Q612041, could have a red or blue link to all the awardees. When they don't the article is to be reported for maintenance..

Cool?

     GerardM

07/11/2024-13/11/2024

Mapping

• Requests for comments have been made on these proposals:
  • amenity=travellers_lounge for mapping public seating areas in transport facilities, such as airport lounges or railway station waiting areas.
  • virtual_tour=* to tag virtual 3D tours of places such as museums, hotels, or shops.
  • rental:powerbank=yes, to map stations where users can rent portable power banks to charge mobile devices on the go.
  • addr:milestone=* to allow the tagging of street addresses that use the distance from a reference point as part of the address.
  • languages:official=* and languages:preferred=*, to enable the specification of languages for name rendering, for example the _targeted display of street names in different languages or scripts in map applications.
• The proposal to delete busway=* for bus lanes was accepted with 21 votes in favour, 0 against, and 0 abstentions.

Mapping campaigns

• Julien Minet reported ► on the status of address completion in Wallonia, Belgium, on OpenStreetMap, noting a current coverage of 65.9% compared to the ICAR database, although progress has been slowed by recent adjustments to official address sources. A map shows completion rates per commune, highlighting areas with significant updates, and challenges due to pre-assigned addresses in undeveloped areas.
• If you ever visit Mexico and want to try the delicious esquites/elotes which are sold mostly on street stalls, there’s a collaborative map, so you will know where to find them.
• The 50,000th challenge on MapRoulette, created just this week, marked a significant milestone in the platform’s journey to enabling collaborative map improvement around the world.

Community

• OpenStreetMap Belgium, an independent NGO since 2023, continued to work with key supporters such as TomTom and the Belgian National Crisis Centre, organising events including the first European State of the Map in a decade, and providing updated resources such as free Belgian map tiles twice a year.
• Pieter Vander Vennet explained how OpenStreetMap users can verify their accounts on Mastodon by linking profiles between the two platforms (we reported earlier).

Events

• ^[1] Lars Lingner summarised ► the OpenStreetMap community’s Hackweekend in Berlin, Germany, where over 20 participants worked on creative projects and technical challenges while engaging in an open exchange on social and cartographic issues.
• OpenStreetMap Belgium is hosting a mapathon in Bruges on Friday 29 November to support the Lili app, which helps visually impaired users navigate safely by mapping essential infrastructure such as tactile paving and audio-enabled traffic signals in Bruges.
• On Monday 18 November, during the annual ‘Geography Awareness Week’, HeiGIT, in partnership with Doctors Without Borders, the German Red Cross, and the University of Würzburg, is hosting a mapathon in Heidelberg to produce essential map data for humanitarian aid. The event welcomes participants of all experience levels.
• Mapping USA 2025, a virtual OpenStreetMap conference, is taking place on 24 and 25 January and will feature two days of talks, workshops, and community-driven discussions to engage mappers and advocates from across the US.
• Geomob’s recent London, England, event to celebrate OpenStreetMap’s 20th birthday, on 18 September, is now available as a video, with slides and audio, thanks to volunteer Andrew Braye.
• Calling all creative minds: #SotM2025 needs a logo. Submission is via email. Deadline: Saturday 30 November at 23:59 UTC. More details can be found on the Wiki page.

OSM research

• A new study presented a dataset of classified building footprints for the US derived from OpenStreetMap data, distinguishing between residential and non-residential buildings. The classification, performed using an unsupervised method based on OSM tags and ancillary geospatial data, has been validated with high accuracy across different regions of the US, indicating its usefulness for urban planning, emergency response, and population studies.

Maps

• 2hu4u has detailed a straightforward way of creating beautiful time-lapse videos of your mapping progress from historical OSM data, all from the comfort of QGIS and without the arduous process of downloading planet files, generating tiles or running a server. In the finished video you can watch the amazing transition, from a nearly blank canvas to a comprehensively mapped Australian city, over 16 years.
• The open-source DeFlock project shows the global locations of automated licence plate readers, with over 5,600 identified worldwide, to raise awareness and help people avoid surveillance; it uses OpenStreetMap to document camera directions and create warning signs.
• Andy Townsend described the development of a ‘rural pedestrian’ vector map for England and Wales, focusing on offline usability. This new vector schema, created with Tilemaker and MapLibre, simplifies the original raster schema by reducing data layers and enhancing feature styling, such as UK/IE road shields and handling of previously missed features such as derelict canal bridges. The vector format reduces map size significantly, making it suitable for offline use.
• Vector tiles are now available on OSMF hardware (we reported earlier). The usage policy is not yet final, but you can use them now, according to Paul Norman. The map style is accessible via the new domain vector.openstreetmap.org and the tiles are available through a MVT address (https://vector.openstreetmap.org/shortbread_v1/{z}/{x}/{y}.mvt). There is a demonstration of the tiles rendered as a map.

OSM in action

• pl6025 has created a map of commercial POIs in Loire (France) on uMap, which can be reproduced > with Overpass queries.
• MetroDreamin’ is an interactive platform where users can design and share custom public transit maps, creating their ideal transit systems while connecting with a community of fellow map enthusiasts.

Open Data

• Daylight Map Distribution v1.58 is the final release of this open geodata project (we reported earlier), concluding its efforts to provide curated and enhanced OSM data. More details about its closure are available in the official announcement.
• Frederik Ramm, of Geofabrik, discussed access to historical OpenStreetMap data, explaining the tools and datasets available to researchers, the limitations due to OSM’s growth and historical changes, and offering assistance in extracting specific data.

Software

• Daniel Schep introduced ‘Ultra v3’ (formerly Overpass Ultra), an enhanced mapping tool that now functions as a MapLibre GL JS IDE. New features include query providers for multiple GIS file formats, auto-sorting of map style directives, bundled icon sprite sheets, fallback glyphs, and an HTML control for adding map titles and custom controls, extending Ultra’s utility for geospatial queries and map customisation.
• The latest update of Jake Coppinger’s Australian Cycleway Stats project improved the efficiency of data processing by adding features such as exclusive cycle lane detection for safer routes on low-speed roads, parallel processing for Australian and international data, and hard-coded Overpass API endpoints for different regions, improving the reliability and speed of data collection for cycleway infrastructure across Australia.
• The Every Door project, funded by NLNet’s NGI0 Commons Fund, focuses on building the best OpenStreetMap mobile editor for point of interest and address capture, with planned features such as vector tiles and customisation to improve mapping and interoperability.
• PinPoi is an app for managing and navigating to Points of Interest (POI) by importing files in various formats (e.g. GPX, GeoJSON, CSV) directly to mobile devices. It supports location-based POI searches and displays results in a list or on a map, integrating with users’ preferred navigation applications.
• TripGeo is offering Map Snake, an interactive map-based game where players navigate a snake on a map to explore different locations, combining geography with classic game elements.
• The VeloPlanner project is an interactive map focusing on European cycle routes and points of interest such as campsites, shelters, and historic sites, using OpenStreetMap data. It’s currently a map viewer, but planned updates include a route planner and detailed surface and infrastructure data. The platform uses a robust tech stack including MapLibre, Planetiler, osm2pgsql, and Elixir, hosted on Heroku and processed by a dedicated server.

Programming

• zabop shared a streamlined workflow for editing OpenStreetMap tags, combining the Overpass API, Python, and MapProxy to efficiently identify, visualise, and edit features, emphasising simplicity and fun in the process.
• ‘Overture to OSM’ is a Python package designed to translate map data from the Overture schema into OpenStreetMap compatible tags, supporting layers such as places, buildings, and addresses, while ensuring OSM compliance.
• Gregory Peony shared a markdown-based validation feedback template for OpenStreetMap task managers, designed to streamline responses by including standard feedback, reasons for validation results, tips for revisiting tasks, and links to resources. This template aims to support efficient communication, guide contributors in accessing relevant data, and encourage constructive feedback through organised, reusable comments.
• HOTOSM’s tech updates for November 2024 highlighted ongoing projects, including the alpha launch of Drone Tasking Manager with OpenDroneMap integration, testing of FastAPI for the Tasking Manager, and development of fAIr 2.0 with YOLOv8 model for building detection, as well as improvements to uMap authentication.

OSM in the media

• For years, two families in Tannhausen suffered ► from unwanted through traffic from hikers, cyclists and motorists who used their garden as a shortcut. The reason was a map error on OpenStreetMap incorrectly identifying the private path as a public path. After the family discovered this, Florian Fränzl familiarised himself with the OpenStreetMap system and corrected the access to ‘private’. In addition, they have put up official ‘no passing through’ signs, which now ensure peace and quiet and protection of their privacy.

Other “geo” things

• Berlin (Germany) has introduced ► a digital overview of all public car parks, which provides real-time information on availability and parking conditions and is intended to make it easier for citizens to find a parking space.
• Lund University’s (Sweden) ‘mGPS’ system can identify locations with high precision using unique bacterial samples and offers new applications in medicine, epidemiology, and forensics.
• In Ukraine, military GNSS spoofing to defend against Russian drones is causing problems for the civilian population, as smartphones switch to the wrong time zones and navigation services display inaccurate location data, leading to confusion and delays.
• Grab has developed its own hyper-local mapping system across Southeast Asia, using input from drivers equipped with special cameras to overcome the challenges of narrow, unmapped roads and improve navigation accuracy, differentiating itself from Google Maps with its regional focus and real-time updates.
• Google’s Open Buildings Dataset, now enhanced with AI-powered temporal updates, provides detailed building footprint data across Africa and Southeast Asia, supporting applications in urban planning, disaster response, and environmental research.
• Last month, the US states of Oklahoma and Texas exchanged 0.54 hectares of territory within a reservoir so that a pipeline could resume sending drinking water to a water works without illegally transporting zebra mussels, an invasive species, across the state border.
• South Korea has accused North Korea of using GNSS jamming signals to interfere with South Korean ships and aircraft, which represents a considerable security risk. The jamming is part of military actions that affect satellite navigation and has already disrupted civilian infrastructure and transport operations.
• Transit App has introduced an offline feature to track the location of underground trains using motion detection and vibration patterns, allowing users to predict their location, update ETAs, and receive stop reminders without GPS or internet, while maintaining complete privacy.
• Phoebe Yu explained, in an amusing video, how the problem of Indian addresses in Google Maps was solved. Spoiler: they include places of interest and shops in the route guidance to provide orientation points.

Upcoming Events

Where	What	Online	When	Country
Град Зрењанин	Okupljanje u Zrenjaninu		2024-11-17
Hannover	OSM-Stammtisch Hannover		2024-11-18
Grenoble	Atelier du groupe local de Grenoble		2024-11-18
	Internationale GeoWoche – Online Mapathon von DRK, HeiGIT, MSF Deutschland & Österreich		2024-11-18
England	OSM UK Online Chat		2024-11-18
	Workshop: OSM tagging standards for informal settlements		2024-11-19
	Missing Maps London: (Online) Mid-Month Mapathon [eng]		2024-11-19
Lyon	Réunion du groupe local de Lyon		2024-11-19
Bonn	182. OSM-Stammtisch Bonn		2024-11-19
City of Edinburgh	OSM Edinburgh Social Meet-up		2024-11-19
	[Online] Map-py Wednesday		2024-11-20
Karlsruhe	Stammtisch Karlsruhe		2024-11-20
València	XI Jornadas Anuales de Wikimedia España		2024-11-22 – 2024-11-24
Gent	Bewakingscamera’s op de kaart (wandeling)		2024-11-22
Bangalore East	OSM Bengaluru Mapping Party		2024-11-23
Lyon	Campus du Libre 2024 – Lyon – France		2024-11-23
Gent	Bewakingscamera’s op de kaart (wandeling)		2024-11-23
명동	국경없는의사회 2024 글로벌 지오위크 매파톤		2024-11-23
Saint-Étienne	Rencontre Saint-Étienne et sud Loire		2024-11-25
San Jose	South Bay Map Night	✓	2024-11-27
Berlin	OSM-Verkehrswende #64	✓	2024-11-26
Düsseldorf	Düsseldorfer OpenStreetMap-Treffen (online)		2024-11-27
Lübeck	148. OSM-Stammtisch Lübeck und Umgebung		2024-11-28
Sint-Michiels	LiLi-app mapathon		2024-11-29
Olomouc	SotM CZ+SK 2024		2024-11-29
ঢাকা	State of the Map Asia		2024-11-29 – 2024-11-30

Note:
If you like to see your event here, please put it into the OSM calendar. Only data which is there, will appear in weeklyOSM.

This weeklyOSM was produced by Elizabete, LuxuryCoop, PierZen, Raquel Dezidério Souto, Strubbl, TheSwavu, YoViajo, barefootstache, derFred, mcliquid, tordans.
We welcome link suggestions for the next issue via this form and look forward to your contributions.

Over the past six months, I’ve tracked my money with hledger—a plain text double-entry accounting system written in Haskell. It’s been surprisingly painless.

My previous attempts to pick up real accounting tools floundered. Hosted tools are privacy nightmares, and my stint with GnuCash didn’t last.

But after stumbling on Dmitry Astapov’s “Full-fledged hledger” wiki¹, it clicked—eventually consistent accounting. Instead of modeling your money all at once, take it one hacking session at a time.

It should be easy to work towards eventual consistency. […] I should be able to [add financial records] bit by little bit, leaving things half-done, and picking them up later with little (mental) effort.

– Dmitry Astapov, Full-Fledged Hledger

2024-01-01 Payday
    income:work      $-100.00
    assets:checking   $100.00

2024-01-01 Payday
    income:work              $-100.00
    assets:checking           $100.00
2024-01-02 QUANSHENG UVK5
    assets:checking          $-29.34
    expenses:fun:radio        $29.34

Transaction Date,Description,Category,Type,Amount,Memo
09/01/2024,DEPOSIT Paycheck,Payment,Payment,1000.00,
09/04/2024,PizzaPals Pizza,Food & Drink,Sale,-42.31,
09/03/2024,Amazon.com*XXXXXXXXY,Shopping,Sale,-35.56,
09/03/2024,OBSIDIAN.MD,Shopping,Sale,-10.00,
09/02/2024,Amazon web services,Personal,Sale,-17.89,

# checking.rules
# --------------
# Map CSV fields → hledger fields[0]
fields date,description,category,type,amount,memo,_
# `account1`: the account for the whole CSV.[1]
account1    assets:checking
account2    expenses:unknown
skip 1

date-format %m/%d/%Y
currency $

if %type Payment
    account2 income:unknown
if %category Food & Drink
    account2 expenses:food:dining

# [0]: <https://hledger.org/hledger.html#field-names>
# [1]: <https://hledger.org/hledger.html#account-field>

$ > 2024-09_checking.journal \
    hledger print \
    --rules-file checking.rules \
    -f 2024-09_checking.csv
$ head 2024-09_checking.journal
2024-09-01 DEPOSIT Paycheck
    assets:checking        $1000.00
    income:unknown        $-1000.00

2024-09-02 Amazon web services
    assets:checking          $-17.89
    expenses:unknown          $17.89

$ hledger incomestatement \
    --depth=2 \
    --file=2024-09_bank.journal

Revenues:
               $1000.00 income:unknown
-----------------------
               $1000.00


Expenses:
                 $42.31 expenses:food
                 $63.45 expenses:unknown
-----------------------
                $105.76
-----------------------
Net:            $894.24

$ hledger areg expenses:unknown \
    --file=2024-09_checking.journal \
    -O csv | \
  csvcut -c description,change | \
  csvlook
| description              | change |
| ------------------------ | ------ |
| OBSIDIAN.MD              |  10.00 |
| Amazon web services      |  17.89 |
| Amazon.com*XXXXXXXXY     |  35.56 |
l

if OBSIDIAN.MD
    account2 expenses:personal:subscriptions
if Amazon web services
    account2 expenses:personal:web:hosting
if Amazon.com
    account2 expenses:personal:shopping:amazon

$ > 2024-09_bank.journal \
    hledger print \
    --rules-file bank.rules \
    -f 2024-09_bank.csv
$ hledger bal expenses \
    --depth=3 \
    --percent \
    -f 2024-09_checking2.journal
              30.0 %  expenses:food:dining
              33.6 %  expenses:personal:shopping
               9.5 %  expenses:personal:subscriptions
              16.9 %  expenses:personal:web
--------------------
             100.0 %

Goals and non-goals

Why am I doing this? For years, I maintained a monthly spreadsheet of account balances. I had a balance sheet. But I still had questions.

Before diving into accounting software, these were my goals:

• Granular understanding of my spending – The big one. This is where my monthly spreadsheet fell short. I knew I had money in the bank—I kept my monthly balance sheet. I budgeted up-front the % of my income I was saving. But I had no idea where my other money was going.
• Data privacy – I’m unwilling to hand the keys to my accounts to YNAB or Mint.
• Increased value over time – The more time I put in, the more value I want to get out—this is what you get from professional tools built for nerds. While I wished for low-effort setup, I wanted the tool to be able to grow to more uses over time.

Non-goals—these are the parts I never cared about:

• Investment tracking – For now, I left this out of scope. Between monthly balances in my spreadsheet and online investing tools’ ability to drill down, I was fine.²
• Taxes – Folks smarter than me help me understand my yearly taxes.³
• Shared system – I may want to share reports from this system, but no one will have to work in it except me.
• Cash – Cash transactions are unimportant to me. I withdraw money from the ATM sometimes. It evaporates.

hledger can track all these things. My setup is flexible enough to support them someday. But that’s unimportant to me right now.

Monthly maintenance

I spend about an hour a month checking in on my money Which frees me to spend time making fancy charts—an activity I perversely enjoy.

Here’s my setup:

$ tree ~/Documents/ledger
.
├── export
│   ├── 2024-balance-sheet.txt
│   └── 2024-income-statement.txt
├── import
│   ├── in
│   │   ├── amazon
│   │   │   └── order-history.csv
│   │   ├── credit
│   │   │   ├── 2024-01-01_2024-02-01.csv
│   │   │   ├── ...
│   │   │   └── 2024-10-01_2024-11-01.csv
│   │   └── debit
│   │       ├── 2024-01-01_2024-02-01.csv
│   │       ├── ...
│   │       └── 2024-10-01_2024-11-01.csv
│   └── journal
│       ├── amazon
│       │   └── order-history.journal
│       ├── credit
│       │   ├── 2024-01-01_2024-02-01.journal
│       │   ├── ...
│       │   └── 2024-10-01_2024-11-01.journal
│       └── debit
│           ├── 2024-01-01_2024-02-01.journal
│           ├── ...
│           └── 2024-10-01_2024-11-01.journal
├── rules
│   ├── amazon
│   │   └── journal.rules
│   ├── credit
│   │   └── journal.rules
│   ├── debit
│   │   └── journal.rules
│   └── common.rules
├── 2024.journal
├── Makefile
└── README

Process:

1. Import – download a CSV for the month from each account and plop it into import/in/<account>/<dates>.csv
2. Make – run make
3. Squint – Look at git diff; if it looks good, git add . && git commit -m "💸" otherwise review hledger areg to see details.

The Makefile generates everything under import/journal:

• journal files from my CSVs using their corresponding rules.
• reports in the export folder

I include all the journal files in the 2024.journal with the line: include ./import/journal/*/*.journal

Here’s the Makefile:

SHELL := /bin/bash
RAW_CSV = $(wildcard import/in/**/*.csv)
JOURNALS = $(foreach file,$(RAW_CSV),$(subst /in/,/journal/,$(patsubst %.csv,%.journal,$(file))))

.PHONY: all
all: $(JOURNALS)
    hledger is -f 2024.journal > export/2024-income-statement.txt
    hledger bs -f 2024.journal > export/2024-balance-sheet.txt

.PHONY clean
clean:
        rm -rf import/journal/**/*.journal

import/journal/%.journal: import/in/%.csv
    @echo "Processing csv $< to $@"
    @echo "---"
    @mkdir -p $(shell dirname $@)
    @hledger print --rules-file rules/$(shell basename $$(dirname $<))/journal.rules -f "$<" > "$@"

If I find anything amiss (e.g., if my balances are different than what the bank tells me), I look at hleger areg. I may tweak my rules or my CSVs and then I run make clean && make and try again.

Simple, plain text accounting made simple.

And if I ever want to dig deeper, hledger’s docs have more to teach. But for now, the balance of effort vs. reward is perfect.

Wikidata did not know the award. 

The list of fellows on the RZS website is formatted in a "last name, first name" format. There are too many fellows so converting it by hand is inconvenient. As so many people are enamoured by ChatGPT, I gave it a spin. ChatGPT does NOT process websites for me. So I copy pasted the list and asked it to change the order of the surname and the first name. 

I asked it who had a Wikipedia article. It could not tell me but it gave me a list of fellows who likely have a Wikipedia article. For many of them I added the award in Wikidata and for some fellows  I added a new Wikidata item. For many of them I linked publications and this results in a nice Scholia for the award. 

It would be really cool when there is a Wikimedia AI that will answer questions like: "for the people in this list change the order of the name and check if these Australian award winners have a Wikipedia article or a Wikidata item". Maybe start with a tool for editors and then open it up to the general public. 

Given that Wikipedia is multilingual, what would be the effect of the data for the answers being all Wikipedias AND Wikidata.. Given that Wikifunctions is language agnostic, why not have functions that are a front end to such a Wikimedia AI?

Thanks,

       GerardM

Wiki Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Gingras, a long-time executive at Google focusing on news, to our Advisory Board. Gingras steps into his role with extensive experience in digital media, deep engagement in the evolution of internet policy relating to the open Internet and a free press, and a strong commitment to Wiki Education’s mission.

“There are few things more foundational than building a society’s communal knowledge,” said Gingras. “Wiki Education’s effort to evangelize and develop Wikipedia authorship are critical to achieving that objective.”

Throughout his 50-year career, Gingras has focused on the advance of news and information systems in an evolving digital society – from the evolution of search engines to enabling the next generation global news ecosystem. 

“Richard’s innovative spirit and deep knowledge about the web will bring invaluable insights to our work,” said Frank Schulenburg, Executive Director of Wiki Education. “His contributions will help us advance our goals and strengthen Wiki Education’s impact in the ever-evolving digital information landscape.“

For many years, Gingras served as the Global Vice President for News. In his current role, Gingras provides strategic guidance on how Google presents news to its users as well as advising Google’s efforts to enable a healthy, open ecosystem for quality journalism, including various programs to enable journalists and news providers to be effective and sustainable in our digital world. 

Gingras co-founded the Center for News, Technology, and Innovation, an independent global policy research center, that seeks to encourage independent, sustainable media, and foster informed public policy conversations to maintain a free press and an open internet. Gingras also served as a member of the Knight Commission o n Trust, Media, and Democracy, and helped found the Trust Project.

His broad experience with digital ventures includes leading Salon.com, as well as positions at Apple, the @Home Network, and the Excite search engine. Gingras also serves on the boards of the First Amendment Coalition, the International Center for Journalists, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the UC Berkeley School of Journalism and PRX, the public media podcast network.

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