2019:Technology outreach & innovation/Wikidata Problems: Workshop on obstacles to faster Wikidata acceptance and how to overcome them
 | This is an Accepted submission for the Technology space at Wikimania 2019. |
Description
[edit | edit source]
There still seems to be substantial resistance to Wikidata, claiming, e.g. that Wikidata items “should rarely be used in the article space until they are 99% finished/accurate/etc.” This view is reinforced by the facts that Wikipedia:Template:Cite Q seems not to have companion versions in Spanish or even German(!), and I've so far not been able to use {{cite Q|...}} in commons.wikimedia, meta.wikimedia nor wikimania.wikimedia.
Can we make plans that combine software enhancements with improving documentation and reopening contentious requests for comments from 2017 to deal explicitly with many of the most pressing concerns of opponents in ways that could accelerate deployment and use of Wikidata?
To facilitate this workshop, archived discussion of these issues will be reviewed (e.g., w:Wikipedia:Templates for discussion/Log/2017 September 15#Template:Cite Q) and at least some of the contributors to that discussion (or those discussions) will be invited to contribute comments on the "Discussion" page associated with this proposal and the results of that will be summarized in pages listing "Concerns about Wikidata" that will be distributed to Workshop participants to help focus their discussions.
Relationship to the theme
[edit | edit source]This session will address the conference theme — Wikimedia, Free Knowledge and the Sustainable Development Goals — in the following manner:
This workshop is designed to improve the planning for improving the Wikidata software and documentation, thereby contributing to sustainable development goal 9 on “Industry, innovation and infrastructure”.
Session outcomes
[edit | edit source]At the end of the session, the following will have been achieved:
- A discussion of existing concerns about Wikidata.
- First steps toward planning for (a) improving the software, (b) improving the documentation, and (c) reopening the contentious discussions from 2017 of concerns about Wikidata. Wikidata supporters could contribute to the discussions after the Wikidata core team improves the software and documentation.
Session leader(s)
[edit | edit source]- User:DavidMCEddy, a convinced Wikidata user.
- w:User:Lydia Pintscher (WMDE)
Contacts
[edit | edit source]- spencer point graves at effectivedefense point org [a.k.a. DavidMCEddy]
Session type
[edit | edit source]Each Space at Wikimania 2019 will have specific format requests. The program design prioritises submissions which are future-oriented and directly engage the audience. The format of this submission is a:
- Workshop to identify and try to solve a problem
Requirements
[edit | edit source]The session will work best with these conditions:
- Room with round tables for maybe 2-3 dozen people with a projector, screen, and a flip chart for each table.
- Audience: 6-36 with some exposure to Wikidata, both pro and against.
- Recording: A workshop like this would not likely be suitable for recording.