Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] Farewell

[Bishakha Datta]

Dear Hisham,



I’m thinking back on your time here and want to thank you for so much that
you’ve done and built in these one and a half years. For setting up things
from scratch when there was neither a team nor an office and you were on
your own. For building and motivating a small team to venture into unknown
terrain (and for even daring to step into this terrain) without any
surefire guarantee of success. For tirelessly and successfully supporting
many Indic language wikipedias and the first-ever community-led
WikiConference India. For keeping up team morale in the difficult days
following the India Education program. For reaching out to hundreds of
people in India through any means necessary to create new editors. And,
yes, for being bold.



One of the things that makes this kind of work difficult is not just its
newness or its experimental unsure nature, but also its publicness.
Brickbats pour in much faster than bouquets in public fora, creating a
narrative of their own that is hard to buck. I want to thank you for being
able to smell the roses, for having a tough enough hide to survive the
brickbats while continuing to steer India programs and motivating your team
to do its best. I also want to urge the Wikimedia India community to be
constructive and rigorous in holding India programs accountable in its next
avatar - without being destructive or personal.



You’ve laid a very solid foundation for India programs that I expect the
team will continue to build on. I hope you enjoy your remaining time here
and leave with many more good memories than bad.



Will miss you, my friend!

Bishakha

On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 4:11 PM, Hisham  wrote:

> Dear India Community
>
>
> I'm writing to inform you that I plan to leave my current role supporting
> Wikimedia in India.  I am going to be exploring opportunities and
> evaluating options that are closer to my career aspirations and my personal
> circumstances.  I will be working through to ensure that there is a smooth
> transition - and this is likely to take 2-3 months.  I am writing now
> because I felt it appropriate and opportune to inform you as early as
> possible.
>
> I want to start off by thanking the Wikimedia community and movement for
> giving me this extraordinary opportunity.  Working on something like India
> Program has been something that has been professionally enriching and
> personally fulfilling. Over the past 1 1/2 years, I have been supported by
> so many of you - and I want to thank you for everything you have done!  The
> passion and intellectual firepower of our community has been my constant
> source of drive and guidance.  There are so many examples of powerful
> stories from all over the country: the incredible efforts put in by the IEP
> Campus Ambassadors in Pune; the army of volunteers that drove the outreach
> push across the country in the first few months of this year; the beautiful
> stories of fantastic community initiatives from far and wide across the
> country and sub-continent, and indeed the world; the remarkable stories
> from so many communities - large, small and tiny ones!
>
> I want to thank the team that I have had the pleasure and privilege of
> working with - Nitika, Noopur, Shiju & Subha.  You guys have been
> wonderful.  The work that we are doing is experimental and we have been
> innovating every day, and I know the circumstances have not always been
> easy.  Take strength and inspiration from the large number of community
> members who have been touched by you and appreciate your efforts and value
> your work.
>
> I will send an actual "over and out" message later.  In the meantime, I
> will continue to work on everything that needs working on.
>
> Happy Editing!
>
> Warmest Regards,
>
> *hisham*
> *
> *
>
> ___
> Wikimediaindia-l mailing list
> Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
>
>
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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] Farewell

[Deepon Saha]

I really don't know what to say, you never expect this kind of mail in the
inbox while simply doing a routine check at 8am.. Hisham has been very
supportive from each & every  aspect...Be it the education program/outreach
sessions/innovative ideas to promote Wikipedia. Many disagreed with his
viewpoint, but that never hampered the personal relationship they had with
Hisham.

Personally, I am not going to miss Hisham, no, as I will still be in touch
with him & I am sure he will keep on editing in Wikipedia with the same
passion...:)  But yes, we will miss him on a professional level.

I think Viswaprabha expressed everything we all intend to say..
Here's wishing you all the best for your future endeavor!!! :) :)

Take care,

Deepon

On Tue, Jul 31, 2012 at 1:49 AM, Samuel Klein  wrote:

> Hisham,
>
> You will be dearly missed!
> Viswam, your note was most beautiful.
>
> Sam.
>
> On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 2:24 PM, ViswaPrabha (വിശ്വപ്രഭ) <
> viswapra...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> In the course of an epic, great men march in and march out.
>>
>> But some pages are made just for them. They would sit there within the
>> volumes, get scribbled and read by a few and turn first pale and then
>> golden over the time.
>>
>> Hisham, you have made a mark of your own.
>>
>> Time will recall you when the milestones get counted.
>>
>> And by then, have a great family life with the upcoming bonus bundle of
>> joy!
>>
>> :)
>>
>> From toddler to toddler, do you walk firm!
>> From Wikipedia (en-in... i.e.) to the blooming bud, do you march brave!
>>
>> -Viswam
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 11:39 PM, Theo10011  wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 4:11 PM, Hisham  wrote:
>>>
 Dear India Community

 I'm writing to inform you that I plan to leave my current role
 supporting Wikimedia in India.  I am going to be exploring opportunities
 and evaluating options that are closer to my career aspirations and my
 personal circumstances.  I will be working through to ensure that there is
 a smooth transition - and this is likely to take 2-3 months.  I am writing
 now because I felt it appropriate and opportune to inform you as early as
 possible.

 I want to start off by thanking the Wikimedia community and movement
 for giving me this extraordinary opportunity.  Working on something like
 India Program has been something that has been professionally enriching and
 personally fulfilling. Over the past 1 1/2 years, I have been supported by
 so many of you - and I want to thank you for everything you have done!  The
 passion and intellectual firepower of our community has been my constant
 source of drive and guidance.  There are so many examples of powerful
 stories from all over the country: the incredible efforts put in by the IEP
 Campus Ambassadors in Pune; the army of volunteers that drove the outreach
 push across the country in the first few months of this year; the beautiful
 stories of fantastic community initiatives from far and wide across the
 country and sub-continent, and indeed the world; the remarkable stories
 from so many communities - large, small and tiny ones!

 I want to thank the team that I have had the pleasure and privilege of
 working with - Nitika, Noopur, Shiju & Subha.  You guys have been
 wonderful.  The work that we are doing is experimental and we have been
 innovating every day, and I know the circumstances have not always been
 easy.  Take strength and inspiration from the large number of community
 members who have been touched by you and appreciate your efforts and value
 your work.

 I will send an actual "over and out" message later.  In the meantime, I
 will continue to work on everything that needs working on.

 Happy Editing!

 Warmest Regards,

 *hisham*
 *
 *

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 Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
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>>> I am very surprised by this announcement. I wasn't expecting anything
>>> like this.
>>>
>>> What might seem surprising to learn is, I used to talk to Hisham since
>>> the beginning and we never really stopped talking in the last year. We
>>> would meet every month or so, for coffee or lunch. We disagreed about a lot
>>> of things, but absolutely none of it ever affected the personal
>>> relationship we had. I suppose we were capable of separating that. I
>>> certainly didn't make his job any easier, but I was always direct with my
>>> opinions. I hope he forgoes any transgressions.
>>>
>>> He would invite me to meet-ups, occasionally ask for help with
>>> something, and I helped when I could, sometimes even through our most
>>> strongest disagreements. I could disagree with him, criti

[Wikimediaindia-l] Fwd: [Wikimedia-l] IRC office hours with the Wikimedia Fellows

[Tanvir Rahman]

FYI. :-)

-- Forwarded message --
From: "Siko Bouterse" 
Date: Jul 31, 2012 3:36 AM
Subject: [Wikimedia-l] IRC office hours with the Wikimedia Fellows
To: 

Hi all,
The Wikimedia Fellows program will be holding IRC office hours in
#wikimedia-office this Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 21:00 UTC.  Fellows
Tanvir Rahman, Peter Coombe, Jon Harald Søby, Steven Zhang, Sarah Stierch
and Jonathan Morgan will be there to discuss their current fellowship
projects (exact topics TBD based on who shows up with
questions/comments/feedback), and I'll take any questions on the
fellowships program that you may have.[1][2]  As always, links to time
conversion and other office hour info is on Meta.[3]  Hope to see you there!
Best wishes,
Siko

1. http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fellowship_News/Current, and this should
be even more current by Thursday :-)
2. http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Fellowships
3. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/IRC_office_hours

--
Siko Bouterse
Head of Community Fellowships
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

sboute...@wikimedia.org
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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] Farewell

[Samuel Klein]

Hisham,

You will be dearly missed!
Viswam, your note was most beautiful.

Sam.

On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 2:24 PM, ViswaPrabha (വിശ്വപ്രഭ) <
viswapra...@gmail.com> wrote:

> In the course of an epic, great men march in and march out.
>
> But some pages are made just for them. They would sit there within the
> volumes, get scribbled and read by a few and turn first pale and then
> golden over the time.
>
> Hisham, you have made a mark of your own.
>
> Time will recall you when the milestones get counted.
>
> And by then, have a great family life with the upcoming bonus bundle of
> joy!
>
> :)
>
> From toddler to toddler, do you walk firm!
> From Wikipedia (en-in... i.e.) to the blooming bud, do you march brave!
>
> -Viswam
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 11:39 PM, Theo10011  wrote:
>
>> On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 4:11 PM, Hisham  wrote:
>>
>>> Dear India Community
>>>
>>> I'm writing to inform you that I plan to leave my current role
>>> supporting Wikimedia in India.  I am going to be exploring opportunities
>>> and evaluating options that are closer to my career aspirations and my
>>> personal circumstances.  I will be working through to ensure that there is
>>> a smooth transition - and this is likely to take 2-3 months.  I am writing
>>> now because I felt it appropriate and opportune to inform you as early as
>>> possible.
>>>
>>> I want to start off by thanking the Wikimedia community and movement for
>>> giving me this extraordinary opportunity.  Working on something like India
>>> Program has been something that has been professionally enriching and
>>> personally fulfilling. Over the past 1 1/2 years, I have been supported by
>>> so many of you - and I want to thank you for everything you have done!  The
>>> passion and intellectual firepower of our community has been my constant
>>> source of drive and guidance.  There are so many examples of powerful
>>> stories from all over the country: the incredible efforts put in by the IEP
>>> Campus Ambassadors in Pune; the army of volunteers that drove the outreach
>>> push across the country in the first few months of this year; the beautiful
>>> stories of fantastic community initiatives from far and wide across the
>>> country and sub-continent, and indeed the world; the remarkable stories
>>> from so many communities - large, small and tiny ones!
>>>
>>> I want to thank the team that I have had the pleasure and privilege of
>>> working with - Nitika, Noopur, Shiju & Subha.  You guys have been
>>> wonderful.  The work that we are doing is experimental and we have been
>>> innovating every day, and I know the circumstances have not always been
>>> easy.  Take strength and inspiration from the large number of community
>>> members who have been touched by you and appreciate your efforts and value
>>> your work.
>>>
>>> I will send an actual "over and out" message later.  In the meantime, I
>>> will continue to work on everything that needs working on.
>>>
>>> Happy Editing!
>>>
>>> Warmest Regards,
>>>
>>> *hisham*
>>> *
>>> *
>>>
>>> ___
>>> Wikimediaindia-l mailing list
>>> Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
>>> To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit
>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
>>>
>>>
>> I am very surprised by this announcement. I wasn't expecting anything
>> like this.
>>
>> What might seem surprising to learn is, I used to talk to Hisham since
>> the beginning and we never really stopped talking in the last year. We
>> would meet every month or so, for coffee or lunch. We disagreed about a lot
>> of things, but absolutely none of it ever affected the personal
>> relationship we had. I suppose we were capable of separating that. I
>> certainly didn't make his job any easier, but I was always direct with my
>> opinions. I hope he forgoes any transgressions.
>>
>> He would invite me to meet-ups, occasionally ask for help with something,
>> and I helped when I could, sometimes even through our most strongest
>> disagreements. I could disagree with him, criticize him in the strongest
>> tone, and yet, we can still sit down for lunch and laugh. I could ask him
>> for life advice, talk about our families, and none of it had to be about
>> Wikimedia.
>>
>> This was an unfortunate situation, and I never really had a direct
>> problem with Hisham. It was the larger decisions and the position he was
>> placed in. I would hold others responsible before him, as I have an inkling
>> that even this was someone else's decision.
>>
>> I'm going to miss talking to him.
>>
>> Kind Regards
>> Theo
>>
>>
>> P.S. Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than to remember me
>> and cry.
>>
>>
>> ___
>> Wikimediaindia-l mailing list
>> Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
>> To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit
>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
>>
>>
>
> __

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] Farewell

[വിശ്വപ്രഭ]

In the course of an epic, great men march in and march out.

But some pages are made just for them. They would sit there within the
volumes, get scribbled and read by a few and turn first pale and then
golden over the time.

Hisham, you have made a mark of your own.

Time will recall you when the milestones get counted.

And by then, have a great family life with the upcoming bonus bundle of joy!

:)

>From toddler to toddler, do you walk firm!
>From Wikipedia (en-in... i.e.) to the blooming bud, do you march brave!

-Viswam



On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 11:39 PM, Theo10011  wrote:

> On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 4:11 PM, Hisham  wrote:
>
>> Dear India Community
>>
>> I'm writing to inform you that I plan to leave my current role supporting
>> Wikimedia in India.  I am going to be exploring opportunities and
>> evaluating options that are closer to my career aspirations and my personal
>> circumstances.  I will be working through to ensure that there is a smooth
>> transition - and this is likely to take 2-3 months.  I am writing now
>> because I felt it appropriate and opportune to inform you as early as
>> possible.
>>
>> I want to start off by thanking the Wikimedia community and movement for
>> giving me this extraordinary opportunity.  Working on something like India
>> Program has been something that has been professionally enriching and
>> personally fulfilling. Over the past 1 1/2 years, I have been supported by
>> so many of you - and I want to thank you for everything you have done!  The
>> passion and intellectual firepower of our community has been my constant
>> source of drive and guidance.  There are so many examples of powerful
>> stories from all over the country: the incredible efforts put in by the IEP
>> Campus Ambassadors in Pune; the army of volunteers that drove the outreach
>> push across the country in the first few months of this year; the beautiful
>> stories of fantastic community initiatives from far and wide across the
>> country and sub-continent, and indeed the world; the remarkable stories
>> from so many communities - large, small and tiny ones!
>>
>> I want to thank the team that I have had the pleasure and privilege of
>> working with - Nitika, Noopur, Shiju & Subha.  You guys have been
>> wonderful.  The work that we are doing is experimental and we have been
>> innovating every day, and I know the circumstances have not always been
>> easy.  Take strength and inspiration from the large number of community
>> members who have been touched by you and appreciate your efforts and value
>> your work.
>>
>> I will send an actual "over and out" message later.  In the meantime, I
>> will continue to work on everything that needs working on.
>>
>> Happy Editing!
>>
>> Warmest Regards,
>>
>> *hisham*
>> *
>> *
>>
>> ___
>> Wikimediaindia-l mailing list
>> Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
>> To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit
>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
>>
>>
> I am very surprised by this announcement. I wasn't expecting anything like
> this.
>
> What might seem surprising to learn is, I used to talk to Hisham since the
> beginning and we never really stopped talking in the last year. We would
> meet every month or so, for coffee or lunch. We disagreed about a lot of
> things, but absolutely none of it ever affected the personal relationship
> we had. I suppose we were capable of separating that. I certainly didn't
> make his job any easier, but I was always direct with my opinions. I hope
> he forgoes any transgressions.
>
> He would invite me to meet-ups, occasionally ask for help with something,
> and I helped when I could, sometimes even through our most strongest
> disagreements. I could disagree with him, criticize him in the strongest
> tone, and yet, we can still sit down for lunch and laugh. I could ask him
> for life advice, talk about our families, and none of it had to be about
> Wikimedia.
>
> This was an unfortunate situation, and I never really had a direct problem
> with Hisham. It was the larger decisions and the position he was placed in.
> I would hold others responsible before him, as I have an inkling that even
> this was someone else's decision.
>
> I'm going to miss talking to him.
>
> Kind Regards
> Theo
>
>
> P.S. Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than to remember me
> and cry.
>
>
> ___
> Wikimediaindia-l mailing list
> Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
>
>
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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] Farewell

[Theo10011]

On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 4:11 PM, Hisham  wrote:

> Dear India Community
>
> I'm writing to inform you that I plan to leave my current role supporting
> Wikimedia in India.  I am going to be exploring opportunities and
> evaluating options that are closer to my career aspirations and my personal
> circumstances.  I will be working through to ensure that there is a smooth
> transition - and this is likely to take 2-3 months.  I am writing now
> because I felt it appropriate and opportune to inform you as early as
> possible.
>
> I want to start off by thanking the Wikimedia community and movement for
> giving me this extraordinary opportunity.  Working on something like India
> Program has been something that has been professionally enriching and
> personally fulfilling. Over the past 1 1/2 years, I have been supported by
> so many of you - and I want to thank you for everything you have done!  The
> passion and intellectual firepower of our community has been my constant
> source of drive and guidance.  There are so many examples of powerful
> stories from all over the country: the incredible efforts put in by the IEP
> Campus Ambassadors in Pune; the army of volunteers that drove the outreach
> push across the country in the first few months of this year; the beautiful
> stories of fantastic community initiatives from far and wide across the
> country and sub-continent, and indeed the world; the remarkable stories
> from so many communities - large, small and tiny ones!
>
> I want to thank the team that I have had the pleasure and privilege of
> working with - Nitika, Noopur, Shiju & Subha.  You guys have been
> wonderful.  The work that we are doing is experimental and we have been
> innovating every day, and I know the circumstances have not always been
> easy.  Take strength and inspiration from the large number of community
> members who have been touched by you and appreciate your efforts and value
> your work.
>
> I will send an actual "over and out" message later.  In the meantime, I
> will continue to work on everything that needs working on.
>
> Happy Editing!
>
> Warmest Regards,
>
> *hisham*
> *
> *
>
> ___
> Wikimediaindia-l mailing list
> Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
>
>
I am very surprised by this announcement. I wasn't expecting anything like
this.

What might seem surprising to learn is, I used to talk to Hisham since the
beginning and we never really stopped talking in the last year. We would
meet every month or so, for coffee or lunch. We disagreed about a lot of
things, but absolutely none of it ever affected the personal relationship
we had. I suppose we were capable of separating that. I certainly didn't
make his job any easier, but I was always direct with my opinions. I hope
he forgoes any transgressions.

He would invite me to meet-ups, occasionally ask for help with something,
and I helped when I could, sometimes even through our most strongest
disagreements. I could disagree with him, criticize him in the strongest
tone, and yet, we can still sit down for lunch and laugh. I could ask him
for life advice, talk about our families, and none of it had to be about
Wikimedia.

This was an unfortunate situation, and I never really had a direct problem
with Hisham. It was the larger decisions and the position he was placed in.
I would hold others responsible before him, as I have an inkling that even
this was someone else's decision.

I'm going to miss talking to him.

Kind Regards
Theo


P.S. Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than to remember me
and cry.
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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] FOSS.in - call for proposals open till 8 July

[Srikanth Lakshmanan]

On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 9:53 PM, Gautam John wrote:

> Is anyone planning a submission? A stall? Will we have a presence at
> FOSS.IN?
>

Yuvipanda has made a submission(and waiting for CfP confirmation) on
Mediawiki API and we might use the hackerspace as well if his talk gets
accepted. Shall keep the list posted. I am not sure if anyone is planning
on a generic Wikipedia stall @ FOSS.IN

-- 
Regards
Srikanth.L
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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] FOSS.in - call for proposals open till 8 July

[Gautam John]

Is anyone planning a submission? A stall? Will we have a presence at FOSS.IN?

Thank you.

Best,

Gautam

http://blog.prathambooks.org/p/social-media.html

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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] [Wikimedia-l] Changes to India Program

[Ravishankar]

Answered here:

http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/India_Program/India_Program_Announcement_and_FAQ_-_30_July_2012#Did_the_grant_go_through_the_Wikimedia_Grants_Program_process.3F

On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 5:48 PM, Béria Lima  wrote:

> *We are pleased to announce that the Wikimedia Foundation has approved a
>> grant to the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) in Bangalore*
>>
>
> Without GAC review?
> _
> *Béria Lima*
>
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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] Changes to the India Program

[Gautam John]

Thank you, Barry.

I am sorry to see Hisham go and am grateful for his assistance in
getting IP off the ground in India and initiating a broader range of
engagement with communities, individuals and organisations than
previously existed. As you said, there have been ups and downs but we
have all learned so much. Good luck, Hisham and you will be missed!

I cannot think of a better organisation than CIS to house the the
program - they have been such strong supporters of the community, the
Chapter and the movement and it does seem to dovetail very well.

Good luck everyone!

Best,

Gautam

http://blog.prathambooks.org/p/social-media.html


On 30 July 2012 16:17, Barry Newstead  wrote:
> Dear India Wikimedia community,
>
> As a follow up to Hisham's message, I would like to thank Hisham for his
> efforts in support of Wikimedia in India.  He has been a great partner to
> the Wikimedia Foundation team and has worked tirelessly to build the India
> Program.  He has worked in a challenging environment trying to do work in
> the Wikimedia movement that hasn’t been done before.  While there have been
> ups and downs, our work in India has broken new ground for the movement and
> taught us all valuable lessons that we are applying in India and around the
> world.  There is an unprecedented level of activity happening in India with
> promising programs that position the movement for continued growth.
>
> Hisham also leaves behind an India Program that is working effectively with
> community members on a number of positive initiatives including community
> growth partnerships in several Indic languages, support for a new Malayalam
> education program, a GLAM partnership at the Crafts Museum, new wikiclubs at
> the British Council, ongoing efforts to leverage social media, and a
> dramatic increase in blog coverage of the India community’s work. There are
> also exciting developments on mobile that will be announced soon. This work
> will continue.
>
> Hisham’s departure coincides with another change in the India Program. We
> are pleased to announce that the Wikimedia Foundation has approved a grant
> to the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) in Bangalore to expand their
> Access to Knowledge programme to support the achievement of the Wikimedia
> mission in India.  CIS is a leading organization in India working on
> Internet policy. They are part of the broad free and open community. CIS is
> a long time friend of Wikimedia, our community in Bangalore, and the
> Wikimedia India chapter.
>
> CIS has committed to sustaining and building upon the work of the India
> Program. They plan to hire the existing program consultants as staff and
> will conduct a search for a new programme director. The program team will be
> based in Delhi. CIS will be sharing their program plans shortly and will
> want to incorporate community feedback.
>
> The grant will be for two years in duration to complete the original first
> stage of the catalyst strategy. The first year’s grant will be for a total
> of INR 11,000,000 subject to final budget approvals. The second year will be
> for a similar amount plus inflation subject to a budget review in May 2013.
> The grant will be renewable via the Wikimedia Grants program (or the FDC, if
> CIS were to become an affiliated organization and meet eligibility).
>
> This is a shift in how the Wikimedia Foundation seeks to support work in
> India. Rather than hire consultants or open an office of our own, we think
> it is preferable to work with an established institution that can bring
> valuable relationships and capabilities to support our movement.  CIS will
> be a partner to the Wikimedia Foundation, but will operate autonomously in
> accordance with the terms of the grant agreement.
>
> CIS will hire a programme director for the work.  The recruitment process
> will draw on the best practices Wikimedia used in Brazil and incorporate
> active community participation in the process. They will share more info on
> this soon.
>
> We have prepared an FAQ on Meta[1] and ask that questions or comments be
> posted there.  I will endeavour to respond in a timely fashion, though I
> will be on a flight until 20:00 UTC tonight and will be in meetings in Dubai
> on Tuesday morning.
>
> Finally, I'd like to wish Hisham all the best in his future endeavours. He
> has taken us through a critical first stage of our work in India and set us
> up for significant progress during the next stage. He will be missed and I
> hope he will stay a part of the Wikimedia community in India.
>
> Best regards,
> Barry
>
> [1]
> http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/India_Program/India_Program_Announcement_and_FAQ_-_30_July_2012
>
> --
> Barry Newstead
> Chief Global Development Officer
> Wikimedia Foundation
>
> Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in
> the sum of all knowledge.  Help us make it a reality!
>
> Donate to Wikimedia
>
>
> ___
> Wiki

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] IRC on EC elections for this year,

[Gautam John]

No. It's not mandatory. This is only to clarify questions there may be.

Thank you.

Best,

Gautam

http://blog.prathambooks.org/p/social-media.html


On 30 July 2012 16:16, Srikanth Ramakrishnan  wrote:
> Gautam, is it mandatory to attend this IRC? Several chapter members I
> know, want to stand for elections, but will be unable to attend this
> IRC.
>
> --
> Regards,
> Srikanth Ramakrishnan.
>
> Sign this petition to introduce Volvo buses in Coimbatore city:
> https://www.change.org/en-IN/petitions/the-transport-minister-tamil-nadu-introduction-of-volvo-city-buses-in-the-city-of-coimbatore
>
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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] Farewell

[Achal Prabhala]

You will be missed, Hisham, and it's really good to know that you are 
around for the next few months.


Take care,
Achal

On Monday 30 July 2012 04:07 PM, Hisham wrote:

Dear Bangalore Community

I'm writing to inform you that I plan to leave my current role 
supporting Wikimedia in India.  I am going to be exploring 
opportunities and evaluating options that are closer to my career 
aspirations and my personal circumstances.  I will be working through 
to ensure that there is a smooth transition - and this is likely to 
take 2-3 months.  I am writing now because I felt it appropriate and 
opportune to inform you as early as possible.


I want to start off by thanking the Wikimedia community and movement 
for giving me this extraordinary opportunity.  Working on something 
like India Program has been something that has been professionally 
enriching and personally fulfilling. Over the past 1 1/2 years, I have 
been supported by so many of you - and I want to thank you for 
everything you have done!  The passion and intellectual firepower of 
our community has been my constant source of drive and guidance. 
 There are so many examples of powerful stories from all over the 
country: the incredible efforts put in by the IEP Campus Ambassadors 
in Pune; the army of volunteers that drove the outreach push across 
the country in the first few months of this year; the beautiful 
stories of fantastic community initiatives from far and wide across 
the country and sub-continent, and indeed the world; the remarkable 
stories from so many communities - large, small and tiny ones!


I want to thank the team that I have had the pleasure and privilege of 
working with - Nitika, Noopur, Shiju & Subha.  You guys have been 
wonderful.  The work that we are doing is experimental and we have 
been innovating every day, and I know the circumstances have not 
always been easy.  Take strength and inspiration from the large number 
of community members who have been touched by you and appreciate your 
efforts and value your work.


I will send an actual "over and out" message later.  In the meantime, 
I will continue to work on everything that needs working on.


Happy Editing!

Warmest Regards,

*/hisham/*
*/
/*


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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] [Wikimedia-l] Changes to India Program

[Béria Lima]

>
> *We are pleased to announce that the Wikimedia Foundation has approved a
> grant to the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) in Bangalore*
>

Without GAC review?
_
*Béria Lima*

*Imagine um mundo onde é dada a qualquer pessoa a possibilidade de ter
livre acesso ao somatório de todo o conhecimento humano. Ajude-nos a
construir esse sonho. *


On 30 July 2012 07:48, Barry Newstead (WMF)  wrote:

> Dear global Wikimedia community,
>
> As a follow up to Hisham's message, I would like to thank Hisham for his
> efforts in support of Wikimedia in India.  He has been a great partner to
> the Wikimedia Foundation team and has worked tirelessly to build the India
> Program.  He has worked in a challenging environment trying to do work in
> the Wikimedia movement that hasn’t been done before.  While there have been
> ups and downs, our work in India has broken new ground for the movement and
> taught us all valuable lessons that we are applying in India and around the
> world.  There is an unprecedented level of activity happening in India with
> promising programs that position the movement for continued growth.
>
> Hisham also leaves behind an India Program that is working effectively
> with community members on a number of positive initiatives including
> community growth partnerships in several Indic languages, support for a new
> Malayalam education program, a GLAM partnership at the Crafts Museum, new
> wikiclubs at the British Council, ongoing efforts to leverage social media,
> and a dramatic increase in blog coverage of the India community’s work.
> There are also exciting developments on mobile that will be announced soon.
> This work will continue.
>
> Hisham’s departure coincides with another change in the India Program. We
> are pleased to announce that the Wikimedia Foundation has approved a grant
> to the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) in Bangalore to expand their
> Access to Knowledge programme to support the achievement of the Wikimedia
> mission in India.  CIS is a leading organization in India working on
> Internet policy. They are part of the broad free and open community. CIS is
> a long time friend of Wikimedia, our community in Bangalore, and the
> Wikimedia India chapter.
>
> CIS has committed to sustaining and building upon the work of the India
> Program. They plan to hire the existing program consultants as staff and
> will conduct a search for a new programme director. The program team will
> be based in Delhi. CIS will be sharing their program plans shortly and will
> want to incorporate community feedback.
>
> The grant will be for two years in duration to complete the original first
> stage of the catalyst strategy. The first year’s grant will be for a total
> of INR 11,000,000 subject to final budget approvals. The second year will
> be for a similar amount plus inflation subject to a budget review in May
> 2013. The grant will be renewable via the Wikimedia Grants program (or the
> FDC, if CIS were to become an affiliated organization and meet eligibility).
>
> This is a shift in how the Wikimedia Foundation seeks to support work in
> India. Rather than hire consultants or open an office of our own, we think
> it is preferable to work with an established institution that can bring
> valuable relationships and capabilities to support our movement.  CIS will
> be a partner to the Wikimedia Foundation, but will operate autonomously in
> accordance with the terms of the grant agreement.
>
> CIS will hire a programme director for the work.  The recruitment process
> will draw on the best practices Wikimedia used in Brazil and incorporate
> active community participation in the process. They will share more info on
> this soon.
>
> We have prepared an FAQ on Meta[1] and ask that questions or comments be
> posted there.  I will endeavour to respond in a timely fashion, though I
> will be on a flight until 20:00 UTC tonight and will be in meetings in
> Dubai on Tuesday morning.
>
> Finally, I'd like to wish Hisham all the best in his future endeavours. He
> has taken us through a critical first stage of our work in India and set us
> up for significant progress during the next stage. He will be missed and I
> hope he will stay a part of the Wikimedia community in India.
>
> Best regards,
> Barry
>
> [1]
> http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/India_Program/India_Program_Announcement_and_FAQ_-_30_July_2012
>
> --
> Barry Newstead
> Chief Global Development Officer
> Wikimedia Foundation
>
> ___
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> wikimedi...@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
>
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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] [Wikimedia-l] Changes to India Program

[Arjuna Rao Chavala]

On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 4:26 PM, Sunil Abraham  wrote:

> Dear Wikipedians,
>
> On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 4:18 PM, Barry Newstead (WMF)
>  wrote:
> >
> > Hisham’s departure coincides with another change in the India Program.
> We are pleased to announce that the Wikimedia Foundation has approved a
> grant to the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) in Bangalore to expand
> their Access to Knowledge programme to support the achievement of the
> Wikimedia mission in India.
>
Thanks Barry for the update.

Congratulations to  Sunil and CIS.

Wishing  CIS and WMF all the best for the initiative.

Arjuna Rao Chavala
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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] Farewell

[Jyoti Prakash Nath]

It was great to work with you. Thanx a lot for your support to the Assamese 
Wikipedia Community. 


Wish you a bright future ahead.

Goodbye Hisham 

 

Regards
Jyoti Prakash Nath




>
> From: Hisham 
>To: Wikimedia India Community list  
>Sent: Monday, 30 July 2012 4:11 PM
>Subject: [Wikimediaindia-l] Farewell
> 
>
>Dear India Community
>
>I'm writing to inform you that I plan to leave my current role supporting 
>Wikimedia in India.  I am going to be exploring opportunities and evaluating 
>options that are closer to my career aspirations and my personal 
>circumstances.  I will be working through to ensure that there is a smooth 
>transition - and this is likely to take 2-3 months.  I am writing now because 
>I felt it appropriate and opportune to inform you as early as possible. 
>
>I want to start off by thanking the Wikimedia community and movement for 
>giving me this extraordinary opportunity.  Working on something like India 
>Program has been something that has been professionally enriching and 
>personally fulfilling. Over the past 1 1/2 years, I have been supported by so 
>many of you - and I want to thank you for everything you have done!  The 
>passion and intellectual firepower of our community has been my constant 
>source of drive and guidance.  There are so many examples of powerful stories 
>from all over the country: the incredible efforts put in by the IEP Campus 
>Ambassadors in Pune; the army of volunteers that drove the outreach push 
>across the country in the first few months of this year; the beautiful stories 
>of fantastic community initiatives from far and wide across the country and 
>sub-continent, and indeed the world; the remarkable stories from so many 
>communities - large, small and tiny ones!
>
>I want to thank the team that I have had the pleasure and privilege of working 
>with - Nitika, Noopur, Shiju & Subha.  You guys have been wonderful.  The work 
>that we are doing is experimental and we have been innovating every day, and I 
>know the circumstances have not always been easy.  Take strength and 
>inspiration from the large number of community members who have been touched 
>by you and appreciate your efforts and value your work.
> 
>I will send an actual "over and out" message later.  In the meantime, I will 
>continue to work on everything that needs working on.
>
>Happy Editing!
>
>Warmest Regards,
>
>
>hisham
>
>
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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] [Wikimedia-l] Changes to India Program

[Sunil Abraham]

Dear Wikipedians,

On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 4:18 PM, Barry Newstead (WMF)
 wrote:
>
> Hisham’s departure coincides with another change in the India Program. We are 
> pleased to announce that the Wikimedia Foundation has approved a grant to the 
> Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) in Bangalore to expand their Access to 
> Knowledge programme to support the achievement of the Wikimedia mission in 
> India.  CIS is a leading organization in India working on Internet policy. 
> They are part of the broad free and open community. CIS is a long time friend 
> of Wikimedia, our community in Bangalore, and the Wikimedia India chapter.
>

I would like to first like to thank Wikimedia Foundation for giving us
a grant to expand our Access to Knowledge Programme with a greater
focus on Wikipedia. I look forward to working with colleagues from the
Foundation and serving the community in India.

A little bit about my self since I am posting for the first time on
this list, I was elected an Ashoka fellow in 1999. I was part of the
founding team of Mahiti.org though no longer formally involved.
Between 2004 and 2007, I managed IOSN.net, a project of APDIP-UNDP
that focussed on promoting FOSS, open standards and open content
policies in the Asia-Pacific region. Apart from the Government of
India, I have worked with the governments of Moldova, Tajikistan,
Saudi Arabia and Iraq on free software and open standards policies. I
currently serve on the boards of Samvada and Tactical Technology
Collective and also on the sub-board of Open Society Foundation's
Information Programme.

Now a little about CIS that is not in the FAQ. We are most often in
the news for our work around Freedom of Expression under our Internet
Governance programme. But most of our budget is spent on the other
less controversial areas. As a research organisation CIS does not
enforce party positions across staff members and fellows, like the
Kamasutra we encourage a multiplicity of positions. CIS has hosted
inclusiveplanet.com in the past and is currently hosting hasgeek.in.
CIS's garage has been converted into a hacker space called The Lab. In
the past, we have had the privilege to useful in small ways to
individual Wikipedians, the Indian Wikipedia community and India
chapter. The whole team looks forward to stepping-up that dramatically
with this grant.

As a registered non-profit society, CIS will strive to maintain high
levels of transparency and accountability to the Wikipedia community
and the general public. We will make the budget and programme plan
publicly available shortly. We will be transparent about staff
remuneration and travel-related costs – as is the case with other CIS
staffers. We will setup a recruitment panel for the Programme Director
with hopefully participation from the community and the chapter as was
the case in Brazil. More on that soon.

For now, if there are any questions for me regarding CIS and this
particular grant – I would be happy to answer them.

Best wishes,

Sunil

P.S. Apologies for posting from my Mahiti id.

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[Wikimediaindia-l] Changes to the India Program

[Barry Newstead]

Dear India Wikimedia community,

As a follow up to Hisham's message, I would like to thank Hisham for his
efforts in support of Wikimedia in India.  He has been a great partner to
the Wikimedia Foundation team and has worked tirelessly to build the India
Program.  He has worked in a challenging environment trying to do work in
the Wikimedia movement that hasn’t been done before.  While there have been
ups and downs, our work in India has broken new ground for the movement and
taught us all valuable lessons that we are applying in India and around the
world.  There is an unprecedented level of activity happening in India with
promising programs that position the movement for continued growth.

Hisham also leaves behind an India Program that is working effectively with
community members on a number of positive initiatives including community
growth partnerships in several Indic languages, support for a new Malayalam
education program, a GLAM partnership at the Crafts Museum, new wikiclubs
at the British Council, ongoing efforts to leverage social media, and a
dramatic increase in blog coverage of the India community’s work. There are
also exciting developments on mobile that will be announced soon. This work
will continue.

Hisham’s departure coincides with another change in the India Program. We
are pleased to announce that the Wikimedia Foundation has approved a grant
to the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) in Bangalore to expand their
Access to Knowledge programme to support the achievement of the Wikimedia
mission in India.  CIS is a leading organization in India working on
Internet policy. They are part of the broad free and open community. CIS is
a long time friend of Wikimedia, our community in Bangalore, and the
Wikimedia India chapter.

CIS has committed to sustaining and building upon the work of the India
Program. They plan to hire the existing program consultants as staff and
will conduct a search for a new programme director. The program team will
be based in Delhi. CIS will be sharing their program plans shortly and will
want to incorporate community feedback.

The grant will be for two years in duration to complete the original first
stage of the catalyst strategy. The first year’s grant will be for a total
of INR 11,000,000 subject to final budget approvals. The second year will
be for a similar amount plus inflation subject to a budget review in May
2013. The grant will be renewable via the Wikimedia Grants program (or the
FDC, if CIS were to become an affiliated organization and meet eligibility).

This is a shift in how the Wikimedia Foundation seeks to support work in
India. Rather than hire consultants or open an office of our own, we think
it is preferable to work with an established institution that can bring
valuable relationships and capabilities to support our movement.  CIS will
be a partner to the Wikimedia Foundation, but will operate autonomously in
accordance with the terms of the grant agreement.

CIS will hire a programme director for the work.  The recruitment process
will draw on the best practices Wikimedia used in Brazil and incorporate
active community participation in the process. They will share more info on
this soon.

We have prepared an FAQ on Meta[1] and ask that questions or comments be
posted there.  I will endeavour to respond in a timely fashion, though I
will be on a flight until 20:00 UTC tonight and will be in meetings in
Dubai on Tuesday morning.

Finally, I'd like to wish Hisham all the best in his future endeavours. He
has taken us through a critical first stage of our work in India and set us
up for significant progress during the next stage. He will be missed and I
hope he will stay a part of the Wikimedia community in India.

Best regards,
Barry

[1]
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/India_Program/India_Program_Announcement_and_FAQ_-_30_July_2012

-- 
Barry Newstead
Chief Global Development Officer
Wikimedia Foundation

Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in
the sum of all knowledge.  Help us make it a reality!

Donate to Wikimedia 
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Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] IRC on EC elections for this year,

[Srikanth Ramakrishnan]

Gautam, is it mandatory to attend this IRC? Several chapter members I
know, want to stand for elections, but will be unable to attend this
IRC.

-- 
Regards,
Srikanth Ramakrishnan.

Sign this petition to introduce Volvo buses in Coimbatore city:
https://www.change.org/en-IN/petitions/the-transport-minister-tamil-nadu-introduction-of-volvo-city-buses-in-the-city-of-coimbatore

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[Wikimediaindia-l] Farewell

[Hisham]

Dear India Community

I'm writing to inform you that I plan to leave my current role supporting 
Wikimedia in India.  I am going to be exploring opportunities and evaluating 
options that are closer to my career aspirations and my personal circumstances. 
 I will be working through to ensure that there is a smooth transition - and 
this is likely to take 2-3 months.  I am writing now because I felt it 
appropriate and opportune to inform you as early as possible. 

I want to start off by thanking the Wikimedia community and movement for giving 
me this extraordinary opportunity.  Working on something like India Program has 
been something that has been professionally enriching and personally 
fulfilling. Over the past 1 1/2 years, I have been supported by so many of you 
- and I want to thank you for everything you have done!  The passion and 
intellectual firepower of our community has been my constant source of drive 
and guidance.  There are so many examples of powerful stories from all over the 
country: the incredible efforts put in by the IEP Campus Ambassadors in Pune; 
the army of volunteers that drove the outreach push across the country in the 
first few months of this year; the beautiful stories of fantastic community 
initiatives from far and wide across the country and sub-continent, and indeed 
the world; the remarkable stories from so many communities - large, small and 
tiny ones!

I want to thank the team that I have had the pleasure and privilege of working 
with - Nitika, Noopur, Shiju & Subha.  You guys have been wonderful.  The work 
that we are doing is experimental and we have been innovating every day, and I 
know the circumstances have not always been easy.  Take strength and 
inspiration from the large number of community members who have been touched by 
you and appreciate your efforts and value your work.
 
I will send an actual "over and out" message later.  In the meantime, I will 
continue to work on everything that needs working on.

Happy Editing!

Warmest Regards,

hisham

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