Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Paying for news
2009/11/30 Brian McNeil brian.mcn...@wikinewsie.org: On Mon, 2009-11-30 at 11:01 +, Thomas Dalton wrote: There is a lot in the news at the moment about newspapers, etc. charging people for accessing news on their websites. I wonder if Wikimedia UK should issue a press release recommending Wikinews as an alternative. The project could do with some publicity and this might be a good time to get it some since the subject of news websites is being discussed. It probably won't be in the news for long, though, so we would have to move quickly (the release probably needs to go out in the next 24 hours at the longest). The thought's good, but right now enWN is currently only pushing out about 5 articles a day. Recruitment campaign might be better. I was thinking of a statement that included a suggestion that people contribute to it. Getting contributors and getting readers are very closely related problems - contributors usually start out as readers (at least, they do on Wikipedia). ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Paying for news
Thomas Dalton wrote: 2009/11/30 Brian McNeil brian.mcn...@wikinewsie.org: On Mon, 2009-11-30 at 11:01 +, Thomas Dalton wrote: There is a lot in the news at the moment about newspapers, etc. charging people for accessing news on their websites. I wonder if Wikimedia UK should issue a press release recommending Wikinews as an alternative. The project could do with some publicity and this might be a good time to get it some since the subject of news websites is being discussed. It probably won't be in the news for long, though, so we would have to move quickly (the release probably needs to go out in the next 24 hours at the longest). The thought's good, but right now enWN is currently only pushing out about 5 articles a day. Recruitment campaign might be better. I was thinking of a statement that included a suggestion that people contribute to it. Getting contributors and getting readers are very closely related problems - contributors usually start out as readers (at least, they do on Wikipedia). ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org Yes, we need publicity, and this is a good chance to get it. If we release something, it should highlight the free license and the wiki format, as well as pushing the free to access thing. More activity will be great, whether that activity results in a greater number of editors, or in readers. If a reader recommends it to their friends, their friends may become editors, even if the original reader doesn't. We should probably mention the link to Wikipedia, which more people will be familiar with, but stress that they are separate projects and focus on Wikinews alone. -- George D. Watson ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Paying for news
Does someone want to start drafting a press release that can be sent out, then? Mike On 30 Nov 2009, at 16:06, Brian McNeil wrote: On Mon, 2009-11-30 at 15:41 +, George D. Watson wrote: Thomas Dalton wrote: 2009/11/30 Brian McNeil brian.mcn...@wikinewsie.org: The thought's good, but right now enWN is currently only pushing out about 5 articles a day. Recruitment campaign might be better. I was thinking of a statement that included a suggestion that people contribute to it. Getting contributors and getting readers are very closely related problems - contributors usually start out as readers (at least, they do on Wikipedia). Yes, we need publicity, and this is a good chance to get it. If we release something, it should highlight the free license and the wiki format, as well as pushing the free to access thing. More activity will be great, whether that activity results in a greater number of editors, or in readers. If a reader recommends it to their friends, their friends may become editors, even if the original reader doesn't. We should probably mention the link to Wikipedia, which more people will be familiar with, but stress that they are separate projects and focus on Wikinews alone. Anything that can encourage more contributors and readers is good. Really a need to move beyond Wikinews: Popular in Cuba (according to Alexa). There are Twitter, Facebook, Identi.ca, and RSS feeds of published content available. [1] [1] http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Wikinews:Social_networking -- Brian McNeil brian.mcn...@wikinewsie.org http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Brian_McNeil Content of this message in no way represents the opinions or official position of the Wikimedia Foundation or any of its projects. ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Paying for news
On Mon, 2009-11-30 at 16:31 +, Michael Peel wrote:
Does someone want to start drafting a press release that can be sent
out, then?
[CC'd wikinews-l, people there please see WMUK mailing list for prior
discussion - papers behind paywalls is the topic with Mr Murdoch one of
those most desperate to do this.]
Uhm Points I'd cover/emphasise.
* Slight element of conflict Wikipedia/Wikinews where people seek to do
extensive WP coverage of recent events (turning recently-deceased's
BIO into hagiography).
* [[WN:NPOV]] still applies.
* Require credible sources, or well-documented Original Research.
* WN a project in the shadow of WP for the time being.
* Opportunity for aspiring journos to learn wiki tech.
* Operates as a wannabe wire service and has unashamedly copied from
BBC News website (eg {{haveyoursay}}).
If a release does go out, I promise to take the be nice pills for a
couple of extra weeks. ;-)
--
Brian McNeil brian.mcn...@wikinewsie.org
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Brian_McNeil
Content of this message in no way represents the opinions or official
position of the Wikimedia Foundation or any of its projects.
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Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Paying for news
2009/11/30 Brian McNeil brian.mcn...@wikinewsie.org:
On Mon, 2009-11-30 at 16:31 +, Michael Peel wrote:
Does someone want to start drafting a press release that can be sent
out, then?
[CC'd wikinews-l, people there please see WMUK mailing list for prior
discussion - papers behind paywalls is the topic with Mr Murdoch one of
those most desperate to do this.]
Uhm Points I'd cover/emphasise.
* Slight element of conflict Wikipedia/Wikinews where people seek to do
extensive WP coverage of recent events (turning recently-deceased's
BIO into hagiography).
* [[WN:NPOV]] still applies.
* Require credible sources, or well-documented Original Research.
* WN a project in the shadow of WP for the time being.
* Opportunity for aspiring journos to learn wiki tech.
* Operates as a wannabe wire service and has unashamedly copied from
BBC News website (eg {{haveyoursay}}).
I don't think any of those points should go in the press release... We
just want to tell people that Wikinews exists and give some very basic
information about what it is. That it is under a free license is the
key detail.
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Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Paying for news
2009/11/30 Michael Peel em...@mikepeel.net: Does someone want to start drafting a press release that can be sent out, then? Ok, here's a first draft: http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Press_releases/Free_online_news I've done it as a statement from you and have tried to keep it short and sweet. I think that is the best approach. I've put it on the wiki since it could really do with someone editing it to make it read better - I expect it could be made shorter still if it wasn't so clumsily worded! ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Paying for news
Thomas Dalton wrote: 2009/11/30 Michael Peel em...@mikepeel.net: Does someone want to start drafting a press release that can be sent out, then? Ok, here's a first draft: http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Press_releases/Free_online_news I've done it as a statement from you and have tried to keep it short and sweet. I think that is the best approach. I've put it on the wiki since it could really do with someone editing it to make it read better - I expect it could be made shorter still if it wasn't so clumsily worded! If you can put the message in three paragraphs each of two sentences, then you have a press release. Charles ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Paying for news
I wrote: If you can put the message in three paragraphs each of two sentences,then you have a press release. Sort of like this: 1 December 2009, UK -Michael Peel, Chairman of Wikimedia UK, today responded to recent discussions about free online news: Wikimedia UK is very concerned about the recent announcements by online news suppliers that they intend to charge people to access their websites. Companies need to make money, but making it more difficult for people to read news is not the way to do it. There is an alternative news website that will always be completely free for anyone to use for any purpose, Wikinews at http://www.wikinews.org.; Wikinews is a sister project to the Wikipedia encyclopedia site, where news articles are written collaboratively by anyone who wants to help out, or to initiate articles about any news story. Wikipedia has shown that volunteers can produce quality work, and Wikinews has the potential to fill the gap if commercial news sites disappear behind paywalls. Charles ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Paying for news
2009/11/30 Charles Matthews charles.r.matth...@ntlworld.com: If you can put the message in three paragraphs each of two sentences, then you have a press release. Can you explain why it should be 3 paragraphs? ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Paying for news
2009/11/30 Charles Matthews charles.r.matth...@ntlworld.com: Thomas Dalton wrote: But my draft is only 2 paragraphs... OK, my version is now on http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Press_releases/Free_online_news . Just wanted to illustrate what I meant about style. I understood what you were suggesting, I'm just wondering why you think that is better. You sounded like you were quoting some standard rule about press releases and I know very little on the subject. ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Paying for news
2009/11/30 Charles Matthews charles.r.matth...@ntlworld.com: Thomas Dalton wrote: I understood what you were suggesting, I'm just wondering why you think that is better. You sounded like you were quoting some standard rule about press releases and I know very little on the subject. I've done press releases before, and got some coverage. I don't know of a rulebook: I picked up a few things from someone who had done them himself. I don't regard them as hard to do, if you do have a story. There's a kind of template, and if you can fit your message into it, that's the easy part. Then you have to know where to send them (how is easier, now fax machines have gone out). Yeah. Remember that anything you say will be grossly distorted and written to fit into a preconceived story which may have no relation whatsoever to reality, and if anything that's actually accurate makes it into the article then it's a bloody miracle. And all this happens with the best of intentions and no malice whatsoever. - d. ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Wikimediauk-l Digest, Vol 52, Issue 5
Oh, sorry for that, thanks for pointing it out, Thomas. Date: Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:14:17 + From: Thomas Dalton thomas.dal...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Help us on Britain loves Wikipedia! To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Message-ID: a4359dff0911291014k6bd61dc1s7001064f4cfd6...@mail.gmail.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 2009/11/29 zeyi zeyi...@googlemail.com: 2, designing T-shit: T-shit will be given to volunteers on that day, which need to be remarkable, and represent our logo. That would be T-*shirt*, Zeyi... I would (although not yet a WMF-GB member) be delighted to chase up Chamber's Street Museum in Edinburgh to do a day. I got dragged round there from around age 8 (32 years ago) by my grandfather. He was a teacher and ex-mining engineer from WWII. At that thime they had a lot of hand-made (but look like Hornby) models of engineering work. I would be most interested in knowing if they still have them hidden away somewhere. As a kid I loved going round and pushing all the buttons to make things like bridges raise and mineheads run. Those would make great little video clips for commons if I can borrow some sort of decent vid-cam. -- Brian McNeil brian.mcn...@wikinewsie.org http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Brian_McNeil Content of this message in no way represents the opinions or official position of the Wikimedia Foundation or any of its projects. -- next part -- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 835 bytes Desc: This is a digitally signed message part Url : http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimediauk-l/attachments/20091129/ebc797ec/attachment-0001.pgp Hey, Brian, It would be lovely if you can contact the Chamber's Street Museum in Edinburgh. and Pleases do let me know if you need any help on that. Zeyi Message: 6 Date: Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:58:19 + From: geni geni...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Help us on Britain loves Wikipedia! To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Message-ID: f80608430911291358t2c9404dbj27ec400f4f0b4...@mail.gmail.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 2009/11/29 zeyi zeyi...@googlemail.com: 2, designing T-shit: T-shit will be given to volunteers on that day, which need to be remarkable, and represent our logo. What kind of size and colour range are you looking for? -- geni I assume we need the small, middle and large sizes to fit different volunteers. and for color, I would like to know what do members think about? Zeyi -- Zeyi He Initiative director Wikimedia UK Email: zeyi...@wikimedia.org.uk Phone: +44(0)7912673749 Support Wikimedia UK Join http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Initiatives ___ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediau...@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
