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Wikimedia to Hold First International Conference

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the lets-get-together-and-[drink] dept.

teslatug writes "The Wikimedia Foundation will be holding its first international conference, Wikimania, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany from August 4, 2005 to August 8, 2005. Featured speakers will include Jimmy Wales, Ross Mayfield, Ward Cunningham, and Richard Stallman. It will be the largest gathering of Wiki[pm]edians to date."

13 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. Old. by GaryWK · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I recall this being old news. Don't know why it is being posted now, although probably due to the fact that it is still held in the future.

  2. Re:The neutrality of this conference is disputed. by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 3, Funny

    Would their credibility stay high if they all stayed at home?

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  3. Agenda by thijsa · · Score: 5, Funny

    I guess we can all freely change the agenda and speakers order in a collaborative effort?

    1. Re:Agenda by fm6 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Of course! But as with Wikipedia, all deletions must be by consensus. Which means that hundreds of new speakers will be suggested, and only the most obviously demented or offtopic speakers will not make the cut. The converence is expected to last several years.

  4. An upcoming media conflict? by CyricZ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I fear we may witness a major media conflict within the next few years. As organizations like Wikimedia gain strength, power and momentum, the existing corporate media will start to worry.

    I see two things happening:

    1) Discredition
    The corporate mass media will try their best to discredit Wikimedia. They will have their pundits (ie. Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, Kudlow & Kramer, etc.) make some outrageous lies about Wikimedia. I wouldn't be surprised if Wikimedia was labelled as "unpatriotic" and declared to be "supporters of terrorism".

    2) Financial Cloutery
    The corporate mass media may instead use their massive financial wealth to purchase Wikimedia out of the picture. They may start by purchasing hosting companies that host Wikimedia servers. Then using their financial clout, they may persuade the backbones and ISPs to limit access to Wikimedia sites.

    Regardless of what happens, the upcoming battle between the Old Media and the New Media will be spectacular. But I fear the only victims will be the individuals, who no longer have access to the open-minded, and truly free content that Wikimedia offers.

    --
    Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
    1. Re:An upcoming media conflict? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      What a load of bollocks. Do you have any idea what your talking about?

    2. Re:An upcoming media conflict? by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think you're a troll. Here's why:

      Wikipedia isn't a "media", it's a collaborative encyclopedia. Therefore, the only corporations directly threatened by it are encyclopedia manufacturers.

      Wikipedia may come under PR attack by any corporation it cites, provided said corporation doesn't like the way it's treated. But that's not particular to what you call "old media" corporations.

      In short, I think you've taken a run-of-the-mill post about media consolidation and replaced whatever organization it was originally talking about with "wikipedia", in order to gain karma.

      --
      "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
    3. Re:An upcoming media conflict? by anthony_dipierro · · Score: 2, Informative

      Really now, what controls are in place to prevent Wikipedia from becoming an agenda-driven complex just like old media?

      There's the GFDL, which allows people to fork the project if it gets too agenda-driven. And there are also federal laws which restrict charities from benefitting private individuals or engaging in politics.

      It could still happen, to some extent, but there are some controls in place to make it less likely and less severe.

  5. Change in date and venue by flyingsquid · · Score: 4, Funny

    In keeping with the spirit of Wikipedia, I have decided that the Wikimania conference will now be held September 17th-23rd in Ulaan Bator, Mongolia. Featured speakers will include Mikhail Gorbachev and Pamela Anderson.

    1. Re:Change in date and venue by identity0 · · Score: 2, Funny

      For all intents and purposes, it might as well be Ulaan Bator than Frankfurt-am-Main, which is in the middle of nowhere.

      I know we all hate Europe here, but we should not refer to it as 'nowhere'.

      Please try to maintain a NPOV.

  6. WikiMEDIA. by CyricZ · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Pardon me, Mr. Coltrane. I believe that you are partaking in trollery. This conference covers Wikimedia, not just Wikipedia.

    Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, yes.

    But then there is Wikinews that directly challenges the Old Media.

    Wikimedia covers all of the new wiki-based, individualistic, non-corproate media.

    --
    Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
  7. Travel plans by edLin · · Score: 2, Informative

    Add your travel plans to the wiki: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania:Transport

  8. Frankfurt has a certain reputation... by Goonie · · Score: 2, Informative

    Frankfurt has a certain reputation amongst international travellers. It's the place you fly into when you're going to Germany, but it's also the place you fly, train, or drive straight out of once you get there. The exceptions are, of course, banking and going to conferences :)

    --

    Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
    --Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)