Submissions/Free knowledge for complete beginners: introducing Wikipedia to new readers/notes

AWARENESS

Question from audience - Mohassen (Iran):

• What is awareness?
  • "We asked the same and people doesn't know, but they use Google".
• What can I do to have that information in my region?
  • Zack explains about the work that is being done.
    • Regional campaigns
    • Wikipedia Zero in Iraq
  • Regional campaign in Nigeria

ZACK: We can give surveys to use in your communities to learn about the awareness.

Examples of the surveys

• How the described Wikipedia (word)
• How the described Wikipedia (image)

"Imagery used to explain Wikipedia"

• Books and libraries are most popular visual library.

Regional campaign: India - Developing projects

Approach:

Showcasing Wikipedia with Rapid grants

In Nigeria, a 2-part "fan club" series.

ACCESS

Access is divided by 2:

• Offline (I have less internet access)
• Affordability (We can't afford the internet)

Data costs are a barrier. How to address that?

We are trying to address access.

• Working on our product
• Offline support
  • MobileWeb - Android - Fully offline (Kiwix)
  • "Print a PDF" feature
• Android app
• Fully offline support

What else can we do (Discussion)

• New readers are everywhere…
  • How to get involved affiliates around the world
• Everyone here started as a reader
  • Awareness part.

How have we been working with volunteers?

• Marketing campaigns (Nigeria, India)
• Mexico metro tickets (support by WMF)

Break out group 1

• Adele
• Aubrie
• James Hare - WikiprojectMed
• Eddie Avila
• Jorge Vargas
• Jian China - Intern in Canada

• How did you find out about Wikipedia?
  • Very young - school work
  • Shocked about the percentages of awareness
  • Search engines
  • English and Chinese
    • The articles in Chinese are way much shorter
  • Most students will search and show up
• Eddie
  • Indigenous communities and awareness of WP
  • Indigenous that are online access in Spanish
  • They didn't know they have the possibility of making editable, and then many think that only experts
  • Some people will take it as negative
• James
  • If someone is already online they are on Wikipedia

Conclusions

• There's more information in English, instead of Chinese where she is from.
• Anyone can edit makes it scary, or makes it question if it's trustworthy
• Spread of how people Discussion of rural areas where people are aware of Wikipedia

Break out group 2 (Gereon)

• Where do you get information about Wikipedia?
  • Universities
  • Info booths at the libraries

Conclusions

• There are good ways to make people to learn about Wikipedia
• Universities and info booths at libraries

Break out group 3 (Satdeep and Mohassen)

• Students/professors of Punjabi literature.
  • Focus on literature and their students - pointing students to Wikipedia
  • Language advocates (Iran)
• Preservaton of local knowledge

Break out group 4 (Lope and Indian student)

Lope-Venezuela

• Our generation knows about WP, but our our parents are not aware.
• There are perfect UX experiences that got them hooked (like Youtube)
• What to learn from other UX experiences to bring to Wikipedia and raise awareness.

Conclusions

• Making the UX experience more naturally usable for those that are not tech-savvy
• Find a better place or better advertising that the new offline feautres exist. Make it easier for the people that are going offline to know about this.

Audience member: How about a Wikipedia search bar across the screen, (similar to a Google Interface)

Audience member: Introducing WIkipedia in schools and for teachers. (WMF reply this is already happening - Wikipedia Education Program)