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

From Wikimania

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)