Free Your Knowledge 2010/Narration report
Dari Wikimedia Indonesia
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Project proposal & budget │ Narration report │ Activities report │ Expenses report 
Supported byMedia partners BackgroundThe Indonesian language Wikipedia is the largest encyclopedia site in Bahasa Indonesia. It has 1.2 million visits per day and over 100 thousands articles as of 2009 with only 30 very active contributors. However, for a site that "anyone can edit", not everyone knows how to edit it. Established in 2003, the Indonesian language Wikipedia community realizes it is much easier to read (consume) than it is to contribute. This atmosphere has hurt the growth of its content and the number of editors, leaving a small number of very active contributors stagnant for years. Bebaskan Pengetahuan 2010 (Free Your Knowledge 2010) is a three-month wiki based writing competition in Indonesian language Wikipedia. The project initiate to address problem of low participation in Indonesian language Wikipedia where selected participants from 10 universities are invited to receive online training on how to write in Wikipedia and compete for three months. As an incentive, one winner will attend Wikimania 2010 International Conference in Gdnask, Poland. The project begins in February 2010 with internship program training for the competition committee and ended in July 2010 when a winner emerges from the competition and depart to Gdansk, Poland. Problem analysisStatistic show that one of the Indonesian Wikipedia's problem is a stagnant number of very active contributors for years. Indonesian language is the official language of Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, and yet the project only has +/- 30 very active contributors. There are several reason why this may happened;
Another problem that may hurt the sustainability of the effort is the existing generation gap in Indonesian language very active contributors. In its early days, the Indonesian Wikipedia's leading volunteering contributors ranged between 25 to 40 years old. These people were mostly professionals with an educational background from undergraduates to master's degree in various subject of interest.[1] Recently, the average age of very active contributors became younger (too young) with age 13 to 20 dominating off article conversation. This generation gap impairs knowledge transfer because it i difficult for these two groups to communicate and understand what each other wants nor reach a consensus. The project's target audience addresses this problem by making its participants age range from 18 to 25 years old. SMART (Specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic, time-bound) GoalSpecificThe goal was to address specific problems:
MeasurableThe project aimed to double the number of existing very active contributors using participatory approach for 72 days. AppropriateFrom Februrary to June 2010 the project's effort focused in raising awareness (road shows to 10 universities), increasing knowledge (training), changing people's attitude (having them committed to participating), and capacity building by introducing a new skill (hands on practice to write online using a clear, neutral approach to subject matter in highly readable format). RealisticIn doing all the above, the project integrated the wiki technology in the participant's daily life for 72 days. Participants were also encourage to advocate free knowledge movement and volunteers during and after the project took place. The goal was that with one hundred percent participation from participating universities, on third of these participants would turn to very active contributors, doubling the current very active contributor number for two months. Sub-goal of the project also to introduce the initiative nation-wide by holding press conferences together with Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Informatics. Hopefully with the help of mass media coverage, it will create demands for a broader scope (national-level) competition. Time-boundThe project should be completed before Wikimania 2010 began in July 9, 2010. Implementing organization and project partnersWikimedia IndonesiaWikimedia Indonesia is a legal not-for profit organization established by volunteer with the goal of "free knowldege". The organization is a member-base association and officially recognize as local chapter of Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non profit charitable organization based in San Franscisco, U.S. Wikimedia Foundation operates some of the largest collaboratively eited reference projects in the world, including Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation and Wikimedia Indonesia affiliation is strictly goal-sharing oriented one: free knowledge. Wikimedia Indonesia is an independently operate within Indonesia geographic area and is neither a branch nor funded by Wikimedia Foundation. Established in September 5, 2008 Wikimedia Indonesia became Indonesian volunteer identity to meet, to build project, and to collect funding to make the organization's mission a reality. The "Free Knowledge" movement is a global effort introduces as an alternate approach to bridge the gap of knowledge because the absent of access to the information or the absent of the information itself. Wikimedia Indonesia serve as the implementing organization of "Bebaskan Pengetahuan 2010" a three-month wiki based writing competition in Indonesian language Wikipedia. The project initiated to address problem of low participation in Indonesian language Wikipedia where selected participants from 10 Universities are invited to receive online training on how to write in wikipedia and compete for three months. As an incentive, one winner will attend Wikimania 2010 International Conference in Gdansk, Poland. Project partnersThe project will be considered a sucess if during the planning stages and implementation it involves the organization's stakeholders;
Implementation and findingsPlanning stages and fund raisingDuring the planning stages, project director recruited three possible interns as project committee. The interns have never edited Wikipedia before; one of them didn't even know what it is, while others stated "vaguely heard about it". Internship is one of the organization's strategic planning because of the following:
Because Wikimedia Indonesia did not have an office, interns were train in public places such as cafes, restaurant, or inside the University's library. They were taught to deliver by target and result. Meeting for project coordination take place twice or three times a week. Successful internship will have to manage their time carefully in able to deliver. If the interns are not discipline in managing their time, the project will suffer. All interns are made aware of these possibilities. The absent of an office turns out to have two positive consequences:
Project director also noted how treating interns as equal by being transparent about the project funding and distribution affected in the interns attitude. Transparency initiate sympathy and emphaty, it is also create a sense of belonging to the project. The interns feel they own and operate the project. Surprisingly project director find fund raising more difficult than expected. Although the proposal was designed by professional designer who volunteered to do the work and request are carefully crafted to meet different kind of stakeholder's need. Private company who could benefit from the effort, i.e. Hewlett Packard, Zyrex (laptop), IM2 (internet based ISP), Telkomsel (communication network provider) did not deliver. Instead, Pertamina as an energy company, find the project exciting and treat it as a business funding instead of a grant-giving model. University ParticipationOne of best practices of the project is establishing contacts with Universities. Although at first some of the university bureaucracy is difficult to penetrate, the effort turns out to be valuable in the end. Surprising findings during Universities road show is how the Universities did not link with each other; all universities-funded events are very local, limited inside the university. Capacity building for students was mostly seminars where students receive one way communication model, or entertainment-based events. When external event did happened, it rarely involves academic as active participants. Project Director also find that the benefit of holding a writing competition for inter-university went beyond the organization's mission. It actually benefit the university's more. Mercu Buana University and Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Jakarta admit that banner installed in their Universities and statement letter confirming participation in Free Knowledge Effort help accreditation of their faculty. Hans Abdiel from Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Jakarta, is a runner up in the competition, he boost the university's name and pride. " Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Jakarta is the oldest theology school in Jakarta, yet only very few know what we are or where we are. This competition not only introduce the public about our school, it is also enables our student to exercise their talent, we have very smart students, and we admit that we are short-handed in that (competition in academic level) department. That is why we welcome events such as this one." - Stephen Suleeman (STTJ) Media partnership and press conferencesCollaboration with mass media would be one of the project successes. The project receives support from Vivanews.com and TraxFM radio. It also receives 36 news coverage. Most of the coverage contribution comes from partnering with the government. Evaluation and result
To this date, writing for wikipedia is limited to a hobby, although it provide great benefit for all.
Multi media mix result
First Press Conference: Project Launching
Empowering CommunityCommunity focused
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