Recently, Wikimedia Foundation, Google and Center for Internet Security – Access to Knowledge jointly executed a competition on Indian Wikipedia Communities to bring more new articles.
It was a tight competition. Punjabi and Tamil wikipedia communities were leading. Finally Punjabi won. 🙂
We, Tamil people felt that it is our success. Though the language is different, both communities think like brothers and sisters only.
Wikimedia Foundation wanted to conduct an advanced training on wikimedia projects and activities. It asked the project tiger competition winner, Punjabi wikipedians to attend the training. But the Punjabi team invited the Tamil Community, to attend the event.
This wont happen anywhere, in general. The winners treating the runners equally. But this magic happened.
The training happened in Amritsar, Punjab on December 7,8,9 2018.
21 friends from Tamil wikipedia attended the event.
Asaf Bartov from the wikimedia foundation was the trainer.
Asaf Bartov
He is one of the great trainers I admire always. We dont feel like anything tough on his sessions. Tech or non tech, his words go inside our heads and hearts easily, directly.
He discussed about
- wikimedia projects,
- how to write articles in Neutral Point of View
- Outreach models
- how to approach media, press people
- how to promote activities on social media
- copyrights and free license
- OTRS – what, why, how
- Issues in community organizing
- Tabernacle and few more interesting tools
I gave a small talk on how to use Google OCR for Wikisource projects.
All Participants of the Project Tiger training 2018
On the second day late night, Ravi asked me for a night out, to the golden temple there. Though, I got some high temperature, I didn’t want to miss the fun.
we reached the Amritsar golden temple at 11 pm. The temple was so active even on that odd time. Wondered to see that many people volunteer to clean the temple, happily. The cold temperature (-7 degree) and the night made the temple to glitter like diamond.
Golden Temple of Amritsar
If you goto Amritsar, dont miss the night view. It will be a memorable event for the lifetime.
I had good discussions with Ravi on our future activities. with Asaf on various queries on wikidata and few new tools. With Tamil wikipedia team on Kaniyam Foundation and its activities on wikisource, With Gurlal Maan on various tools Punjabi wiki needs, With Rupika on their scanning works, With Mahim on Digitizing Arabic-Tamil literature, With Nandini on Photography, to list a few.
I felt like going to relative’s home. The care and kindness from the Punjabi friends is enormous. Thanks for Wikimedia Foundation, Google and CIS-A2k for connecting people in two corners of India.
Felt like a gathering of relatives at a marriage. We see all in a same place, roam with them, having great times, leaving with longing for more time and similar events.
Hoping to see all friends again soon.
Going GNU 
Wonderful…
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