Wikipedia:Meetup/Boston2

Meetups from November 2004 to March 2005, in reverse chronological order... (should be unreversed?) Current and more recent meetups include plans for Wikimania 2006.

Sunday March 27
Another weekend lunch meetup at Asmara. +sj +
 * It was a fab meetup, even though the WikiCite people couldn't make it. See the Meetup page for next Monday's gathering! (April 11)


 * "Come help plan Spring parties, Wikimania travel, Category:Ethiopian-food-with-pictures, and more."

We talked about rolling schema upgrades, wrote a Permabit stub (since a lot of us seemed to have random connections to its employees), discussed How to become a Mediawiki hacker, and dancing, particluarly Morris dancing. People who had no active Wikipedia accounts were suitably chastened. People who were confused about Wiki[mp]edia's persistent open and flat structure were enthusiastic and heartened by discussion.

In attendance
you? (I guess not :)
 * +sj +
 * j - lib-lists. Hynes?  may submit sth for 'Mania.
 * Jeff - snapshot/catchup no-downtime migrations.
 * Patrick O - AOL? Original deb-'strib
 * Francisca - harping
 * Gregor R - when is Bruce back? Ted Nelson?  Maybe'Mania.
 * Dmitry K - hooked on hacking
 * Tony P - geolovin'

Maybe

 * Dowcet : I really want to! But I'll probably be out of town until 2 or 3pm.
 * sorry you couldn't make it; next time... +sj  +  09:26, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Sunday, February 13

 * When: Sun, Feb 13, 2005 at 6:00 PM
 * Where: Smile Thai, Harvard Square

On the agenda

 * International cooperation
 * Connecting with grassroots movements, explaining to them how they can contribute information about their causes to the 'pedia, explaining how free licensing of their existing images and materials can help spread their messages.
 * Wikicite and connection with librarians to improve reference lists
 * Local reporting of cultural and political events, and distinguishing news from encyclopedia content.

Who's coming?

 * +sj +
 * Sterling Newberry
 * jkb, 2? local blog enthusiasts
 * pingswept
 * 7 international Bridge Builders (grassroots organizers) and gov-school students

(see also the meetup.com list)

Results
Internationally, particularly in South America people often have no idea what Wikipedia is, or why anyone would want an online encyclopedia. Many of the people present, though activists and 'net-news fans, felt they had no use for encyclopedias in any language.

No discussion of wikicite; too many people speaking spanish and introducing themselves. More next time. Some good news discussion; the need for local news-alerts and press-corps style calendars was noted.

Saturday Jan 22, 17:00
Jimbo is in town for the Credibility, Blogging, and Journalism conference at the Berkman Center. We're planning to gather at Asmara in Central Square. call sj for details: (6 1 7) 5 2 9 - 4 2 6 6 Or the restaurant itself: 617-864-7447

The last session of the day is an open session at the Berkman Center until 4:30; the idea is to chill at Asmara for a couple of hours, with a kitchen available for those who want to eat. In the evening there will be dinners with the conference attendees, so this may  be a short meetup.

Attending

 * Sj
 * jt
 * asw
 * Sterling N
 * pingswept

... (add yours here)

Regrets

 * Will be in San Jose this weekend; have fun in the blizzard! &mdash;Steven G. Johnson

Thursday, December 16, 2004

 * When: Thursday, 8:00pm
 * Where: in Cambridge (Burdick Cafe on Brattle St, in Hvd Square)
 * Agenda: Come celebrate the end of the term! There will be kettles of hot cocoa.

There was cocoa! And two Southerners who were not run out of town. Some discussion of better places to eat, and of surveys and motivation-studies, was had. +sj +

Thursday, December 9, 2004
.. Boston events and coverage .: Wikinews around town .+ New York, New York! .= what to do with all this snow
 * When: Thursday, 6:00pm
 * Where: Harvard Square, under the portico of the Harvard Coop; we can decide to go to the "Politics and the Internet" keynote down the street or for early supper.
 * Who: Politicos, Salsa-lovers, and You
 * Agenda:

Participants
 * +sj. +
 * j en esprit
 * TPry
 * Koel [ mised you :( ]
 * JT

We dropped in on the politics, had a drink afterwards, and agreed that Wikireporters would have lots of conferences and famous people to keep track of around town, if they put their minds to it. Also that we should start geotracking where people were while taking photos / recordings / notes, and implementing a geostandard for content...

November 21, 2004
.. Good food! .: Metrics, Content, Meetups : Coordinating next time/place
 * When: Sunday, 6:30 pm
 * Where: Meet inside the entrance to the Harvard Coop, just outisde of the Harvard T station
 * Who: You and yours
 * Agenda:

Recap
In attendance: jmac, Stevenj, sj, jkb, jeremy, ezra, dan b, shimon, sasha.

We went to Penang in the Harvard Square Galleria, where we discovered among other things their delectable baked chicken casserole.

chatter
On the subject of "why do we need more MediaWiki features/developers?" we quickly came up with
 * 1) support for subgroups (so topical groups could retain the closeness of a small wiki; w/the appropriate recent changes, active/interested users, etc)
 * 2) support for distributed RC patrolling (letting users say "I've checked these five edits", and randomly handing out unchecked edits to patrollers)
 * 3) organized project roadmaps (describing what features are being added when, by which developers)

As to finding more developers, hanging out on obscure tangentially-related tech lists seemed called for.

On the subject of authority and metrics, we talked a bit about Also mentioned were Jay Rosen[et al]'s thoughts on the procession of journalism and research away from academia, distributed reliable research, collective authorship (of formal papers, articles, etc) and copyright, &c.
 * handling cranks,
 * handling unusual or extreme views held by respected members of a field,
 * coping with many untested ideas in a way that traditional publications don't have to [since traditionally, mainstream ideas go in the big journals, and unusual ideas go in a series of topic-specific, successively less respected and more crufty journals (or get relegated to the Friday night sessions at the APS meetings); yet some forms of the WP ideal aim to touch on all these conflicting views].

klebstoff
CDs were passed out. But... they weren't mac-compatible. (mea culpa! +sj + )

preparation
Where and When 
 * Oops, booked for evening. See you next time, Ortolan88 18:39, 21 Nov 2004 (UTC)

A shame Marche is gone! As for where to eat, feel free to suggest places in Cambridge as well.
 * Border Cafe (Harvard Sq, very T-accessible)
 * Ole (Central Sq)
 * TotH (Prudential Bldg)
 * Woody's (58 Hemenway St., Fenway, near Hynes T)
 * Cambridge Brewing Company (Kendall Square)

More suggestions (&mdash;Steven G. Johnson):
 * Fire and Ice (Harvard Sq.)
 * Lo Conte's (Italian, North End, Haymarket T)
 * Shabu Zen (Chinatown, affordable shabu-shabu-style Japanese)
 * Durgin Park (steak, near Faneuil Hall)
 * Helmand (Afghani, near Cambridge Galleria, Kendall or Lechmere T)
 * Other Side Cafe (eclectic/Californian, Newbury St. in Boston)

List yourself below if you think you could make it. Saturday Nov 20 is also a possibility.


 * +sj +
 * --user:Ed Poor (pre-US rodeo): Either day is fine for me.
 * &mdash;Steven G. Johnson 23:33, Nov 3, 2004 (UTC) either day should be fine.
 * Ortolan88 – I'll be in town then. The last get-together was fun, but lacked structure (I don't believe it's me saying this) that is, how come we are meeting?  What happens when we are through?
 * I was really expecting that others would have assembled an agenda. The quiz was fun, but 20 minutes of it would have been enough. I tried to get a discussion going about versioning: getting academics to verify/authenticate that a particular version of an article passes muster. --user:Ed Poor (deep or sour) 13:19, Nov 5, 2004 (UTC)
 * An "agenda"? And here I thought it was just a friendly get-together.  What's wrong with good food and conversation?  &mdash;Steven G. Johnson 20:45, Nov 5, 2004 (UTC)


 * Also if less than 12 people will be there, maybe we should postpone. I think it takes 3 to 6 months to plan a meeting like this. --user:Ed Poor (deep or sour) 13:21, Nov 5, 2004 (UTC)
 * Danny 19:38, 7 Nov 2004 (UTC) Would love to come, but can't make the 21. Is 20 really a possibility?
 * BCorr | &#1041;&#1088;&#1072;&#1081;&#1077;&#1085; 14:48, 8 Nov 2004 (UTC) I may be able to -- it depends on when I go to Detroit to visit my family for Thanksgiving. I may be on the road that weekend, or I may not leave until Tuesday, in which case I'll be able to attend either day. I'll let you all know.
 * Brian Z 03:51, 10 Nov 2004 (UTC) I would probably make it on either of those days. I'm a very new to Wikipedia and I'd be interested to meet other folks on here.
 * Pdurbin 15:36, 18 Nov 2004 (UTC) I'm interested, thought I'm pretty new to Wikipedia. FYI, Marche is closed. The Top of the Hub seems pricey but I guess I could swing it.  I'd prefer dinner Sunday, somewhere near Brookline/Fenway, but I'm not 100% sure I can make it.
 * Something as simple as getting together for a small dinner would be nice; afterwards, those who can't stay can go, while those who can say can go do something else (visit a bookstore? Go to the movies?) --Modemac 12:21, 10 Nov 2004 (UTC)
 * I'd be interested in meeting everyone in the area. I am relatively new to wikipedia as well, but top of the hub seems a little pricey. And I think that anything from just food and drinks and conversation to a themed-topic discussion would be fun. Jpittman 17:13, 12 Nov 2004 (UTC)
 * DenisMoskowitz 03:31, 2004 Nov 16 (UTC) I'd like to come, though Top Of The Hub seems pricey. How do we pick a time?  Later afternoon is better for me (can't do morning).
 * Sorry, this came together a little too late for me, and I've had other stuff come up. Have fun without me.  Maybe we can plan more thoroughly more early next time? DenisMoskowitz 18:53, 2004 Nov 21 (UTC)
 * --jmac 19:08, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC) There seems to be great reluctance about TotH, and Marche is out... I can't suggest anything else, having little dining experience in Boston (Cambridge being a more familiar browsing ground to me).

Believe me, I love good food and conversation, but I, for one, would like to see the conversation a little bit focused. I'll come anyway, because I have just had a brilliant idea I'd like to try out, so I guess I have my agenda. I'll prepare a presentation with handouts. Others may have similar meta-wiki ideas worth discussing.

How about a positive freeze on some articles where you have to jump through a hoop or two to change it? I am sick of going back on some articles and fixing the same damn thing over and over. Look at how many people have weighed in on Harry Truman's disputed middle initial over the years, to cite a minor example. Best regards, Tom Parmenter aka Ortolan88 00:57, 8 Nov 2004 (UTC)


 * Tom, I like your idea -- or at least where it's heading -- but I will NOT be able to attend the Nov 2004 meeting. It was too short notice, and I wasn't able to postpone my other plans. The Nov 20-21 weekend is out, and then I'm traveling for Thanksgiving. Sorry everyone, I just can't get to Boston this weekend. Let's do it later. --user:Ed Poor (talk) 16:08, Nov 17, 2004 (UTC)

It looks like Sunday it is, so I won't be there either. I hope their will be another opportunity to meet some of you folks soon! --Brian Z 23:25, 20 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Ooo... It's already started guys... I went to the SpongeBob movie with my sister. It's only 9 months till I turn 16 and then 6 more months after that (Feburary) when I turn 16½ and get my learner's permit and I can drive there! Either that or hold it on the North Shore some where? --Saint-Paddy 00:36, 22 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Boston meetings

I'm glad y'all had a good meeting. However, it seems more would have attended if there had been more notice. Given that, and the fact that Wikipedia apparently has plenty of New England participants, maybe it's worth proposing the 2600 meetings as a model: a regular meeting at one Boston location, maybe on the first Sunday of every sixth month...? Cribcage 23:04, 22 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Older meetings: see details of the First Boston Meetup (July 31, 2004) at User:Jimbo_Wales/Boston and Meetup/Boston/1.
 * Recently missed 'pedians - #Ieshan, dchen, jt, sgj, mihai?, St.P.