Wikipedia:Meetup/NYC/November 2007

The 4th New York City Meetup event was held on Saturday November 3, 2007 in the Brooklyn Museum area.

The meetup was the first to be held in Brooklyn, and was stated to have more of a local focus than previous meetups.

What, Where, When, and How?
There will be one public meeting in the afternoon at Brooklyn's Pacific Library, where we can take the first steps to organize the Wikimedia New York City local chapter.

Additionally, there will be optional pre-meeting and post-meeting activities at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Brooklyn Museum, which are both a very short train ride (or longish walk) away from the public meeting location. The latter post-meetup activity is scheduled to coincide with the Brooklyn Museum's fantastic First Saturdays program, which is basically an extended party and series of cultural events inside the museum.

'Note the recent change in the scheduled meeting at the Pacific Library (which is different from the Brooklyn Central Library). Watch this space for future possible changes.'

Main public meeting (to discuss Wikipedia issues and chapter formation): Optional pre-meeting meetup:
 * Pacific Library in Brooklyn, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
 * There will be an opportunity to possibly get something to eat in the area after this.
 * Brooklyn Botanic Garden: 11:30 AM – 1:30PM (meetup at 11:30 AM at Eastern Parkway entrance to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden—near Brooklyn Museum this is the entrance on the left (north) of this map)
 * May be canceled in case of rainout.

Optional post-meeting meetup:
 * Brooklyn Museum: 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM (meetup at 5:00 PM at Brooklyn Museum grand front entrance, by the trees)
 * There will be a second Brooklyn Museum entrance meetup point at 8:00 PM for people who cannot make it by the 5:00 PM meetup point. The 8:00 group can then join the others inside.  This second meetup point is irrelevant to people who already joined us at 5:00 PM.

If you plan on arriving late for either of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden or Brooklyn Museum activities, and would like to find where the group has wound up walking to, you can drop your mobile phone number ahead of time at Special:Emailuser/Pharos (e-mail will not be able to be checked during the actual meetup time, leave requests ahead of time).

Nearby subway stations: If you need help getting between the subway stations for the two areas (one for the Pacific Library and the other for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden/Brooklyn Museum), you can join a few of us who will be traveling as a group between them.
 * Pacific Library
 * Atlantic Avenue–Pacific Street (New York City Subway)
 * Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Botanic Garden
 * Eastern Parkway–Brooklyn Museum (IRT Eastern Parkway Line)

Agenda
Bring your own ideas!


 * The establishment of a Wikimedia New York City (see link) local chapter.
 * Which local cultural and educational institutions should we be collaborating with?
 * How should the chapter be organized?
 * How can we do outreach with the local community at large?
 * Deciding on a next meetup time and place to establish a regular schedule.
 * Making a decision face-to-face will be far more expedient than slow wiki-discussions.
 * Free-content photography at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Brooklyn Museum. (An objection to photography at the Brooklyn Museum is on the talk page)
 * Digital cameras and an eye for Botany and Egyptology.

Hello badge
Hi, guys. I designed a WikiHelloBadge for the Meetup for anyone who wants to use it, and if people at other Meetups want to use it, feel free. The design is supposed to represent Wikipedians of every possible persuasion, at least symbolically. I made it a double image so that when you print it out, you can fold it in the middle and laminate it so that's it's double-sided (if you plan on hanging it instead of clipping it). I included spaces so that you can identify yourself by your real name, or your Wiki Username, or both, whichever you feel comfortable with. A high-res version of it is on its upload page. And if the WikiMeetup described on this page will be in a location where a language other than English is spoken, feel free to modify the greeting into a different language! After all, it's in the public domain now, so all I ask is attribution! Cheers! Nightscream 17:05, 30 October 2007 (UTC 16:38, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Nice work! Do you suppose you could do a monochrome version for the color-printer-impaired?  (Please pardon my editing your image tag, I've just moved it over and thumbed it in order to preserve the page layout.) Rob T Firefly 16:52, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
 * No Wikipe-tan? :) AndroidCat 15:34, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I was not familiar with that concept until just now, but I guess you could consider the little people in the badge to be "Wikipe-tans", since they were intended to be personifications of WP and its various contributors. If you look closely at the image on the badge's upload page, you can make out all sorts of characteristics of each one that are meant to indicate that they represent people of all groups (gender, age, political, sexual orientation, ethnic, language, etc.) Nightscream 17:35, 1 November 2007 (UTC)
 * This badge is pretty odd. All faces have one letter written on them, "W", yet the Arabic face has "LBTN" written on it. Why not just use the single letter Waaw? - Islamic Wiki Project 00:46, 2 November 2007 (UTC)

I clicked onto the Arabic Wikipedia, cut and pasted the word for "Wikipedia" in the Search window, and then the first letter of that word. It was just a guess on my part, and I had no idea that it would be so scrutinized. Can you refer me to a visual representation of that letter? Thanks! Nightscream 15:21, 2 November 2007 (UTC)
 * Okay, I Googled the Arabic letter waaw, and modified the image. Thanks, IWP. :-) Nightscream 07:49, 3 November 2007 (UTC)

Likely attendees

 * --Pharos 07:04, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * DGG (talk) 11:54, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * BusterD 12:07, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * This is certainly convenient :) Adam 21:21, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I'll try to attend, the free Brooklyn night is pretty fun in any case! :) --Reagle 21:41, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * If I'm not working that day, I'll be there. Nightscream 23:06, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I will try to be there. Invertzoo 21:49, 12 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Should be able to be there since it's walking distance for me, first Saturdays at the BK museum is a good idea.--Bigtimepeace | talk | contribs 17:38, 19 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Should be there late because of the Jewish Shabat--יודל 17:43, 21 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Daamien 13:03, 22 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I shall do my best to attend. Rob T Firefly 15:08, 23 October 2007 (UTC) Unfortunately, I have a personal event to attend that day. Rob T Firefly 16:55, 1 November 2007 (UTC)
 * --chaser - t 06:51, 26 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I cannot make it to the pre-meeting, but I'll be at the main one for sure and possibly the post-meeting. --Thinboy00 talk/contribs @823, i.e. 18:45, 28 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I'm coming. ScienceApologist 18:26, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Me too--Woogie10w 16:34, 3 November 2007 (UTC)
 * futurebird 18:58, 30 October 2007 (UTC) 96% chance I'll be there.
 * I'll be there, hopefully for all of the festivities. —CComMack (t–c) 23:33, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Me, too. Every bit.  Where do we eat?  Jim.henderson 05:46, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I am so coming (just from 2-4).Mitch32contribs 13:15, 3 November 2007 (UTC)

Possible attendees
* Mit ch 32 contribs 11:22, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Jeffrey O. Gustafson - Shazaam! - &lt;*&gt; 09:08, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Alansohn 11:29, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Hmmm, doubtful, but it's possible and I'm hopeful.  Cbrown1023   talk   19:54, 11 October 2007 (UTC) (Change of plans)
 * Like Cb - another definite maybe - sounds like fun though. Tvoz | talk 21:04, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * mordicai - I live nearby & have Saturday's off so the odds are pretty decent, unless something comes up.
 * MessedRocker (talk) 18:49, 12 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Will try, at least whilst everyone is in the Garden. Say, I see that it's called "New York City 4." Aside from the NYC Picnic on Aug 12, and what I believe was the first NYC meetup in Dec 2006, when was the third one? TashTish 20:50, 19 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I'll see if I can find some time, but it looks pretty likely that I can make it. -- Ghost Stalker  (Got a present for ya! | Mission Log) 17:48, 20 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I hope so! --Use the force (Talk * Contribs) 13:33, 23 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Not likely, but if someone really wants to meet me I may get my arm twisted. ScienceApologist 17:24, 26 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Maybe - it's a bit of a hike for me and I have a quizbowl tourney the next day, but I'm considering it. Raul654 14:14, 29 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Since I may well be attending with my son again, I doubt I can be part of the meeting itself (it's not really the sort of thing he's cut out for, and in any event I'm not "local" to New York City — perhaps in the future when we need a Hudson Valley local, then I'll be on the spot). But the post-meeting sounds good. Daniel Case 20:44, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I hope I'll be able to pop in.  Into The Fray  T / C  23:13, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Hope to see you there! - CoolGuy 14:40, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I could possibly make it. I'd like to emphasize the word possibly. Talk To Me
 * --Dwaipayan (talk) 01:36, 3 November 2007 (UTC)

Regrets

 * -- ( Cocoaguy ここがいい contribstalk) 21:06, 19 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Sorry guys will be out of the country. See you at the next one though! Broadwaygal 20:46, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Unfortunately, I'll be in D.C. for a conference that weekend. I look forward to the December meetup.--ragesoss 22:16, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * "So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation." (Genesis 2:3). -- Y not? 22:36, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
 * The latter part of the event does considerably extend past sundown. Perhaps you could catch the last couple of hours?--Pharos 01:32, 12 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I appreciate it, but Jersey is far :) I'll think about it closer to the date. -- Y not? 04:03, 12 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Sorry, I have no way of getting there. I am only 15 and there is no way my parents will take me to a place with complete strangers. Smartyshoe 18:56, 12 October 2007 (UTC)


 * I'll be in Beethoven's Fidelio at the Brooklyn Lyceum. I play the Second Prisoner.  Call time is 3 PM, starts at 4.  .  I would like to be at the next one, though, if I'm not judged to be a troll for my attempts to be a WikiDragon.  --Scottandrewhutchins 00:54, 15 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Ahh, wish I could go. I will be in Boston to see the Red Bulls play the Revolution in the MLS Playoffs so I can't make it. It sounds like it will be fun though. Happy editing. michfan2123 20:08, 19 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Sorry, can't make it. -- Ssilvers 21:56, 19 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Sorry, parents wouldn't go for it. Especially when the words "meetup" and "internet" are in the same sentence. I may happen to "walk by" though. Pacific Coast Highway {Trick • or treat!} 22:49, 19 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I can't make it ether because this event is on the same time I got to meetup for volunteering events towards the New York City Marathon. SignalMan 23:40, 19 October 2007 (UTC)
 *  Bushcarrot  Talk Please Sign! Let's go Lightning!  15:20, 20 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Much to my (literal) regret, I've just learned that I have a family event that conflicts with the date and will take up the whole day. I will be at the next one, however. Newyorkbrad 22:40, 25 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Unfortunately I won't be able to return from college (which is out-of-state) until Thanksgiving. TML 01:15, 26 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Unfortunately, I'll be in Los Angeles at the time and unable to make the meetup. However, I would love to be informed of what went on (especially with the chapter discussion (*eyes Pharos*)).  Cbrown1023    talk   21:50, 26 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I too will be out of town - LA calling. Would love to attend a future one Travellingcari 17:16, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Health issues. Regards, east. 718 at 18:30, 10/30/2007
 * No transportation, parents surely won't allow it. If ever in Boston, maybe. J- ſtan  TalkContribs 19:03, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Too far, parents would definitely not allow it. Maybe in 2011... SmileToday☺(talk to me, My edits) 00:58, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Have a rehearsal (theatre is my wife, the ballet my mistress, and once a week I cheat on both and go to flamenco.) Robert Greer 01:48, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Player. :) J- ſtan  TalkContribs 02:28, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I will be attending a school-related conference on the 3rd so I unfortunately cannot come. MRasco 04:53, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Unfortunately, I will be out of town at the time. - Stakhanov 07:35, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Regretfully I am on the West coast and will not be able to make it. Mkdw talk 09:19, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I'll be in Toronto. Hopefully next time. Clerks. 13:11, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I'm going to be in Boston instead. Damn. Dan 16:15, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Truly sorry guys, I'm going to be teaching all day, I don't think I can get away. Modernist 01:14, 2 November 2007 (UTC)
 * Great concept (esp. the Brooklyn part) but I've committed to other events that day in Manhattan and Jersey. Have fun and get lots of planning done? Decafdyke 04:17, 2 November 2007 (UTC)
 * Bummer but I have a long-standing previous engagement Saturday. I do want to make one of these though in the future. Have fun! -Seidenstud 07:51, 2 November 2007 (UTC)
 * Not gonna happen - but looking forward to hearing about all of it. Tvoz | talk 03:03, 3 November 2007 (UTC)

Post-meetup summary
A small group of Wikipedians spent the morning exploring the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. A larger group joined us at the library, where we focused on organizational, educational, and outreach projects. (Interestingly, the librarian there was very enthusiastic about Wikipedia but did not know it was user-edited or that an edition existed in her native language in addition to English.) About half the library group stopped for local Caribbean food before proceeding to the museum.

At the museum, we were joined by more Wikipedians and chatted more on general Wikipedia topics (at the museum cafeteria) and explored and photographed the African and Egyptian collections.

After most had gone home, a few of us fortuitously ran into a technology representative from the Brooklyn Museum in the lobby, who expressed interest in collaborating on a possible photography contest at the museum. The last of us decided to head home at about 9 PM.

Attendees of record

 * From the sign-up sheet.


 * CComMack
 * Pharos
 * SnowFive
 * DGG
 * Woogie10w
 * Dwaipayanc
 * Mitchazenia
 * Jim.henderson
 * Bigtimepeace
 * Reagle
 * BusterD
 * Thinboy00
 * Frenezulo
 * ScienceApologist
 * User:Nightscream
 * User:Jeremyb
 * User:Raul654
 * User:Daniel Case
 * User:Chaser
 * User:Semisomna

Things discussed

 * Meetup/NYC/November 3, 2007/Minutes