Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2007-05-07/Wikimania2007

Plans are shaping up for Wikimania 2007, the annual conference of the Wikimedia Foundation, which will be held from August 3-5 in Taipei, Taiwan. Wikimania is the annual conference of the Wikimedia Foundation, which is the parent organization for Wikipedia and its sister projects. Wikimania is for the community members of the Wikimedia projects to come together and discuss issues and research relevant to the communities, as well as socialize with international colleagues. Previous Wikimania conferences have been held in Frankfurt, Germany and Boston, USA; this will be the third annual conference. They are international events, with last year's conference attracting Wikimedians from nearly 50 countries.

This year's conference will be held at the Chien Tan Overseas Youth Activity Center, a convention center with on-site dormitory style housing. It is in the heart of Taipei, close to the Shilin Night Market. Keynote speakers announced so far include Joi Ito. Other programs will include a film festival, community lightning talks and a Foundation Board panel. As in previous years, there will be a hacking days session for MediaWiki developers before the main conference. There will also be a Citizen Journalism Unconference held on August 2nd. The conference this year is being organized by an international group of volunteers, led by an organizing team based in Taiwan. Help and volunteers are welcome.

Submissions for the conference are open for one more week, until May 15. Submission types include presentations, posters, and workshops, centered around three themes: Wikimedia Communities, Free Content and Technical Infrastructure. Please visit the submissions page for guidelines and to access the submission system.

Online registration for the conference is open, and will be closed on 30 July. Accommodation at CTOYAC is is available from 1 August - 5 August, and visa assistance for overseas travellers is available. See the registration page for details.

For more information, visit the website or sign up for the Wikimania mailing list (which is used from year to year).