Wikipedia talk:Meetup/Seattle4

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How to be notified about next meet?
Hi, I'm a Seattle Wikipedian and interested in the next meet, whenever we get around to doing that. But the page hasn't been created yet - what should I do or what page should I watch to be notified of the next meet so that I don't forget? Thanks. Deco 19:12, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
 * I've taken the liberty of copying this comment from Wikipedia talk:Meetup/Seattle3, which should pretty much guarantee that someone gets hold of Deco. - Jmabel | Talk 02:23, 16 July 2006 (UTC)
 * I've left the message now there is a time & place. - Jmabel | Talk 20:15, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

So...
Does anyone want to propose a date for the next one? - Jmabel | Talk 02:24, 16 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Would August be too soon? DVD+ R/W 00:38, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
 * We could probably pull off late August if you want to drive making this happen. I think four weeks is about the minumum lead time for getting even half a dozen people to turn up. If we want more like a dozen plus, I'd say six weeks.
 * They are now apparently talking about an early November meetup in Portland. So I think our choices are to do something late-August to mid-September, or pass on this entirely and plan for some of us to head for Portland in November.
 * I'm pretty busy these days and may be called on to go back to Bucharest at any time, so I'm not really liable to "drive" this one. Is someone interested in doing so? - Jmabel | Talk 20:56, 25 July 2006 (UTC)
 * A dozen-plus sounds good, though I would be fine with a dozen. I am willing to do what I can. I might not be able to make Portland in November as I got accepted to go to grad school in Vienna. I will be there in late-September provided my funding comes through, which incidentally doesn't look so likely right now, but I am still giving it my best. You really drove the last one well-- I had never been to a meeting before with an agenda. I wouldn't be able to come up with something like that, but I can suggest a location, the Seattle Central Library and maybe dinner in Belltown. DVD+ R/W 00:58, 26 July 2006 (UTC) I just realized that that library was the site of Meetup/Seattle2. I wasn't here then and didn't read up, which I will now do. Maybe we can meet there again, or somewhere else. DVD+ R/W 01:03, 26 July 2006 (UTC) And upon further research it was also the site of Meetup/Seattle1, maybe another meetup there would make it sort of an institution. DVD+ R/W 01:11, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
 * I was really happy with the library as a place to do this, but the out-of-towners were frustrated with not being able to find cheap parking. (The locals either came by bus or knew where to park cheaply on First Hill.) - Jmabel | Talk 22:50, 27 July 2006 (UTC)


 * What are the requirements for the meetup location? --Lukobe 23:57, 27 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Thats what we are trying to sort out. Do you have any suggestions? DVD+ R/W 00:31, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Well, I like the U-District 'cause it's within walking distance of my place :) --Lukobe 07:15, 28 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Just to chime in: I haven't been to any of these yet so don't have many suggestions, but I can certainly drive people within Seattle and could probably ferry several to/from Portland (with gas money contributions etc.). Suzzallo Library is always a possibility, speaking of the U.D. Perhaps the Seattle Central Library would still work if we gave parking tips ahead of time?--Dave Rosoff 10:15, 29 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Suzallo and the main downtown library are the two places we've done. We tried giving parking tips for downtown, but I think the out-of-towners mostly just ignored the tips, parked in the basement, and were then a bit shocked by how expensive it was. I'd be perfectly happy with either of these locations, or with almost any other.
 * I think we will do better to propose something more concrete and get reactions than to dance all around with nothing concrete, so let me suggest Suzzallo, and let me suggest either Saturday August 27 if someone is ready to really push this forward (in the next few days contact everyone who's ever attended one of these in Seattle, plus nearly anyone else we know or think is in or near Seattle; also, suggest a few agenda item) or Saturday September 10 if we're going to be more desultory about it. -- Jmabel | Talk 03:52, 2 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I would vote for September 10th and desultoriness. -GTBacchus 15:59, 25 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Also, I live in Seattle now, for whatever that's worth. I can probably put up about one other Wikipedian overnight, if it would help. -GTBacchus(talk) 16:04, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, but it's already August 26 and no one's done anything about it. That was "desultory" if we started a month ago.

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that since no one seems to want to really organize much, we make it September 9 (September 10 is a Sunday, sorry) and just pick a time & place to meet up, and whoever wants to be there, great. How about 2pm at the Continental Pastry Shop and Greek Restaurant 4549 University Way NE in the U. District. If no one objects in the next 24 hours, I'll post it. - Jmabel | Talk 22:10, 26 August 2006 (UTC)


 * I've been busy trying to organizing a Wikimeetup in Portland early November when Jimbo will be in town. Well, actually I've been trying to get him to pick a slice of a day or evening when I can start telling people he will be here -- but he answers my emails about as fast as he did Brad Patrick's. But if a definite time & place are nailed down, I'll see what I can do about showing up. -- llywrch 02:29, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Inviting people
I've dropped notes on the talk pages of the following users; Dan Keshet and BrassRatGirl are no longer around Seattle, so I skipped them; if anyone can think of others in the area to invite, please do, and please make a note here so we don't duplicate effort. Thanks. - Jmabel | Talk 02:12, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Regrets

 * Thanks, Jmabel, for taking the time to invite me, but I'll be out of town that weekend. -- RobLa 06:41, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

Question
I'll try to talk my 16-year old to come with me from Richmond, BC. (He needs to log hours before he can go for his driver's licence.) It would be too much to hope for him to spend time at a Wikipedia meetup. Is there anything in the neighborhood that might interest until he can meet with those of us who are having dinner. Eclecticology 00:59, 29 August 2006 (UTC)


 * It's the University district, so it's fairly thick with things of interest to adolescents, I would think. Does he like book or music stores?  Those are both plenty.  The UW campus is right there, and it's nice to wander around, and pretty much safe.  Any other ideas out there? -GTBacchus(talk) 02:09, 29 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Of course, it's also fairly thick with things that are of interest to adolescents for all the wrong reasons. But, yes, lots of book stores, used clothing stores, music stores (Cellophane Square lets you listen to CDs pretty much to your heart's content); (the Burke Museum has teen appeal); lots of good coffeehouses & bubble tea places with a roughly college-age crowd (the one we are meeting at runs a little older, on the whole). - Jmabel | Talk 04:56, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

The announcement
Copied from project page. Seattle meetup 4
 * Date: Sat. 9 Sept 2006 2pm
 * Place: Continental Pastry Shop, 4549 University Way NE, University District
 * Ambience: Plenty of good coffee, pastries, some Greek food & diner-ish food. Pleasant ambience.
 * Bus: Good bus service (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 43/44, 49, probably others).
 * Parking: Parking not the easiest, but it should be easy enough to find something within 10 minutes walk. North of about 52nd NE, parking is free, but some of it is limited time. It's Saturday afternoon, so there is free parking in the garage under Red Square on the U.W. campus, about 10 minutes walk away.

Planning to be there
''Copied from project page. Symbols added to note actual attendance.''
 * [[Image:Symbol support vote.svg|15px]] Jmabel | Talk 02:02, 28 August 2006 (UTC)
 * [[Image:Symbol support vote.svg|15px]] GTBacchus(talk) 06:16, 28 August 2006 (UTC)
 * [[Image:Symbol support vote.svg|15px]] SchmuckyTheCat 15:39, 28 August 2006 (UTC), maybe.
 * [[Image:Symbol support vote.svg|15px]] Lukobe 19:47, 28 August 2006 (UTC), likely
 * [[Image:Symbol support vote.svg|15px]] Alan Au 19:50, 28 August 2006 (UTC), likely
 * Jim Perry
 * DVD+ R/W 00:50, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
 * [[Image:Symbol support vote.svg|15px]] Eclecticology 00:54, 29 August 2006 (UTC) Possibly, but see my talk question.
 * llywrch 03:59, 30 August 2006 (UTC) -- Likely, but let me ask the boss first.


 * I'm interested but I'd need transportation from Portland. Is anyone driving up from Portland and willing to offer a ride? Dmcdevit·t
 * If no taker, consider the train. Last time I did it was quick, cheap, and just as fast as a car.  A cheap upgrade to business class gets you an AC power outlet and free drinks. The bus to the U District leaves from the train station. SchmuckyTheCat 09:07, 3 September 2006 (UTC)
 * Heck, I'd pick you up at the train station, if it comes to that. Schmucky's right, though: Amtrak is glorious. -GTBacchus(talk) 09:22, 3 September 2006 (UTC)
 * And if you need a place to crash in Seattle, I have a spare bedroom (and I'm sure I'm not the only one who does). - Jmabel | Talk 00:17, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

Possible Agenda
Copied from project page.
 * Hey ya'll! I can't make it, sadly, but if you would please discuss this pipe-dream Wikimania bid and let me know your thoughts :) See WM 2007 for answers about the bidding process generally. phoebe 19:17, 17 August 2006 (UTC)
 * "No original research", weasel words, and all that: what exactly is a Wikipedia article supposed to be? - Jmabel | Talk 20:01, 27 August 2006 (UTC)
 * WikiProject Biography

Wikimania
thanks for discussing, everyone -- you're right that it would take a local person a lot of time to spearhead this (though there is quite a bit of foundation support); perhaps it should be expanded into more general thinking about a west coast bid (L.A., San Francisco, Portland, Seattle or Vancouver). There's a good group of people in San Francisco, and I know Vancouver has talked about it before as well. phoebe 21:21, 10 September 2006 (UTC)
 * Vancouver would be very cool if Seattle doesn't work out. --Lukobe 05:56, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Original research discussion
My thanks to GTBacchus for mentioning my essay at this Meetup. I had written the essay in part as my contribution to the conversation at the Meetup. (I had to miss this get-together because I promised my wife to help her with a party to celebrate our new deck -- otherwise I would have gladly given Dmcdevit a lift up to Seattle. He might have enjoyed learning some of the "s3krit ArbKom Handshakez" I observed at Wikimania. ;-)

One thing that no one has written about my essay -- which I fully expected to see, & was the primary reason I have delayed over writing it -- was that I was stating the blatently obvious. Well, at least about most of my examples. I even had one person criticize my opinion about calculating the density of a city from sourced figures: if an editor can't find a citable source for the calculation, then it is arguably not notable! As GTBacchus said at the meeting, Wikipedia is becoming "Less of 'are we producing a good article?' and more of a formal game." -- llywrch 16:54, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Seattle Wikimeetup 5?
Anyone intersted? Or in another Wikimeetup in Portland? (Note: Jmabel has stated he won't be involved in a Seattle meetup beyond attending it, so it's up to the rest of us to make it happen.) -- llywrch 20:14, 21 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Thanks for suggesting this, Llywrch. I will gladly attend, if someone makes it happen but, what with my having organized 2-1/2 of the four we've had so far, and not being all that active these days, it's definitely someone else's turn to "drive". - Jmabel | Talk 19:34, 11 February 2007 (UTC)