A Mania Called Wikimania

While the rest of us are busy with our daily cubicle runs and commuter dashes, dedicated do-gooders and nerds of every fashion will be in Hong Kong, this August. Want to know why? They’d be living it up at Wikimania’s 2013 edition from August 7-11.

 

So what is Wikimania?

Wikimania is the annual gathering of the ‘Wikimedia Movement’ – an aggregation of people, organisations and activities that support Wikimedia’s Free Knowledge Initiative. In other words, every netizen that believes in sharing knowledge freely in this new, expanding universe will be there at Wikimania 2013 in Hong Kong. With the Internet growing exponentially, a proportionally large population believes that information that is helping this growth should be free. Want to know what this means? Try your hand at Wikimania this year and find out.

The Wikimaniacs’ Camp Tales

Like the old tribes of yore that gathered around a community fire at the end of each day to tell stories and pass down collected wisdom, Wikimania seeks to share knowledge with relevant stakeholders in the World Wide Web. These would be programmers who believe in sharing codes, writers and editors who want better and free content to rule the Web and shutterbugs who are ardent fans of the CopyLeft movement.

 

But Wikimaniacs are not closet anarchists attempting annihilation of all laws ruling the World Wide Web. Rather, Wikimania 2013 aims to refine the available framework for working with open source software, free content and the technical aspects related to this new working environment. Expect to hear Wiki and independent researchers making presentations on Best Practices in knowledge sharing centred around Wiki projects like Wikipedia, Wikiquote, Wikisource, Wikinews and Wikimedia Commons.

There’s more good news for Internet freedom fighters – Wikimania will also showcase all things new in Wiki technology! You can also attend workshops to get the know-how for free information sharing. One of the best parts of the conference would be the panel discussions on important issues facing the Wiki community. The proposed tracks are: Wikis in Asia, Cultural & Educational Outreach, WikiCulture & Community, Analysis & Public Engagement and Technology & Infrastructure.

Pinning it Down

If you are a free software believer/contributor and work in the collaborative knowledge sharing domain, then the 9^th annual edition of Wikimania is tailor made for you. To be hosted by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Jockey Club Auditorium, the conference will also offer several scholarships for selected participants to offset costs.

The venue lies in the Hung Hom area of Kowloon and is easily accessible by train or bus being located adjacent to MTR Hung Hom Station and the Cross Harbour Tunnel Bus Interchange. The area has some good, affordable hotels and you could pick from Harbour Grand, The Mira Hong Kong, Harbour Plaza Metropolis and the Empire Hotel Kowloon Tsim Tsa Tsui. The Wikimania promises to be invigorating and Hong Kong always has something new for you to explore.