Wikipedia talk:Meetup/DC 9

Proposal

I suppose that I am the last person who should actually be initiating this, but what the hell; no one wins points for timidity.....
I PROPOSE THAT DISCUSSIONS BE HELD REGARDING THE FEASIBILITY/DESIRABILITY OF A MEETUP IN DC SOMETIME IN THE NEXT 6-8 WEEKS.
Also, please note that the people on this blacklist have explicitly asked that they not be contacted.
LET THE COMMENTS BEGIN!!!
--NBahn (talk) 04:07, 20 November 2009 (UTC)

• It would be great to do during the beginning of January, that way everyone is back in town after the holiday season.SADADS (talk) 04:19, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
  • 2nd weekend of January. I was going to coordinate something actually, but hadn't gotten around to it yet.--Tznkai (talk) 05:06, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
    • Tznkai--
      Please clarify: Do you mean that the 2nd weekend is either: A) Good; B) Bad; or C) indifferent for you?
      --NBahn (talk) 21:25, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
      • 2nd weekend is best.--Tznkai (talk) 22:21, 22 November 2009 (UTC)
  • We could just do something more simple or with smaller groups to accommodate people who want to do something but can't because of the holiday. :) Some are probably hanging about in DC and my schedule is up in the air. Ottava Rima (talk) 15:16, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
    • Ottava Rima--
      Do you have any detailed suggestions to offer?
      --NBahn (talk) 21:45, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
      • No real details, but I am near the red line, so Union Station for lunch or other such things isn't a problem. Ottava Rima (talk) 23:25, 20 November 2009 (UTC)

• Please be advised that a couple of people requested Sunday.
  --NBahn (talk) 05:20, 20 November 2009 (UTC)

• How about MLK weekend, Sunday 1/17 or Monday 1/18? --A More Perfect Onion (talk) 13:41, 20 November 2009 (UTC)

• I'd prefer the weekend after MLK weekend, because I'm going to be out of town the previous two weekends. Stu ^(aeiou)_{I'm Researching Wikipedia} 14:04, 20 November 2009 (UTC)

• I would prefer a Friday or Weekend. I am coming from Harrisonburg, becuase I would like to look at creating a student org at JMU based on Wikimedia and would like to get advice from you all.SADADS (talk) 14:48, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
  • I'm back in town from December 12 to the 18th of January... any time in that area should be fine for me. Der Wohltemperierte Fuchs^(talk) 15:59, 20 November 2009 (UTC)

• I'm open to just about any date -- but let's not get into a real last-minute thing. The last one wasn't totally set until a couple of days before the actual meetup, and the one before had its location changed the day before! -- BRG (talk) 17:28, 20 November 2009 (UTC)

• Sundays work very well for me! ~ PHDrillSergeant...§ 17:34, 20 November 2009 (UTC)

• I'm amicable to a Sunday, but not the 17th, as I will be out of town for a wedding that weekend. Other Sundays should be fine. My Saturdays are pretty much booked solid for January. SchuminWeb (Talk) 18:28, 20 November 2009 (UTC)

• Any date works for me. ⇒SWATJester ^{Son of the Defender} 00:03, 21 November 2009 (UTC)

• Right now, I think most anything will work for me. --Ser Amantio di Nicolao^{Che dicono a Signa?}_{Lo dicono a Signa.} 15:39, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

• I'm flexible right now and as long as it's near a metro I'm cool. Attaching my photo here to so project page not totally naked. :-) CarolMooreDC (talk) 14:13, 24 November 2009 (UTC)
• As per User:BRG's concerns, I'm giving strong consideration to making a unilateral decision &/or announcement by the end of the day of Mon., 11/30 as to date, time, & location.
  --NBahn (talk) 18:55, 25 November 2009 (UTC)

• I like the sound of the tenth, that is before my semester starts, so I don't have to worry about coming back to DC.SADADS (talk) 22:48, 25 November 2009 (UTC)

POLLS

DATES

Dates That Are Agreeable
Fri.,1/1

1. User:David Fuchs
   
2. User:Swatjester
   
3. User:Kirill Lokshin
   
4. 
   

Sat.,1/2

1. User:David Fuchs
   
2. User:Swatjester
   
3. User:Kirill Lokshin
   
4. 
   

Sun.,1/3

1. User:PHDrillSergeant
   
2. User:David Fuchs
   
3. User:SchuminWeb
   
4. User:Swatjester
   
5. User:Kirill Lokshin
   
6. 
   

Fri.,1/8

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:David Fuchs
   
3. Racepacket (talk) 02:59, 24 November 2009 (UTC)
   
4. User:Tznkai
   
5. User:Swatjester
6. SADADS (talk)
   
7. 
   

Sat.,1/9

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:Tznkai
   
3. User:Swatjester
   
4. User:Kirill Lokshin
   
5. SADADS (talk)
6. 
   

Sun.,1/10

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:PHDrillSergeant
   
3. User:David Fuchs
   
4. SchuminWeb (Talk)
   
5. SADADS (talk) 02:41, 24 November 2009 (UTC) - prefer midday
   
6. Racepacket (talk) 02:59, 24 November 2009 (UTC)
   
7. User:Tznkai
   
8. User:Swatjester
   
9. User:Kirill Lokshin
   
10. 
    

Fri.,1/15

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:David Fuchs
   
3. Racepacket (talk) 02:59, 24 November 2009 (UTC)
   
4. User:Swatjester
   
5. 
   

Sat.,1/16

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:David Fuchs
   
3. Racepacket (talk) 02:59, 24 November 2009 (UTC)
   
4. User:Swatjester
   
5. User:Kirill Lokshin
6. SADADS (talk)
   
7. 
   

Sun.,1/17

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:PHDrillSergeant
   
3. User:David Fuchs
   
4. User:Kingdon
   
5. A More Perfect Onion (talk)
   
6. SADADS (talk) 02:40, 24 November 2009 (UTC) - prefer midday
   
7. Racepacket (talk) 02:59, 24 November 2009 (UTC)
   
8. User:Swatjester
   
9. User:Kirill Lokshin
   
10. 
    

Mon.,1/18 (Federal holiday for MLK Day)

1. A More Perfect Onion (talk)
   
2. --NBahn (talk) 06:41, 24 November 2009 (UTC)
   
3. User:Swatjester
   
4. 
   

Fri.,1/22

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:Swatjester
   
3. User:Staeiou
   
4. 
   

Sat.,1/23

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. SchuminWeb (Talk)
   
3. SADADS (talk) 02:40, 24 November 2009 (UTC)
   
4. User:Swatjester
   
5. User:Staeiou
   
6. User:Kirill Lokshin
   
7. 
   

Sun.,1/24

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:PHDrillSergeant
   
3. SchuminWeb (Talk)
   
4. User:Swatjester
   
5. User:Staeiou
   
6. User:Kirill Lokshin
   
7. 
   

Fri.,1/29

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:Swatjester
   
3. 
   

Sat.,1/30

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:Swatjester
   
3. User:Kirill Lokshin
   
4. 
   

Sun.,1/31

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:PHDrillSergeant
   
3. SchuminWeb (Talk)
   
4. User:Swatjester
   
5. User:Kirill Lokshin
   
6. 
   

Dates That Are Neither Good Nor Bad
Fri.,1/1

1. User:BRG
   
2. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
3. 
   

Sat.,1/2

1. User:BRG
   
2. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
3. 
   

Sun.,1/3

1. --NBahn (talk) 21:04, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Fri.,1/8

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Sat.,1/9

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Sun.,1/10

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Fri.,1/15

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Sat.,1/16

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Sun.,1/17

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Mon., 1/18 (M.L.K.,Jr. Holiday)

1. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
2. 
   

Fri.,1/22

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Sat.,1/23

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Sun.,1/24

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Fri.,1/29

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Sat.,1/30

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Sun.,1/31

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:BRG
   
3. User:Ser Amantio di Nicolao
   
4. 
   

Dates That Simply Don't Work At All
Fri.,1/1

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. 
   

Sat.,1/2

1. --NBahn (talk) 18:36, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
   
2. User:SchuminWeb
   

Sun.,1/3

1. 
   

Fri.,1/8

1. User:Staeiou
   
2. 
   

Sat.,1/9

1. User:SchuminWeb
   
2. User:Staeiou
   
3. 
   

Sun.,1/10

1. User:Staeiou
   
2. 
   

Fri.,1/15

1. User:SchuminWeb
   
2. User:Staeiou
   
3. 
   

Sat.,1/16

1. User:SchuminWeb
   
2. User:Staeiou
   
3. 
   

Sun.,1/17

1. User:SchuminWeb
   
2. User:Staeiou
   
3. 
   

Mon., 1/18 (M.L.K.,Jr. Holiday)

1. User:Staeiou
   
2. 
   

Fri.,1/22
Sat.,1/23

1. 
   
2. 
   

Sun.,1/24
Fri.,1/29
Sat.,1/30

1. User:SchuminWeb
   
2. 
   

Sun.,1/31

PLACES

• I would request that we do NOT return to that place we went to last time. The food was bland and completely flavorless; a first as far as I'm concerned for Southeast Asian food. It was also too small to handle our numbers. I liked that we chose an ethnic restaurant, but perhaps we should choose a better one (or do Uno again, which we know works well and has enough room to handle us, and they like us there.)⇒SWATJester ^{Son of the Defender} 00:03, 21 November 2009 (UTC)
  • I wonder what you ordered. "Bland and completely flavorless" certainly does not describe what I had, which had a rather nice combination of hot/sour flavors. I guess there must be an amazing variation in the dishes. -- BRG (talk) 21:05, 22 November 2009 (UTC)
  • Yeah, I wasn't all that fond of Burma, either. Of the places we've done, I liked Unos as well, and Bertucci's was also very good. SchuminWeb (Talk) 00:50, 21 November 2009 (UTC)
  • I rather liked Burma, but I wouldn't want to go back there right away anyway because we just did it. I would tend to favor variety, and so going to somewhere we haven't gone to before would by my preference. -- BRG (talk) 17:36, 21 November 2009 (UTC)
  • Ethnic food is awesome, they generally have better vegetarian options. (Except Greek).SADADS (talk) 17:40, 21 November 2009 (UTC)
  • We need more room, and we need actual accessibility, not technical accessibility.--Tznkai (talk) 22:22, 22 November 2009 (UTC)
• Pizzeria Uno at Union Station has worked well in the past. Also, there is a possibility of getting meeting space in the afternoon at the Library of Congress (not far from Union Station), if we want to formalize things a little more and have a special speaker(s) or something. --Aude (talk) 02:18, 24 November 2009 (UTC)
  • A meeting before dinner at the Library of Congress sounds great, and it could also hopefully pave the way for future collaboration between the LOC and local DC Wikipedians. I would definitely take the bus down from NYC for that :)--Pharos (talk) 01:01, 30 November 2009 (UTC)
    • Endorse meeting at the LOC. Doubly so if we can get a tour. --A More Perfect Onion (talk) 20:11, 30 November 2009 (UTC)
      • There's an hour long public tour at 10:30 A.M. (we'd have to show up no later than 10:15 A.M in order to get through security) — if we do it, I recommend pushing back the lunch to 12:30 or 1 P.M. If one wanted to be more ambitious, I suppose that I could explore the idea of seeing if the Library of Congress would be amenable to providing a speaker; though on what I have no idea. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 160.253.0.8 (talk) 20:45, 30 November 2009 (UTC)
        • User:Sj has talked to people there, and may be able to connect us with people at the LOC. I can try to get some info from him. For a tour, I think we can definitely get a special group tour arranged. --Aude (talk) 06:24, 1 December 2009 (UTC)
          • Endorse.LOC is a really good idea if we can get a meeting room. We would need to make sure we can get WiFi so that we can do work on the Wikimedia DC stuff.SADADS (talk) 20:05, 1 December 2009 (UTC)

  LOC does have free wi-fi available. --Aude (talk) 03:39, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

• Eating in the food court is fine with me, since there is something for everyone. Though, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the issue with Pizzeria Uno is that some people are allergic to gluten. I do know that Pizzeria Uno has gluten free pizza and other options [1] [2] [3]. --Aude (talk) 06:46, 1 December 2009 (UTC)

  The food court seems a bit off for our group. Less intimate, and too loud. Let's nix that idea and find a good sit-down spot. SchuminWeb (Talk) 00:12, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

• I liked Burma cause it is private and a large room. Anything at Union Station sounds noisy. Is there a quiet private room for Pizzeria Uno. If so, no problem. The meeting before the dinner sounds like a Working Meeting, with serious discussion of offered up issues? I certainly would come with several agenda items. So be clear if that's the purpose of meeting before dinner. CarolMooreDC (talk) 16:46, 1 December 2009 (UTC)

  Actually, Uno's isn't as loud as one might think. We usually get set up in the back of the restaurant, and despite the openness of the facility, it's actually a really good place to have a meetup. SchuminWeb (Talk) 00:10, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

  Agree that Uno's tends to be quiet, and with our group in the back of the restaurant, it's usually relatively private. --Aude (talk) 03:39, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

  Once we have the meeting space, we can setup a space on the main meetup page for agenda items. This is jumping ahead a little of having meeting space confirmed, but for an agenda, I suggest some combination of the following in the afternoon, which I estimate 2 hours of time for (to make it worth it for people, but not too long):

• 1-2 speakers (I have ideas, though open to ideas) - could be ~45 min (rough estimate)
• discussion of where we want to go as a group (e.g. organizing activities, chapters), could be ~30 min
• and a tour of LOC - rough estimate 30-45 min, depending if we see both the Jefferson and Madison Buildings, or just the Jefferson Building. I know the LOC normally does group tours only on weekdays, though I think we definitely qualify under the "Professional Visitor Programs", given Wikimedia's involvement with museums and libraries and possible partnerships, thus I'm confident we can arrange something special for us.
• Then we can head over to Unos or some place to eat and relax. (optional, however long people want to stay, etc. like we have always done. If some people want to skip the meeting and just join the group at Union Station, that's fine too) --Aude (talk) 04:06, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

If this works out well this time, then perhaps we could in the future do similar to what Wikipedia:Meetup/NYC does, in allowing people to signup to talk about something, discussion, or whatever ideas people have. --Aude (talk) 04:06, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

• I've been out of touch for a while; did not realize we were talking about touring LC; I work there. I would definitely support the idea of a tour of the Jefferson Building; don't bother with Madison; it is chiefly administrative and the building itself is nondescript; there are some reading rooms (nothing like Main Reading Room tho) but not sure of the interest level or the number of the final group; they would need advance notice. I could investigate if we have ballpark figure of the number of people coming and general interest.--FeanorStar7 (talk) 11:55, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

update: it might be possible to visit the Music Division, but they would need at least one's month's notice; and would only be able to accomodate a limited number of people. Just putting it out there--FeanorStar7

• By all means, please make the arrangements (even though the time seems to still be in the air, as it were).<br. />--NBahn (talk) 23:13, 2 December 2009 (UTC)
• Your help with arranging things would be most welcome. I think people are leaning towards having the meetup on a Sunday, think the date could be flexible if something (e.g. Saturday) or something else is better for you and LOC. Also, would it be possible to reserve a meeting room for a group of our size. I was at a small bar camp type event about a month ago (on a Saturday), so it seems possible to me but not sure how to go about it or if it has to be someone at LOC to arrange it? --Aude (talk) 23:19, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

• I forgot that the Library of Congress is closed on Sundays; therefore, unless no one objects, I will change the date to Saturday, January 9 2010.
  --NBahn talk 18:38, 2 December 2009

• People can crowd in my basement office. Its only a brisk 7 minute walk from the metro. :) Ottava Rima (talk) 18:07, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

Agenda

Wikimedia DC business

We definitely need to figure out what the future of Wikimedia DC's activities should be.

Also, I think we should talk about any future activity Wikimedia DC should sponsor. I think we should begin discussing ideas like hosting a photo-scavenger hunt, or talking to culture organizations in DC to get support for media and editing, etc. We could even see if we could convince organizations to offer grants for edits on certain subject areas which could compensate the editors and support Wikimedia DC - to pay for lawyer fees etc. But this is best discussed in person instead of in a forum. SADADS (talk) 16:29, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Just sayin, this is something that has been discussed multiple times in the past by the core group of DC Wikimedians, and has never taken off. We're a social group and we love meeting, but we also tend to be overshadowed in the organized events department by the NY Chapter. I'll be more than happy to share my experiences with it at the meeting though. ⇒SWATJester ^{Son of the Defender} 14:12, 10 December 2009 (UTC)

There is no reason for us to be any less organized. DC may even have more cultural support than New York. Just a thought. SADADS (talk) 15:34, 10 December 2009 (UTC)

There is if we're duplicating effort and not adding anything significant that WM NY isn't doing. All I'm saying is in the past, we've suggested it and it hasn't been very receptive. That may no longer be the case, but given the relative lack of turnout we had for relatively well publicized events like Wikipedia Loves Art DC, I seriously doubt anything has changed. ⇒SWATJester ^{Son of the Defender} 11:58, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see an official WM DC; I was behind the initial efforts and I've been doing some GLAM work here and making contacts with various like-minded organizations, and having an official chapter backing would be great. But I'm just worried you're underestimating the amount of effort involved and overestimating the amount of local support. ⇒SWATJester ^{Son of the Defender} 12:01, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

I agree about our group not being active/motivated enough to form a chapter (me included, not wanting to duplicate the bureaucratic stuff that the NYC chapter has done). For doing GLAM/outreach events, I think we can, but they require much more planning and getting the word out more. For the Wikipedia Loves Art DC event, I remember hearing about it with fairly short notice. I suggest we try reaching out again, perhaps do an event or something with another format that's better suited for our group. We can discuss ideas at the meetup. --Aude (talk) 06:50, 12 December 2009 (UTC)

In terms of not duplicating bureaucratic stuff, there was some discussion among DC and Boston Wikimedians at Wiki-Conference New York about evolving into a regional "Wikimedia East Coast" to cover up and down the whole Northeast Corridor (and the NYC chapter actually already includes the Philly area).--Pharos (talk) 23:54, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

I supported this idea when it was discussed re: the U.S. wide chapters, and think it is good now. In prior discussions, we've mentioned that it as a good idea, but obviously it requires a lot more inter-regional planning to get off the ground. I think this meeting will be a good opportunity to set this all off. ⇒SWATJester ^{Son of the Defender} 02:49, 19 December 2009 (UTC)

Well there are so many people — Preceding unsigned comment added by ? (talk • contribs)

I'm making progress on building connections with people in DC, partially through my work on OpenStreetMap and other ways. We have a local group in DC (http://mappingdc.org), hold events, may hold a U.S. OpenStreetMap conference in DC in late May, and are moving towards forming a U.S. chapter. One of the differences is that a couple people in the MappingDC group allow us to meet regularly in their office's conference room, and we also have met at HacDC (on 16th St in Columbia Heights). With reliable meeting space, it's been easier to organize and work towards doing things. I would be willing to talk about what we are doing and ideas for the Wikimedia group in DC. --Aude (talk) 18:51, 10 December 2009 (UTC)

I agree, there are so many people expressing interest in the meetup, and, especially with a number of universities that are interested in this type of activity in the area. See [4]. I am going to invite all of the groups they have in the area to our meetup. SADADS (talk) 16:03, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

JMU Group

I am thinking about starting a Wikimedia student org on campus at James Madison University, I would really like your opinions and ideas. I think that should definitely be on the Agenda.SADADS (talk) 19:22, 1 December 2009 (UTC)

A student groups sounds like a great idea. Though, I wonder if perhaps you should broaden the focus of the group some, to encompass free culture more generally, with Wikipedia definitely part of that. You might look at what the Free Culture student groups do. [5] If the focus is too narrow, it might be difficult to get enough people involved. (I could be wrong about that) --Aude (talk) 04:14, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

Very true but I definitely want Wikipedia and the Wikimedia commons literacy to be integral to our purpose.I would greatly appreciate commentary from you all, especially some suggestions and discussion at the meetup.SADADS (talk) 05:40, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

If you mean by literacy, quickly teaching newbies (and even some oldies) the ropes to end frustration on everyone's part, I'm with you. Carol, a formerly difficult newbie who now can be sometimes be too impatient with other difficult newbies (esp AnonIps) and think the lack of tutoring is helping destroy the whole project. CarolMooreDC (talk) 15:15, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

Students for Free Culture Conference http://conference.freeculture.org/

Students for free culture is having a conference Febuary 13-14. We should consider asking Wikimedia if WM DC needs to support any tables/presentations they might be part of. And if currently not attending the conference, we should suggest it to the national organization. SADADS (talk) 16:03, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

Yes, I am interested in the conference. There may be space for a panel/session about Wikimedia, and I think it would be best for Pharos and the Free Culture NYU people to represent us on the agenda. I'm not sure what other involvement would be good, but certainly something and at minimum, have some of us attend. --Aude (talk) 07:32, 12 December 2009 (UTC)

Ah, it's good to see the FC conference coming to the East Coast. I have been talking to people at Free Culture NYU and Free Culture Columbia quite a bit, and when we start meeting again next semester I'll certainly raise the issue of Wikimedians' and especially DC Wikimedians' participation in the conference. Also, it appears I may need another bus ticket!--Pharos (talk) 03:56, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

Hilarious if torn out of context and annotated

Dates That Simply Don't Work At All
Fri.,1/1
Annotation: 12:01 am, 1/1/10. As usual, New Year's Eve dates are Dates That Simply Don't Work At All
David in DC (talk) 22:24, 24 November 2009 (UTC)

HA!  :-)
--NBahn (talk) 18:40, 25 November 2009 (UTC)

Morning at LOC and Lunch at Uno's, or Afternoon at LOC and Dinner at Uno's?

• I see Nbahn has put us on an early schedule, with the morning at LOC and lunch at Uno's. However, in the past I see that you've usually had the meetup meal at dinnertime. Is there a thought about the afternoon at LOC and dinner at Uno's?--Pharos (talk) 19:42, 2 December 2009 (UTC)
  • Part of it I think is because I suggested mid-day so that I can travel back to JMU at a decent time and get ready for classes (buy any last minute books, etc.) I can do the other time but that means I get into Harrisonburg probably after 8-9 pm. SADADS (talk) 20:03, 2 December 2009 (UTC)
    • I am considering changing the time of Uno Chicago Grill to 6 P.M. while keeping the 10:15 A.M Library of Congress time. However, I would prefer to limit my edits to the project page to as few as possible; therefore I request that if anyone objects to this, (or has an alternative time for Saturday, January 9) then please post your thoughts here right away.<br. />--NBahn (talk) 20:57, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

Why so late for dinner? Are we going to do research in the LOC? 8 hours is a long time.SADADS (talk) 21:00, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

(edit conflict) Um, we're going to spend 8 hours at the LOC, then? I presume not, and that it would end long before 6 PM. Whatever the schedule is, I think it's important that people be able to go straight from LOC to the meal, because we're not going to get people to come out twice.--Pharos (talk) 21:04, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

Yes, the meeting really has to be just before the dinner. No more than one hour between. CarolMooreDC (talk) 21:32, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

If we are not going to try and get a meeting room at LOC, Why not like 3:30? (LOC closes at 4:30 [6]) and then we can go to UNOs and do round table discussion over dinner. If we are going to sit down and meet at LOC, should be no earlier than 2:00. SADADS (talk) 21:52, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

How about America for lunch or dinner at Union Station? I love the place. The menu is enormous. If we do lunch, the weekend brunch is reasonable and the portions are generous. (Saturday and Sunday brunch are listed at the very bottom of the menu I've linked to below.) I'm pretty sure there are good options for people with particular dietary needs or preferences. If that's you, please look the menu over and let us know if I'm right. The entrees are expensive, but the sandwiches, soups, salads and appetizers are reasonable. Check out the menu. David in DC (talk) 22:28, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

We could meet at LOC at ~2pm, and then an early dinner at Unos. (~4-4:30pm). Of course, the timing all depends on if we have a meeting room and agenda, or just doing a tour. --Aude (talk) 00:26, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

Lunch LOC then dinner.--Tznkai (talk) 00:29, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

The Way I See Things Right Now (or, OK, so I'm a bloody idiot)

1. Two Sundays — the 10th and the 17th — have the largest sign-ons.
   
2. The Library of Congress is closed on Sundays.
   
   1. Therefore, if we meet on a Sunday, we cannot visit the LOC.
      
   2. Therefore, we must choose either of the following:
      
      1. Going on a Sunday so that the largest number of people can attend and forgo the LOC.
         
      2. Going on a Saturday — when fewer people can make it — when the LOC is open.
         
      3. (alternatively, we could make it a two-day affair with — just for an example — going to Uno's on Sunday the 17th and then on MLK, JR day going to the LOC.
         
      4. Or pushing this back into February.
         

Am I missing any options?<br. />--NBahn (talk) 01:30, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

If people were good for Sunday January 10, Saturday January 9 is probably good for them as well. I would suggest sticking with Saturday January 9 at this point.--Pharos (talk) 04:18, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

• The LOC's main (Jefferson) building is open on MLK day; the Madison and Adams buildings are not. Cite: LOC hours --A More Perfect Onion (talk) 14:43, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

I think we probably should push the whole thing back into February at this point... SchuminWeb (Talk) 00:28, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

Yes, LC is closed on Sundays; I think that Jefferson is open for tours on MLK Day, but not sure. I have to check. I can also check with Special Events Office about getting a room to meet for business meeting. Again, I need an approximate count of who is coming. I will let you know.--FeanorStar7 (talk) 02:52, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

Based on past meetups, I estimate 20 people, or perhaps more (25? or 30 being optimistic) if we advertise this more through Wikipedia:Geonotice and other places. --Aude (talk) 03:56, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

Ok, I checked; having a meeting at LC is not feasible. We would have to pay to use the facility. I think we should try to find a different venue for the meeting. We could still take the tour of Jefferson, though. They do give tours with docents; alternatively, I can give a tour to all of those who come; the docents will likely have a larger group of non-Wiki people; if I give the tour, it can be focused on our needs/interests. Let me know what you want to do--FeanorStar7 (talk) 02:00, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

• This is what I'm thinking of doing — albeit unilaterally. Make it Saturday the 9th. Change the time of the tour to 2:30 P.M. (show up at 2:15 P.M. in order to get through security with time to spare) since that's the last tour given on Saturdays. Assuming a thirty minute walk — it's one-half of a mile between the LC and Union Station — and adding another 15 minutes for insurance, I'd say we could meet at Uno Chicago Grill at 4:15 P.M. Is that too early for dinner?<br. />--NBahn (talk) 04:51, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

  Things have fallen into place for that weekend for me, and the Anonymous Scientology raid is that day. If you have it on the ninth, I can't make it. SchuminWeb (Talk) 19:53, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

The date needs firmed up asap as out of towners need to make plane and/or hotel reservations. — Rlevse • Talk • 00:50, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

• BTW, there are two entrances to the LOC main Bldg, the main entrance for tourists, (nice tour though, and galleries) and the back researchers entrance. if you want to go to reading room and research, then you need to get a library card in the Madison bldg. Pohick2 (talk) 01:18, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Nailing this down

We've had some folks from out of town express interest in coming, and flight rates go up soon, so we need to finalize ASAP, (as in within the next two days).

For those who are flying in, as well as those of us who have class or work on Monday, a Saturday dinner is probably the most convenient There seems to be persistent interest in the Library of Congress as well, so we can meet at the Library of Congress before hand, (eat some street food!) then go from there to the restaurant for dinner.

Is there anyone for whom this will not work at all?--Tznkai (talk) 02:41, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Well, for me, if it's January 9th, it's a no-go, and if it ends up being the 9th, I'll have to miss and see you at #10. SchuminWeb (Talk) 02:52, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

9th is better for me. — Rlevse • Talk • 03:26, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

If it is on the 9th, I will likely attend. Risker (talk) 03:58, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

January 9 works for me. --MZMcBride (talk) 15:04, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

The weekend of January 9-10 (either day) is okay for me at this point. Newyorkbrad (talk) 15:27, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

We have changed it on the project page, go ahead and sign up there.SADADS (talk) 16:00, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Private or Public tour

• FeanorStar7 was offering to give a private tour, yet the above section was suggesting a public one. I think the private one would be better/easier, right FeonorStar? What do you have arranged so far?SADADS (talk) 05:27, 7 December 2009 (UTC)
  • If we go with the public tour we have to be there at a certain time; I think they run the public tour every hour; I will check to see what they do in case people do want to do it. As for me giving a private tour; it's pretty much going to be looking at the Great Hall, the Main Reading Room, and the exhibits; however, I know as much history of the building and LC in general as the docents so you would get the same benefits but we can go at our own pace and it will just be our group; not our group plus non-wiki people. Hope that makes sense. PS: lots of marble, gold leaf and general 19th century gorgeousness in the Jefferson Building; I believe you are allowed to take pictures; probably no flash tho.--FeanorStar7 (talk) 11:02, 7 December 2009 (UTC)
    • If you are able and willing to do this, then what would be the exact procedure for us to follow? (Where precisely would we meet? Would we need any pre-approved identification?)<br. />--NBahn (talk) 13:41, 7 December 2009 (UTC)
    • The private one would be better as long as we don't have to jump through hoops (like sending in personal information for prior security clearance (social security #, copies of drivers licenses etc.). That could just get hairy especially if it's not just a core group of DC editors. If we are required to get reader cards, that doesn't take too long, (~30-40 mins give or take) and would be a general asset for everyone. (Actually we might want to distribute that information anyway. Once you have a reader card, you only have to update the reason for visiting each time you visit, which takes much less time.)SADADS (talk) 15:03, 7 December 2009 (UTC)
    • OK, I think clearly at this point we should designate FeanorStar7 to lead us all on the private tour. Now we just need details from FeanorStar7 of exactly which room in the LOC we're going to meet up at at 2:30.--Pharos (talk) 21:44, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

more info from FeanorStar7

• Greetings: just some points of clarification:

The tour and the reader cards are separate things. You do not have to provide personal information for the tour.

I am providing a link for those who want to know about reader registration (which happens in the Madison building, not the Jefferson)

http://www.loc.gov/rr/readerregistration.html

If people want to do reader registration on their own time that is fine; I was only planning on doing the tour.

As I stated earlier, I was not able to get a room to meet in at the Library since it would cost an exorbitant amount of money; I suggest we meet near the Neptune fountain outside the Library

http://www.loc.gov/visit/maps/campus_map.html

the fountain is located on the 1st St. side below the steps of the main entrance.

We need to meet at 2:30 since the Library will close at 4:30.

Is this agreeable to people?

Also, perhaps we should do nametags with our screennames and real names to assist people in figuring out who is who?

Sounds great will update Agenda.SADADS (talk) 01:14, 8 December 2009 (UTC)

Thank you for willingness to show us around LOC. I'm not sure how the barcamp/miniconference I was at got the space, but perhaps they did pay a bit. Anyway, meeting at 2:30 by the fountain sounds good.

As for getting in the LOC, I've always been able to just come in (passing through security check point), and they don't ask for id. On the way out, security guards want to check your bags (e.g. to make sure your not taking books out of the library). --Aude (talk) 03:34, 8 December 2009 (UTC)

I think that with more lead-time and the opportunity to reach out to more departments at the LOC, we may have better luck getting a gratis meeting room for the next time.--Pharos (talk) 03:59, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

To do list:

Here are some things I think need to be taken care of, feel free to add more SADADS (talk) 16:10, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Outreach:

• Wikipedia:Geonotice  Done only on watchlists though....
• Template:Meetup  Done
• Talk page spam (User:MZMcBride)
• Talk it up, get more people interested
• http://wikipedia.meetup.com group

Planning:

• Final LOC Plans  Done - no consensus but we were leaning towards in the rest of discussion, made decision
• Meetup Agenda Items

I've found talk page spam is far more effective than geonotices. You may want to plan to send one out a week before the event or so. --MZMcBride (talk) 01:17, 8 December 2009 (UTC)

Good, I am glad you have experience, thank you for volunteering. :P (We will talk it up if you want, or can get someone else to do it). SADADS (talk) 01:34, 8 December 2009 (UTC)

Spamlist

• Category:Wikipedians in Virginia
• Category:Wikipedians in the District of Columbia
• Category:Wikipedians in Maryland

NYC Wikipedians

For any Wikipedians are thinking of coming to the meetup, I just saw that Megabus is giving away free tickets for between Jan. 6 - March 20. [7] Though, their website is busy right now, and I've never been on Megabus so don't know if they are good or not. --Aude (talk) 20:19, 8 December 2009 (UTC)

Amtrak's lowest Northeast Corridor round-trip train fare on Jan 9 between New York City and Washington Union Sta. is $98.  JGHowes  ^talk 21:06, 10 December 2009 (UTC)

I highly recommend taking one of the Chinatown bus services; Bolt, Megabus, etc. They're cheaper than Amtrak, will drop you off just a couple of metro stops (or a few blocks if you'd like to walk) from Union Station, and are not that long of a ride from NYC (though I don't know where they pick up there). Some of them have Wi-Fi on the bus, and the major ones (like the ones I mentioned above) are reliable and safe. ⇒SWATJester ^{Son of the Defender} 12:07, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

OpenStreetMap mapping party on Sunday

Announcement and RSVP [8] --Aude (talk) 05:00, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

The Mapping DC group has decided to organize a mapping party event to take place on Sunday, January 10th. We were planning something for around that time anyway, but since I notice some folks are coming to DC from out of town, we thought having something available to do that Sunday would make coming to DC more worth while of your time. We are finalizing details (exact meeting place), but we will focus on mapping the National Mall and West/East Potomac Park areas.

Some details have already been mapped on the Mall (footways) and there are some POIs (imported from a dataset, but many are inaccurate). We are importing some GIS data from the DC government, though it still leaves coverage of the Mall area with plenty that needs to be collected by on the ground mapping.

The agenda for a mapping party usually involves meeting at some place around ~10 am or 11 am. It can take 1/2 hour or one hour to slice up the map (e.g. cake pieces) and assign them to groups or individuals to work on. At 1 or 2 pm, people reconvene at the meeting spot and upload the data to OSM. (can take an hour or more) If you can't stay for the entire time, that's totally okay. Stay for however long is good for you.

To take part in the mapping party, you do not need a GPS. We will have some to lend out, though GPS is only one way of collection. We also use walking papers, which are simply low-tech printouts of the OSM map that we mark up with details when out walking around. After collecting some data, we will show you how get the data and information into OpenStreetMap.

Anyone coming to the Wikipedia meetup on Saturday (from out of town and locals) is more than welcome to join us on Sunday, too. --Aude (talk) 07:07, 12 December 2009 (UTC)

I'm not sure about putting a signup list on the main meetup page, but would like a general idea of who / how many are interested. --Aude (talk) 07:10, 12 December 2009 (UTC)

It's a bit much to also stay overnight in as hotel, so thanks but I don't think I'll make it to this part.--Pharos (talk) 21:57, 12 December 2009 (UTC)

That's understandable. We (OpenStreetMap people) might be interested in organizing some mapping event in NYC sometime, though not sure when. --Aude (talk) 01:21, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

# of people at dinner?

• With so many people thinking about coming to dinner, do we need to make reservations at UNOs? SADADS (talk) 22:28, 13 December 2009 (UTC)
• Yes, we need reservations. I can take care of it sometime early this week. --Aude (talk) 01:23, 14 December 2009 (UTC)
  • Hey Aude. As a restaurateur, I would highly recommend anticipating forty when you make the reservations (at the time of this writing, it's 30 including people that haven't signed up). I would also bump back the reservation to six. It's going to take a while to regroup and some of us are going to take the day to get together on some projects, so time would be good. Following that, I anticipate us being more talkative than hungry so there's no rush. Just a thought. Keegan (talk) 08:49, 17 December 2009 (UTC)
  • Aude--
    If you decide to follow Keegan's recommendation about changing the dinner time to 6 P.M., then I strongly suggest that you immediately change the time posted on the project page and on the geo-notice. You may also want to give strong consideration to spamming everyone who signed onto the "may/will attend" lists. My 2¢, FWIW.<br. />--NBahn (talk) 13:37, 17 December 2009 (UTC)
• Given the location that we always seem to get at UNO, the number shouldn't be a problem; they just make our table longer, and we can always fill up the ancillary tables surrounding that area. We're in the back, out of the way, in an area that most Uno patrons are not typically seated in. They've never had a problem with us taking as much time as we need in the past. ⇒SWATJester ^{Son of the Defender} 19:01, 20 December 2009 (UTC)
  • I wonder if the thing about the necessity of a buffet menu might be overkill. There have been large wiki meetups in the past at UNO, no? Were any special arrangements needed for those?--Pharos (talk) 16:06, 24 December 2009 (UTC)
    • I keep on missing these Meetups, so I can't speak from experience; all I know is that the handout I was given specifically mentions — among other things — that a security deposit is required, so I'm very glad that I wasn't asked for one!<br. />--NBahn (talk) 01:26, 25 December 2009 (UTC)
      • Not needed at Uno-- we just call them and tell them. ⇒SWATJester ^{Son of the Defender} 11:19, 5 January 2010 (UTC)

Anyone wanna walk around the Mall for two hours before the LOC?

My vehicle arrives at 12:20 PM, and I do not intend to waste the value of my precious bus ticket. Does anybody want to hang out/walk around the National Mall area for a couple of hours?--Pharos (talk) 04:05, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

I always like to stop in at the National Gallery of Art, I would be up for that. We'll have to not take too long though, I always seem to get lost in there...just saps my day away. SADADS (talk) 04:14, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

Sure, count me in. Exactly at what location does will your bus discharge? How will we identify each other?<br. />--NBahn (talk) 04:21, 16 December 2009 (UTC)

I'm taking Megabus, and my bus will retract its wings and land in this parking lot (see also here). I look kind of like this. You can also email me to exchange phone numbers. I would actually kind of prefer a brisk walk around the Mall over the National Gallery of Art if people are up for that, just because I don't get down to see DC and your monumental architecture very often.--Pharos (talk) 06:17, 16 December 2009 (UTC)

I am up for a walk around, it is amazing how if you work in live in DC you completely ignore the sites.SADADS (talk) 14:40, 17 December 2009 (UTC)

Cool, great to have you onboard. I like being a tourist in NYC too :)--Pharos (talk) 18:35, 17 December 2009 (UTC)

i would point out that the national portrait gallery and smithsonian american art gallery are near your bus location (unlike the NGA) site of recent Wikipedia:Wikipedia Loves Art [9] Pohick2 (talk) 22:11, 18 December 2009 (UTC)

quick question

hey everyone, im mack, a dc fireman, i was invited to this, can someone add my name to the list of persons that probably will attend the LOC tour? im new to editing and im trying to figure it out, one step at a time. i just dont want to mess the page up. heres my signature: Mackdiesel5 (talk) 18:20, 16 December 2009 (UTC) thanks in advance!

 Done

FYI

Not sure if I mentioned this before, but someone asked about taking photos at LC... so, from their website: "Please observe restrictions on photography. Photography is permitted, EXCEPT at the Bibles, in the Main Reading Room overlook, and in the exhibitions."; basically you can take photos except in the areas they mention.--FeanorStar7 (talk) 07:15, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Adjournment time?

Just wondering (in order to make train reservations) about what time the meeting at Uno's is likely to wind down?  JGHowes  ^talk 01:39, 6 January 2010 (UTC)

I think I've only been to one (or two?) of these, but seems like we were there for a few hours. Kingdon (talk) 21:01, 7 January 2010 (UTC)

Contact

Won't be able to make it all the way out to D.C. from San Diego for your meetup, but am very interested in following up with LoC staff regarding their collections and website. Is there a Wikipedian in the D.C. area who would be willing to touch bases as local liaison? Please reply via email. Durova³⁹³ 01:38, 7 January 2010 (UTC)

My regrets

I was looking forward to attending on Saturday, both because I've had a good time at prior meet-ups and because this looks like quite a large and well-informed crowd, but it turns out that I will be out of the country on Saturday. Have a great time, everyone, and I hope to see many of you next time, in March or April. Newyorkbrad (talk) 04:35, 7 January 2010 (UTC)

Ditto... things came up and time flew and it was just too late! CarolMooreDC (talk) 16:47, 15 January 2010 (UTC)

P.S. If there was a meeting of sorts at library of congress would be nice to know if anything substantive and interesting discussed. CarolMooreDC (talk) 16:49, 15 January 2010 (UTC)

Thank you

Just wanted to thank the DC folks for being so welcoming to so many of us long-distance visitors. It was a pleasure to meet you all, to share some wiki-talk and break bread with so many. Special thanks to FeanorStar7 for being such a fine guide at the Library of Congress. Risker (talk) 06:52, 11 January 2010 (UTC)

Free Culture in DC this weekend

All Wikipedians/Wikimedians are invited to join Wikipedia:Meetup/DC Free Culture X on this coming weekend of Feb 13-14. Check it out!--Pharos (talk) 18:54, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

This, of course, assumes I can actually get out of the house for all the snow.  :-) Still, sounds pretty interesting! SchuminWeb (Talk) 22:05, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

Hi everyone! I'm helping to organize the conference this weekend. There is still space available if anyone from Wikimedia DC would like to put together a workshop for Sunday or host a table on Saturday. You can get in touch with us via http://conference.freeculture.org -- Hope to see you there! --Driscoll (talk) 23:00, 11 February 2010 (UTC)