Fundraiser ends, content contests, image donation, and more
Fundraiser finishes
The annual fundraiser ended on January 5, having raised just over $8 million. For the fiscal year to date, the total (through January 5) was almost $9.5 million. According to the Wikimedia Foundation's press release, in 2009 there were over 230,000 donations, and the average gift was $33. The fundraiser ended 10 days before the original projected end. Thank-you banners have run on the projects for a few days, linking to a letter from Jimmy Wales.
This was the largest fundraiser in Wikimedia's history, surpassing last year's fundraiser both in money raised ($2 million more this year) and number of donors (125,000 donations were received during 2008 and 2009). Statistics comparing the last three fundraisers can be found here.
Wikinews writing contest
Wikinews is sponsoring a Writing Contest that will begin on January 25, 2010 and finish on April 18, 2010. All editors are welcome; newcomers are requested to not contribute original reporting for their first few articles until they become familiar with Wikinews. A detailed point system for articles submitted during the 12-week contest is described on the contest page. Prizes will be offered to the winners.
WikiCup begins
The 2010 WikiCup began on January 1. A field of 146 contestants are to be given points over the course of the 10-month-long contest for their contributions to featured content. The first phase of the contest lasts until February 26, when the field will be narrowed to 64 contestants.
This is the fourth annual WikiCup. Although it is too late to enter the cup (entry closed December 31), current standings can be seen on the WikiCup page.
Image donation
As reported in the last issue, a donation of images from the Mary Rose Trust has been made. The donation, which is now on Commons, is of 57 high-resolution images of the Mary Rose, a warship from the 1500s. Some of the images were specially taken for Wikipedia. The donation was negotiated by a member of Wikimedia Sweden, User:Peter Isotalo; a Swedish press release was also distributed. The press releases were accompanied by a DYK featuring of the articles Mary Rose and Anthony Roll. This is the first image donation by a UK organization.
Briefly
- A new Wikimedia report card, based on Wikistats and logs, is out for the period November 2008 – November 2009. Like previous report cards, the statistics cover page views, new content (Commons files and Wikipedia articles) and new and active editors.
- Wikimedia UK celebrated Public Domain Day on January 1, 2010; on that day, works by authors who died 70 years ago enter the public domain in the UK. This year, this includes works by W. B. Yeats, Ford Madox Ford, Alphonse Mucha, Sigmund Freud, and Arthur Rackham.
- The long-standing backlog of unpatrolled new articles has been cleared, mainly by the efforts of User:Ironholds.
- A parody video of Hitler's downfall that spoofs the Featured Article process appeared on YouTube. Be sure to turn on subtitles (bottom right of video screen).
Milestones
- The Hungarian Wikipedia has reached 150,000 articles (with The Tale of Genji)
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Financial Times, death rumors, Google maps and more
Financial Times on Wikipedia
The Financial Times ran a long story on Wikipedia and various quality issues that have been in the news lately, including the possibility of flagged revisions, the potential decline in editorship, and ways to detect the quality of articles. The article includes quotes from Sue Gardner, Jimmy Wales, Larry Sanger, Craig Newmark and Andrew Lih, but also a few people who are less often quoted about Wikipedia; Marissa Mayer, head of search at Google, notes that the company could potentially analyze the editing histories of individual editors and rank articles accordingly, but she says "Google has no plans to do that."
Premature death report
Talk show host Rush Limbaugh was hospitalized due to chest pains on December 30. He is alive and recovering, but his article was edited to claim that he had died that day. Although the edits were reverted within minutes of being saved, the error was reported by Examiner.com and later by [http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=120608 WorldNetDaily].
Google Maps adjustment
According to this article, Google Maps has tweaked the way it selects local search results. Although there already exists a wide range of information available on local businesses, there is often a lack of information available for non-business points of interest (such as local parks). Wikipedia's articles on these non-business locations are now being featured in the top spots for Google Maps searches.
Briefly
- User:Ken Gallager was featured as the subject of a Nashua Telegraph article on Wikipedia, the people who contribute to it, and New Hampshire articles.
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Approved this week
Administrators
One editor was granted admin status via the Requests for Adminship process this week: Shubinator (nom).
Featured pages
Five articles were promoted to featured status this week: 1997 Qayen earthquake (nom), Flag of Singapore (nom), Seattle Sounders FC (nom), Walter Peeler (nom) and Lock Haven, Pennsylvania (nom).
Five lists were promoted to featured status this week: List of Aurealis Award winners and nominees for best fantasy novel (nom), List of Brigade of Gurkhas recipients of the Victoria Cross (nom), List of international cricket five-wicket hauls by Wasim Akram (nom), List of members of the Council of Keble College, Oxford (nom) and List of songs in DJ Hero (nom).
No topics were promoted to featured status this week.
No portals were promoted to featured status this week.
The following featured articles were displayed on the Main Page as Today's featured article this week: Mysore, Dr Pepper Ballpark, Italian War of 1521–1526, Ceres (dwarf planet), Asser, Jerry Voorhis and 2000 Sugar Bowl.
Former featured pages
No articles were delisted this week.
One list was delisted this week: List of Swedish football champions (nom).
No topics were delisted this week.
No portals were delisted this week.
Featured media
The following featured pictures were displayed on the Main Page as picture of the day this week: Wounded Knee Massacre, Ryū sho ten, an 1897 ukiyo-e print, Snowflake moray, 1639 watercolor painting of Havana Harbor, Upper Wentworth Falls, Apricot and Pacific Gull.
No featured sounds were promoted this week.
One featured picture was demoted this week: Lunar libration (nom).
Seven pictures were promoted to featured status this week.
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The Report on Lengthy Litigation
The Arbitration Committee closed no cases this week, leaving one open. No cases were opened.
Open cases
- Tothwolf, a case opened to examine a dispute between four editors: Tothwolf, JBSupreme, Theserialcomma, and Miami33139.
Recently closed
Two cases were recently closed:
- Eastern European mailing list, a case opened to examine the on-wiki conduct of those members who contributed to a secret off-wiki mailing list. In its final decision, the committee: desysopped, banned, and restricted Piotrus; restricted, banned, and topic-banned Digwuren; topic-banned Marting; admonished and topic-banned Tymek; topic-banned Jacurek and Radeksz for six months; and topic-banned Dc76, Vecrumba, Biruitorul, and Miacek for one year.
- Ottava Rima restrictions was closed, with Ottava Rima being banned and restricted and Moreschi being admonished.
New arbitrators
The nine editors appointed from the results of the 2009 elections to the Arbitration Committee have begun active service as arbitrators. Those arbitrators whose term ended on 31 December have stepped down from the Committee—with the exception of Stephen Bain, who continues to serve until one open case in which he is participating extensively has been resolved.
Miscellany
- With the appointment of multiple clerks as arbitrators, the Committee is accepting applications to four trainee clerkships. Application information is here.
- The Committee resysopped GlassCobra.
- The Committee desysopped Secret, citing concerns that the account was compromised.
- The membership of the ban appeals subcommittee (BASC) was rotated, so that Fritzpoll, Shell Kinney, and SirFozzie (all new additions to the committee) are presently serving.
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