Dear Wikidata Community,
Wikimania 2025 is fast approaching! This year, we are thrilled to celebrate Wikimania at 20: Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability. Join us in Nairobi, Kenya, from 6–9 August 2025 (with a pre-conference on 5 August) to mark two decades of collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and innovation.
We invite you to submit your program proposals by 31 March 2025. These proposals can take various forms—remote live presentations, pre-recorded videos, or on-site sessions in Nairobi.
…
[View More]Given Wikidata’s role as a cornerstone of open data and knowledge-sharing, we encourage your submissions.
To help spark ideas, here are a few topics that may align with the conference theme:
● Strategies to broaden global participation in Wikidata editing, or case studies on improving accessibility of Wikidata content.
● Examples of impactful projects leveraging Wikidata to solve real-world problems, such as improving access to local knowledge or supporting humanitarian efforts.
● Discussions on sustainable ways to maintain, improve, and expand the Wikidata ecosystem or its integration into Wikimedia projects.
To submit your proposal, please visit: Wikimania 2025 Program Submission Site : https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2025:Program .
For inquiries, comments, or assistance with your proposal, please email wikimania(a)wikimedia.org. Our team of dedicated volunteers will be happy to guide you.
Additionally, to support you in developing your proposals, the Programme Subcommittee will host a consultation hour: 📅 Today, Thursday, 20 March 🕐 13:00 UTC (Find your local time at https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1742475600) 🌐 Video Call Link: https://wikimedia.zoom.us/j/84172058297 💬 Live Interpretation Available in Arabic, French, and Swahili
Let’s make Wikimania 2025 a memorable celebration of inclusivity, impact, and sustainability!
Warm regards,
Butch Bustria
https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2025:Organisers
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Hi everyone,
We’re excited to announce a rerun of the Wikidata Open Online Course for
beginners, starting on March 17, 2025.
About the Course
The Wikidata Open Online Course
<https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Open_Online_Course> is designed to
simplify learning how to edit Wikidata through a structured online program
in English. Originally developed in French by Wikimedia France, the course
content has been updated and translated into English.
…
[View More]Whether you're:
-
A beginner taking your first steps,
-
In need of a refresher on Wikidata concepts, or
-
A seasoned trainer looking to level up your skills,
this course is perfect for you. Participants will gain insights into how
Wikidata works, its rules, its vibrant community, and how to contribute
effectively.
What to Expect
-
Chapter 1: The Wikimedia Movement and the Creation of Wikidata
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Chapter 2: Understanding Knowledge Graphs and Queries
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Chapter 3: Discovering Wikidata, Open Data, and the Semantic Web
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Chapter 4: Contributing to Wikidata, the Community, and Data Quality
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Chapter 5: Bonus Resources on Scientific Bibliography from Wikidata
How to participate:
-
Head over to Wikidata 101: An Introduction
<https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Deutschland+WMDE001+2025/abo…>
to enroll using your Wikimedia credentials.
-
Don’t hesitate to share this opportunity with your friends and
colleagues.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a note here
<https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata_talk:Open_Online_Course> or write
to me directly.
Cheers!
--
Zita U. Zage
Intern, Wikidata Software Communication Team
Wikimedia Deutschland e. V. | Tempelhofer Ufer 23-24 | 10963 Berlin
Phone: +49 (0) 30 577 116 2466
https://wikimedia.de
Grab a spot in my calendar for a chat: cal.com/zuz
<https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=eml0YS56YWdlQHdpa2ltZWRpYS5kZQ>.
A lot is happening around Wikidata - Keep up to date!
<https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Status_updates> Current news and
exciting stories about Wikimedia, Wikipedia and Free Knowledge in our
newsletter (in German): Subscribe now <https://www.wikimedia.de/newsletter/>.
Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
sum of all knowledge. Help us to achieve our vision!
https://spenden.wikimedia.de
Wikimedia Deutschland — Gesellschaft zur Förderung Freien Wissens e. V.
Eingetragen im Vereinsregister des Amtsgerichts Charlottenburg, VR 23855 B.
Als gemeinnützig anerkannt durch das Finanzamt für Körperschaften I Berlin,
Steuernummer 27/029/42207. Geschäftsführende Vorstände: Franziska Heine,
Dr. Christian Humborg
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Hello everyone,
As part of *International Open Data Day 2025*, we are happy to invite you
to participate in the *Datathon *& *Mapathon*, organized by the Wikidata
and OpenStreetMap (OSM) communities in India. This event aims to improve
India-related data on Wikidata and OpenStreetMap while also welcoming
contributors from around the world to collaborate and enhance open
knowledge together.
The theme for Open Data Days 2025 is *"Open Data to address the
Polycrisis"*.This
online event will …
[View More]focus on improving and enriching data in Wikidata and
OpenStreetMap through collaborative editing, data enhancement, and linking
efforts. Join us in leveraging open data to create meaningful impact.
*📅 Event Date: 1-15 March, 2025🌍 Where: Online🎯 What’s all activities?
Datathon & Mapathon *
*🗺️ What’s Happening?*
- *Datathon on Wikidata
<https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_India/Events/Open_Data_D…>
[1]* – Contribute by adding and improving data about places around you,
focusing on topics related to the event's theme. Help enhance the global
accessibility of open knowledge by enriching Wikidata entries and linking
them to OpenStreetMap.
- *Mapathon on*
<https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/India/Events/Open_Data_Days_2025/Mapath…>*OpenStreetMap
<https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/India/Events/Open_Data_Days_2025/Mapath…>
[2] *–Improve map data on OpenStreetMap by adding missing details,
essential geographic information, and enhancing overall accuracy.
Strengthen the connection between OpenStreetMap and Wikidata by linking
relevant entries, making maps more informative and useful.
*💡 Why Should You Join?*
- Be Part of an International Open Data Initiative – Celebrate Open Data
Day by making valuable contributions that benefit everyone.
- Collaborate with Global & Indian Open Data Enthusiasts – Connect with
mappers, Wikimedians, and open data advocates from India and beyond.
- Learn & Improve Your Skills – Whether you’re new or experienced, get
hands-on experience with Wikidata and OSM.
This event is open to everyone. We invite you to join us in strengthening
open knowledge through Wikidata and OpenStreetMap. Your contributions, big
or small, will help make open data more comprehensive and accessible for
all. :)
Best regards,
*Jinoy*
[1]
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_India/Events/Open_Data_D…
[2]
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/India/Events/Open_Data_Days_2025/Mapath…
*Please don’t print this e-mail unless you really need to.Every 3000 sheets
consume a tree. Conserve Trees for a better tomorrow!*
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Hi all -
Wikimedia is participating in Round 30 of the Outreachy program
<https://www.outreachy.org/> [1] that runs from June 2025 through August
2025! The deadline to submit projects on the Outreachy website is March 4,
2025 at 4pm UTC and the project list will be finalized by March 14, 2025.
We are currently gathering a list of interesting project ideas. If you have
some ideas for coding or non-coding (design, documentation, translation,
outreach, …
[View More]research) projects, please share them on this task:
https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T386245 [2]. (Note that tasks will be
hidden until the application period begins.)
About the Outreachy Program
Outreachy is a paid, remote three-month internship program. Outreachy's
goal is to support people from groups underrepresented in tech. We help
newcomers to free software and open source make their first contributions
in Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), coding, and non-coding projects
with experienced mentors.
Interns are paid a stipend of USD 7000 for the three months of work.
Outreachy internship projects may include programming, user experience,
documentation, illustration, graphical design, or data science. Interns
often find employment after their internship with Outreachy sponsors or in
jobs that use the skills they learned during their internship.
Outreachy expressly invites the following people to apply:
- women (both cis and trans), trans men, and genderqueer people to apply.
- residents and nationals of the United States of any gender who are
Black/African American, Hispanic/Latin@, Native American/American
Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander
- anyone who faces under-representation, systematic bias, or
discrimination in the technology industry of their country
More details and eligibility criteria can be found here:
https://www.outreachy.org/apply/eligibility/ [3]
Tips for mentors for proposing projects
As a mentor, you will engage with potential candidates in the application
period from February to March and help them make small contributions to
your project. You will work more closely with the accepted candidates
during the internship period from June through August.
Each mentor will need to submit an intern project proposal:
https://www.outreachy.org/communities/cfp/wikimedia/ [4]
The project proposal will then be reviewed and approved by the FOSS
community coordinators. Additional co-mentors for the intern project will
be able to sign up for the project after it has been approved by the
community coordinator.
Guidelines for Crafting Project Proposals
- A proposal should include:
- Brief summary
- Skills required
- Learning outcomes
- Possible mentor(s)
- Microtasks
- Each project should have at least two mentors, with one of them
holding a technical background.
- Ideally, the project has no tight deadlines, a moderate learning
curve, and fewer dependencies on Wikimedia's core infrastructure. Projects
addressing the needs of a language community are most welcome.
- Project should require an experienced developer ~15 days and a
newcomer ~3 months to complete.
- To learn more about the roles and responsibilities of mentors, visit
the resources:
- https://www.outreachy.org/mentor/mentor-faq/ [5]
- https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Outreachy/Mentors [6]
Thanks!
- Developer Outreach team
[1] https://www.outreachy.org/
[2] https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T386245
[3] https://www.outreachy.org/apply/eligibility/
[4] https://www.outreachy.org/communities/cfp/wikimedia/
[5] https://www.outreachy.org/mentor/mentor-faq/
[6] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Outreachy/Mentors
--
Lani Goto (they/them)
Senior Technical Program Manager
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After the successful working on solving the problem of human settlements
without a country, we have to move to the elephant in the room: items
without statements.
After some discussion in Telegram, let me share some numbers here.
There are currently 829k of them.
https://w.wiki/DEYs
There are another 493k items with only one identifier and no other
statement.
https://qlever.cs.uni-freiburg.de/wikidata/Z8OkZi?exec=true…
[View More]Often that single identifier is just the Google Knowledge Graph ID (P2671).
So basically we have more than a million items that are empty or almost
empty.
(And this is not even the list of all items without any instance of (P31) /
subclass of (P279), nor a list of items with missing other basic
statements, like country, coordinates, sports, etc, etc.)
All these items are basically useless as they contain no data.
Any thoughts on how we can reduce this problem?
Romaine
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