Source Code Berlin

The time may finally be upon us when the knowledge shared on the internet will NOT just be written in North America or Europe, but rather from continents like South America, Africa and Asia. In what is not just a goal but a rising reality, we will hear from several voices in the community who are looking at or celebrating this exciting shift and sharing with us the details of how this is happening. Today we will hear from: Free knowledge ambassador Dimitar Dimitrov of WMDE, Zach McCune of WMF, Kelsey Merkley of Uncommon Women, Osmar Valdebenito of Wikimedia Chile, dear friend of the podcast and global coordinator of the wikipedia library Felix Nartey, and Coenraad Loubser of Wikimedia South Africa.. all these wonderful voices talking about a new era for wikipedia and in the free knowledge world.

Welcome to a special series entitled - Source Code Berlin the Summer Sessions - Where we explore whats going on in the Wikimedia Galaxy or Free Knowledge Community around the world... looking specifically at what has been going on in 2018 thus far. Over the course of the next glorious weeks of summer (or winter depending where on the globe you live) we will be looking at some of the exciting and important developments with help from the voices of the very people involved.... Starting right now with episode one of this miniseries.. Lets call it Movement Strategy; or if you like less official terms... the way forward for the wikimedia movement.

As the year winds down, we're cracking open the SCB archives for some of our unpublished gems. Today's great conversation was recorded at SHA 2017.. better known as hacker camp. My guest is a legendary voice in the field of technology and civic engagement. Once involved with the legendary Digital City project in Amsterdam, her work and her presentation at camp were focused on the new era for empowering citizens within cities to keep and control their personal data.. deciding if and how they use it for the greater good. That guest is president and co-founder of the Waag Society— Marleen Stikker.

Harassment. The treatment of women. Abuse of power and privilege. If 2017 will be remembered for any one topic, it will involve one or all of these. Today on the program, we going to a very special place, to learn about an initiative that focuses on women and technology.. and fun …. with help from one of the best humans on planet earth.. Fiona Krakenburger… so come along on a little Berlin journey.

What does diversity mean to members of the Wikimedia Community from virtually every corner of the world? What does it include? What are the challenges and the benefits that diversity brings to this movement? Today on the podcast, we're in Stockholm listening to the talented and passionate voices at the Wikimedia Diversity Conference.

Today on the podcast we will take another plunge into the murky waters of copyright in the EU and look at the radical changes that seem to be a done deal… with help from Christopher Clay… a researcher, veteran of the EU policy scene who handles communication for MEP Julia Reda. The clock is ticking, major copyright reform will be here in a matter of weeks if not days.. what will it mean? What can be done? That's all today on the podcast.

The summer may be over, but the memorable events and the inspiring ideas of the past few months carry on in the months and perhaps even years to come. One such event, as you heard a bit about in the previous episode, was Wikimania 2017 in Montreal. Close to 1000 people, from over 70 countries, passionate about free knowledge and the wikimedia movement. But what really happened at Wikimania 2017? Today on the program, we look closer at this extremely important gathering… with help from legendary Wikimedian David Richfield, who will not only talk about what he took home from Montreal, but also the path that brought us to this point, and even more exciting, what is to come in Cape Town 2018.

It is time once again for the annual gathering that brings together wikipedians and free knowledge enthusiasts from across the globe to discuss projects and issues that are relevant to the present and future of the most widely used internet resource on the planet. Today on the podcast, we’re talking about the interesting themes and a few specific issues from Wikimania 2017 in Montreal, with help from two great voices, Asaf Bartov and Cornelius Kibelka. Together we will hear about the significance of this particular gathering and some of the major projects getting the spotlight this year.

Being the newbie in any online community can be a daunting experience that can either go well or terribly depending on an array of technical and social factors. In the Wikipedia ecosystem, stimulating and keeping new editors has long been a topic of interest for both the present and the future of this beloved resource. All this helped to make an experiment entitled “The Wikipedia Adventure”, where new users got to try out a gamified version of the first time editor experience, the subject of much discussion around the internet. Today on the podcast its the Wikipedia Adventure, with researchers Sneha Narayan and Jake Orlowitz.

We’re back again with a GIG edition of the podcast, as the global network becomes an organization, and the cross section of projects moves from theoretical to practical. 2017 is a momentous year for this group of people and the work they are passionate about, and I had the good fortune of being with them and getting to hear all about it.

The State is Back! -- Thats how Sunil Abraham begins today's conversation on society, the internet and free knowledge. What is a movement to do when it can no longer rely on governments or corportations to defend people's privacy and rights... listen to the Executive Director of the Center for Internet and Society - and find out!

In June of 2016 Katherine Maher became executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation and almost immediately there was a renewed spirit of excitement and positivity about the future of the movement. Over the past 10 months this energy has continued to flow, reaching more corners of the planet and the vast array of ideas and projects within the wikiverse. Today, on a special extended edition of the program, we spend the hour with Katherine Maher, to hear observations, experiences and what her hopes are for the future when it comes to Free Knowledge and this global movement of volunteers that has already achieved so much. Listen in and by all means let us know what you think.

A few weeks ago, as spring made itself felt in Berlin, I had the privilege of attending a gathering of dedicated individuals from around the world, who came together for one over arching purpose beyond the many specific projects they are busy with — the future of Free Knowledge.. and with that.. a path forward for most widely used source of it in the world.. Wikipedia.. The event is entitled, the Wikimedia Conference 2017 and today you’re going to hear the big questions and ideas that were taken on and mulled over with the needs and realities of future generations in mind. In a time when so many might feel very cynical about the world and cooperation across borders & cultures, were going to hear about a future filled with not only possibility, but also progress. Today on the program, experience a spirit of dedication and possibility at the Wikimedia Conference 2017.

The first version of the creative commons license was released in 2002. Since then the number of content making use of CC is thought to be over 1 billion. Unfortunately searching through this content has been a fragmented, limited, harrowing task. Until now. Today on the program, Creative Commons CEO Ryan Merkley presents the front door to the world of Commons: CC Search.

While Wikipedia is very much an essential source where so many people go to find information, that information is most often text based. One might think for all its functionality there must be an option somewhere to press a button and be able to hear articles, its probably there but you never tried it. The reality, open license text to speech is not a function universally available on wikipedia. However - in 2017 - that is about to change. Our guest today is John Andersson of Wikimedia Sverige, and with his help we're learning about the game changing exension known as Wikispeech. We'll also look into some historical cases of text to speech within wikipedia. Now more than ever, we're listening to what is possible and what it means for the internet as we know it.

Imagine you're on your way to the moon and you'd like to bring something nice along to leave behind that represents humanity. In the 1960's, at the height of the space race/cold war, NASA astronauts left behind the iconic American flag. In 2017, what would you leave behind? How about Wikipedia? Indeed when the PTScientists began working on their own mission to the moon, the one thing they definitely wanted to take with them -- Wikipedia. But Wikipedia is huge and it is on the internet. How then should it be taken to the moon? And more importantly, what should get to go? Today on the podcast, from the initial idea, to the process, to the final product -- the story of Wikipedia to the Moon, told by one of its architects: Michael Jahn. If you're looking for hope at the start of the new year, look no further.. listen to this!

Thomas Tursics talks Christmas Markets and Open Data, while Berlin Pro Sara takes us around the Lucia Christmas Market.

Everywhere you look in the world of education there are rumblings about how out of sync the way we teach is with the way we learn. For the past 3 years Rachel Uwa and the School of Machines, Making, and Make Believe in Berlin have been imagining a more effective and rewarding way to learn outside of those traditional structures and conventions. Today on the program we catch up with Rachel and hear about what has been happening with the School and think out loud about what is happening when it comes to humans, learning, and the age-old art of trying something new.

Today on the podcast we’re looking at the copyright reform that is being proposed by the EU commission. Of course even as I say those words, I can hear some of you clicking off, or saving this for later even if later will never come. Copyright is one of those things - it hits us in so many ways, everyday, yet often the discussions and specifics cause us to get bored or lost… amazingly something that matters so much is really hard to get excited about. But we’re daring to tackle the important on this program, with help from three voices - Polina Malaja of the Free Software Foundation Europe, Dimitar Dimitrov of the Free Knowledge Advocacy Group EU, and Julia Reda, German Member of the European Parliament. Our goal.. to look at the proposed changes to copyright in the EU and break down the who, what, and how… even some of the why. Because in the end.. these changes would impact every single one of us.

On the last Sunday of October 2016 a group of curious and inspired people got together at Wikimedia Deutschland for Ladies That Foss; an open source hack event aimed primarily at women who want to join a free and open source software (FOSS) project but don't know where to start. Source Code Berlin was there to listen and observe, a unique experience that we're exicted to share with you in podcast form. So sit back, press play, and listen to the various participants talk about what they're passionate about in the world of software and programming as well as their experience and wishes when it comes to the gender gap in the tech industry.