Thread by @sdkb42

I'm in Toronto this weekend for @WikiConNA! I'll be tweeting out various highlights. #WikiConferenceNA

Kicking off, @selenamarie's keynote asks what we can do to make @Wikipedia persist over generations, and seeks to build ties between @Wikimedia and the volunteer community.

@WikiConNA @selenamarie @Wikipedia @Wikimedia At panel with @Wikimedia Board of Trustees members, some tensions are evident between the online editor community and the affiliate world, as speakers get challenged to defend changes to the election process that'd give affiliates more power. #WikiConferenceNA

@WikiConNA @selenamarie @Wikipedia @Wikimedia @Rosiestep @rajunarisetti @wikilaurentius Kevin Li gives a peak into the world of the Arbitration Committee. It is best known as @Wikipedia's Supreme Court, but these days, he says, much of its work is liaising with @Wikimedia staff, handling private appeals, and enforcing contentious topics rules. #WikiConferenceNA

@WikiConNA @selenamarie @Wikipedia @Wikimedia @Rosiestep @rajunarisetti @wikilaurentius The conference has a delayed start today due to a bomb threat, which appears to be from some disgruntled blocked user. Talk by former @Wikimedia CEO Sue Gardner delayed. Shockingly, Twitter has not yet removed the tweet making the threat.

@WikiConNA @selenamarie @Wikipedia @Wikimedia @Rosiestep @rajunarisetti @wikilaurentius Following the bomb threat against it, #WikiConferenceNA has resumed after authorities cleared the library and allowed the attendees trapped outside to join those inside. Some schedule adjustments have been made.

@WikiConNA @selenamarie @Wikipedia @Wikimedia @Rosiestep @rajunarisetti @wikilaurentius Maryana Pinchuk says it's very hard to tell when something was written by AI, and it'll only get harder as technology improves. Hidden AI in Wikipedia poses a #misinformation risk, and editors will have to cultivate an intuition to catch it. #WikiConferenceNA

@WikiConNA @selenamarie @Wikipedia @Wikimedia @Rosiestep @rajunarisetti @wikilaurentius @OhanaUnited One good use of AI for Wikipedia, says Richard Knipel (of @WikimediaNYC): generating images for mythological figures whose articles would otherwise be unillustrated. But disclosing anytime AI is used is emerging as a key requirement. #WikiConferenceNA

@WikiConNA @selenamarie @Wikipedia @Wikimedia @Rosiestep @rajunarisetti @wikilaurentius @OhanaUnited @WikimediaNYC Fascinating talk from @SuePGardner on #disinformation. Researchers actually know a lot about who is susceptible to it, she says, although they are sometimes squeamish about sharing for fear of appearing biased. #WikiConferenceNA

@WikiConNA @selenamarie @Wikipedia @Wikimedia @Rosiestep @rajunarisetti @wikilaurentius @OhanaUnited @WikimediaNYC @SuePGardner @WikimediaCA Gardner highlights the power of images/videos as documentary evidence throughout history, from Tiananmen to George Floyd. We're going to lose that in a world in which you can't trust what you see because an AI may have created it, she says. #WikiConferenceNA

@WikiConNA @selenamarie @Wikipedia @Wikimedia @Rosiestep @rajunarisetti @wikilaurentius @OhanaUnited @WikimediaNYC @SuePGardner @WikimediaCA Gardner points to journalism's struggles in the digital era as a cautionary tale. When you don't control the distribution of your work, you're at the mercy of others (e.g. tech companies) whose interests may not align with yours, she says. #WikiConferenceNA

@WikiConNA @selenamarie @Wikipedia @Wikimedia @Rosiestep @rajunarisetti @wikilaurentius @OhanaUnited @WikimediaNYC @SuePGardner @WikimediaCA It's hard for disinformation actors to tar @Wikipedia as a manipulation tool of elites given that anyone can edit it, says @SuePGardner. The public's trust in it is rare and precious. #WikiConferenceNA

@WikiConNA @selenamarie @Wikipedia @Wikimedia @Rosiestep @rajunarisetti @wikilaurentius @OhanaUnited @WikimediaNYC @SuePGardner @WikimediaCA Another great talk from Maryana Pinchuk on future audiences. She asks: When people no longer come to @Wikipedia through search, how will it persist? By distributing free knowledge to other platforms, drawing in users as a hub, or exporting its philosophy? #WikiConferenceNA

It's the final day of #WikiConferenceNA!

@WikiEducation professors discuss assigning their students to edit Wikipedia, and how it allows them to use their knowledge to better the world: "The liberal arts ideal is lived out in this assignment."

@WikiEducation @WikiConNA @WikimediaCA @hdblumenthal (Quote in previous tweet is from @naniettecoleman, center)

@WikiEducation @WikiConNA @WikimediaCA @hdblumenthal @naniettecoleman Ira Brad Matetsky (User:Newyorkbrad) talks about @Wikipedia articles on living people. Among the difficulties: How to handle unproven allegations where the allegation itself is noteworthy (cf. how journalists handled Gary Hart affair rumors) #WikiConferenceNA

@WikiEducation @WikiConNA @WikimediaCA @hdblumenthal @naniettecoleman @Wikipedia And that's a wrap for WikiConference North America 2023! The presentations are all available on @Wikimedia Commons: #WikiConferenceNA

Here's a map showing where attendees came from: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:…