The OpenRefine project has received some support from the Wikimedia Foundation in the past. However, our most recent application to the foundation was not successful. Part of this reason is that Wikimedia Foundation has changed their funding focus to their affiliates. In order to be eligible for funding moving forward, we must have an official Wikimedia user group.
OpenRefine already has a presence on Meta, as it is an important tool used in Wikidata workflows. Creating a Wikimedia Group would formalize the relationship that the project has to the wiki-movement, while allowing us access to a much-needed funding stream.
In order to be eligible to form a group, there must be at least three active Wikimedia editors who have made a total 500 or more contributions to a Wikimedia project (or, in the case of Wikidata, 800 or more edits). It’s recommended that groups include approximately ten members, as this illustrates the close tie that the community has to the project. A proposal would need to follow Wikimedia affilate naming conventions
Groups must also agree to abide by the Wikimedia user group agreement and code of conduct, which governs on-wiki group activities.
Finally, in an application to be an official Wikimedia group, the OpenRefine community would need to address the following two points:
- How would your user group contribute to the mission of the Wikimedia Movement
- How does the background of the founding members contribute to the success of your user group
Would you support the creation of a Wikimedia OpenRefine Group? What questions or comments do you have about this proposal or process? Would you like to be a member of the group if it is founded?