Submissions:2016/Wikipedia Cuba: Challenges and Opportunities


 * Title: Wikipedia Cuba: Challenges and Opportunities


 * Theme: Outreach


 * Academic Peer Review option: Yes


 * Type of submission: Presentation


 * Author: Anne Nelson


 * E-mail address:  anne.nelson@gmail.com


 * Username: anelsona


 * Affiliation: Columbia School of International and Public Affairs


 * Abstract: Last spring I led a graduate research project to survey the digital landscape in Cuba.  It resulted in a Wikischolars site published online by e Columbia University https://ict4cuba.wikischolars.columbia.edu/Project+Overview, as well as in a report by the National Endowment for Democracy http://www.cima.ned.org/publication/cubas-parallel-worlds-digital-media-crosses-divide/   The findings suggest a ripe opportunity for engagement with the Wikipedia community.  Cubans have lived with many online restrictions based on censorship and antiquated infrastructure.  The government has blocked various international sites in the past and tried to follow the Chinese model of parallel domestic clones.  (Cuba's domestic version of Wikipedia, for example, is EcuRed, built on MediaWiki software and heavily weighted towards pro-government content.)   But the landscape is changing rapidly, thanks to Obama's diplomatic initiatives, Google's technological forays, and Cuba's own vibrant hacker culture.  This talk will describe the  Cuban online community and its user behavior, and discuss how its unique characteristics will influence the future of Wikipedia content creation in Cuba.


 * Length of presentation: 20-30 minutes


 * Special schedule requests: none


 * Preferred room size:  I don't know


 * Will you attend WikiConference North America if your submission is not accepted?: No, and I will need funding.

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