Edit WCNA 2025 Session Submission: Submissions:2025/A dozen visions of the future of wikitext

Type of session
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Lightning talkLecture (15-30 min)Edit-a-thons or Workshops (30-120 min)Lunch MeetupAfter-Hours Meetup

Session theme(s)
 Credibility  Missing pieces  Future of Wikipedia

Abstract
Please describe your proposal. Aim for 100 to 300 words.
If you have any relevant webpages, slidedecks, etc., you may link them here.
Let's talk about wikitext, the markup language authors and editors use to express not just words for humans to read, but all sorts of information about the structure, processes, sources, taxonomy, organization and reliability of our work. What would you like to express, but find difficult? What would you change if you could? What rough edges and unexpected behaviors trip you up? In this lecture I will present in rapid-fire fashion a dozen different visions for the future of wikitext, including syntax changes minor and major, new templating mechanisms, replacing wikitext entirely with markdown, not writing wikitext at all ever, annotations everywhere, composition grammars, and a language for page layout. Hopefully we can be inspired and start building consensus around some of the more promising ideas!

Author name(s)

Wikimedia username(s) (optional)

E-mail address
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Affiliated organization(s) (optional)
Your associated Wikimedia affiliate, organization, company, etc.

Estimated length of session
Can be a specific number of minutes or a range, to help us slot sessions in the schedule.

Will you be presenting in-person or remotely?
 I will present in-person  I will present remotely

If available, would you be okay with your session being livestreamed?
 Yes, you may livestream my session  No, do not livestream my session

Have you presented on this topic previously? (optional)
If yes, where/when?

Any additional requirements or details you'd like the programming committee to know? (optional)
Let us know if you can only present on certain days, need certain equipment, accessibility needs, etc.
As mentioned, I've submitted this as a 60 minute panel to Wikimania, with the idea that I briefly introduce a dozen or so different ideas for the future of wikitext and then open the topic up for general discussion.<br/>I've submitted it here as a 25-30min talk, where I will present different ideas (and whatever ideas the panel in Nairobi contributes), but there will not be time for general discussion. If there is a longer slot in the schedule, or a "lunch in a room with a slide projector" sort of thing, I'd be happy to have additional time for general discussion of the topic and to hear other attendee's views.