2019/Grants/wikitrivia

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Title:

wikitrivia

Name:

Carolina Padró

Wikimedia username:

E-mail address:

carolina@wikimedia.org.ar

Resume:

https://www.wikimedia.org.ar/

Geographical impact:

Initially, the project will have an impact on Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Type of project:

Technology

What is your idea?

The idea is to develop a video game app for mobile phones with the aim of promoting knowledge about Wikipedia. The mechanics of the video game will be focused on the player answering questions related to the history of Wikipedia in general, its usefulness as a source of information and general knowledge. As part of the creative process of development, different ways will be sought to encourage players to continue participating in it, at different times, encouraged by campaigns that may be related to different challenges proposed by the game itself. These procedures, and also the designation of the different challenges, will be carried out through an administrative management panel, from where it will also be possible to view statistics on the use and activity of the players based on defined patterns. The development of the video game will consist of a Back End - Database (DB) and Programmable Application Interface (API) -, a Back Office - Administrative Management Panel - and a Front End - Mobile phone application. Back End: it is made up of the database and an API (Programmable Application Interface) that allows to safeguard and access the data in a homogeneous and standard way for all the components of the solution. The Back End will allow the safeguarding the questions that make up the Game, grouping by themes or other defined criteria, the different challenges or current campaigns, the activity of the players and all the information that is necessary for the development and management of the Game. Back Office: it is an administrative management panel that allows the creation of questions, challenges and campaigns for the management of the game. It also allows you to view the statistics of the use of the players, based on the criteria defined for it. This panel will be hosted in the services defined for the project and the changes made will be effective when players connect to the phone app again. Front End: the video game will be developed for both Android and iOS platforms. The game will have the ability to update itself using the latest data brought from the Back End so that it can offer the player the different challenges or campaigns and the new questions that are generated. It will save this data in a local database so that it can be used offline. At the same time, it will have the ability to collect anonymous usage data so that useful statistics can be generated for Wikimedia Argentina. We will use open source technologies for the development of the video game, and the project will cover its subsequent installation, configuration and training in use. In addition, communication and dissemination activities are planned to share the video game and promote its use.

Why is it important?

Wikipedia is one of the greatest instruments of cultural exchange and collective construction of knowledge today. For some decades now, books have ceased to be the only source of information, and knowledge is not given as a finished fact. Everything is in constant motion. Through this project we intend to motivate the construction of collective knowledge through play. The game is an important element to motivate the interaction of users in different types of environments. By stimulating participation in the use and editing of Wikipedia, we seek to strengthen this tool and make it more inclusive and representative. At the same time, the reliability and credibility of the information it contains is improved. The video game will be intended for both young and adult users, with the aim of reaching as many people as possible. We believe that it is important to develop innovative practices that through new technologies serve to promote Wikimedia projects, especially Wikipedia. We consider that free knowledge is a key player in the impact, innovation and social and cultural equity in society, therefore it is important to generate tools that promote the reliability of Wikipedia information and processes.

Is your project already in progress?

No.

How is it relevant to credibility and Wikipedia? (max 500 words)

Wikipedia is a collaborative encyclopedia and therefore anyone can contribute to their articles using the edit option. The open nature of Wikipedia has been key to its success, but it has also created a challenge: creating trustworthiness among users. Many people still distrust the contents of Wikipedia. Some reasons may be related to a historical bias, a perception that Wikipedia is not rigorous enough or an underestimation of the ability of those who edit to disseminate knowledge in a solid way, among others. The notion of credibility evolves, at the same time as users' knowledge and access to information. To strengthen credibility, it is not enough to resort to traditional patterns, it is necessary to find new formats that adapt to the changing context and serve to generate trust in users. With this project we seek to implement an innovative strategy that allows to inform on the quality of Wikipedia, bringing safety and reliance to users, thus strengthening the role of Wikipedia as a first-rate information resource. At the same time, this project will contribute to actively promote its use and development. We propose the development of a video game that allows those who play it to know how Wikipedia works, how the rules of participation in the encyclopedia are built, how the content is underpinned and who is in charge of sustaining it. We think of the video game as an experience from which whoever uses it can know what needs to be taken into account to recognize and check the verifiability of the content on Wikipedia, what sources are used to support that information and what sources are not considered trusted by the community. In this way, we create a playful journey through an integral experience of both access and knowledge construction processes.

What is the ultimate impact of this project?

To promote Wikipedia as a reliable source of knowledge and disseminate it, informing the public about its benefits and credibility.

Could it scale?

This project is initially conceived to be used by the Spanish-speaking community since it will be developed in Spanish, and in the future it is possible to develop a version of the APP in English and eventually in other languages, to reach more people. Additionally, it is conceived in such a way that it will also be possible to expand the repertoire of questions and answers to deepen the knowledge about Wikipedia among the population. Moreover, this initiative does not constitute an isolated effort of Wikimedia Argentina. Through it, the importance of promoting credibility and trust in Wikipedia information is addressed, framing it in our institutional priorities.

Why are you the people to do it?

Wikimedia Argentina is the civil association affiliated to the Wikimedia Foundation in Argentina. Founded in 2007, its objective is to carry out programs and initiatives that disseminate and promote the use and participation of citizens in Wikimedia projects. Wikimedia Argentina promotes education and access to culture, generates training spaces on Human Rights on the Internet and works to incorporate diverse voices that represent the Latin American reality and perspective, especially from Argentina, in the construction of free knowledge. Our experience in the implementation of projects of this nature both locally and regionally and our trajectory, places us as an ideal organization to carry out this initiative. This project will be used as a tool within the framework of the Wikimedia Argentina programs.

What is the impact of your idea on diversity and inclusiveness of the Wikimedia movement?

Increasing the number of editors who belong to minorities, underrepresented groups or other social groups is essential to reduce the gaps that exist in the representation of knowledge within Wikipedia. By working on ways of building knowledge within Wikipedia, we hope to encourage more people to join in contributing to the content of the encyclopedia. This project aims to spread the way Wikipedia is built and make it reach as many people as possible. Twenty years after the creation of Wikipedia, it has been shown that the more people edit, the better the encyclopedia, and the more points of view there are, the more balanced it is. This project aims precisely to increase the use of this tool and with it the diversity of voices.

What are the challenges associated with this project and how you will overcome them?

One of the challenges is to create a video game from Argentina that is diverse and representative of all of Latin America. To do this, we will implement instances of joint work with the region to define the incorporation of representative topics from Latin America. Another challenge is related to the times of ideation and update of questions once the video game is operational. This will be considered in the activities of the annual grant of the Wikimedia Foundation, to ensure the optimal management and operation of the video game. Finally, it is necessary for people to know and download the video game. For this, in addition to implementing a communication campaign to disseminate the game, proposals will be made from the different Wikimedia Argentina programs that involve the use of the video game, setting up specific activities related to the video game.

How much money are you requesting?

USD 8,465

How will you spend the money?

Development of the Video Game for Mobile Phones (Back End, Back Office, Front End), installation, configuration and training in use: USD 7,465 Communication and dissemination campaign: USD 1,000

How long will your project take?

The project will have a total duration of 9 months. The development of the video game will be carried out in 3 months and during the next 6 months we will conduct the ideation of the questions, training in the use and management, and a pilot test stage of the video game.

Have you worked on projects for previous grants before?

Yes. Human Rights Wiki Project (with the support of Open Society Foundations) December 2017 / December 2018 The project consisted of developing training workshops at the regional level on editing content on Wikipedia in Spanish on topics related to Human Rights and crimes against humanity in Latin America and the Caribbean. It was carried out in 7 countries: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Paraguay and Uruguay. Link: https://derechoshumanos.wikimedia.org.ar/

LGBT + Human Rights Wiki Project September 2018 / May 2019 The project consisted of developing training workshops at the regional level on editing content on Wikipedia in Spanish on topics related to Human Rights and LGBT + content. Editing workshops on Wikipedia and workshops on basic journalism tools were held in order to generate inclusive communication of diversity. It was carried out in Argentina and Paraguay, in collaboration with local journalism agencies linked to the coverage of Human Rights and Diversities issues. Link: https://derechoshumanos.wikimedia.org.ar/lgbt