Hi friends,

Writing to invite you all to a Wikipedia Edit-a-thon on Sunday, December 14 in San Francisco.

Join volunteers from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Creative Commons, and the Bay Area Wikipedia community to write and edit about human rights and free speech online. We will improve, create, and update Wikipedia articles related to global internet censorship. People regularly turn to Wikipedia to get a basic overview of internet censorship, so it's crucial that we ensure Wikipedia’s coverage is up-to-date and accurate.

I'm a co-organizer and will be driving from the East Bay to participate, if anyone wants a ride! Let me know if you have any questions or want a lift.

  • Date: December 14, 2014
  • Time: 1-5pm
  • Location: Electronic Frontier Foundation office (815 Eddy Street, San Francisco, CA 94109)
  • Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Meetup/San_Francisco/Internet_Censorship

  • Edit-a-thons are actually really fun. You end up learning a ton, become a stronger writer, and produce articles that will be read by millions. This is also a great way to learn more about Wikipedia.

    Wikipedia entries on Internet censorship are thin, particularly about regions where censorship is most problematic, since users in those areas are often restricted from editing. Internet censorship impacts users everywhere, because fewer people are able to upload or contribute to the Internet or access information online, making our digital commons less robust and less diverse.

    As someone who has helped with a lot of individual case advocacy, let me tell you all that this is one of the best ways to help raise awareness about international issues, where we often have little influence. Often for long standing cases of injustice, a good Wikipedia presence raises awareness more than most any news article.

    Here's a link to an edit-a-thon we did earlier this year to raise awareness about imprisoned journalists in Ethiopia: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/10/wikipedia-edit-thon-zone-9-bloggers-great-way-raise-awareness

    All my best,
    April

    PS: Please share widely. Here's a link to a tweet or a sample tweet/FB post you can use:

    This Sunday we're editing Wikipedia to expand articles on Internet censorship worldwide. Learn and raise awareness! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Meetup/San_Francisco/Internet_Censorship