User:Geraldshields11/sandbox/Wikimania2014Grant

Grant: Wikipedia Loves Event Promotion

Personal information

Gerald Shields, inspired by Minerva, seeks a grant to wing his way to Wikimania to improve culture; one photograph at a time.

I am Geraldshields11, volunteer Wikimedia DC event promotion coordinator, an EN Wikipedia editor since 2004, who has contributed photographs of notable monuments and notable people in Washington, DC, USA; Shenyang, China; and Dandong, China. Also, I have taken photographs of the waterfront of Sinuiju, North Korea on a quest to get a photograph of Ri Sol-ju.

I am a member of several Wiki Projects, such as The Wikipedia Library, Women's History, Taxation, and Open Knowledge Foundation. I am involved with other open cultural projects, such as being a Distributed Proofreader in support of Project Gutenberg. I created the article the Smithsonian Gardens on EN:Wikipedia and received an autographed book signed by the executives at the Smithsonian Gardens for my efforts.

I am a prolific but efficient user of Wikimedia Commons and my photographs are used across Wikis in different languages. One of my photographs is used across the same topic in 48 different languages. When I add a photograph to Wiki Commons, I added it with the realization that each photograph may only be seen by a small subset of people. But, if I can inspire at least one person into STEM or becoming a contributor, then "it is a far far better thing I do than ever before".

I am an employee of the US Department of the Treasury. I am not afraid of using my real name to give credence to my edits and I stand behind my edits. I was interviewed by the New York Times for my work with Wikipedia on feminism and on North Korea.

Currently, I am the volunteer Wikimedia DC event promotion coordinator and have taken an active part in numerous Wiki events. Some of my Wiki-inspired photographs have been used in the Business Insider magazine, US National Archives promotion material, London events, Wikimedia DC promotions on Twitter, Smithsonian Institute promotion material Secretary Presents E-book on Future of Museums near the end of the video, and events where “the Board wears nice clothing.” I worked at numerous GLAM projects as the photographer, as part of my volunteer duties at Wikimedia DC. See the small sample photographic works, to the right, and various links for explanation.

For the Wikimania 2014 event, I volunteered to be the official still photographer and a member of the Programme Committee, with James Forrester, Deror Lin, and Orsolya Virág Gyenes.

For the 2014 Wiki Conference USA, I volunteered to be the official still photographer.

The Board in nice clothes standing in front of the Encyclopædia Britannica (with Gerald Shields far left).

A neo-feminist photograph, during the Women in the Arts GLAM event, inspired by Djembayz and used by Bathlander and Sarasays and in Wikimedia District of Columbia activity report for the second quarter 2012–2013.

A statue admiring two Wikipedia editors at the Luce Center during a GLAM event.

The 2013 Wikimedia DC Annual Meeting group photograph of happy Wikipedians.

(1) What is your name? Gerald Shields

(2) What is your email address? Geraldshields11 AT Gmail DOT com

(3) Do you currently reside in the United States? Yes, the Washington, DC Metro area in the United States of America

(4) Are you requesting this grant on behalf of an organization or group? No

Description of purpose

(5) What is the purpose for which the funding will be used

I request a grant of up to $2,500 for costs to travel to and to document Wikimania 2014, similar to past approved grants [meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:PEG/WM CA/In person meeting][1].

(6) How does this purpose align with our mission?

This purpose aligns with the Wikipedia mission because:

• If I travel, I will volunteer my time and skills as the official still photographer of Wikimania 2014, whihc was a needed fuction in past Wikimania events.
  • I will document the Wikimania 2014 with pictures worth a thousand words.
  • As Slowking4 said to me, increased usage and increased page views are in the best interest of the Wikipedia community and photographs increase eyeballs and stickiness. [2][3][4] [5]
• I will continue to build bridges to the Wiki community as discussed during the 2013 Annual Meeting impromptu speech.
• I will learn best pratices of being an informal ambassador to promote the Wikimedia DC chapter and broaden my knowledge about the intricies of Wikimedia.

Grant Financials

(7) How much funding do you need?

Up to USD $2,500

(8) When will you need funding?

The sooner the better because then I can get lower cost airfare, equipment, and accommodations. All excess funds are then returned to Wikimedia DC.

(9) What specific costs will the funding cover?

1. 6-10 August 2014 Round trip travel, shared accommodation, and conference registration fees
2. Airfare - about USA - DC 1,022€[6] at this time due to variable pricing of airlines
3. Accommodations - Unknown at this time due to availability
4. Power converter for laptop - $24.99 and $14 for shipping for VTM 150 UK - Laptop Travel Converter for UK
5. Power converter for camera - $25.99 and $ 12 for shipping for VM 1875K INTERNATIONAL CONVERTER / ADAPTER KIT FOR TRAVEL OVERSEAS
6. w:en:TruCellTruCell spare battery (3 year warranty) - $27.99 x 2 = $55.98
7. SanDisk 16 GB memory card model:SDSDU-016G-all or better memory card - $39.99 x 4 = $159.99
8. Sony caring case model:LCSU20 - $29.99
9. Total Maryland sales tax (6%) for all items listed above – Unknown at this time

(10) What projected cost the funding will not cover and that I am not asking for?

1. 6-10 August 2014 Round trip travel, shared accommodation, and conference registration fees covered by Wikimania scholarship
2. Use of my fancy (per Harej email) Sony Alpha NEX5RK camera and lenses that I purchased for taking the above Wiki-inspired pictures