Comments:Wikimania jury chooses Alexandria for 2008 location

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Unrealistic

Nuts...Next it will be Tehran Iran...next why not Burma. Why hold a free conference of free media in a country that doesn't support free speech? I also like human rights. And I have noticed a lot of homosexual males who have spoken out against this. Me for one...well I can go there and be gay, but risk getting arrested. I also don't know how comfortable I would be being so close to the most violent places on earth like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Israel and Palestine....

This decision was not made, IMO, with the best interests of the Wikimedia at hand. I think it was more of a "oh this seems like a cool place to visit...lets go here!"

I also don't like that 85% of the "jury" is in some way or another working for WMF...conflict of interest...Oh and that jury must be rich, because thats what you have to be to go there. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 07:51, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

I can't afford it, and the rants on the mailing list are sure to change the criteria for 2009. At least, I hope they do. It may seem selfish to want the conference somewhere that I can attend. I'd love to do a talk on Wikinews as I agree with the comments on the mailing list about the future of editing. Wikipedia has peaked, at least the English version has. It might rise another couple of places on the most-visited list, and if it gets good search features the likelihood of that increases. However, much of Wikipedia is now complete. Their "in the news" section will not support an ever-increasing number of editors, but Wikinews might. To be honest, I think if we got another 20-30 prolific contributors we'd start needing people coordinating stuff full-time.

Referring to the "people will migrate to Wikinews" ideas kicked about on the foundation-l mailing list, how will we cope? Will we have sorted out our Wikinews Foundation (or whatever we call it)? Will we be able to get criteria defined such as a minimum edit count on a project for accreditation? If we accredit non-wikinewsies how will we judge them? WHERE will we judge them? If we get the eternally developing stable versions mod, who will be permitted to mark versions as OK?

So many questions, I'd love to be able to attend Wikimania and bug appropriate people like Cary, Jimbo, and Herr Godwin. Will any Wikinewsies be attending? Do we have to order Cary to do a report on the conference? They'll at least pay for him to attend. --Brian McNeil / ^talk 09:27, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

I agree with DragonFire. It is almost hypocritical to do it in a country that does not necessarily meet what WMF is looking for... Come on! Alexandria? How many contributors can possibly be from Egypt (with no discrimination). What I mean is, why not making it in a place where a larger amount of people can afford to attend? Common sense! I think it's outrageous - Jurock ^{(reply here)} 00:46, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

I still don't understand how members of the WMF making the decision about where this is held is a conflict of interest. Can someone explain?? Lyellin 03:29, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

If it hasto be in egypt...

Than this is the perfect place. I remember watching a history channel documentary about the ancient library there. There was so much information lost, they had all kinds of marvelous inventions, like a clock that can tell you what time of day, month, and year, using only WATER! They almost invented steam power too. Archimedes was the Leonardo Davinci of his time. Contralya 17:38, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

The logo

I like how it looks like it could be that of bloody exploded remains, or perhaps blood dripping from the Nile River. --David Shankbone 19:12, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Just for the record, the State Department lists a total of three bombings in the last three years. One in 2004, one in 2005, one in 2006, and I believe all in the Sinai (IE, not Alexandria). In addition, they say this is brand new as of 2004, and that it's not targeted at Americans. London has had a larger bombing problem (in terms of number of people hurt) than Egypt has, I believe. *shrugs* Now, I do worry about human rights message it sends, but I think they may be doing that on purpose. Lyellin 00:55, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

On purpose to get people arrested? or single out certain groupd from going because there is a rosk they might be? Where is this "diversity" they are talking about. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 05:07, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

Egyptians don't like affection of any kind. Or, in other words... When in Egypt, do as the Egyptians do. I've been to many conferences where it's not kosher for me to be with my girlfriend hand in hand, kissing, etc. So I don't. This is 3 days. Beyond that, the mere symbolism of having a conference about free knowledge in the city of the Library of Alexandria, in a country which is not free "enough" apparently for some, is an amazing attempt to say "look, this is what freedom looks like". Lyellin 14:41, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

Yes but that was good ole' IRA, not ranting, raving, foaming at the mouth, fundie Muslims, although, it's not much to say that the IRA had ranting, raving, foaming at the mouth, fundie Catholics also. That and they both happened in their own backyard with homegrown terrorists, of course, the IRA wanting Northern Ireland to reunite and the Muslims, well who the hell really knows with them. Anyways, I guess it was the whole "OMG VAST ANICENT LIBRARY OF KNOWLEDGE, FRIGGIN AWESOME LET'S GO HERE AND BLOW OUR MONEY FROM MAKING LOTS OF MONEY OF WIKIPEDIA AND WIKIA!" that made them choose. Though, it is certainly ironic since Alexandria is named after one of the greatest conquerors in the world, who was also well known for "sticking it" in the holes of women and young men alike. ;-) --TUFKAAP 04:51, 13 October 2007 (UTC)