Discussions/Format

Format

The Discussion Rooms host discussions with a specific style:

Discussions of 40 minutes each;
Clearly defined topic for each discussion, related to Wikimedia;
Aiming to reach pre-defined goals during the discussion;
Discussions take place in English;
Discussions are moderated by a facilitator;
There is no audience as everybody is expected to participate in discussions, and everybody is audience;
Key lessons and points are documented live on etherpad, and may be processed later;
Each discussion will come with a single recommendation of maximum 120 characters.

Each discussion targets specifically online Wikimedia projects, it lasts 40 minutes and it starts with a short 2-3 minutes introduction.

To set the tone of our discussions, we have three rules:

Focus on YOU. We are interested in discussing and triggering individual action, things people can personally do and change to improve our Wikimedia projects and movement. We trust the discussion can be much more interesting if we do not focus on what others should do ("the others", Wikimedia chapters and Wikimedia Foundation).
Be constructive and polite. Disagreements animate discussions and they can allow us to unfold all issues related to a topic. Let's avoid personal attacks, let's consider that we have different backgrounds and let's aim at making everybody comfortable in sharing their legitimate point of view.
Be short and on topic. Let's create space for everyone to express his/her opinion.