Wikipedia’s gender trouble is well documented: in a 2010 survey, Wikimedia found that less than 13% of its contributors are female. The reasons for the gender gap are up for debate: suggestions include leisure inequality, how gender socialization shapes public comportment, and the contentious nature of Wikipedia’s talk pages. However, the practical effect of this disparity is not: content is skewed by the lack of female participation, with more articles on notable women missing on Wikipedia in comparison to Encyclopaedia Britannica. This represents an alarming aporia in an increasingly important repository of shared knowledge.Help address this absence at a Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon . Along with librarian Kim Detterbeck, I am organizing a satellite event (that will focus on design and new media) at Purchase College:
· Date: Saturday, February 1, 2014, 12noon - 6pm. Can’t be there the whole time? No problem. Join us for as little or as long as you like.
· Venue: DMZ Lab 1015B, Purchase College Library, Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577
· Cost: Free
· Participants: The event is open to anyone who wishes to attend. No Wikipedia editing experience necessary; as needed throughout the event, tutoring will be provided for Wikipedia newcomers. Female editors are particularly encouraged to attend.
· RSVP by signing your username here! If you are unfamiliar with Wikipedia, you might try this training module which will help explain a lot of things, including how to add your signature.
· What to Bring: Computers (Macs) are available in the computer lab, though attendees are invited to bring their own laptops (and power cords). Light snacks and drinks will be provided.
· Twitter Hashtag: #ArtAndFeminism
