User:Jimbo Wales/Wikipedian of the Year 2015

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• Who will be eligible? For example, should WMF employees be eligible?S Philbrick(Talk) 16:31, 10 August 2014 (UTC)

Interesting... The founder of Wikipedia asks hundreds of people at once, twice (2014 & 2015), to come with suggestions, and still no responses. I am really starting to get curious if Jimmy will mention this next year. Romaine dives away...

But to answer the question, thinking about who should be the Wikipedian of the Year 2016, it is difficult. It is difficult because so many users are working hard on improving Wikipedia, small pieces, larger pieces, that is great and everybody should be awarded for that. But how to award everyone... the only thing that comes in mind is giving everyone a stroopwafel. Let's do that!

Awarding only one person for improving Wikipedia doesn't sound good to me, because everybody's work is great. No, then I would like to suggest we award someone who is outstanding active, on multiple wikis, working on something that has a large positive influence on the work of the movement or the Wikimedia movement itself. Someone who plays a vital role, not because her/his words but because of her/his actions that made a difference.

There are thousands of people I sincerely would like to thank and award, for their work done. If I visit a wiki, it is fantastic to see that all those individual users, together, but still each of them has helped the world to improve. It gives a great and warm feeling that all those individuals put some effort in improving the world, that is something that makes me happy. Who in the entire Wikimedia movement makes me happy, a bit extra happy than anyone else? I know someone... but let me keep my eyes open the coming year, those users are really worth to get more attention. Romaine (talk) 04:47, 31 July 2015 (UTC)

The stone statues the winners received

In the mean while something has changed. Instead of waiting, I organised a project on the Dutch Wikipedia in what the community elected their most valued Wikipedians and the most valued projects from the past year. Two days ago with the event at the 15th birthday of Wikipedia, the award ceremony was organised together with another event for Wikipedians/Wikimedians. In seven categories, the users and projects most valued for their contributions in improving Wikipedia, received a WikiOwl, the ancient Greek owl for wisdom and knowledge, free knowledge. Both a physical one and a digital one. This was a huge success!

This tastes for more. Let's do this in the global Wikipedia community as well. Who is with me? Romaine (talk) 03:46, 18 January 2016 (UTC)