Wikimania:Information Desk

Welcome to the Information Desk.

If you have any questions about Wikimania 2011, or its wiki, feel free to post them here. To add a new section, please click here.

Please refer to the FAQ before asking.

#wikimania-2011

I just updated the IRC pages to point to the current IRC channels (#wikimania and #wikimania-2011). Feel free to chat on them about Wikimania topics. :-) Note that the naming of the channel is different than the old naming of Wikimania channels (e.g. #wikimania2007, #wikimania2008). The naming has been changed because that is the normal naming of Wikimedia IRC channels and allows easier management in case the local ops/owners of the channel disappear. Cbrown1023 talk 02:17, 19 August 2010 (UTC)

Freedom-friendly streaming

See also #Will we get Video of all Presentations

In the great Wikimania 2010, one big mistake was made and that was streaming the conference in a format that was not accessible using free software. iStream streamed the whole conference professionally in HD, but they missed the most important part: it was not accessible! I think it's very important to make sure that this mistake will not happen again to comply with Wikipedia commitment to free standards and free software. Ogg and WebM formats can provide very good results without risking anyone's freedom. I can recall two recent conferences that did great job in this regard: DebConf, which was streamed in Ogg, and GUADEC, which was streamed in WebM. That's something to be aware of before it's too late.--OsamaK 19:52, 21 August 2010 (UTC)

When contracting a streaming company, we will make this a priority. Deror avi 07:34, 22 August 2010 (UTC)

I have offered streaming for Wikimania 2010 as I did in earlier years (and implemented in 2007) which works with Ogg/Theora. The organisers invited me to take care of the streaming in Gdansk, but as we did have any cameras, PCs for the encoding or volunteers to handle it, the offer from iStream put us to the point where we had to decide whether to have a proprietary streaming or no streaming. I think it is quite comprehensible that we choose the former. I am definitely aware of the problem and was never happy with the streaming in Gdansk, though I have to say that iStream made an incredibly good job. I am working together with the team in Haifa to improve this issue for 2011 and I am very confident that we will have a great streaming, just because of the team taking care of it so early and being so involved and pushing forward. --80686 15:21, 23 August 2010 (UTC)

It's good to hear this and, of course, thank you!--OsamaK 19:02, 23 August 2010 (UTC)

+1 to this. The video of Wikimania 2010 was sorely missed. Make sure the video will be available in perpetuity in an open format. Video is essentially useless if not recorded. --Alecmconroy 07:32, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

commons:Category:Wikimania 2011 presentations

• commons:Category:Wikimania 2009 presentations is full with the whole set of videos.
• commons:Category:Wikimania 2010 presentations is... empty (for how long depends on the success of the "attempts (...) to secure the videos" talked about in this mail)
• What about commons:Category:Wikimania 2011 presentations ? Should we expect that category to be full or empty ?

This question is not exactly the same as the above one. One can have "great streaming", yet no video record available for replay weeks or months after the event.

HD video should not be regarded as a priority. What matters at a conference is what people say, not the details of the patterns on their shirts. HD requires bandwidth, which can be a disadvantage for receivers with limited bandwidth. So the priority should be HD audio : good microphones, and speakers making an effort to speak good and slow English not crammed with private jokes so that non-fluent non-native English speakers can understand, aiming to reach a population of 300 million people. Teofilo 12:42, 7 December 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for bringing this up. It's certainly our aim to have all presentations both as slideshows (rather easy) and videos (more involved) available online on Wikimedia projects (and not for example on slideshare), and the natural home for that would be in commons. It's easy to want but the reality might prove more tricky - I can imagine that releasing all the videos after the event does take a certain amount of time. We certainly want to avoid a situation where after the conference everyone is so tired they just forget about everything. So yes, I can promise you here that this category will not remain empty, but it would be irresponsible for me to tell you there won't be some problems along the way. We'll certainly instruct presenters to upload their slideshows and will help with that if they don't do it themselves. Harel 20:11, 7 December 2010 (UTC)

Double occupancy

When this term is used in Israel does it mean in a room with one large bed or two smaller ones? I don't mind sharing a room with a stranger, but do not want to share a bed. It would be helpful if this is clarified in the accomodations page. Eclecticology 10:20, 31 December 2010 (UTC)

Hi Eclecticology. The registration form lists the option of single occupancy, "Twin/double occupancy with same-gender partner randomly selected by organizers" and of double occupancy with a specified partner of your choice. If you select the second option, we will strive to accommodate you (and all other people who chose the second option) in rooms with two separate beds ("twin" occupancy). However the double (one large bed) setup is more common in Israel (the dorms will just have single or twin configurations), so the number of such rooms is limited (the exact number is something we have to look up). If it's especially important to you (and I find it totally understandable), then please state so in the separate field for special accommodation-related requests, which is likewise on the registration form. See you in Haifa! Harel 11:35, 31 December 2010 (UTC)

Male and female dorms?

Will be there separate male and female dorms? Bejinhan 06:35, 2 January 2011 (UTC)

Yes, there will be separate dorm rooms for men and women. Depending on the specific dorms, some dorms are built as apartments where there are separate bedrooms for each person, some are not as spacious and have two people in one room. This way or that we will be putting people in same-gender dorm rooms or apartments. There may be people from the other gender in the same dorm building as you, this shouldn't be an issue to anyone (or is it?). Harel 07:06, 2 January 2011 (UTC)

No, I think not. It should be fine. =) Bejinhan 10:31, 3 January 2011 (UTC)

Flickr group

FAQ#Miscellaneous mentions the hashtag; it would be useful to create an official Flickr group for Wikimania 2011 (last year we had an unofficial group created by an unknown person and it generated some confusion). --Nemo 00:18, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

It's a good idea, but I have to ask you first if instructing people to upload all their pictures directly to commons is not a better idea. What do you think? Harel 08:46, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

I think that people will upload photos to Flickr anyway, at least with an official group they should be easier to find. :-) It's good to say that Commons is the preferred place (and e.g. where the official photos by the organizers, if any, should be uploaded), but you can't force them. --Nemo 08:56, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

OK, I agree. What does it "take" to open a formal group on Flickr as opposed to a regular one? It's just one we'll set up right now by the organizers, right? but not different technically from any other group, right? Harel 08:57, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

Yes, although perhaps there's some confirmation/verification process I don't think it's worth the effort. --Nemo 09:02, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

Also, Commons isn't a social photo network. :) There will undoubtably be some photos of... questionable ... educational value. Flickr is a more appropriate home for those. Philippe (WMF) 01:55, 28 February 2011 (UTC)

I'll personally will try to boycott this act

I'm Theklan, one of the sysops on Basque Wikipedia. I'm really ashamed because someone on Wikimedia has decided to hold Wikimania on occupied lands. Wikipedia is a worlwide project and with this decission most citizens of arab countries can't attend Wikimania. I personally support the Global BDS Movement and ask for boycott over ALL Israelian products, cultural acts and intellectual links in the Basque Country. This year I was trying to get a scholarship here to attend Wikimania. Now I will try to boycott this act and I think all people concerned with peace in Palestine can make the same.

Please. Don't go ahead. Choose another place in the world. -Theklan 20:54, 7 January 2011 (UTC)

In fact, It is completly unbeliavable, is Wikimania going to be held on the land of the syonist state of Israel? Does this agree with wikimedia´s principles?? Do we support the killing and ethnic and religious cleanse practised by Israel?? At least I don´t, and so I support the Global BDS Movement STOP THE WIKIMEDIA 2011 making Israel look like a normalized democratic state! --Orhipean 21:08, 7 January 2011 (UTC)

Please, take your vitriolic hate speech elsewhere. Israel proper is not occupied - that is, land that was purchased by and/or allocated to Zionists. As for your accusation of ethnic cleansing, are you aware of the fact that over 16% of Israel is Muslim, and even more are of Arab descent? This Arab–Israeli conflict is purely a land debate, not based in any sort of racial hatred or genocidal tendencies. Even if you refuse to acknowledge this, I would prefer you try to keep a cool head when publicly addressing your concerns, and realize that insulting an entire nationality and calling them uncivil is not likely to promote your case very well. Thank you. Arielkoiman 09:26, 8 January 2011 (UTC)

<abusive comment removed>

<irrelevant comment removed> Arielkoiman 11:52, 8 January 2011 (UTC)

<irrelevant comment removed> Theklan 21:17, 8 January 2011 (UTC)

Putting aside your misinformed opinions, the place to ask to move Wikimania elsewhere was on the bid page in meta, about 8 months ago. You didn't do it, for whatever reasons. Haifa was elected by the Wikimania jury in a proper and legal manner without any special issues, in an open bidding process that lasted close to 6 months, because it was the best bid. Too bad for you, but you missed the train. If you want, you can bid to host it elsewhere in future years. Now please leave us in peace, your slogans are despicable and have little to do with our reality in Israel. Harel 07:07, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

I can protest wherever I want, <abusive remark removed>, but yes in Wikimedia. The bids were 8 months ago but the first news about this spread through Wikipedia came 2 days ago. And now I ask to boycott this act (by the way, I'm doing it in many other ways). <abusive comment removed> Theklan 12:37, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Good luck in your endeavors. Harel 12:48, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

I would like to make this issue clear - Anyone from any country in the world is welcomed to attend Wikimania 2011 in Haifa, Israel. In case there are problems with obtaining visa, be it for political reasons or any other reasons, the organizing team have announced it would do any reasonable effort to facilitate the process. A message in this spirit was published in Arabic on the "Village Pump" of the Arabic-language Wikipedia. Palestinians from Gaza ara not banned from visiting Israel, however the process of obtaining the necessary entry permits may take longer than usual due to the non-recognition of the Hamas ruling organization in Israel. Palestinians from the West Bank can obtain entry permits in a simple process (they do not need a visa or a passport). The organizing team cannot solve problems that are not related to the Israeli authorities. If a person can obtain an Israeli visa/entry permit, but the authorities in his/her country do not allow a visit to Israel - the organizing team cannot help that. Last word - I strongly suggest that the discussion here be restricted to issues related to Wikimania. Criticism on the Israeli Government's policy or any other political views can be expressed on many other websites. DrorK 13:10, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

You're lying, and you know. Gazan people can't access Israel freely. West Bank firemen can enter Haifa, but not for getting a condecoration (as you may know). People from Lebanon can't enter Israel freely. Don't lie. Wikimania MUST assure equal access and this is impossible in Haifa. So I ask to move the place. That's a discussion restricted to issues related to Wikimania. And I'm not making a critic on Israeli Government, I'm making a critic on Wikimania. You're promoting apartheid with this act so I ask you not to do. Your Government can do wathever they think they have been voted for: it's your responsability. -Theklan 01:48, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I also think you're on the wrong website to discuss your political point of view. Wikimania in Haifa is decided, published and progressed quiet far so that your claim will not reach any goal than to express your personal protest. You did that on a small background site of a small wikimedia project's website. We heard it now, twice ore more.

These people here are planning and organizing, answering questions and trying to solve problems of attendees. No less, no more. --Martina Nolte 02:20, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Again, just to make things clear - Christian Palestinian from Gaza were recently allowed entry to Israel to celebrate Christmas with other local Christian communities. Palestinian from the West Bank enter Israel on a regular basis for work and leisure. Naturally, specific cases of bureaucratic failure catch the attention of the media (and rightfully so, as this is the role of journalism), but these cases are rare, and the organizing team will do its best to prevent them. It is recommended that anyone who thinks he/she might encounter problems would contact the organizing team as soon as possible. This includes people from countries that do not allow their citizens to visit Israel, like Lebanon or Syria. Possible arrangements for such cases would be asking the Israeli authorities not to stamp their passports and asking other participants to avoid taking their picture, so they won't be at risk when coming back home. DrorK 06:32, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

"Specific cases of bureaucratic failure"? Ok, let's think they're specific. But let's talk about them, to make things clear: professor Norman Finkelstein was not allowed to enter Israel in 2008 because of his political points of view; Israel also denied the entrance to Noam Chomsky last year. Interior Ministry spokeswoman Sabine Haddad said Chomsky was turned away for "various reasons", but she didn't explain a single one. Probably the only reason is Chomsky's criticism towards Israel's politics. Yes, they're cases that catch the attention of the media but, if a representative of the Interior Ministry declines to talk about those cases, it's not very difficult to imagine what is going to happen if Israel decides to act against less-known citizens. You're still in time to change and choose another place. If you don't do it, you'll feel ashamed of yourselves within some years. -Fritz 18:22, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I personally would be very happy to host Prof. Chomsky (whose theory I studied at the Tel Aviv University, and even heard his talk there when he visited Israel in 1997) at Wikimania this year. As a holder of a US passport, Prof. Chomsky does not need a visa in order to enter Israel. In the case you've mentioned above, Prof. Chomsky wanted to cross the border between the West Bank and Jordan. The West Bank is not part of Israel and it is subject to an interim rule, according to a set of agreements between Israel and the Palestinian leadership. I suppose you plan to enter Israel via the Ben Gurion International Airport, so I don't see the problem here. If you want to continue from Haifa to the West Bank (i.e. to Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho, Hebron and their surroundings), please contact the local organizing team in Haifa, and they will direct you to information about the West Bank entry regulations. As far as I know, crossing from Israel to the WB and vice versa became much easier in the past year owing to better cooperation between the Israeli and Palestinian authorities. 2010 saw a record number of tourists to Israel and the West Bank. DrorK 10:29, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

<irrelevant comments removed> Norman Finkelstein was detained and interrogated by Israel’s security forces for 24 hours. Israel denied entrance, Finkelstein was deported to Amsterdam and received a 10-year ban on entering. "Security reasons", said the authorities. Can anyone believe that Finkelstein is a dangerous guy? <irrelevant comment removed> Fritz 21:57, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

<irrelevant comments removed> Theklan 01:07, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

You were noted earlier that this page is for questions and inquiries about Wikimania 2011 in Haifa. It is not a place for debating about the Israeli government's policy, nor any other subject unrelated to Wikimania. The irrelevant comments were removed. You can write them on your blog, or on my blog (email me for the URL), or in any other site that is open for political debates. As for entry permits and Norman Finkelstein, the Israeli press cites the Israeli police as saying that Finklstein has relations with anti-Israeli militant groups in Lebanon. I don't know whether or not it is true, and frankly, I don't care. If you have been in relations with Hizbullah or Hamas, then most chances are that you would be denied entry to Israel. In such case, you would probably have difficulties entering many countries in the world (including some Arab countries). Since I presume this is not the case, I don't see the problem. Just book a flight. If you have any reason to think that the Israeli authorities have something against you, why won't you call the Israeli consulate and ask them to check whether there is a special problem related to you? You can also contact the organizing team and ask them to check whether there is such specific problem. Please bear in mind that Wikimania 2011 does not discuss geopolitical issues. DrorK 09:30, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

So the problem was not to be polite! You're applying censorship again in this place. If I write in a polite way, you delete it. If I write what I think you block me. What have I got to do? -Theklan 09:44, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Bursting into a theater full of people and shouting slogans is not an expression of freedom of speech. It is merely a vulgar disruptive behavior. It is even more vulgar when the heckler keeps on shouting after being kindly asked to express himself in a more appropriate place. If you keep posting irrelevant disruptive remarks here, you will be blocked. If you want a list of sites where you can debate about geopolitical issues, email me. DrorK 09:56, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

I don't want a place to discuss about geopolitical issues, I want to move Wikimania to a place where civil rights are respected. That's all. And please, stop deleting my comments, even more when I'm not being disruptive and I write with politeness. -Theklan 10:09, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

<irrelevant disruptive comment removed> Fritz 10:14, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Fritz, you asked a question, you've got an answer. This is not a political debate. We have been very patient to the disruptive behavior of you and Theklan. Other sites would have blocked you right away. We've heard your thoughts, we've answered your question. Another irrelevant comment from either of you, and I'll have you both blocked. DrorK 11:24, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Are you goingo to remove all comments that makes a critic over impossibility of many people to access Haifa? -Theklan 11:47, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Yes as the BDS Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement is really picking up momentum, I believe it is a poor choice to hold Wikimania 2011 in Haifa. Moreover with Hezbollah making credible threats against Israel I don't know if Haifa is a safe venue. Please consider changing the location of Wikimania 2011

If it is security you are worried about, then don't. Haifa is a safe place. But if you want to contribute something to the effort, why won't you contact Hezbollah and explain to them that this is a peaceful event calling for better cooperation among people, and as these principles are surely on Hezbollah's agenda, they should support it rather than make threats. DrorK 21:45, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

<disruptive and insulting comments deliberately unwritten here by me in the first place, in protest of... wait, I'm sure I'll come up with something until August!> Nahum 05:47, 13 April 2011 (UTC)

I will boycott this session, according to the BDS movement, i don't want to go to in apartheid country. And yes Israël practised ethnic cleansing, please read about it in Ilan Pappé - The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (2006) Piston 12:46, 14 June 2011 (UTC)

About the Conference

My name is Keeyong Eom and I am an user at Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons as username daffy123 and would like to ask if we get any sort of certificate after the Wikimania conference is over.

There are no plans for a certificate. There will be a conference T-Shirt and possibly other memorabilia. If you need one, we may issue you a letter confirming that you attended the conference to show to employers, university or similar. Harel 13:38, 8 January 2011 (UTC)

It would be great to have a training certificate by Wikimedia Foundation or by an official local educational institution. With such a certificate and an invoice, attendees could try to get a reduction on their annual wage tax (i.e. in Germany costs for flight, accommodation, registration fees and a certain amount of nutrition costs could partly be discharged - in my case for example this could reimburse up to ~200€/250$). --Martina Nolte 13:17, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

PS: I meant this just as a suggestion to think about. Could be to much effort to meet every country's requirements for such a paper. --Martina Nolte 13:20, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Navigation

Parts of the navigation is translated (depending on my language choice), parts are not yet translated (Scholarships, Submissions, Accommodation), at least not for uselang=de. Where can I change that (globally or in regard to a single language?) or who would like to do that? --Martina Nolte 13:38, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for doing that. One suggestion: instead of Informationsschalter could Auskunft be more inuitive (we call it like that in de-Wikipedia), and perhaps Themenvorschläge instead of Beiträge. Thanks again. --Martina Nolte 01:38, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I encourage everyone involved with Wiki to boycott Wikimania 2011

I have been active on the Icelandic Wikipedia for over four years. I have ambitions to further the cause of free knowledge through Wikipedia. I applied for scholarship to Gdansk last year. To avoid this becoming a drawn out debate on non-specifics, suffice to say that it is extremely regretful that the directors at Wikimedia have made such a bad error of judgement by choosing Haifa, Israel as the venue. In doing so they have jeopardised the organisation's neutral standing. I respect that Israel in its entirety, Israelis in general are not at fault. However, I am disappointed and will not apply to participate in such an event in a state that systematically violates human rights. --Jabbi 23:15, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

I believe there is a special site for those who wish to boycott the event, which was opened by advocates against Israel. I strongly recommend that you post your comments there rather than on this page, which was meant for a different purpose. DrorK 06:38, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

<abusive comment removed>

-Theklan 00:20, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

This is not a site for protesting against the Israeli government or against Wikimania in Haifa. You are welcome to write to the executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation or to its Board of Directors and bring your appeal to them. I deleted the file you uploaded as you're just going to more and more explicit means to protest, and to no avail. No one here has the authority or will to decide where to hold Wikimania, and since it has already been decided quite long ago by the Wikimania jury that it will be held in Haifa, and this has then been repeatedly discussed in foundation-l and wikimania-l mailing lists, and the discussions ended a few months ago, your protest is both futile and disruptive and won't bring any effective change to the plans of the conference - you're just treading water here, and being very offensive and rude to the organizers, people you've never met personally and have never done you any harm. There are much better venues for you to help with bringing peace to the Middle East, which I'm sure is your top concern, right? Harel 07:45, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Sorry Theklan, but you went way out of line. We value freedom of speech here, and we are willing to hear criticism, therefore we let you express yourself even though this is not exactly the right place for that. Having said that, there are basic rules of good manners that you are kindly asked to respect, even when you express your freedom of speech. I therefore removed you recent remark. DrorK 14:20, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

So you use here apartheid also. It's ok, I'll remember this day in which Wikimania used censorship against a criticism on it's closedness. If you consider this commentary ("If you don't want to hear your state is violating human rights with it's zionism based apartheid laws then you can close the Information Desk. Or maybe you can create a mini-Gaza here for the rebel wikipedians. There'a even a logo for us:") rude then you have a problem. Rude is what your state is making to Palestinians. Mine was only a suggestion. -Theklan 17:18, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

No, it's you who is behaving very rudely indeed, while we are organizing an international a-political conference devoted to Wikimedia and its projects. It's you who's trying to rudely disrupt here just for your own political ends. Harel 17:57, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

I will boycott Wimimania 2011, i don't want to go in an apartheid country Piston 12:49, 14 June 2011 (UTC)

photos of attendees

Reading DrorK 06:32, 11 January 2011 (UTC) reminds me of one topic: Will there be signs by which people can show that they do generally not want to be depicted and possibly published on a Wikimedia project under a free licence (i.e. by a red sticker point on their name badge) or that they agree to be depicted and published (i.e. green point on name badge)? That would be also be nice for photographers who then do not have to ask hundreds of people particularly. --Martina Nolte 19:34, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I think we should prepare such stickers. Not just for people who are concered of being caught up in a sensitive political entanglement, but also for people who simply want to remain unphotographed. DrorK 16:38, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

That would be great. --Martina Nolte 00:34, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

ATM

I translated the currency article and yet have another question (hope it's not annoying): Do ATM automats accept regular EC cards (electronic cash, signs: [1]) or only credit cards? --Martina Nolte 20:56, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

EC cards are not common in Israel and my hunch is that the answer is negative. The exact answer to your question is something you have to ask your bank or whoever issued your EC card - ask them if they are accepted by ATMs abroad (i.e. if they are international), specifically in Israel. Harel 10:30, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Thanks, Harel. I found out that EC cards (debit cards) are broadly accepted at ATMs in Israel when they have a Cirrus or a Maestro symbol (see i.e. engl.: [2], de: [3], [[4]). Credit cards are, at least in Germany not so common, but EC cards are quiet distributed. For that reason I mentionned this on Currency_in_Israel/de (in the footer). Is that okay? --Martina Nolte 00:22, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

Clothing

Hello. I think that in the FAQ there should be a section about what clothes are forbbiden on Wikimania, as it is going to be made in Haifa. For example, can I attend with a T-Shirt with a big palestinian flag asking for boycott on Israel? Is important, as I have more than one "Boycott Israel" t-shirts. Can I have them or would I have problems with Mossad? -Theklan 17:28, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

No, that's perfectly fine, you can wear those t-shirts. Harel 17:55, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Actually, I think you could buy some extra shirts of this kind downtown Tel Aviv. Remind me to show you the place. DrorK 19:49, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Is this still the case that one can buy "Boycott Israel" tshirts now that the new legislation is in place? And what will happen if one is wearing such a tshirt on arrival at Tel Aviv airport?

Submission Renaming

Hello, I've submitted a proposal to my presentation here. (see) But I've given it wrongly. The name should be Wikimedia projects in Classical languages - An overview of Challenges and Growth prospects this. So, I need my submission to be renamed. someone help me. Is there any admins see this, please rename the submission to the second title. Please!!! --Surya Prakash.S.A. 18:38, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Done by Harel. Thanks for the submission and good luck. DrorK 19:51, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Thank you.

Hotels

Why are two conference hotels (Vila Carmel and Leonardo) not present in the table? Ruslik 19:10, 20 January 2011 (UTC)

We are not offering them as part of the registration process to be directly billed through us. Whoever wants can book with them directly. I'm not sure how they made it into the wiki - perhaps at an earlier point in time we thought we'd be offering direct booking for them too. Note that at least Le Meridien is rather far away from the venue. Harel 09:49, 21 January 2011 (UTC)

The two hotel are relatively close to the venue (Vila Carmel is 10 minutes walk, and Leonardo is 10 minutes drive) - however we were not able to reach a discount price agreement with them (as we did with the other hotels offered) and they offer only their regular prices. Therefore we do not offer them through our registration site, and participants may book directly at the hotel should they wish to do so. Deror avi 12:23, 26 January 2011 (UTC)

Better edit buttons

Hey guys, could you remove so called "better tool bar". There are pages in the main ns, where people need to leave signature and it is not possible. I have switched skin to MonoBook, but the "stupid" tool bar stays. Thanks! PS: leave this cool features to Wikipedia for the project it was developed.--Juan de Vojníkov 16:58, 24 January 2011 (UTC)

Well, signature waves are not indigenous to many keyboards. So it is extra bearocracy for many people.--Juan de Vojníkov 21:23, 20 February 2011 (UTC)

Photo requests in Israel, for Wikimania participants to fulfill

Would it be alright if there was a notice asking Wikipedians visiting the Wikimania 2011 to see if they can fulfill photo requests in Israel?

The reason why is that I have two outstanding photo requests at Ben Gurion Airport (I would imagine many Wikipedians will be arriving at Ben Gurion) and thought it could be helpful to have Wikimania participants be reminded of this.

• My requests are of the The El Al head office, and the Israel Airports Authority building. Both are next door to each other. The following map shows the location of the El Al offices. Click "Ben Gurion" and one will see a listing of points on a map, including the location of the El Al offices. - Click on the "Ben Gurion Airport" map and one will see a detailed map of Ben Gurion Airport, including the location of the El Al offices - the offices are adjacent to Terminal 1. As illustrated on the map, the El Al offices are next to the Israel Airports Authority offices
  • According to the map, perhaps the most convenient places to get the photos are the Long Term Parking and/or Subscribers Parking lots by the El Al and IAA buildings at Terminal 1
• The results should look similar to my photo of the Air France head office at Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport: en:File:Air France HQ.png

And possibly we could ask people who want photos taken in Israel to post to a request list so that Wikipedians visiting will know what to take, and where the requests are (what are their addresses?)

WhisperToMe 06:14, 15 February 2011 (UTC)

another visa question

Another visa question that I received: if someone from a non-Arab country has a visa/stamp from Saudi Arabia in their passport, is it a problem to enter Israel? Thanks! -- Phoebe 07:42, 23 February 2011 (UTC)

No, it will not prevent entry into Israel. It will, however, potentially raise questions, especially if one is flying into Israel with El-Al. Whoever has such stamps/visas should expect to be politely questioned about the reason of their visit to Saudi Arabia, what they did there, what friends or relatives they have there etc. If one has good, simple answers and proof of these answers - then apart from the prolonged questioning, there shouldn't be a real problem. If one has visited Saudi Arabia 17 times in the last 4 years and cannot explain what they did there, expect more trouble. If one visited there once for a conference or work-related matter and can prove it - not a big deal. Harel 08:00, 23 February 2011 (UTC)

Just to make the principle aspect clearer - there is no Israeli boycott on Arab or Muslim countries, so a stamp or visa in the passport do not invalidate it in the eyes of the IL border authorities. Questions might be asked for security reasons, not due to political considerations. DrorK 22:46, 23 February 2011 (UTC)

I have a problem in securing my visa for Israel. Indonesia does not have a diplomatic relationship with Israel, and the nearest country where an Israeli embassy is available is Singapore. I tried to do it through a travel agent that is experienced with arranging pilgrimages to Israel. I was told, however, that (1) the Embassy does not have the list of the participants who need visa to Israel; (2) apparently because of security reason, they can only issue a visa to someone traveling with a travel agent; and (3) They want to know what is the travel agent that is handling our tour in Israel. So, can someone give me the information necessary, so that I can fly Jakarta-Hong Kong-Tel Aviv? Stephensuleeman 11:14, 18 May 2011 (UTC)

We are in touch with the Israeli Foreign Ministry for this kind of problems. Naturally the Ministry can easily contact the embassy and instruct them about the matter. Please contact Harel for further details. DrorK 06:28, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

We're already discussing this through OTRS. Harel 11:45, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

They will force you to sign paper telling you will not go in occupied palestinian lands. Piston 12:52, 14 June 2011 (UTC)

Accommodation booking in Dormitory

Dear Sirs, I have requested the accommodation booking starting from 4th August till 7th August. Please book my accommodation for the night of 3rd August also. I am likely to reach the Conference place on 3rd August. Thanking you and with best regards, B S N Prasad User Id 1197

Done. Further to our correspondence, I still do not see a scholarship application in your name. Please apply for a scholarship before the end of January. Harel 06:49, 29 January 2011 (UTC)

Implications of travel to Israel that might not be covered

Hello: I have been to Israel (from US) several times (en route to Bethlehem), always via King Hussein Bridge.

I have always requested that the Israeli border police NOT stamp my passport. Can you explain the potential consequences of having an Israeli entry/exit stamp when traveling to other countries?

If a U.S. citizen of Palestinian ancestry -- who has never been out of the U.S. before -- attempts to enter Israel and Israeli border police notice that this person (whether they know it or not) has been assigned a number identifying them as Palestinian, what are the potential consequences? Certainly detention, possible arrest, possible deportation? Almost definitely entry to Israel will not be permitted. Is this correct?

I know ID cards in Israeli used to indicate religion but it was changed because of a court ruling. I believe that now the ID cards only indicate if a person is Jewish or non-Jewish. Is that correct? Are we obligated to reveal our religion to a police officer in Israel, if asked?

I saw the comment that said there have been no terror attacks in Haifa for a few years (the last ones being the rocket attacks?). But, reading a newspaper from Haifa, I see that 44 people have died fighting the arson fires and that many people believe these are being set by Islamic extremists. Are these attacks ...?

This site says that Haifa is a model of Israeli/Arab co-existence. U.S. citizens, in particular, might be caught off-guard by the segregationist policies in Israel. And, people of Arab nationality or ancestry may be surprised by the type of culture they encounter in the predominantly Israeli parts of Haifa (where the conference is). Maybe you should explain some of this so people know what to expect?

Finally, should visitors to Israel visit a settlement initiative? Can you explain the context to people + the potential risk involved?

Regards, -M

Hello, here are some answers to the best of my knowledge -

1. When coming by land, prefer the Jordan River Border Crossing near Irbid - For those who plan to enter Israel from a neighboring country, I strongly recommend using any of the border crossings linking directly to Israel, and not the Allenby/King Hussein crossing which actually connects Jordan with the West Bank. While entering Israel from the West Bank is possible, it is a bit more complicated, and this extra "headache" is not needed as there is a direct border crossing near the Jordanian town of Irbid (the Jordan River crossing, a.k.a. Sheikh Hussein Bridge Crossing) which is also much closer to Haifa.
2. Having an Israeli stamp on your passport is a problem if you plan to continue your travel to Syria or Lebanon. These two countries boycott Israel since its establishment and deny entrance from people who visited Israel. There might be other Arab countries that prevent entry on this ground, e.g. Yemen or Lybia, but with the current changes in the Middle East, it is hard to give reliable answer about them at this point in time. Note that having a Jordanian or Egyptian stamp from the border crossings with Israel also invalidate your passport in the eyes of the Syrian and Lebanese authorities. If you want to visit Syria or Lebanon, do it before you come to the conference in Haifa, or ask the Israeli border police not to stamp your passport but rather a separate piece of paper. If you plan to visit these countries on another occasion, changing the passport is an option to circumvent this problem. Some countries even allow having two valid passports for this end.
   1. As one who has visited Israel having previously been to Lebanon, I would warn you about this "If you want to visit Syria or Lebanon, do it before you come to the conference in Haifa, or ask the Israeli border police not to stamp your passport but rather a separate piece of paper."

Israeli border guides will give you an extremely hard time if you have previously visited Arab countries such as these. I was only detained an hour or so but a friend who had been to Iraq was stripsearched and detained for 10 hours. We are both Australian citizens of European background.

1. Tourists are required to reveal only the personal information available in their passports. In rare cases, where the border police have good reason to suspect that something is wrong (e.g. that the passport is faked, or that the person is a member of some militant group), then questions might be asked about the tourist's origins, including religion or similar affiliations. This questioning is done in private and without indicating the answers on the passport or any other public document.
2. In case you have multiple citizenship, and one of your nationalities is Israeli or Palestinian, you should be aware of the following: (1) Israeli citizens must enter Israel with an Israeli passport. Israeli citizenship is inherited automatically from one of the parents, unless waived in a certain procedure. So, if one of your parents is, or used to be, an Israeli citizen, please check that you did not inherit an Israeli citizenship. While the Israeli border police often let people with "dormant" Israeli citizenship enter the country with their foreign passport, please avoid this headache and get an Israeli passport from the local Israeli consulate. (2) According to the terms of the interim Palestinian rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Palestinian nationality is available only to residents of these two regions. As far as I know, Palestinians who live abroad and have foreign nationality can enter Israel with their foreign passports and they will be treated as citizens of the country that issued their passport. (3) As for the ID issue you raised, it is totally irrelevant to visitors, so I'll answer briefly that the local Ministry of the Interior have certain categories for mapping the Israeli population. They are based on affiliation to a certain community within the Israeli society, not necessarily religion. It is illegal to use these categories for any purpose other than statistic research or offering special benefits or services. After a long heated debate about this system, it was agreed that these categories be removed from the IDs and available only on special request if needed. It shouldn't surprise you that Israelis recognize the community affiliation of each other with or without IDs. I suppose the same is true for the US or any other multi-cultural society.
3. The recent fire on Mt. Carmel was a very unfortunate accident that evolved into a tragedy by very unusual weather. The fire did not reach Haifa itself. The whole area was evacuated immediately when the fire started to spread, and people were asked to move temporarily either to Haifa or to the cities south of Mt. Carmel. All civilians were evacuated on time, including prisoners from a prison located in this area, but unfortunately 44 policemen and wards who had to enter the dangerous zone in order to make sure the evacuation was completed, were caught in the fire and died. This event is currently studied and it indeed triggers strong emotions among Israelis due to the human tragedy and the damage to nature and property, but this was not a malicious act nor was there any negligence with regard to the safety of civilians. Quite the contrary in fact.
4. There are no segregationist policies in Israel. The rule of thumb for proper behavior is the same as in any country: respect people and be sensitive to the local atmosphere. In most places, including Haifa, Israeli customs are more-or-less the same as in North America and western Europe. English is widely spoken as a foreign language, so you can easily ask people about anything you find unclear. There are specific communities that have internal policy of gender separation, but this is relevant only to members of this specific communities, and foreigners, or even Israelis from outside these communities, are not expected to follow these policies. There are no such communities in Haifa. Note that it is illegal to force you to comply with such internal unofficial rules, but don't be provocative. In the unlikely event that someone ask you to go away due to some local custom, say politely in English that you are a tourist. The very sound of a foreign language will make that person leave you alone.
5. I don't understand what you mean by "settlement initiative". You can go wherever you like within the borders of Israel, including East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Like in any country, there places restricted because they are private property, protected nature reserve, army base or for any other reason, but these are marked with signs written in Hebrew, Arabic and English so you can't miss them. If you are talking about the West Bank - this region is not part of Israel, and it is under special interim administration, so you have to make sure in advance that you know the local law and regulations in the specific place where you are heading, that your tourist insurance covers accidents outside the borders of Israel etc. DrorK 08:27, 12 March 2011 (UTC)

They will force you to sign paper telling you will not go in occupied palestinian lands. I hope you're not muslim or arabic cause they ask lot and lot of questions if you are and try to intimidate you. Piston 12:55, 14 June 2011 (UTC)

Receiving message: "bad title" when hitting "create page" on the submission page

I am trying to submit a presentation but when I hit the "Create Page" on the submission page, I get a "Bad Title" response. I admit I'm not a computer wizard but I find no way to contact a real person to inquire about this. I am interested in the Wiki world but am finding it very opaque. Is there a help desk anywhere? Timeholmes 17:43, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Hello. First of all, thanks for your submission. Could you please write here the title you have chosen, so we could see whether there were certain characters that might have caused the problem, or anything of this kind. Thanks. DrorK 18:25, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Taxi from Hof HaCarmel & crime rate

If I take a taxi from Hof HaCarmel train station to the venue, what is the expected taxi fare? How do I communicate with the taxi driver? Do taxi drivers speak English?

The taxi fare depends on the time of day (and therefore traffic conditions), but you can expect it to cost at least NIS 30 if not NIS 40, maybe even more. That's about USD 8 to 12. All taxi drivers speak workable English that should be good enough for all practical purposes. Harel 14:15, 24 March 2011 (UTC)

How safe are tourists in Israel? I'm asking because I'm female and will be traveling alone. Bejinhan 11:16, 24 March 2011 (UTC)

The criminal crime rate is very low and Israel's cities are safe to walk alone at night compared to big cities in other countries. Things like mugging and robbery are very rare. That said, there's no such thing as perfect safety. Tourists should apply common sense to what they do and where they go to. Taking a taxi alone as a (young) female is perfectly fine during the day and should be very fine during night too. If you get the opportunity to share the taxi with another conference attendee, that might be safer (and cheaper). Harel 14:15, 24 March 2011 (UTC)

As a rule of thumb - don't do things that you would consider dangerous at home, e.g. walking alone in a distant dark alley, or talking with people who don't act normally etc. Other than that, there are no special risks. DrorK 12:22, 25 March 2011 (UTC)

Getting to the Dorms

Hello. Is there a guide anywhere explaining how to get to the dorms from Hof HaCarmel (Carmel Beach) station or Haifa Merkaz (Haifa Central)? It would be very useful, since In Haifa - Getting to the Dorms has not been created yet and I really have no clue on how will I get there. I'd also like to know the taxi/bus rates from those stations to the dorms. Thanks in advance for the answer, Mel 23 19:27, 24 March 2011 (UTC)

There are three different dorms. The dorms are located inside the Haifa University and the Technion institute, and one of the dorms is in the Romema Neighborhood. Each person who chose the dorms will receive and email detailing where to go and where to get the key. As we are not sure yet how many dorm rooms are required (depending on the number of people who request dorms etc.), we have yet to send the directions. As a rule of thumb - bus would cost about NIS 6 ($2) from the central Bus Station (near to Hof HaCarmel train station) and taxi would cost up to NIS 40 (about $12). Deror avi 10:06, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

USD currency

Someone told me that USD currency is accepted in Israel. Is that true? Can you please advise me on the amount of cash I should bring if I do not bring a credit card? Bejinhan 11:17, 25 March 2011 (UTC)

ILS is the only official legal tender, and while restrictions on keeping and using foreign currencies have been lifted quite a long time ago, most shops and businesses do not accept foreign currencies due to various kinds of technical problems. Also the USD is not as popular as it used to be following its recent devaluation against ILS and other currencies. Nonetheless, many businesses that serve mostly tourists (particularly hotels) do accept USD and EUR. If you have to bring cash with you, I suppose you should have about US$ 70 a day (~ ILS 250) for a comfortable stay, excluding costs of accommodations (for which you probably paid during registration). ILS is a freely convertible currency, and yet in order to avoid loss of money due to gaps between the buy ans sell conversion rates, try not to exchange all the amount at once. You can find several currency exchange offices in every city center, and you can also convert cash in post offices (and banks of course). DrorK 12:15, 25 March 2011 (UTC)

Is there a currency exchange office at the airport? I can't convert cash at my country since we don't have diplomatic relations with Israel. I might be transiting at Jordan. Should I convert Jordan currency into Israel currency or USD currency into Israel currency? Bejinhan 04:27, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

Yes. There is an exchange at the arrivals hall of the airport. In Jordan you can purchase NIS as well. Deror avi 10:07, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

I would suggest buying NIS in Israel, you'll get a much better exchange rate than anywhere else in the world. It's perfectly easy to convert USD and EUR to NIS in Israel, right at the airport. Harel 11:15, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

Jordanian dinars can be converted in Israel into local currency at the exchange desks at the airport and in most banks. I am not sure about private exchange bureaux in city centers. DrorK 13:02, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

Anyway, the USD 70 that Dror mentioned is much more than you'll need for the days of the conference itself, when breakfast and lunch and to some extent dinner are covered as part of the conference. It's quite a lot even for non-conference days. And again I would suggest you just convert USD to NIS directly without any further ado at Ben Gurion airport. Dinars will just get in your way. Harel 13:04, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

About Scholarships

I have applied for scholarships and I see people who received it. Is the scholarship process over now?

I also applied for a scholarship, and have not as of yet been notified of the decision. The confirmation e-mail I received when I submitted an application gave the impression that all applicants would be notified of the decision regardless of the result. I am therefore waiting patiently for the decision to come through. CT Cooper · talk 13:26, 27 March 2011 (UTC)

I recieved the email today with confirmation. I guess they're processing al candidates at this moment. You can email wikimania-scholarships [at] wikimedia.org to get a quicker reply MADe 14:39, 27 March 2011 (UTC)

All applicants will be notified, regardless of their result. Expect to receive mails in the coming couple of days. This has been delayed a bit because I was in Berlin at the chapter conference. Harel 11:13, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

Visa question

I may go to and/or transit in Malaysia, Indonesia or UAE after the trip to Haifa. I am aware that one can request that entry/exit stamps to be placed on a separate piece of paper. But I am from a country that requires a visa to enter Israel, can I have the visa on a piece of paper instead of on my passport? There is no such option on visa application form.

Do these three countries really reject an entry to anyone having such a stamp/visa?

--Taweetham 14:45, 27 March 2011 (UTC)

Yes. Every one who needs visa assistance need to say so in the Conference Registration form. Deror avi 10:10, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

Thanks Deror avi. I already filled in the registration form and I am looking forward to a reply regarding that. --Taweetham 10:20, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

I think what Taweetham meant was that whether could the visa be stamped/pasted somewhere else instead of on the passport. Bejinhan 10:23, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

Yes, Deror's answer is true, but not to the point. If you need a visa, please complete the relevant section in the conference registration form, but if you also require the visa to be stamped outside of your passport, please ask the Israeli embassy which you will be contacting down the road to prepare for that, as well as the border control officer in Ben Gurion airport. Harel 11:14, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

I have contacted local Israeli embassy. They said that visa must be affixed to my passport because my country has a diplomatic relationship with Israel (but not that good to get visa exemption). Harel, could you please verify this and find a way to fix the issue? Isn't it funny that people from both extreme, i.e. from developed countries and from countries that do not have diplomatic relationship with Israel can avoid having visa/entry/exit stamps but most people in the middle i.e. developing countries can't? If you can confirm with your MFA that it is possible to avoid visa stamp, I think I will need a letter from you or from MFA to give to local embassy here to fix the problem. I very much appreciate your help on this matter. --Taweetham 06:09, 13 April 2011 (UTC)

Thanks Harel. I've completed the registration form (and stated that I need a visa). What will happen next? Will I get a supporting letter or specific instruction soon? (via snail mail or email?) --Taweetham 22:39, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

We will pass to the Israeli MFA the visa-relevant details of all those attendees who required visa assistance and paid for their participation or were awarded a scholarship. The headquarters in Jerusalem will circulate it with all Israeli missions abroad, so that by the time you approach your nearest Israeli mission (this can be done by mail too) to apply for a visa, your name will be on their list of people expected to apply for the conference. This should greatly facilitate getting a visa, but will not guarantee it 100%. I would suggest to wait till about the first week of June (or maybe the last days of May) to apply for a visa, the visa information will be provided to the Israeli MFA in time for that, and early June will be early enough for your visa application to be completed in time. I will post this information also on more visible places. Harel 20:36, 31 March 2011 (UTC)

Thank you very much. --Taweetham 23:37, 31 March 2011 (UTC)

Since there is no Israeli mission in my country, how do I go about the visa application? Bejinhan 11:13, 1 April 2011 (UTC)

The forms are available on the Web: Application for tourist visa (PDF file). Do you have an option to contact an Israeli mission in a neighboring country? DrorK 13:48, 1 April 2011 (UTC)

You should contact the Israeli Embassy in Singapore (should be possible to do this by mail too). Harel 14:41, 1 April 2011 (UTC)

The Israeli Embassy's website states that I cannot mail any visa application to them. In the visa application form, there is a field for relation/references in Israel. What should I put down there? There is a purpose of entry into Israel field. Does the MFA recognize the conference as Wikimania 2011? Bejinhan 05:18, 2 April 2011 (UTC)

It explicitly states not to mail it in? I suggest you call them. We were told that applications by mail are fine. Please see my response elsewhere on this page regarding the way we're passing the visa-relevant details of people to the Israeli MFA to circulate with all embassies abroad. That will happen only later after we accumulate enough people. I suggest for you therefore to not yet send in any visa application. Once you're on that list I described, it would be much easier for you to get a visa. And yes, as a result of this cooperation of ours with the MFA, they recognize the conference.... but they should get your details from us. Harel 08:19, 2 April 2011 (UTC)

Yes, it explicitly states that [5] (also, sending my passport to them through mail might not be a good idea) but I will be calling them this Monday just to get more details. I am not going to send in the application yet. I'm toying with the idea of applying through the government here, if it's possible. Bejinhan 09:50, 2 April 2011 (UTC)

Not sure what you mean by "the government here". Anyways, if you run into problems with them let me know. We have good connections at the ministry in Jerusalem. But first let's see what they tell you on the phone. Harel 10:04, 2 April 2011 (UTC)

I think she means through the Malaysian Ministry of Internal Security. Israelis need clearance from that ministry in order to visit Malaysia, and I would believe it works the same vice-versa. If it helps though, the embassy in Manila accepts mailed documents, and Wikimedia Philippines can help people with their visa applications to that end. --Sky Harbor 23:20, 3 April 2011 (UTC)

I just called the Singapore embassy. I have to go in person to apply for the visa. I will need an invitation letter from the organizers and also a letter stating that I have been awarded with a scholarship that covers my accommodation, flight, etc.

Yes, I meant the Ministry of Internal Security and also the... Immigration Department. They do approve traveling to Israel but it's usually only for religious purposes (if the applicant is going for a Holy Land tour) and the approval wait is quite long. Bejinhan 03:27, 4 April 2011 (UTC)

The question of whether the Malaysian authorities approved the visit to Israel is irrelevant to the issuance of visa. The Israeli authorities, on their part, assume in advance that you keep the laws of your own country, and won't inquire you about that. The problem, as far as I understand, is the need to go in person to the embassy in Singapore. The Israeli Immigration Authority has a special visa procedure for people who cannot reach an Israeli diplomatic mission. So, please be in touch with Harel or Deror and they will give you further instructions about this procedure. DrorK 04:31, 4 April 2011 (UTC)

As I already wrote a few times already there will be a list of people expected to apply for a visa circulated directly from the MFA in Jerusalem to all embassies abroad. That should remove the necessity for other kinds of invitation letters. I don't mind issuing such a letter as you requested, but you should follow the procedure and timetable I recommended and not what the people in Singapore, who are not aware of the conference at the moment, are telling you. We were in a 2 hour meeting with the head of consular department in the ministry, he should know better. Harel 05:07, 4 April 2011 (UTC)

I'm sorry, I got a little confused in there. But yes, I understand the time line and will most likely be applying for it on the first week of June. Regarding the letter, I will still need a letter from the organizers about the scholarship since the embassy wants proofs (I'm not sure why) that I can cover my finances during the Israel stay. If I do not provide bank account numbers, I'll have to produce a letter stating that my scholarship financially covers my stay. But there is no hurry for this as long as long as I can apply for a visa 45 days prior to my visit. Bejinhan 06:19, 5 April 2011 (UTC)

OK, sure. I can understand their request - they want to make sure you don't plan on staying as an illegal employee in Israel. That's the case with many countries. I'll prepare a personalized letter to that effect as a nice PDF in both English and Hebrew and e-mail it to you. You'll have to print it out on your end. It would take me a while. Please remind through e-mail to the OTRS addresses if you see I forget. Harel 08:30, 5 April 2011 (UTC)

Please hold it first. After talking with various people, I have been advised to apply to the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs for clearance to travel to Israel. Without clearance, I would be visiting Israel illegally (the Malaysian passport clearly states that the holder cannot enter Israel) and there will be legal consequences to it if I get caught by the Malaysian intelligence(passport confiscation, fine and possibly jail time). There's a slim chance of my application being approved... Will let you know the outcome. Bejinhan 05:26, 6 April 2011 (UTC)

I wish you the best of luck with that. Harel 09:59, 6 April 2011 (UTC)

Bike renting

Dorms are not so distant from the venue (although it depends on which dorm). I don't know how frequent buses are (see also #Getting to the Dorms and [6]), but if the way is not incredibly steep people could like to use bikes to have more freedom. Are bikes usable in Haifa? Is any bike renting service available in the city and how much does it cost? Nemo 23:13, 30 March 2011 (UTC)

The service of taking a bike from a certain station in the city and leaving it at another station is not available in Israel yet (such a service is to be launched next year in Tel Aviv). I suppose there are shops that offer bikes for several days' rental, but I'll let people who are more acquainted with the businesses in Haifa to provide more details. DrorK 19:06, 31 March 2011 (UTC)

Due to the steep terrain and the location of the dorms (up mountain) it would be very difficult to bike in Haifa and especially to reach the venue from the dorms. I would not recommend this. Deror avi 15:36, 3 April 2011 (UTC)

early bird registration

When does the early bird registration end? Bejinhan 11:42, 1 April 2011 (UTC)

Early bird registration ended yesterday. Early registration (which is more expensive) ends on June 1st (see Registration). People who received a full scholarship shouldn't really care what registration period it is, as the registration fee and accommodation fee are covered directly by the Foundation. Harel 14:43, 1 April 2011 (UTC)

I asked because I'm coming a day or two earlier and from what I understood, that won't be covered by the scholarship. :) Bejinhan 03:19, 2 April 2011 (UTC)

As long as you're staying at the dorms in any of the nights provided for by the registration form (i.e. the nights of August 1st to August 8th), I don't think there should be a problem with the scholarship covering this. If you're talking about earlier or later dates then that might be another issue. Harel 10:05, 2 April 2011 (UTC)

It will be between August 1st - August 8th. I checked with Jessie and was told that the scholarship does not "pay for nights outside of the normal conference times" because the Foundation wants to cover as many scholarships as possible. Bejinhan 13:45, 2 April 2011 (UTC)

I'll discuss it with her. It will be very difficult to construct it logistically like this. Harel 15:16, 2 April 2011 (UTC)

Okay. Bejinhan 02:17, 3 April 2011 (UTC)

Registration form address

I have a query regarding the residential address field in the registration form. The address printed in my passport is not my current place of residence; should I now enter the address listed in my passport or my current address? Also is any communication going to be sent to this address? I have received a full scholarship and plan to apply for visa assistance. Request some help in this regard.

Thanks Srikeit 18:22, 4 April 2011 (UTC)

This is just the address we'll pass along to the Israeli MFA to facilitate issuing a visa for you, as described elsewhere on this page. In the case you describe, I suggest you list your current address. Most passports in the world don't even include an address. I don't think anyone on our is going to send communication to the address you list. What you will fill in your actual visa application is what the Israeli embassy will you to correspond with you.Harel 19:13, 4 April 2011 (UTC)

Thank you for the clarification. Much appreciated. --Srikeit 04:50, 5 April 2011 (UTC)

Registration confirmation

Hi there, I completed my registration on Mar 27. The email said "...We have received your registration online. This mail only indicates that your registration has been processed successfully. We will send you another confirmation mail after we have verified all the details and made sure everything is fine..." I just wonder when will I receive the confirmation email. I may need to change the check-in/check-out/tour preference to fit with my airline ticket. Thanks --Taweetham 06:17, 13 April 2011 (UTC)

You may update your registration in accordance with your airline tickets. A final letter of confirmation which will include instructions on how to reach your dorm room will be sent to you in a few month, however, if a person has paid in full or has an approved scholarship, a room is allocated to him (we await the final distribution of scholarships before sending the said letter). With regards to your particular case - a room has been allocated to you. Deror avi 06:42, 13 April 2011 (UTC)

Thanks Deror avi. I require fewer nights that originally planned. I have emailed wikimania-registration@wikimedia to update the info about accommodation/tour preference. --Taweetham 07:25, 13 April 2011 (UTC)

Renting a car

I would like to stay some more days - does it make sense to rent a car or get I more problems than banefit? Marcus Cyron 17:30, 18 April 2011 (UTC)

It's really subjective. Distances in Israel are very small. The public transportation system runs from quite good (trains) to not so good (buses), especially if you're used to BVG level service... renting a car is very comfortable, but of course costs quite a bit. Harel 02:20, 19 April 2011 (UTC)

If I would do it - will I find my goals? I can't read hebrew. Are the traffic signs also written in latin Letters? How is the public transportation system in the Cities? (I have problems to walk too long dinstances (chronical illness)). To plan such a trip is hard work *g*. Marcus Cyron 14:58, 19 April 2011 (UTC)

Yes, all road signs and street signs are written also in Latin letters. Public transportation in the big cities is quite good (it relies on buses), it's the travel information that is not too easy to get at the stations themselves (depends on the city, actually), you'll need to do a lot of internet research beforehand, or ask locals for directions (vast majority of people, mainly younger people, speak good English). Harel 01:21, 20 April 2011 (UTC)

Thanks :). Marcus Cyron 23:40, 20 April 2011 (UTC)

Facebook and LinkedIn

Hey, I searched for a Facebook and LinkedIn-group of this Wikimania, but I didn't find any... Have they been set up already? MADe 20:11, 18 April 2011 (UTC)

You can RSVP on our Facebook event. We don't have (or think we need) LinkedIN group) --Itzike 21:31, 18 April 2011 (UTC)

Translation

Hi, the Dutch translation of the call for participation is ready, but not yet published. Sad that it has been placed on "ready" since April 12th and nobody took the initiative to publish it. Well, for the 5 days to come it probably doesn't matter anymore... Kthoelen 21:47, 24 April 2011 (UTC)

Please check. Your request has been addressed. Sorry for the delay. Hindustanilanguage 11:31, 29 April 2011 (UTC)

Thanks, and sorry for the "accusing" comment, I wasn't in a very good mood that day... Greetings, Kthoelen 14:37, 29 April 2011 (UTC)

Doubt

Hi,

I've a doubt in submissions. I've submitted a proposal to give a presentation in Wikimania'11. But unfortunately I couldn't get my passport. Because I've reached 18 now only. (According to Indian code one should be completed 18 to get passport!)

But, I want my presentation should be there in Wikimania'11. There are many Wikipedians are going to Wikimania'11 from my country. (One of my friends also)

Can he do the presentation instead of myself ?

Please let me know as soon as possible. --Surya Prakash.S.A. 12:27, 26 April 2011 (UTC)

I don't see why not. Simply put both your names on the presentation and note that your friend is the one who is going to present it in practice. It's a pity you cannot arrive at Haifa. I hope you'll be able to follow the video streaming. DrorK 13:29, 29 April 2011 (UTC)

Alternatively, you could also apply for a passport under the Tatkal Scheme. Hindustanilanguage 05:33, 2 May 2011 (UTC)

Question about dates

In the registration form in 'Nights for which accommodation is needed', does (for instance) 'Wednesday, August 3rd' refer to the night from 3 to 4 (from 2 to 3)? Ruslik 10:59, 29 April 2011 (UTC)

Wednesday, August 3, means you have the room from August 3 in the afternoon. In other words, it refers to the night between the 3rd and 4th of August. DrorK 13:27, 29 April 2011 (UTC)

Submissions sorting

Is there some kind of sorted table by number of interested attendees? That would make it a lot easier to see which are interesting to me as well and which are probably not that good. It would also be an incentive for people to actually sign, because they see where it is on the grand scheme of Things. Lodewijk 10:42, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

Not at the moment. Last year someone used some (python?) script to generate such a list. Personally I think it's an unfair bias - some submissions which are newer will be discriminated against. While scoring the submissions I came across very interesting ones that had very few interested attendees. At this stage that statistic is quite meaningless IMHO. Harel 11:00, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

I wasn't talking so much about scoring, but rather about indicating my interest in a session by signing the list of interested people. And yes, that is definitely biased and subjective - but none the less helpful. I did not see the scoring page yet, but that is definitely a different matter indeed. I do think though that sessions with many interested people, no matter the score they get from review, should be getting some extra push in the schedule ;-) Lodewijk 12:15, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

I seem to recall that the list of submissions sorted by number of interested attendees in the WM2010 website included the Python code for the script that generated it. Perhaps you could give us a hand and look for it? We'll be much indebted :) Harel 14:32, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

You can check the code on http://wikimania2010.wikimedia.org/wiki/Submissions_sorted_by_number_of_interested_attendees#Script_to_update_the_page MADe 16:08, 18 May 2011 (UTC)

I ran the script, you can find it on Submissions sorted by number of interested attendees MADe 16:19, 18 May 2011 (UTC)

Great!!! Thanks a lot! Please run it again every once in a while. We should link to this page from prominent places. Harel 11:46, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

Thanks MADe! Harel: There are several daily bots which run automatically - perhaps they can do this also every now and then? If anyone knows a bot well enough, please ask him/her kindly :) Lodewijk 13:05, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

Localisation

It seems that some items in the Sidebar can not be completely localised. For instance, MediaWiki:Accommodation-url/ru and MediaWiki:LocalInformation-url/ru messages do not have any effect. While others like MediaWiki:FAQ-url/ru seem to work. Ruslik 17:57, 21 May 2011 (UTC)

It not works, because these messages are not listed in configuration variable $wgForceUIMsgAsContentMsg. If 'miania2011 team has no objections, I can open a bug on Bugzilla to improve internationalization of this wiki :-) Leinad 21:57, 25 May 2011 (UTC)

This is desirable I think. At least 'Accommodation-url', 'Venue-url' and 'LocalInfromation-url' should be added. Ruslik 07:05, 26 May 2011 (UTC)

Bug filed. Ruslik 11:18, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

Fixed. Ruslik 19:02, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

Sell Bolivian Handicrafts??

Hello friends from Wikimania team in Israel,

This is Ruben from an Aymara virtual community called "Jaqi Aru". We have been volunteering since last year. This is a non-profit organisation, so, could the conference let me sell some unique laptop bags to the attendees in order to support ourselves?? They are made by the Jaqi Aru team in order to suppor the project.

Sincerely,

Ruben

Hi Ruben. We're not very inclined to turn the conference into a semi-commercial event where people sell and buy stuff, even if it's for a good, non-profit cause. Can you provide more information about Jaqi Aru and what you do? How many bags are we talking about? Perhaps you can arrange here to sell them privately to other attendees without setting up a real booth at the venue? Harel 06:18, 11 June 2011 (UTC)

Boycott Israël

Hello, who will Boycott this edition and why ? Actually I don't want to go in Israël till they don't end occupation & settlement, and they say they are a jewish land, not a democratic land. Piston 12:58, 14 June 2011 (UTC)

@User:Deror avi, by what right do you delete what I'm writing ? Stop the censorship, here we are on Wikimania, not in Israël. Piston 16:19, 14 June 2011 (UTC)

You said you want to boycott the event. Very well. Your absence has been noted, and we will do our best to manage without you. A message you posted above is incorrect, and yet it is irrelevant to any of the discussions here, so no one bothered to remove it or comment about it. If you'd like to post something else, I suggest it be accurate and relevant. DrorK 19:38, 14 June 2011 (UTC)

Don't boycott WM Israel as hosts just because you have a difference of opinion with, presumably, the Israeli government. How much do your government's actions reflect you? Israel as a host nation presents some unique challenges and some unique bonuses-- but don't blindly boycott attending a non-profit organization event just because of its host nation! --Alecmconroy 10:53, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

A boycott campaign previously succeeded in South Africa, and lot of NGO think it's very important to boycott Israël, maybe the only way to peacefully put Israël under pressure and say we want end of occupation. We want Wikimania in another location, if we massively boycott then Israël will realize it must stop. Piston 14:53, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Will we get Video of all Presentations

See also #Freedom-friendly streaming

What are the chances that we'll get live video of all the presentation, or at least, all the presentations that want to be shared with those not in physical attendance?

Most people are shut-out of Wikimanias just by the reality of their lives. Perpetually-available video recordings of the presentations would solve most of that.

Are there plans being made to provide this? --Alecmconroy 07:26, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

Yes definitely. I am not acquainted with the technical details, so I'll let other people refer to that, but in principle, all talks will be recorded and transmitted over the Internet. DrorK 09:25, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

All talks will be video recorded and the videos will be put online. There might not be live streaming of the event, but I think the added value of live streaming over the availability of the videos themselves is minor. Harel 06:04, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

Let me ammend- most talks will be recorded and the videos will be put online at a lated date. Workshops will not be recorded. Deror avi 07:31, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Security in the dormitories

Since I'm planning on bringing my laptop, I'm interested in knowing what security arrangements are in place for the dormitories. Do all the rooms have lockable doors for instance? Also, how easy is it to gain access to the sites? CT Cooper · talk 09:18, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

All public buildings in Israel are guarded, and the dorms are no exception to that. It is a standard requirement that a public building be guarded to prevent unwelcome "guests" from entering. DrorK 09:30, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

That's good to hear. CT Cooper · talk 10:14, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

The dorm rooms have lockable doors. Note that some dorm rooms are two persons per room (technion and Shikma).Deror avi 07:33, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Roommates info

Sort of follow-up to #Double occupancy and #Male and female dorms?: when are we going to know who we share our room/apartment with and if the requests in the forms were fulfilled? Just to know it... "When you register at the venue" would be a fair answer, the team is already busy enough. :) Nemo 19:27, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

We are pairing up people who asked for a random partner as the rooms keep filling up. We're just too busy right now to send out this information, moreover the information might change time and time again. Please write to wikimania-registration@wikimedia.org and we can tell you who your partner is if you wish to know this soon. Harel 06:06, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

Or you can write directly to me and ask. Deror avi 07:33, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Signed invitation letters for Indian visa seekers

(I have emailed to the wikimania registration email id about this issue. But i am not sure if that is the correct venue; so cross posting it here too)

I tried to apply for a conference visa at the Bombay Israeli visa application centre. But my application was not accepted because it did not have a "hardcopy of the signed invitation letter" from the organisers. (Printout of the emails from wikimania were not sufficient) Apart from the hardcopy, the letter needs to be faxed to the relevant israeli consulates in India too.

According to the consulate check list, the following is needed :

A signed invitation letter (in Hebrew) from the Israeli company containing following detail:** (a) Name of the applicant invited (b) Passport number of the applicant (c) Duration of visit & purpose of travel to Israel (d) Days of the intended stay & dates of Visit.

• This letter Should come to the Embassy by Fax from Israel-
• Fax No. of Embassy/Consulate- Delhi- +91-11-30414555 & for Mumbai- +91-022-22824727

And the letter needs to be "signed" and apart from the fax, we need a hardcopy needs to be submitted along with the visa application.

I guess other Indian applicants would be in the same position like me. Can someone help with this issue. --Sodabottle 04:41, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

We have been in contact with the ministry again. We'll follow another route that will provide you with a letter that will convince the embassy that you are on a list of people they did indeed receive from the ministry (and must have overlooked) and all of these extra requirements will be waived. Details to follow soon. Harel 05:54, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

I don't know, but from several questions that popped up in this page and Talk:Visas, it seems to me easier to just issue invitation letter to people who needed it, rather than depending on the international bureaucracy. I myself still waiting for the invitation letter (or assurance that it won't be needed) before going to Singapore to try to apply for the second time. Bennylin 18:13, 1 July 2011 (UTC) Update just received the invitation letter several minutes ago. Thanks Amir, Deror, and Tomer. Bennylin 18:22, 1 July 2011 (UTC)

Getting Non-attendees to participate

Currently, about 200 submissions are "under review". Each bears the text: "Interested attendees-- If you are interested in attending this session, please sign with your username below. This will help reviewers to decide which sessions are of high interest."

Most people just, pragmatically, don't have the option of attending in person. But they will watch after the fact. Could we ask this population to "sign up" for submissions too, but to mark their non-physical attendance? Ultimately, Wikimania is about in-person and so if the "attendees" and the "viewers" disagree about scheduling, obviously you want to go with the attendee's preferences.

But asking non-attendees to "sign up" would help encourage submitters that their proposals do have an audience out there. It would engange non-attendees in Wikimania, raising the chance they'll be future attendees. And it would also help presenters have gauge how much non-attendee interest their is, letting the popular ones know people will probably be wanting their slides, videos, etc. Documenting similar interests can help non-attendees get some of the social networking benefits and collaborations out of wikimania that you get at "the real deal".

Any problems with the idea that we'd add a second interest list for "non-attendees"? --Alecmconroy 11:11, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Having trouble assimilating all of the information and dietary question

As an English Wikipedia editor who lives in Haifa, I am very interested in attending on the week-end, that is on Friday. But I am having trouble making sense of the schedule. It lists on top various places (hotels?), and the subjects seem to be diffuse and hard to understand, several in one box, with sketchy outlines. Can someone explain to me how to make sense of the schedule. This isn't a complaint; it's a plea for help.

The names on top are not names of hotels, they're name of halls and rooms in the conference venue, where the various sessions of the schedule will convene. Harel 09:46, 24 June 2011 (UTC)

Also, can someone tell me what the Kashrut (Hashgacha) of the meals is?Mzk1 22:06, 23 June 2011 (UTC)

It's regular rabbanut kosher. Harel 09:46, 24 June 2011 (UTC)

Oh, by the way, there certainly are Chareidi communities in Haifa. Perhaps you meant we don't have the very extreme sort that you get in a couple of places. I've never heard of anyone being given trouble; after all, Hadar has a Chareidi area, an Arab area, and a Russian area, so it would be hard to be too strict. There are, in fact, a few gender-separate inter-city buses (in particular, the 972 to Jerusalem), but they don't leave from either central bus station. Of course, synagogues are generally Orthodox, and there separation by sex IS legal (as far as I know), including the forward plaza of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. As someone unrelated, I can second what you said; in my workplace (in Yokne'am to be specific) we have the entire spectrum - Jews (Chareidi, Religious Zionist, Secular), Arabs (Christian and Moslem), none-of-the-above, and everyone gets along - although Israelis are less PC and more blunt, so one has to be less sensistive.Mzk1 08:01, 24 June 2011 (UTC)

Note - You probably won't get on the very few gender-separation bus line, unless you specifically look for one, but even so, it is important to note that such separation is voluntary. It is strictly forbidden to tell a person where s/he should sit in a bus, even if you act against the customs of the community that uses this bus. The only exception of this rule is leaving the places near the doors to people with special needs or to people who are supposed to help the driver. DrorK 02:27, 9 July 2011 (UTC)

This is correct, more or less. There are signs in ALL buses saying that you cannot refuse to let someone sit where they want, since the new ruling. In any case, I usually sat in the middle with my wife when I took the 972. On the side, if someone wants to get to Jerusalem, I would recommend the new 960 from the northern station, every hour on the hour until a certain time; it is rather quick, as it uses route 6.Mzk1 11:33, 29 July 2011 (UTC)

Developer meetings

Hi,

I will attend the event from the 4th to the 7th of August.

Yet, it is not clear to me whether I should come or not to the "Developers' Meetings" from the 2nd to the 3rd of August.

I am not a Wikimedia developer and I am not involved in any projects.

But I am a developer interested in Wikitext and with dealing with/mining huge amounts of data.

I don't know if I would be at the right place either at the "Developer Days" or at the "openZIM Developers Meeting".

Maybe the "openZIM Developers Meeting" is better for people not (already) involved in specific projects and yet very interested in technical details?

Can you please clarify these points?

Thank you.

(P.S. I am coming from France so I need to know when to book my flight!)

Hi, the openZIM meeting deals with the offline Wikipedia stuff. openZIM itself is a project that has developed ZIM - a file format to store offline content in an efficient way (compressed though random access, fulltext search, wiki-specific features builtin). The developers meeting is for people working on openZIM to fix issues, work on the roadmap, plan the upcoming year etc. So I think that's not what you are looking for, though anyone interested is warmly invited to join. --80686 20:29, 26 July 2011 (UTC)

Copyright and Intellectual Property Session

I'm presenting the Freedom of panorama and Wikimedia Commons presentation for the Copyright and Intellectual Property Session in the schedule. I've noticed that the panel for this session is being headed by by Prof. Niva Elkin-Koren. So I know what to expect when I present - what role will the professor take in this session? CT Cooper · talk 19:02, 27 June 2011 (UTC)

Prof. Niva Elkin-Koren is the Dean of the Haifa University Law School. She will say opening words and connecting words between the lectures, will ask questions of the speakers at the end of each lecture, and will head the panel (choose the questions from the audience). Deror avi 11:52, 28 June 2011 (UTC)

Okay, I look forward to meeting her. CT Cooper · talk 18:40, 28 June 2011 (UTC)

mobile internet

First of all I would like to say: you're doing a great job in terms of communication and organization - so far ;) Could you advise us with some information about if it's possible for a foreigner to buy a prepaid SIM card for mobile phone and data connection (UMTS)? If yes, could you suggest a website with some prize/provider comparison? Thanks a lot! --Elya 15:33, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for the compliments! Yes, it's possible to do as you said. There are various providers, big and small, expensive and cheap - you need to do some market research (Google will be useful). Here are two links to get you started [7], [8]. Enjoy! Harel 09:17, 8 July 2011 (UTC)

It would probably be very helpful to summarize any results somewhere centrally :) I'm also interested in a SIM card, but without data plan, just calling. Lodewijk 19:43, 26 July 2011 (UTC)

Registration summary

Hi, I have no registration summary, thus I dont remember for which days I have asked for accomodation. Could you give me such information?--Juan de Vojníkov 15:36, 11 July 2011 (UTC)

I e-mailed you with this information. Harel 19:47, 11 July 2011 (UTC)

Price

Hi

I am trying to subscribe online. I am getting the price for NON wikipedia mambers. How can it be changed? Thanks. Ophirh22 07:05, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

From looking at the registration lists, you were billed correctly for one day of the main conference, the shekel equivalent of USD 35. Harel 08:37, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

Oh. Sorry. My mistake. I didn't notice it was already the "late subscription". So I guess there is no advatage to subscribe online anymore. Ophirh22 16:24, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

Planned itinerary

Hi! I justed noticed that I made a mistake entering the planned itinerary at the Google spreadsheet, namely the landing time. Is there any chance to correct this? --Ireas 13:38, 19 July 2011 (UTC)

It's not too bad, as that spreadsheet serves for statistical purposes so we know when most people are flying in (and out). So I would just leave it be. Harel 13:59, 19 July 2011 (UTC)

Okay. Thanks! --Ireas 14:04, 19 July 2011 (UTC)

Able to buy prepaid (micro-)SIM cards in Israel?

I wonder if it is possible to buy prepaid SIM cards in Israel... Particularly interested if providers sell micro-SIM cards (iphone 4). Jutta von Dincklage 01:16, 20 July 2011 (UTC)

The short answer is yes, the longer answer is it might not pay off. The even longer answer is that we'll have WiFi both at the venue and at some of the dorms. The longest answer is please see a similar question under "mobile internet" on this very page. Harel 05:13, 20 July 2011 (UTC)

Issues with requirements for Filipino citizens

Hi guys. I was browsing through one of the forums that I normally read and I was surprised to find out that Filipinos entering Israel need to present at least $2000 in pocket money upon entering the country. I've heard that Israeli immigration officers have denied entry to and deported Filipinos entering Israel when lacking these requirements on the presumption that they intend to stay in Israel illegally, even when that is not the case, and so I am very concerned that the same might happen to me and the other Filipinos going to Haifa. Is this necessarily the case, since I (in my limited financial capacity as a student) cannot possibly present $2000?

Also, I'd like to ask where I can get an invitation letter. Thanks! :) --Sky Harbor ^(talk) 10:28, 20 July 2011 (UTC)

I doubt this is standard procedure, but I guess it does happen from time to time. Israel has a rather big community of Filipino foreign workers who're coming here legally and as these things usually go, they often stay beyond their original permit illegally, you know these stories... I doubt this is something that will create major trouble, once you have a letter of invitation to show and a local phone number of the organizers to call in an emergency. The latter will be provided in the automatic personalized last-minute instructions mail we're going to send out in the coming days. The former you can have by writing to our OTRS addresses and providing details such as passport number and date of birth. Harel 18:49, 20 July 2011 (UTC)

Documents required at the airport

Hi! As a Hungarian citizen, I will have to prepare some documents to the immigration officer at the airport. Which documents are needed for proving that I'm attending the conferene? Cassandro 00:11, 22 July 2011 (UTC)

First of all, there are very good chances the only document you'll ever need is your passport. I doubt they'll be so suspicious. You can use the automated e-mail with registration details summary we'll soon be sending out, or if it's really important to you, you can write to us in one of the OTRS e-mail addresses and we'll prepare a letter of invitation. But again, there's no special reason to think that will be needed. Harel 01:31, 22 July 2011 (UTC)

Thanks, that's good to know. :-) Cassandro 09:34, 22 July 2011 (UTC)

European - Israeli AC power plug adaptors

Hi guys I am Dave from Milan, Italy, EU. What about Israeli AC power plug? I've read on this page that Israel AC power plug is NOT compatible with European sockets. What will we able to to to use our European-socketed laptops? Will the conference organizers provide some adaptors to us? Thanks --Larry.europe 09:19, 22 July 2011 (UTC)

Actually, it's usually the other way around. The type C European plugs with two round pins fit into (newer) Israel sockets, and old sockets that won't accept them (because they accept only 3 flat pins) at all are becoming very rare. When Israelis travel to Europe, their three round pins plugs don't fit into the two-pin type C sockets... if you read that paragraph you linked to carefully, you'll see that I'm right. Summary: If you have a European type C plugs, there are very high changes they'll fit into any type H socket you come across (except for those rather old ones usually found only in old apartments, which accept only 3 flat pins). Harel 10:03, 22 July 2011 (UTC)

It's been ages since I've last seen a "pure" three flat pin socket. The older sockets have pins rather strangely shaped in order to allow both three-flat- and two-round-pin plugs The newer ones have three round pins which are compatible with European standards (I hate these, because I still use some old devices that don't fit these sockets, but appliances from Europe would find them quite friendly :-) ). Collecting electrical adapters has become a national sport in the past 20 years or so, and every electricity appliance shop around here offers various types of adapters for people like me who are attached to their old electrical devices, so in the worst case scenario, just ask someone to get an adapter for you. DrorK 21:57, 22 July 2011 (UTC)

Will Type E / F hybrid work? It is much more common for notebooks than Type C plugs. Thanks, --Tobias 09:09, 29 July 2011 (UTC)

Yes, it would fit most sockets except the very old ones, but even in such case, you could easily find an adapter. DrorK 10:34, 29 July 2011 (UTC)

Many thanks for the super-quick and informative response! You guys are awesome :) --Tobias 11:25, 29 July 2011 (UTC)

Errors in e-mail sent out

There appears to have been two errors made in the e-mail sent today confirming registration and accommodation e.t.c, and I thought I would note them here to save others time. I replied to ask several additional questions but it kept bouncing back, until I noticed that the address to reply was given as wikimania-registation at wikimedia.org, when it should have been wikimania-registration at wikimedia.org. Also, the section in the e-mail I got titled "Google Map to Technion Dorms" has a URL to a map that if clicked takes you to a login page for MailChimp. This can be fixed simply by copying and pasting the URL given into the browser, which will then take people to the right place. CT Cooper · talk 17:58, 22 July 2011 (UTC)

Thanks, we're aware of both unfortunate problems. We asked the OTRS demigods to create a forward address with the typo'ed address to lead to the real address. Harel 10:37, 23 July 2011 (UTC)

Catholic Mass

Hi, I'm joining the Jerusalem Tour on August 7. Since it is a Sunday, as a Catholic, I'm obliged to attend a Holy Mass. Does the itinerary include attending a Mass? If not, can I be excused from the tour for an hour to attend Mass? --Jojit fb 02:42, 27 July 2011 (UTC)

There are no plans to attend a Mass as such. However, the tour includes some of Christianity's holiest sites, such as w:Church of the Holy Sepulchre, w:Hagia Maria Sion Abbey ("Church of the Dormition of Mary"), w:Room of the Last Supper and some of the stops on the w:Via Dolorosa, some of these sites are Catholic. You can try to sneak from the tour to Mass, then find us again, but I strongly recommend against it, as it might prove difficult to find us. It's not for me to say, but doesn't visiting some of the main sites related to the story of Jesus' life, crucifixion and resurrection "make up" for not attending Mass per se? Harel 03:54, 27 July 2011 (UTC)

No, visiting those sites are not replacement to attending a Mass. Anyway, my other option is to attend a Holy Mass on Saturday evening in Haifa because the Church allows a faithful to attend a Mass on the evening preceding the Holy Day of Obligation. --Jojit fb 05:09, 27 July 2011 (UTC)

That then begs the question should the issue of an anticipated Mass come up: is it recommended to attend Mass before the beach party? And also, am I right to presume that there is an English-language Mass at churches in Haifa? And lastly, is there a church near the beachfront so that we don't stray too far from the conference proper? --Sky Harbor ^(talk) 05:16, 27 July 2011 (UTC)

Haifa has a (small) Christian community. It is not big but it exists. I doubt they necessarily hold English language Mass, more like Arab language, as most of the community is Arab. I expect that some of the churches are in the lower town, which would make it not very far from the beach. I'm rather surprised at these sudden religious problems... why float them now? What does the faithful do when traveling in a land with no Christian communities at all, for example? Surely there must be solutions to this. Again, I must say personally that if I were a Christian believer, walking in Jesus' very footsteps would be a unique experience I would never want to give up or miss because I need to attend Mass. Harel 05:54, 27 July 2011 (UTC)

Google found this which will be useful. I'm sure there's more information out there. Harel 05:58, 27 July 2011 (UTC)

(EC-ed) You make a very strong point there, actually, although I'm raising the questions so that we can get a clearer picture of the situation at hand, and so we can plan accordingly. I may not be a particularly devout Catholic, although experiencing local Mass does seem like a good experience which also goes hand-in-hand with walking in Jesus' footsteps. However, to answer the point: if there is a grave impediment that prohibits you from attending Mass (let's say, no Christian community, or the closest community is very far away), then it's okay to not attend Mass. Catholic theology isn't my specialty, so I won't dabble on it further, but it does make for good planning so we can maximize our time in Israel while putting to consideration our being Catholic. (N.B.: Yes, the faithful yearn to go to the Holy Land for their religious pilgrimages, and tours to Israel and Europe which feature holy sites are very popular among Filipino Catholics, so we hope to aim two birds with one stone. :P) --Sky Harbor ^(talk) 06:16, 27 July 2011 (UTC)

My apologies, Harel, if this concern is raised too late. As Sky Harbor said, we want to plan our visit to Israel and experience a local Mass. In the event that a Catholic fails to attend a Holy Day of Obligation and feels guilty about it, he or she can always go to a priest for confession. Anyway, I also found a link of mass schedules of Catholic Churches in Haifa. [9]. The Mass starts either on 6:00pm or 7:00pm on those Churches. --Jojit fb 06:46, 27 July 2011 (UTC)

Mobile Store near the Venue

As I will stay in Nof Haifa (suppose near the venue), can organizing team help to point our some stores/ service centers which they sell simcards and internet near by the venue? thx --Yuyu 09:02, 28 July 2011 (UTC)

There are many shops in that area, and quite possibly some shops belonging to mobile operators in Israel, but I'm not 100% sure you'll find what you look for. I'm not sure those prepaid deals for tourists are very common in Israel. Look at the other links I gave in response to similar questions on this page. Harel 11:16, 28 July 2011 (UTC)

Any wikimedian and couchsurfer in Haifa?

Hi! I've been couch surfing (here is my profile) during my travel and I'd like to know if there's some couch surfer working with the Haifa team who could host me. I've already booked a hostel, in case I don't find a couch, but on 3rd of August I still don't have a place (the hostel was full). I appreciate any help. Thanks, --Everton137 09:41, 28 July 2011 (UTC)

I think you have better chances if you use couchsurfing.org itself to look for a place to stay. Harel 11:14, 28 July 2011 (UTC)

I'm using the website, sure. But as on the last Wikimania, some wikimedians offered a place on their own city to a friend, even not being part of couchsurfing. It would be great to find a couch surfer from Haifa (or a new one :) envolved with WMF projects, which is difficult to find through couchsurfing.org system. I just tried. Thanks for the suggestion. --Everton137 13:06, 28 July 2011 (UTC)

P. S. Maybe this wiki page was not the best place to ask this.

I've found a host! :D --Everton137 07:10, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Question on one-day registration

Hello. As I am an English Wikipedia editor who lives in Haifa and works in "hi-tech" in Yoqneam, it is only practical for me to go on Friday, so I am doing a one-day registration. What if I want to go on a tour or to the early-comers party? Would I pay?Mzk1 11:59, 29 July 2011 (UTC)

No, you won't pay extra, the tour and the party will be covered by the one day participation. Harel 12:32, 29 July 2011 (UTC)

Thank you. I would like to thank all of you for your extreme patience.Mzk1 21:28, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Eduroam

Hi,

Is Technion dorms wifi by any chance connected to the Eduroam network? I see some contradicting messages on the internet about that. If it is, many European students probably can just log in with their computer without problems. Would be very helpful information :) Lodewijk 16:01, 30 July 2011 (UTC)

To the best of my knowledge, there is no Wifi at the dorms (exept in some rooms of the Talia dorms). Deror avi 17:57, 30 July 2011 (UTC)

I desperatly need to talk to an organizer

Hello,

My flight will departure from my home town tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. It is booked for arrival in Tel Aviv on August 1, 2011, but the accomodation (according to the "Important Information for your Upcoming Participation" e-mail I received) is booked for the nights of August 4-7, 2011. Is this information correct? If it is, is there any chance I could spend these extra nights at the Talia dorms?

Sincerely,

--Rodrigogomesonetwo 20:35, 30 July 2011 (UTC)

I'll answer you by e-mail to the e-mail you sent us. Harel 20:45, 30 July 2011 (UTC)

Thank you very much. The clock is running against me on this trip. --Rodrigogomesonetwo 20:59, 30 July 2011 (UTC)

Car rental

A question to the fellow attendees: I've heard some of you have or are going to rent a car in Israel. If so, which company did you use? How much did it cost? Did you book it before arriving to Israel or already on site? Saper 01:45, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Hello, I'll meet a friend during Wikimania. She rented a car for a price of 240 Euro (345 $) for 8 days. She will get it directly at Ben Gurion Airport and I will give it back before I return. The compnay has a bureau in Haifa as well. I will try to get the companys name, but cannot promise to reach her todeay before leaving. --Martina talk 04:48, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

She rented it (via sunnycars.de) at Hertz Israel / Kesher Rent A Car Ltd. (with Shuttel service to Central Parking Lot). Price per day ist 58 $ (30 €). Hope that helped. --Martina talk 11:55, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Shalom from Haifa. I am answering from my mobile as I have no other connectivity here, so please excuse the lack of links and the brief style.

I looked up several car rental companies on the net and decided for Budget (budget.co.il). A compact car (Hyunday, 5 doors, A/C, automatic gear, unlimited km) cost 124 USD, for four days, plus I booked the special insurance of 12 USD/day. You can go w/o the extra insurance but damage will cost 500 USD. I reserved through internet in advance in Haifa, as most car rentals have either an "airport fee" or just have different (higher) prices at the airport.

Be aware that you are not allowed to cross any borders, incl to the Westbank. If you go from Haifa to the Dead Sea go via Tel Aviv, Rahat, Arad (routes 20 - 4 - 44 - 31), rather than the fast way via route 90 (which is actually condidered to be safe). --80686 08:37, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Addendum: Beware of route 6. It costs money but not on the spot, instead motorway bridges film the license plate to check how often / how far you go and invoice directly to the rental car company which then needs to invoice it to you and will likely add a service charge. At budget it is 49 NIS as a one-time fee. The Carmel tunnel is - I believe - paid on the spot so doesn't apply here. I didn't use neither of them, there are enough alternatives. I don't know how much route 6 is, people say you can cut down travel time by half as you can go 160 km/h - which I doubt. --80686 08:48, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

I agree, Route 6 can be problematic due to the high rates and the unfriendly method of payment. There are several free roads that can be used instead, so there is not need to use it. I have never used the Carmel Tunnels (they are rather new), but according to their website, they charge manually at the entrance to the road, and the charge is not very high. Please note that in Israeli highways the maximal permitted speed is 110 km/h, unless there is a specific limitation. In many parts of the main highways you'll see signs limiting the maximal speed to 100 km/h, or occasionally to 90 km/h. Obviously, many drivers ignore these limitations (it is not hard to notice that), but the police do monitor the speed of cars randomly with laser beams and other accessories, and if you are unfortunate enough to get caught, the fine is very high. DrorK 12:10, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

I've been at the Carmel tunnel, and there is a lane to pay on the spot. Only toll booth I've ever seen here.Mzk1 11:13, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Thank you guys, you are awesome! Saper 22:28, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

general strike in Israel?

Hello, I just heard from a journalist friend that there would be a general strike in Israel on monday, 2. 1. August and that it could get difficult to leave Ben Gurion by train, bus or taxi. Do you have any further information about that? --Martina talk 10:11, 31 July 2011 (UTC)/10:31, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

There is a wave of internal demonstrations related to economic issues underway now in Israel (totally non-violent demonstrations and everything in good spirit) - you might even see some tents next to the venue which are part of this wave. It looks more like a mini Woodstock than anything else. As for strikes that could affect our visitors - I don't know of any general strike planned. According to law they need to announce such strikes many days in advance. Harel 11:18, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Okay, fine! Thank you. Maybe that was an effect of "Chinese whispers". (do they really call it like that in English?!) Hope everybody will have a good journey! Glad to meet you soon. --Martina talk 11:48, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Some more background on this issue - I went to see the sit-in tent strike in Tel Aviv yesterday, and apart from making the Rothschild Boulevard rather crowded, the atmosphere there is rather pleasant, with people sitting and discussing political agenda, media outlets interviewing demonstrators, bands playing popular music, and passers-by meeting friends and saying "what brings you here? I know you have no reason to complain..." Foreign tourists also come there out of curiosity and take pictures. A one-day strike has been indeed declared for 1 August as an act of support with the demonstrators, but on the morning of the fixed date, the airport, trains, buses and other vital services work normally. Stricter measures are indeed forbidden since this strike was not declared two weeks in advance as required by the law (symbolic acts of support are likely to be overlooked even when illegal, but not a serious strike, which must be declared "by the book"). DrorK 05:51, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Jerusalem -> Haifa

What is the best way to get from Jerusalem to Haifa? Ruslik 11:57, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

There are two excellent non-stop buses from Jerusalem to Haifa - the 940 line and the 960 line. The first goes to Hof HaCarmel (which I find more pleasant) and the other to the north-eastern central station of Haifa, Lev Hamifratz. Travel time (through route 6) is about 1:50 hours. Harel 11:59, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

All other things being equal, if you aren't taking the train for the scenery and the amenities (assuming you get a seat, you have a table), and your accomodations are not closer to the southern station (Hof HaCarmel), I recommend the 960 to the northern station (Lev HaMifratz). It doesn't run as often, but in my experience it is faster, as it takes the toll road (Route 6). (Note that the northern station is bare-bones, while the southern one is more modern, like the Jerusalem station.) Of course, if you are leaving from Jerusalem, the gates are next to each other, so you can pick your bus. (If you are stuck, you can even take the 947, but that is a local and quite slow.)

Both 940 and 960 take the toll road (route 6), they're equally fast. Harel 21:33, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

OK. Sorry, just my experience.Mzk1 11:10, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Also note that Haifa is unusual in that you can use the intercity bus ticket as a transfer to a local bus, or buy your intercity ticket on a Haifa bus (going back) and save the local fare. Don't forget that round-trip tickets are cheaper, and not very limited in time; you can usually even split a round-trip bus ticket beteen two people going in the same direction.

If you travel during daylight and you are not in a hurry, you can take a train from Jerusalem (Malha) to Haifa. It's slower than a bus, but the view of the Jerusalem mountains that you'll see on the way is quite amazing. It goes to the same place in Haifa: the Hof HaCarmel station. You can find the train timetable here: http://www.rail.co.il/RU/Pages/HomePage.aspx --Amir E. Aharoni 14:12, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

I second that suggestion.Mzk1 21:27, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

So, there is no Sherut services from J -> H? Ruslik 14:58, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Maybe there is something, but you don't really need it. Sherut taxi from the airport to Haifa is mostly useful for people who arrive during the night when it's hard to find a local bus in Haifa.

The bus from Jerusalem is the most immediate option and it's very good. The train is a nice option if you have time and want to enjoy the view. (Also, i cannot read on a bus, because i get a headache immediately, but i can read on a train, but it may be different for you.) --Amir E. Aharoni 15:06, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Thank you. Ruslik 17:12, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Getting to the dorms by bus

Hi! As I am arriving alone to Israel, maybe a cab could be a little expensive for me, so my question is: are there any bus lines which are operating between Hof HaCharmel and the Technion Dorms? Cassandro 17:21, 31 July 2011 (UTC) Sorry, I just found the info I needed. :-) Cassandro 17:22, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Train to Haifa with seat

some questions

• Train to Haifa. Is booked ticket including confirm seat or its first come first serve basis?
• Can I travel with my luggage? or may pay separately for my luggage?
• if my luggage obstruct some, what's is there "train etiquette"?
• Photography at airport Telaviv, Buses train is prohibited?

--Jayantanth 16:28, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

• We didn't book ticket, just bought it at the machines, and there was no seat associated, as in local trains.
• We didn't have any problem with luggage.
• There is plenty of place where to put it.
• Probably yes, someone had problems with photos (but he was lucky, the soldier didn't do anything more than checking photos). --Nemo 20:12, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

You can technically reserve a seat on the train for a small extra charge, but I have no idea how practical it would be to ask someone to get out of your seat.Mzk1 11:10, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Venue before hotel?

Do we need to visit the conference registration desk before checking into the hotel? Or do our simple confirmation emails suffice for this purpose? Thanks, West.andrew.g 03:04, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Plug adapter

Where can I find a plug adapter for a North American Sony VAIO laptop? Do I have to buy it on a store? Is it easy to find? Is there any chance the organizers could make them available? --Rodrigogomesonetwo 10:33, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Problem solved. I bought an adaptor for 10 shekels at a small store which sells housing products on Sifron St., just across the venue. May this serve as a tip for anyone else having trouble with their plugs. --Rodrigogomesonetwo 18:36, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Early Comers Party

Sorry to bother you all again. I was thinking of going to the early comers party, but I haven't received my badge yet. Will this cause problems? Also, is there someone I can contact connected with it? My spoken Hebrew is OK. (My email is the same as my username, at hotmail.)

Again, thank you all for your extreme patience.Mzk1 11:18, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

encountered problem in Taba port

With valid visa, security check lasted more than four hours, nothing illegal, still checking the travel document, again and again, neither allow to pass nor allow to back Egypt, may be arrested.Taba 13:47, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

We were told you were not cooperating and not showing your travel documents or willing to open up your laptop to show it's functional. We were also told you showed various dubious passports. We spoke to the officer in charge of the border crossing (more than once). User:Harel Harel 16:23, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for your help. The details they told you were not true. I was very co-operated even they checked every paper (include private and confidential contents, banking security codes, etc.) No one asked me about laptop but they just check all my portable electric devices without asking. I have only one valid travel document. Now still holding, already eight hours.Taba 17:23, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Security check no problem. Entry denied, for travel document is invalid, even with a valid visa. Although I showed lots of supporting documents. They said the embassy issued the visa for mistake. Also, some personal belongings have been detained. Taba 02:58, 3 August 2011 (UTC)

Hi, we may try to help you. Please call the following Israeli number: 050-6950507.

(If you're calling from abroad, dial +972-50-6950507). --Amir E. Aharoni 08:32, 3 August 2011 (UTC)

Many thanks for all who gave help. All the problems has been cleared and I arrived the venue already.Taba 10:03, 5 August 2011 (UTC)

Wednesday Aug 3th - early party participation

Wednesday August 8th (tomorrow) I will probably arrive in my Technion Senate dorm around 18:00, and I would like to participate to early party at Titan in the evening. Two questions: 1) Do I need some kind of badge or identification card to enter the party? 2) How to get from Technion Senate dorms to Titan? Thanx --Larry.europe 13:52, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

We'll let you in without the tag too :) Try to get to the venue, from which shuttles will be provided to the party. If you are somewhat late, try taking the train directly to the party (see instructions on this wiki) without going to the dorms first, you might find this easier. Harel 16:22, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Technion dorms, should I take sheets for bed?

I will sleep at Technion Senate dorms. Should I take some sheets for my bed? Or will they be provided by dorm? --Larry.europe 16:15, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Provided by the dorms. Harel 16:24, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Dorms check-in and registration

Should one register in Auditorium prior to check-in in Technion dorms or there is no problem to check-in before being registered (or, possibly registration could be done together with check-in)? Shovel 22:51, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Registration for the conference and checking in to the dorms is done separately. Do both things in the order that is convenient to you. --Amir E. Aharoni 22:56, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Thanks Shovel 23:28, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

No tag yet

OK, I skipped the party at the end, but I'm signed up for the Friday Conference. The tag has not yet arrived (likely lost in the mail). Will I be able to get in with ID?Mzk1 19:37, 4 August 2011 (UTC)

Pub crawl

Does anyone know when the pub crawl starts? I came back to the dorms to eat something and relax for a while. --Rodrigogomesonetwo 17:37, 5 August 2011 (UTC)

I think the appropriate question is: Is the pub crawl still even going to happen? --Rodrigogomesonetwo 17:46, 5 August 2011 (UTC)

Usin' trains by night

Probably on 2011-08-08 I will have to take the train from Haifa Center HaShmona at 03:31 am to get to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport and take the airplane. Is is safe to use trains by night in Israel? Thanx --Larry.europe 11:00, 6 August 2011 (UTC)

If you don't mind a local chiming in, I've never had trouble with a train by night; never even gave a thought to safety issues. AND the train goes right to the airport. Thank you for visiting us!Mzk1 20:46, 6 August 2011 (UTC)

It is totally safe to use trains by night in Israel. Harel 17:42, 7 August 2011 (UTC)

Sunday's trips

1. Where exactly in Haifa do the trips depart from?
2. Is there any chance that my trip is cancelled on the last moment? (I'm coming especially for the trip, from central Israel, and wouldn't wanna be disappointed at the last moment...)

Thanks, טבעת-זרם 14:23, 6 August 2011 (UTC)

I have a similar question. I am staying at the Dan Panorama and heard today that the busses for the Jerusalem tour were leaving from the the dorms and hotels in the morning but didn't get the exact time. Secondly, the announcement said that those who would like to be dropped off at the airport rather than return to Haifa should be on the bus designated for that. Just wondering how that will work -- if there are several busses, will each come by the hotel? Thanks to whomever organized this. You did a wonderful job.

--Rexhammock 17:05, 6 August 2011 (UTC)

Same question -- I'm at Nof hotel touring Haifa at 9am. Will look for bus outside hotel then and post new info if I learn more. -- Econterms 22:17, 6 August 2011 (UTC)

Buses all leave from conference center. For Jerusalem leaving at 9am (now) and for Haifa at 9:30. For Nazareth soon also. --Econterms 05:51, 7 August 2011 (UTC)

Lost property

Is there a lost and found page on this wiki? I hope someone found my Samsung Galaxy Tab's cable (last seen shortly before arrival at the beach party). --Slashme 15:39, 8 August 2011 (UTC)

Could not make it this time

Unfortunately, I could not make it this time, because of some family issues. Is there a way to get a refund (I paid the higher price). If not, so at least get the T-Shirt? Ophirh22 00:53, 9 August 2011 (UTC)

Flickr descriptions: Beach party - The 3th of Wikimania 2011

Hello, there on Flickr are 211 or more Photos with description: Beach party - The 3th of Wikimania 2011. What means 3th? Should it be corrected to 3rd? Same on Wikimedia Commons Category http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikimania_2011_Beach_Party. --Diwas 09:27, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

done --Diwas 00:07, 18 August 2011 (UTC)