Chapters/Potential chapters

This is a copy and paste of an email from Foundation-l, which is archived here.

From: Millosh Rancic
Subject: [Foundation-l] Statistics and chapters: searching for chapters
Date: January 15, 2010 3:58:03 AM PST
To: foundation-llists.wikimedia.org
Reply-To: foundation-llists.wikimedia.org

Based on Erik's statistics [1] and Nikola's addition of Internet users [2] and the list of Wikimedia chapters [3], here is the first set of conclusions.

Searching for chapters

This analysis is about where to search for new Wikimedia chapters. It may be useful to the ChapCom and Board, but the other intention is to encourage Wikimedians from those countries to try to form their chapters, because it is achievable.

Methodology

I used Nikola's table and:

I removed all countries with less than 499.000 Internet users

(actually, the initial idea was to remove all countries with less than 500.000, but Nepal was very close that number). Those are countries where we have potential to create a chapter in the relatively near future. Existing chapter in a country with the smallest number of Internet users (and smallest number of inhabitants) is Wikimedia Macedonia, with 1,100,000 Internet users. I think that it is reasonable to expect chapters in countries with somewhat smaller number of Internet users. It removed countries/territories in which some initiatives already exist, like Iceland and Macao are; but my analysis is not about where *not* to search for chapters, but where to search for chapters. In other words: if some group is able to create a chapter in a country with less Internet users, it would be good. Also, it should be noted that this is just about the present situation. Internet adoption is increasing and I expect that more countries will pass my fictional line.

I sorted them according to the number of Internet users.
Then, I marked them according to data at the Wikimedia chapters page

[3]: chapter exists, chapter is planned, chapter is in discussion or "there are more possible chapters". Inside of the last category are USA (with one existing chapter), Canada (with two options: one or more chapters), Spain (with one national and one regional chapter) and India (the situation is not clear, at least to me). Those potential chapters are excluded from my analysis. It should be noted that just "existing chapters" are reliable category. As a member of ChapCom, I know that even some groups inside of the category "ideas for chapters" came further than some "planned chapters". Because of that, I will list them as they are the same.

We need chapters in

Countries are listed from the most number of Internet users to the least number of Internet users (with some groupings). If you are interested in chapter creation inside of a particular country and you see that the stage of chapter creation is "planned", "in discussion" or "an idea for chapter exists", please go to the appropriate page or to Wikimedia chapters page [3] and see who is involved there. (Help from other ChapCom members would be appreciated because it is possible that I missed some initiative.)

China [4]. AFAIK, Ting is working on Chinese issues.
Japan [5]. I think that Japanese Wikimedians should reconsider their position (from 2007, [3]) that there are no willingness for creation of chapter. Creative Commons have strong organization there and I am sure that they will help to Wikimedians.
South Korea is planned chapter [6]. Project was active in the first part of 2009, but not since then.
Iran is in discussion [7]. Project has been initiated in 2008, but it is not active anymore. I think that it will wait until internal political situation in Iran will be solved.
Colombia [8]. Was active at some point of time. Some activity still exists.
Egypt [9]. The idea for Wikimedia Egypt is at the solid grounds.
Romania [10]. I didn't hear anything about Romania for years.
Pakistan [11], Malaysia [12], Saudi Arabia [13]: Listed as in discussion, but virtually nothing.
Mexico: Some initiative exists, even they are not listed. Relevant Wikimedians are from Mexico, so they should think about organizing a chapter.
Turkey [14]. If I counted well, this is the newest idea for chapter.
Vietnam, Thailand, Peru. Nothing which I know
Nigeria, Chile, Morocco: Initiatives exist, but not in the stage that they did anything on Wikimedia chapters page.
Belgium [15]. I didn't hear anything about Belgium for long time.
Greece. There were some initiatives, but nothing developed.
Algeria [16]. Listed as "in discussion", but never really alive.
Slovakia, Syria: Nothing which I know.
Singapore: I think that there was some initiative, but I can't find anything.
New Zealand [17]. Was an idea in 2006, but dead since then.
Belarus, Dominican Republic, Tunisia [18]: Initiatives exist at various degrees. Dominican Republic is the newest initiative, probably the most serious.
United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan: Nothing which I know.
Croatia [19]. Planned, but delayed.
Lithuania [20]: In discussion, but culmination was in 2007.
Jordan. Initiative existed at the beginning of 2009.
Guatemala, Jamaica, Azerbaijan, Costa Rica, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Latvia: Nothing which I know.
Ecuador, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some weak initiatives, AFAIK.
Uruguay [21]. Low level initiative exists.
Slovenia [22]. Was active in the second part of 2009.
Sri Lanka, Georgia, Senegal, Puerto Rico, Kuwait: Nothing which I know.
Bolivia [23]. Relatively fresh initiative exists.
Haiti, Ghana, Lebanon, Paraguay. Nothing.
Estonia. Page not created, but in development.
Kyrgyzstan. One initiative at the end of 2008.
Moldova, El Salvador, Cameroon, Zambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Honduras, Tajikistan. Nothing which I know.
Albania. Maybe initiative in a year or two.
Bangladesh [24]. Listed as in development, looks active.
Tanzania. One initiative at the beginning of 2009.
Angola, , Afghanistan, Nepal: Nothing which I know.