outreach for the introvert
DESCRIPTION
Academics are increasingly encouraged to engage in outreach activities (and do research, teach, university service, edit, review, write grants, referee, ...). However, not many of us are destined to become media personalities. Wikipedia editing engages with more people in shorter time-scales than any of the traditional media outlets. Therefore, I argue that more Academics contributing to Wikipedia is a more valuable use of our time. This was present at the annual NZAS conference: http://www.scientists.org.nz/homeTRANSCRIPT
Outreach for the Introverted
Paul Gardner
April 4, 2014
Paul Gardner Engaging Scientists: NZAS 2014
I am in awe of Scientists who communicate well
I Clever, charismatic, articulate and witty academics, lecturers,bloggers, TV & radio personalities
Paul Gardner Engaging Scientists: NZAS 2014
However...
I many Scientists are not extroverts.
Paul Gardner Engaging Scientists: NZAS 2014
I want to tell you about a scientist who is not that sort ofcommunicator
I Magnus Manske, a bioinformatician in the maleria genomicsgroup at the Sanger Institute
I Like many academics, is an introvertI Who, neverless, communicates with millions of people daily
Paul Gardner Engaging Scientists: NZAS 2014
Magnus is one of the original Wikipedians
I Wrote and released the MediaWiki software
I A major contributor of software and content for Wikipedia,
I He wrote the first article in the German Wikipedia(Polymerase chain reaction)
I January 25 is Magnus Manske day (declared by Jimmy Walesin 2002)
Paul Gardner Engaging Scientists: NZAS 2014
Where do people get information from?
What is cytochrome C? What the smallest mammalian genome?What is cilantro? What is dyspraxia? What is endometriosis?What is fibromyalgia? What is gout? What is ISO?? What islupus? What is OCD? What is paleo? What is a quark? What isretina display? What is stevia? What is Ubuntu? What isWaitangi Day? What is xanax? What is yolo? What is za’atar?
Paul Gardner Engaging Scientists: NZAS 2014
Where do people get information from?
Seminars
Blogs
Radio
TV
Wikipedia
Approximate number of average daily contacts by media type
Daily contacts
10 100 1000 10000 1e+05 1e+06 1e+07 1e+08
DISCLAIMER: this data is entirely fabricated, we give no warranties concerning the data, and accept no liability in
relation to the use of these datasets.
Paul Gardner Engaging Scientists: NZAS 2014
My point is...
I Some of the greatest communicators of our time are notnecessarily charismatic, extroverted and articulate people.
I Hundreds of authors, contribute thousands of edits, read bymillions
I How about a little love for NZs (presumed) introverts?
Alan Liefting, Grutness, Adabow, Murchy, Schwede66, Taifarious1, Nurg,Helenalex, Gadfium, Stuartyeates and many, many more.
Paul Gardner Engaging Scientists: NZAS 2014
Who might be reading about your field?
Where are your students, reviewers and grant panellists gettinginformation from?
Be selfish, edit Wikipedia
Paul Gardner Engaging Scientists: NZAS 2014
NZ species
Paul Gardner Engaging Scientists: NZAS 2014
Thanks!
User:Ppgardne
PPG is supported by a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship from Government funding, administered by the RoyalSociety of New Zealand.
Paul Gardner Engaging Scientists: NZAS 2014