Submissions/A Medieval pope skeleton dancing with Taylor Swift in an Iraqi telecom commercial

This is an Open submission for Wikimania 2017 that has not yet been reviewed by a member of the Programme Committee.

Submission no. 2066 Subject - C10

Title of the submission: A Medieval pope skeleton dancing with Taylor Swift in an Iraqi telecom commercial

Type of submission (lecture, panel, tutorial/workshop, roundtable discussion, lightning talk, poster, birds of a feather discussion): Panel

Author of the submission: Zachary McCune, Aubrie Johnson, Heather Walls, Juliet Barbara, Samantha Lien, Gregory Varnum

Language of presentation: English

E-mail address: digitalmediawikimedia.org, zmccunewikimedia.org, ajohnsonwikimedia.org, hwallswikimedia.org, jbarbarawikimedia.org, slienwikimedia.org, gvarnumwikimedia.org

Username: ZMcCune (WMF), Heather (WMF), Jbarbara (WMF), AJohnson (WMF), SLien (WMF), GVarnum-WMF

Country of origin: United States of America

Affiliation, if any (organisation, company etc.): Wikimedia Foundation

Personal homepage or blog: Wikimedia Foundation Communications department

Abstract (up to 300 words to describe your proposal)

Life comes at you fast, especially in communications about the Wikimedia movement, which is mentioned thousands of times a day on traditional and social media. That means we have great stories – like the time we asked Wikipedia followers on Facebook for their weirdest facts and got 537 responses – including the story of Pope Stephen VI, who put his predecessor’s skeleton on trial in 897. (Guilty!) Or the time we talked on the phone with Taylor Swift’s publicist because Kanye West fans were trolling her account. Or the conversation a year ago in Berlin that led to an Iraqi telecom supporting efforts to grow Wikipedia there.

Each one of these adventures taught us something about Wikimedia’s place in the world, and how to best talk, write, design, post and even GIF about it. Come hear about the crazy adventures of the Wikimedia Foundation's Communications department this past year, and you may even learn a few things about your own communications work along the way.

What will attendees take away from this session?

Memorable, entertaining, and useful anecdotes that illustrate how the world communicates with and about our global brand.
Specific tips on how to dance with your own Medieval pope skeletons.
Network with other audience members as you identify as a Medieval pope skeleton, Taylor Swift, or an Iraqi telecom. (Hint: If you like sparkly dresses you are one of the first two.)
Attendance at the most-discussed, most fun session, where savoir plus goes unexpected places.

Theme of presentation

WikiCulture & Community

For workshops and discussions, what level is the intended audience?

Length of session (if other than 25 minutes, specify how long): 55 minutes

Will you attend Wikimania if your submission is not accepted?: Yes

Slides or further information (optional)

Special requests

Is this Submission a Draft or Final?

This is a Completed submission for Wikimania 2017 ready to be reviewed by a member of the Programme Committee.

Interested attendees

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