On the night of Saturday 14 June I met with Brian, my Wikipedian friend who just got a job at the WHO. He had been living in Geneva for a while but had not yet come to know all about his job. He was to do something at the WHO like a Wikipedian in Residence, but was unsure about the scope of his position, and did not want to be called a Wikipedian in Residence nor did he expect to act as one. “Wikipedian in Residence” is a strange term. I hardly care for it, but there is some precedent for using that term to describe a certain kind of work, and others seem to like it.
Daniel Mietchen, Lane Rasberry, Brian, Gabriel Thullen, and a new Wikipedian.
Brian and I talked about Wikipedia work and health information. His expectations of his work seemed aligned with the Wikipedia movement, as I expected, because we had met in person at last year’s Wikimania and talked regularly otherwise. I always enjoy talking with him. I expect that he will have a lot of struggles in front of him because even though he works for the WHO, only one person or no more than a few people hired him and I would anticipate that whatever he may propose to do would make others uncomfortable. Wikipedia often makes people uncomfortable, especially when the conversation is about Wikipedia and health. Brian is awesome. I am sure he will do whatever is possible to do.
On the 16th I went to Mont Blanc as I wrote then on Monday 17 June several of us Wikipedians met Brian at the WHO. We spent more time talking about Wikipedia and Geneva. Gabriel had the idea to do more international Wikipedia meetings in Geneva as it is an international city in many senses. Present were Daniel Mietchen, me, Brian, Gabriel Thullen, and a new Wikipedian, Gabriel’s student. Unfortunately I do not recall her name and I have failed to find it in my notes. If she stays on Wikipedia then I would meet her again.