Wikimedia Technical Talks/Tips

Overview
This page is meant to provide tips and resources for sharing technical learnings with others and creating and delivering tech talks.

Subjects you might cover

 * How-tos and tutorials
 * An interesting project you've been working on
 * Tips for volunteers and newcomers to our projects

Who is your audience?

 * Your audience will most likely be other technical collaborators. Remember that individuals with varying levels of technical experience, in different parts of the world will be viewing your talk. Try to think of them as you create it. How can you make it accessible to them?

Key takeaways
What is the main idea or concept you want your audience to take with them your talk is over?

Wikimedia monthly tech talks

 * Wikimedia Technical Talks supported by the Wikimedia Foundation; open to all members of the technical community.
 * The talk can be up to 45 Min with 15 min Q&A.
 * Though we prefer having a set date and time for the broadcast, we can be flexible with doing a live broadcast or prerecorded topic and where and how to ask and answer questions.

Slideshows
Usually, folks create a slideshow to refer to during their talk. This can be a helpful tool to help you shape your talk, show and demonstrate info to the audience. When creating your slideshow, think about the different kinds of learners who will come to the talk. Include elements that are visual, engaging, and inclusive.


 * Staff members may use the Wikimedia brand template. However, these are community talks, and you should feel free to use whatever looks nice to you.
 * Make sure to use media (images, videos, sound files, etc) that are freely shareable and copyright free. We will want to upload the slides to Commons after the talk.
 * Include an introduction slide with your name, role, and title of your talk.
 * Include a contact slide, so people know how to reach out with questions.
 * Include a credits slide with references for your talk.
 * Make sure you can cover all of the material in your slides during the talk.
 * We are prepared to do fully remote talks, so choose a spot that feels comfortable for you to deliver your talk, and we will work to support you.

Tips for Q&As
Typically, we have a live Q&A at the end of the tech talk. This usually takes place through IRC, the Youtube stream, and in person. We recognize that some individuals like to think about questions rather than answering them on the spot. If you would prefer not to do a live Q&A, let the organizers know. We can collect questions from the audience and answer and post answers later.

Lightning talks
Lightning talks are short presentations (usually around 5 min) delivered in person or online.


 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_talk

Recording your own tech talks and videos
Learn more about recording your own tech talks and tutorials.

Resources

 * Lightning Talks: https://www.perl.com/pub/2004/07/30/lightningtalk.html/
 * Tips for successful lightning talks: https://2019.alamidwinter.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/Lightning%20Talks%20Best%20Practices.pdf
 * How to write a conference talk: https://medium.com/@femkesvs/how-to-write-a-conference-talk-9262d4ddd1c5