Wikimedia Technical Talks/How to give a Technical Talk

Who can give a technical talk?
You! Technical talks are open to anyone who wants to share what they know about the technology we use on Wikimedia projects.

Why give a technical talk?
Technical talks are a good way to share information with other people who are working in technical spaces on Wikimedia projects. We all benefit from each other's knowledge, and we all benefit from having different ways to learn.

When you produce a technical talk, you build your skills as a public speaker, story teller, trainer, and teacher. You become more visible to others in the community, and you contribute valuable knowledge to the Wikimedia movement. Most people in your audience are technical contributors just like you.

Propose a technical talk
You can propose a technical talk by creating a task in Wikimedia Phabricator. (See Phabricator/Help.)

An organizer will reach out to you to discuss the proposed talk and to schedule a time if the talk is appropriate for this series.

Format
The Wikimedia Foundation currently supports technical talks with A/V support and hosting for speakers. A talk is generally 45 min in length with a live question and answer session at the end. These talks are broadcast using Google Hangouts On Air, and are immediately available on the MediaWiki Youtube channel. Viewers can ask questions on the IRC channel, which is reserved for the talk.

Wikimedia technical talks are announced via email lists and social media. Speakers are encouraged to upload supporting material, including slideshows and videos to Wikimedia Commons following their talk.

Other technical talk opportunities
The Wikimedia technical talks are only one forum for sharing technical information with others. Some potential speakers may want to start with a shorter talk, or they may want to record their own talk or video to share.

Tips for successful tech talks
Need some guidance to help you get started with you talk? See these tips!