Wikitech Student Developers, Kumasi/Resources
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A curated collection of resources to help new members get started with Wikimedia technical contribution, developer tools, and open-source internship programmes. You do not need prior experience to begin — just curiosity and willingness to learn.
Getting Started with Wikimedia Development
[edit]If you are brand new to contributing to Wikimedia technically, start here:
| Resource | What it is | Link |
|---|---|---|
| New Developers Guide | The official starting point for anyone wanting to contribute to Wikimedia's codebase | mediawiki.org/wiki/New_Developers |
| Wikimedia Developer Hub | Central hub for all Wikimedia technical documentation and projects | developer.wikimedia.org |
| MediaWiki Quickstart | Step-by-step guide to setting up a local MediaWiki development environment | mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki-Docker |
| Phabricator (Task Tracker) | Where Wikimedia tracks bugs and tasks — find your first task here | phabricator.wikimedia.org |
| Gerrit (Code Review) | Where code contributions (patches) are submitted and reviewed | gerrit.wikimedia.org |
| Wikimedia GitLab | Newer Git-based repository for some Wikimedia projects | gitlab.wikimedia.org |
Wikimedia Developer Docs & Guides
[edit]MediaWiki
[edit]| Resource | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| MediaWiki Architecture Guide | Understand how MediaWiki is structured before writing code | mediawiki.org |
| Codex Design System | Wikimedia's UI component library — relevant for front-end and UI/UX work | doc.wikimedia.org/codex |
| Extension Development | How to build extensions for MediaWiki | mediawiki.org |
| Writing a MediaWiki Patch | Step-by-step guide to submitting your first code change | mediawiki.org/wiki/Gerrit/Tutorial |
Toolforge & Cloud Services
[edit]| Resource | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Toolforge Introduction | Deploy your own tools and bots on Wikimedia's cloud platform | wikitech.wikimedia.org |
| Wikimedia Cloud Services | Overview of all cloud infrastructure available to developers | wikitech.wikimedia.org |
| PAWS (Jupyter Notebooks) | Run Python notebooks directly in your browser connected to Wikimedia data | paws.wmcloud.org |
Wikidata & Data
[edit]| Resource | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Wikidata Introduction | Getting started with contributing structured data | wikidata.org |
| SPARQL Query Service | Query Wikidata using SPARQL — no coding experience needed to start | query.wikidata.org |
| OpenRefine + Wikidata | Tool for batch-editing and uploading data to Wikidata | wikidata.org |
Tools & Platforms We Use
[edit]| Tool | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Wikimedia Phabricator | Task management — find beginner-friendly tasks tagged good-first-task |
phabricator.wikimedia.org |
| Gerrit | Submit and review code patches for MediaWiki and related projects | gerrit.wikimedia.org |
| Wikimedia GitLab | Git repositories for newer Wikimedia projects | gitlab.wikimedia.org |
| Zulip (Wikimedia Chat) | Main real-time chat platform for Wikimedia developers — join #newcomers |
wikimedia.zulipchat.com |
| IRC / Libera.Chat | Older developer chat — some teams still active here | libera.chat |
| MediaWiki Sandbox | Test wikitext and templates without affecting real pages | mediawiki.org Sandbox |
| Toolforge Quickstart | Deploy bots and tools on Wikimedia infrastructure | wikitech.wikimedia.org |
GSoC & Outreachy Preparation
[edit]Google Summer of Code (GSoC)
[edit]GSoC is a paid coding internship where students contribute to open-source projects over 3 months. Wikimedia participates every year and is one of the most welcoming organisations for first-time applicants.
| Step | What to do | Resource |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Understand what GSoC is | summerofcode.withgoogle.com |
| 2 | Read Wikimedia's GSoC page and browse project ideas | mediawiki.org/wiki/Google_Summer_of_Code |
| 3 | Set up your development environment | New Developers Guide |
| 4 | Make at least one patch on Gerrit before applying | Gerrit Tutorial |
| 5 | Introduce yourself on Zulip in the project channel | Wikimedia Zulip |
| 6 | Write a strong proposal — use the Wikimedia template | Proposal Guide |
Key dates (approximate — check the official GSoC site each year):
- January–February: Wikimedia publishes project ideas
- March: Applications open
- April: Application deadline
- May: Accepted students announced
- June–August/November: Coding period
Outreachy
[edit]Outreachy offers paid remote internships for people underrepresented in open source, including two rounds per year. Wikimedia regularly participates.
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Outreachy homepage | outreachy.org |
| Wikimedia Outreachy page | mediawiki.org/wiki/Outreachy |
| Eligibility checker | outreachy.org/apply/eligibility |
| Past Wikimedia Outreachy projects | outreachy.org/communities/wikimedia |
Rounds:
- May–August internship: Applications open ~January
- December–March internship: Applications open ~August
General Tips for Applicants
[edit]- Start contributing early — mentors notice applicants who submit patches before applications open
- Pick one project and go deep rather than spreading across many
- Ask questions on Zulip — the Wikimedia community is beginner-friendly
- Read other accepted proposals from previous years for reference
- Attend club training sessions — we run GSoC prep workshops before application season
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