'Conference of the Americas' announced for 2008
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{{missing image|Image:COTA Logo.jpg|right|thumb|Conference of The Americas logo. {{image credit|[[w:User:Mike Halterman|Mike Halterman]]}}}}
[[Image:Georgia Tech Student Center and Campanile.jpg|right|230px|thumb|Georgia Tech's student center and the {{w|Kessler Campanile}} where the main conference will be held. {{image credit|[[User:Disavian|Andrew Guyton]]}}]]
{{dateline|date=October 15, 2007|location=Atlanta, Georgia}}
After losing their bid to host {{w|Wikimania 2008}}, Wikimedians from the [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], [[Georgia (US state)|Georgia]] bid proposal are now working to host a conference focusing on Wikimedia in the Americas. 

[[w:User:Mike Halterman|Mike Halterman]], a student at the {{w|University of South Florida}} and unpaid intern at the [[Wikimedia Foundation]] (WMF) offices in [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]], [[Florida]], is helping to plan the ''Conference of the Americas'' which will be held at the {{w|Georgia Institute of Technology}} (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta, Georgia on May 15-18, 2008. Several others who helped in the conference's creation include: [[w:User:Disavian|Andrew Guyton]], [[w:User:Swatjester|Dan Rosenthal]], Geoff Swanstrom, [[w:User:LaMenta3|Hillary Lipko]], [[w:User:Niayre|Jessica Gibson]], [[w:User:Matt Britt|Matt Britt]], and ''[[Wikinews]]'' administrator and contributor [[User:Cspurrier|Craig Spurrier]].

"We went forward after Wikimania because we felt that we had a good idea on our hands, and all the organization and manpower should not go to waste. We can still make a difference here in our own hemisphere, which as far as Wikimedia goes, has been overlooked in favor of the world picture. We want to show the work done by people here, and how it impacts people here," said Halterman in an exclusive interview with ''Wikinews''.

The conference is focused on "discussions of Wikimedia and the free culture movement and how they relate to communities (national/regional, social, linguistic); discussions about the impacts free culture movements have in these communities, and by the work done in said movements in everyday life," says the announcement. The discussion includes [[North America]], specifically the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], along with the countries of Latin America. Wikimedia [[Argentina]] and the WMF have also been given a proposal, but decisions on endorsement are still pending for both.
[[Image:Map of USA GA.svg|left|200px|thumb|Map highlighting the location of {{w|State of Georgia|Georgia}} (in red) in the United States.]]
There will also be a journalism segment that will be held inside the Turner Broadcasting building on Techwood Drive in Midtown Atlanta.

After the location of Wikimania 2008 was announced to be in [[Alexandria, Egypt|Alexandria]], [[Egypt]], the [[LGBT]] community spoke out, wondering if the jury, a group of Wikimedians who selected the location, took into account {{w|LGBT rights in Egypt|LGBT rights}}, safety of all attending, {{w|Human rights in Egypt|human rights}}, or free speech in the country before making their decision. There has since been discussion and controversy over the location posted on several public mailing lists.

Despite that, Halterman, who was on the bidding team to have Wikimania 2008 in Atlanta, states that the ''Conference of the Americas'' was not formed in retaliation, revenge or to "out maneuver" Wikimania 2008 and that the discussion for the COTA was taking place long before the location of Wikimania was announced. He also states that the conference's purpose is not to compete with it, but to give those who are in the western hemisphere a chance to attend a Wikimedia event for the Americas.

"This was never something that was supposed to be 'the American solution.' We aren't trying to compete with Wikimania at all. We're not out to make a statement against Wikimania. This isn't done out of anger, it's done out of a drive to unite, not to divide. We have over 100 interested parties all over the United States who want to volunteer and/or attend in some fashion or another. Reaching out to the other communities is high on our list of priorities and we really do want to make this a hemispheric effort" as "it's more expensive for people to go to Egypt over something in their own country or something close enough to it," said Halterman to Wikinews.

The conference is sponsored by Georgia Tech, the {{w|University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill}}, the Public Journalism Network (pjnet), {{w|Ibiblio|Ibiblio.org}} and the Carolina Open Source Initiative.

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== Sources ==
{{interview|media=irc}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cota-atlanta.org/
|title=COTA 2008
|author=Mike Halterman
|pub=COTA-Atlanta.org
|date=October, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2008/Bids/Atlanta
|title=Wikimania 2008/Bids/Atlanta
|author=
|pub=Meta Wikimedia
|date=2007}}
*{{source|url=http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2008
|title=Wikimania 2008
|author=
|pub=Meta Wikimedia
|date=2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.nabble.com/Wikimania-2008-will-happen-in-Alexandria%2C-Egypt-tf4595191.html
|title=Wikimania 2008 will happen in Alexandria, Egypt
|author=(Initial) Cary Bass
|pub=Nabble.com
|date=Initial) October 9, 2007}}

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[[Category:Science and technology]]
[[Category:Culture and entertainment]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Central America]]
[[Category:South America]]
[[Category:Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Atlanta, Georgia]]
Andrew Guyton

After losing their bid to host , Wikimedians from the Atlanta, Georgia bid proposal are now working to host a conference focusing on Wikimedia in the Americas. 

Mike Halterman, a student at the St. Petersburg, Florida, is helping to plan the Conference of the Americas which will be held at the
Science and technology Culture and entertainment North America Central America South America Georgia (U.S. state) Atlanta, Georgia