Edit-a-thon
An edit-a-thon is an organized event where editors of online communities such as Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, and LocalWiki edit and improve a specific topic or type of content, typically including basic editing training for new editors. They often involve meetups, but can be distributed as well. The word is a portmanteau of "edit" and "marathon".
Wikipedia edit-a-thons have taken place at Wikimedia chapter headquarters; accredited educational institutions, including Sonoma State University, Arizona State University, Middlebury College, and the University of Victoria; scientific research institutions such as the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences; and cultural institutions, such as museums or archives. The events have included topics such as cultural heritage sites, museum collections, women's history, art, feminism, narrowing Wikipedia's gender gap, and social justice issues. Women, African Americans, and members of the LGBT community are using edit-a-thons to bridge the gap in Wikipedia's sexual and racial makeup and to challenge the underrepresentation of Africa-related topics.
Some have been organized by Wikipedians in residence. The longest edit-a-thon took place at the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City from June 9 to 12, 2016, where volunteers and museum's staff edited during 72 continuous hours. The record was recognized by Guinness World Records. The OpenStreetMap community has also hosted several edit-a-thons. In August 2018, and the convened the first in Cape Town South Africa.
Since 2014, Art+Feminism has held world-wide edit-a-thons annually to expand the histories of women, feminism, and arts found on Wikipedia, and to dismantle the biases on how women are represented online. 2019 marks the expansion of the movement to include "gender non-binary activists and artists".
