Author Archives: Fabrice Florin

About Fabrice Florin

I am product manager at Wikimedia Foundation, where I help build new tools to help users contribute productively on Wikipedia. My previous ventures include: NewsTrust.net, a nonprofit social news network devoted to good journalism; Handtap, a wireless content service for mobile phones; shockwave.com, a web entertainment site at Macromedia; Apple Computer's Multimedia Lab, a new media R&D group; and Videowest, a producer of rock journalism for ABC, MTV and public TV. I am an Ashoka Fellow for my work as social entrepreneur -- and earned four patents for my interactive TV work at Apple. I am married to Phyllis Florin, my sweetheart of 35 years, and we're the proud parents of our son Adam Florin, 32.

A Multimedia Vision for Wikipedia

How will we use multimedia on our sites in three years?

Our Wikimedia Foundation’s Multimedia team was formed to provide a richer experience and support more media contributions on Wikipedia, Commons, and MediaWiki sites. We believe that audio-visual media offer a unique opportunity to engage a wide range of users to participate productively in our collective work.

To inform our plans, we’ve created a simple vision of how we might collaborate through multimedia by 2016.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2RKZnrOXmw&w=640&h=480&rel=0]

This hypothetical scenario was prepared with guidance from community members and is intended for discussion purposes, to help us visualize possible improvements to our user experience over the next three years.

This presentation is intended for discussion purposes, to get community feedback on goals we are considering. To that end, we would love to hear what you think of this vision. Please join our discussion − or add your comments below − and help guide our development plans.

Maman Requiem

My mother passed away in her sleep a day before Christmas.

She was a smart woman and a devoted mother — and taught us a sense of responsibility, determination, idealism and individualism. She had a difficult life, but made the best of it over the years. I learned a lot from her and will remember her fondly.

Sanda Florin, née Bossy (1926-2013) was romanian (from the respected Cantacuzino family), so a friend suggested we play this romanian folk song (Joc de Leagane) at her memorial. It’s called the ‘dance of the cradle’ and is meant to depict a tender relationship between a mother and her daughter. This is the kind of love that was often missing from her life, and I wish we could go back in time and share more of it all around.

Like my father before her, she asked that her ashes be spread over Lake Geneva, by the shores where they first met and spent much of their lives.

Rest in peace, Maman.

The photos from this video are posted here. You can learn more about Maman in this family archive.

Introducing Beta Features

Screenshot of the new Beta Features preferences page. Media Viewer is one of the first Beta Features we’re testing on Wikipedia.

I’m happy to announce the launch of Beta Features, a new program that lets you test new features on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia sites before they are released for everyone.

The Beta Features program lets developers roll out new software in an environment where lots of users can use these features, then give feedback to help make them better.

Think of it as a digital laboratory where community members can preview upcoming changes and help designers and engineers make improvements based on their suggestions.

I am product manager for this first version of Beta Features, working with my colleagues James Forrester, Mark Holmquist, Jared Zimmerman and many other Wikimedia Foundation team members to bring it to our community.

Learn more on this project hub.

Mahalo, Hawai’i

Wild horses cross the creek in Waimea Valley on Hawaii’s Big Island

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabola/sets/72157637795789965/

We had a wonderful vacation in Hawaii’s Big Island, to celebrate our ‘coral anniversary’, after 35 wonderful years together.Our weeklong trip started near the lovely Kealakekua Bay (where I got to swim with spinner dolphins!) and the inspiring Place of Refuge in Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (where ancient islanders could get forgiven for breaking taboos).We then visited the Volcanoes National Park, where we hiked the amazing Kilauea Iki Trail (from lush green rainforest to the eerie crater floor spewing steam from its many vents).From there, we drove north through Hilo to Kukuihaele and the wonderful Waipio Valley (where we crossed the stream with a herd of wild horses), meeting up with our friends Jeffery and Toby.We then completed our tour of the island through the towns of Waimea and Hawi on the Kohala coast, ending up with a couple days of R&R at the fabulous Fairmont Orchid resort.

Overall, it was a truly wonderful journey with many special moments, which we will not soon forget. Mahalo, Hawaii!

For more photos from that trip, check out our photo set on Flickr .