User:Anthere - Meta-Wiki
Jump to content
From Meta, a Wikimedia project coordination wiki
Florence Devouard, user:Anthere
Florence Devouard (she/her)
Wikimedian at large
I think of you as a center in a very large collection of inter-connected webs.
The webs carry information, and you help direct it where it can create positive changes.
-- Amgine irc 20:41, 25 Jun 2005 (UTC)
About me
I was born in
Versailles
(France). I grew up in Grenoble, and have been living since then in several French cities, as well as Antwerpen in Belgium and Tempe in Arizona.
I am an
engineer
in
Agronomy
ENSAIA
and also hold a DEA in Genetics and biotechnologies (
INPL
). I have spent a while in public research (INRA), working in flower plant genetic improvement, later in applied research, in microbiology, to study the feasibility of heavily polluted soil bioremediation. I spent some time in Tempe University (Arizona), following courses in computer science and civil engineering.
After a break to take care of my first two kids, I joined a small french firm, Quantix Agro, whose activity was related with decision tools, in finances, insurance, agriculture and agri-business. My part was in the agri-business, and I mostly worked to conceive decision-making tools in
sustainable agriculture
until 2006 when I born a third and last child
I settled as a freelancer in 2008 and have been since then. In 2017, I co-founded
Wiki in Africa
, a South Africa based association along with Iolanda Pensa and Isla Haddow-Flood.
As of mid 2025, I am 58, and live in
Marseille
. I work part time at Wiki in Africa as co-ED and I am a
Wikimedian in residence
at
WIPO
(since Jan 1st 2022).
My work
I discovered Wikipedia in late 2001 and have been an editor since February 2002.
I first started editing only the English Wikipedia anonymously, then under the pseudonym Anthere. I joined the French Wikipedia when it had possibly 200 stubs. In English, I mostly focused in editing (in particular in Agricultural Sciences), while in the French Wikipedia, I also took a lot of time building the project, its rules, and the community.
I was elected to join the Board of Trustees of
Wikimedia Foundation
, and then served as its second Chair until July 2008. In 2008, I was honored to
be made knight in the French National Order of Merit
I co-founded
Wikimedia France
in 2004 and was its vice-chair for a while.
I have been a
steward
for over four years.
Late 2012, I decided it was time to move on. My focus since then has been diversity (or lack there of...). I co-create or participate to projects with the explicit goals of
getting more African editors and more African-related content onto Wikimedia project or
projects related to the Gender Gap or
projects focusing on involving or bringing knowledge to people with poor or no internet connexion
Contact me
E-mail: fdevouard
anthere.org
Twitter: @anthere
Website:
LinkedIn:
Devouard
fr
-N
Cette personne a pour
langue maternelle
le
en
-4
This user has
near native speaker
knowledge of
This user is an
administrator
on
Meta-Wiki
verify
This user is an
administrator
on the
French Wikipedia
verify
CA
This user is a
bureaucrat
on the
French Wikipedia
verify
CA
This user is an
administrator
on the
English Wikipedia
verify
CA
This user is an
administrator
on
Wikimedia Commons
verify
This is a
Wiki
media
global user page.
If you find this page on any site other than a
Wiki
media
one, you are viewing a mirror site. Be aware that the page may be outdated, and that the user whom this page is about may have no personal affiliation with the site. The original page is located at
media.org/wi
ki/User:Anthere
Anthere
Wikimedian
Name
Florence Devouard (she/her)
Country
France
Current location
Marseille
Time zone
[[
UTC+1
]]
Hobbies, interests, and beliefs
Aliases
Anthere
Interests
Conflict resolution, Gender gap, Africa, IP Rights, Governance
Contact info
Website
www.devouard.org
Email
fdevouard
anthere.org
Userboxes
This user is involved in
Wikimedia France
This user is one of the organizers of
Wiki Loves Africa
This user is a
Participant
of the
Wikimedians for Sustainable Development
User Group
This user is a member of
Wiki Loves Women
This user is a member of the
Wiki Loves Women Focus Group
More on my work
edit
As Founder and then co-ED of
Wiki in Africa
, I launched many different programmes, some of which became pretty notable in the Wikimedia ecosystem, such as
Wiki Loves Africa
, a photo contest across Africa since 2014,
the
WikiChallenge Ecoles d'Afrique
, an education project running on Vikidia since 2017,
the
Wiki Loves Women
, a capacity building project around Gender Gap since 2016, with several declinations such as
SheSaid
WikiFundi
, a software solution to create Wikipedia articles offline since 2016
Or the
c:ISA Tool
, a microcontribution tool to add structured data on Commons since 2019
I also work on other topics such as
the
Research:Wikipedia Primary School SSAJRP programme
(2015-2017) at SUPSI (applied research on Primary School curricula in South Africa).
My affiliations (as of 2025)
edit
Main affiliations
Co-Executive Director of
Wiki in Africa
(non affiliated association)
Wikipedian-in-Residence at
World Intellectual Property Rights
(WIPO)
Former Chair of
Wikimedia Foundation
Co-founder, former Vice-Chair and currently member of
Wikimédia France
Chapter
Member of the
Wikimania Steering Committee
Former treasurer of
WikiFranca
(hub-to-be for French speaking wikimedia groups) and now member representing Wiki in Africa
(Contact) member of
Wikimedians for offline wikis
UG
Member of the
Wikimedians in Residence Exchange Network
UG
Financial Auditor and member of
m:Les sans pagEs
UserGroup (contact member for the affiliate)
Board member of
Open Food Facts
Vice-Chair of
Ynternet.org
Looser memberships... usergroup I support
Whose Knowledge?
UG
WikiWomen's User Group
Wikipedia & Education User Group
Yamaji kite naniyara yukashi sumire-gusa.
-- Basho
We come through a mountain path;
Here, atmosphere attracts me, though I know no reason --
Ô, a violet!
Tools
Ongoing
Grants
Desired Spam
2001-2008
Former times
edit
Jimmy Wales, Thomas Devouard, and I at Wikimania 2006
I have been there for so long... 24 years...
From time to time, I go read back some of the stuff I wrote last year, two years ago, three years ago, four years ago...
/Année 2005
(my summary of year 2005)
/retrospective
(this, I wrote during the second board elections)
(written sometime in 2004)
Incivility
- early 2004, when I joined the mediation committee. It became a reference...
Disarmament crisis of March 2003
(easy to date... I fled the english wikipedia. A poor place to stay at for a french at that time)
Listening to our garden
(old stuff - 2003 ?)
Future of international Wikipedias as part of the main community
--
Wikipedias and cross-fertilisation
(digging... this is 2002....)
What is an anther ?
systemes
Reflexions sur la bioethique
apology
Dispute resolution
Source of conflict
Open and free
User:Anthere/logos
Biz Dev Bible
Temp page
Retrieved from "
Categories
User fr
User en
Meta-Wiki administrators
Administrators on the French Wikipedia
Bureaucrats on the French Wikipedia
Administrators on the English Wikipedia
Administrators on the Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedians
WLA organisers
Wikimedians for Sustainable Development Users
Wiki Loves Women members
Former Board of Trustees members
User
Anthere
Add topic