User:Discott
Wikipedia editor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I have an interest in history, historical sociology, economic history, international relations, and public policy. Much of my editing these days tends to focus on articles about South African politics and current affairs. Often I also like to write about municipalities in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, international relations[a 1] and South African biographies. Occasionally I dabble in editing China related articles, economics and public policy. The bulk of my editing seems to be about Africa related topics which I think is partly because I lived there and partly because there is still so much to write about on Africa on Wikipedia.
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I have a page on Wikimedia which you can see here and my user page on Meta-Wiki here. I also have a page on Wikicommons which you can see here.
I am also involved with Wikimedia chapter for South Africa since 2012 and have helped organise the South African component of Wiki Loves Monuments in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 as well as a number of edit-a-thons and other Wikipedia editing outreach activities.[1] I was also the organising Chairperson for Wikimania 2018 in Cape Town. Another Wikipedia related project I am very involved in is an effort to amend the South African Copyright Act so as to allow for Freedom of Panorama and Fair Use.[2] In 2025 I was elected to the board of Wikimedia UK.
My full name is Douglas Scott (司道格 in Mandarin Chinese) and I am from Cape Town, South Africa; although I now live in Edinburgh, Scotland. I previously worked for a non-profit organisation named The Safety Lab that focused on violence crime in high risk areas of the City of Cape Town. I currently work for Campaign Lab as a political researcher in the United Kingdom, which (disclaimer) is why I no longer edit articles on modern British politics.
An infographic I made on the status of the Wiki community in South Africa in 2015.
A poster I made advocating for 3D support on Wikipedia that was displayed at Wikimania 2023.
Advocating for Freedom of Panorama whilst in Pretoria, South Africa.
Wikipedia 22nd birthday meetup in Cape Town, South Africa with other Wikimedia South Africa chapter members.
Speaking at Wikimania 2018 in Cape Town.
Short bio
Here is a sort bio about myself I sometimes like to use for Wiki events.
<blockquote cite="">
Douglas has been a Wikipedia editor since 2006 and involved in Wikimedia community work since joining Wikimedia chapter for South Africa in 2012. He was a board member of Wikimedia South Africa from 2012 until 2024 and was the chapter's president from 2015 until 2020. At Wikimedia South Africa he has helped organise the South African component of Wiki Loves Monuments in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 as well as a number of edit-a-thons and other Wikipedia editing outreach activities. In 2018 he was the organising Chairperson for Wikimania in Cape Town. Douglas is also very involved in the effort to amend the South African Copyright Act so as to allow for Freedom of Panorama and Fair Use thereby making it easier to edit Wikipedia in the country. In 2025 Douglas was elected to the board of Wikimedia United Kingdom.
</blockquote>
Links
- My Toolbox
- My Wikipedia article to-do list (I don't use it much, more of a personal suggestion list than anything else)
- My page on Commons