DNA : Wikipedians set out on mission to capture Mumbai landmarks
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_wikipedians-set-out-on-mission-to-cap…
Armed with cameras and the belief that some of the city’s landmarks
deserve to be featured in cyberspace, a group of Wikipedia volunteers
trudged along Mumbai’s streets on Sunday, identifying notable spots and
capturing them on film.
The photographs will be contributed to Wikimedia Commons, a repository
for copyright-free images, sound and other media files.
“Mumbai has several monuments and famous spots. But, some of them find
little or no mention on Wikipedia,” said Anshuman Fotedar, a financial
analyst and member of the group.
The aim of the exercise was not just to put the city’s landmarks on the
virtual map but also to increase awareness of Wikipedia and its culture
in the city.
Fotedar added that many people want to give something back to the vast
online encyclopaedia but are unable to figure out how to start
contributing. “The English-language Wikipedia has grown quite a lot over
the years, thanks to the efforts of regular contributors. This exercise
was meant to introduce new contributors to areas they can help with,” he
said.
The group, comprising mostly students and young professionals, was,
however, stopped from taking pictures by security guards at the Bombay
House. In the end, the authorities agreed that shooting the building was
not prohibited.
Besides the photowalk, the group took part in discussions on other
projects that Wikipedia India volunteers are working on.
“There is an initiative called GLAM through which Wikipedia collaborates
with prominent art galleries and museums to help with articles related
to culture,” Fotedar said. Another project focuses on promotion of
Indian language Wikipedias.
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Regards
Tinu Cherian
press(a)wikimedia.in
http://wiki.wikimedia.in/In_the_news
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