Hi folks,
The Wikimedia Commons app [1] (a community-maintained Android app that allows users to upload photos to Commons from their phone) was funded via an Individual Engagement Grant [2] last year and has several new features - a list and map of nearby places that need photos (based on Wikidata), category suggestions based on the image title, prevention of duplicate uploads, and a new tutorial to educate new users on what types of photos should or should not be uploaded. During the grant period, 20554 new files were uploaded via the app with an overall deletion rate of 15.74% (11.7% in the final two weeks after the new tutorial was implemented), and 3485 images that were uploaded via the app were used in Wikimedia articles.
While we are very happy with the progress made, there are many other improvements that we would like to make but were not able to fit into the scope of the previous grant. Thus we are proposing a renewal [3] of the IEG in order to work on these. Highlights of the proposed improvements include:
- Enhancing the "Nearby places that need photos" feature by (1) allowing users to upload their image directly from a location on the list or map, with suggested title and categories based on the associated Wikidata item, and (2) displaying the user's real-time position on the map to allow easier navigation to the location they wish to photograph
- Improving user education by displaying Commons account and user talk notifications (e.g. picture nominated for deletion) in the app, adding a gallery of featured images, and adding various notices and explanations in the upload screen
- A sleeker, more intuitive, and more interactive user interface - a floating action button for uploads, "Nearby places that need photos" in a tab alongside the user's contributions, and a panel to display Commons account notifications and information about the nearest place that needs photos
- Various technical and quality-of-life improvements, such as two-factor authentication login, multiple uploads, preventing overwrites, and fixing memory leaks and battery drain issues
We are especially excited about the "Nearby places that need photos" enhancements, as we feel that it can help reduce the number of geo-located Wikidata items that lack pictures, and provide pictures for Wikimedia articles that lack them. We believe that this is one of our main strengths as a mobile app - users can have a seamless workflow where they can browse the places that need photos, select one and move to the location, and then directly upload the photo after taking it (with relevant titles and categories suggested), all within the same app and without needing to use a computer.Please do take a look at our proposal [3], feel free to provide feedback and make new suggestions on the Discussion page, and/or endorse the proposal if you see fit. If you would like to be part of the project, new volunteers and additions to our diverse team are always welcome - please visit our GitHub repository [4] and say "Hi". :)
Many thanks!
Regards,
Josephine (Commons app project maintainer)