*We’re back! ------------------------------This is the first Wikimaps user
group newsletter in a while, so hopefully, we’ll get this back up and
running on a more regular basis. All inputs for future content are welcome.
Please check the Wikimaps page
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimaps_User_Group#Next_newsletter> for a
link to the draft content for the next newsletter.Getting together
------------------------------Next User Group Hangout
<https://plus.google.com/hangouts/_/...>: 22 March 2018, 1600 UTCPlease
join in the discussion, this is an informal group to discuss what people
are working on, problems they're encountering with our mapping tools,
accomplishments we've had along the way, and upcoming events.Pattypan 18.02
includes the {{Map}} template ------------------------------Pattypan, a
tool for mass uploading media files to Wikimedia Commons now includes the
Map template predefined and ready to use without writing any
Wikitext.https://github.com/yarl/pattypan/releases/tag/v18.02
<https://github.com/yarl/pattypan/releases/tag/v18.02>Map Improvements 2018
------------------------------Be sure to check out the Wikimedia Foundation
Collaboration Team’s update on 2018 plans
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Map_improvements_2018> to improve the
Kartographer extension
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Kartographer>. Their work will be
done by the end of June and you can see the many exciting updates
<https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/project/board/2828/query/rSWQ9zrVUVS0/>
here. QGIS 3.0 Release ------------------------------For those of you who
are interested in using GIS tools as part of your map creation workflow,
please be sure to take a look at QGIS, QGIS 3.0
<https://www.qgis.org/en/site/>, which has launched a new version with many
new upgrades. If you’ve been working with .svg’s, this is a great tool to
use to start to create vector shapefiles of historical boundaries,
etc.Historical map vector data campaign ------------------------------For
anyone who’s interested, I’m trying to work on a bit of a scavenger hunt,
to find & collect as many historical shapefiles as possible. I’m still
working on how to best host / share them with the world, with a baseline
assumption that the Commons is the best place to start. If anyone is
interested, please let me know!Last, all suggestions for future newsletters
are welcome, for format, content, etc. We're just getting this started, so
I'm trying to use a fairly agile approach. Something > nothing!Regards,Jeff*
--
Jeff Meyer
206-676-2347
m: jeff(a)gwhat.org
t: @OpenHistMap