A nice story about the amazing work of PigsontheWing's fantastic work for us
in Bristol...
http://www.bristol247.com/2011/09/16/bristol-wikipedians-taught-to-edit-onli
ne-encylopaedia-26319/
Wikipedia came to Bristol yesterday to host free workshops on how to edit
the worldwide online encyclopaedia - all in the name of saving endangered
wildlife.
The Wiki Wildlife Edit-a-thons were organised by Wikimedia UK in
collaboration with Wildscreen's ARKive project, the Bristol-based digital
archive of endangered species throughout the world.
Hosted at the Watershed, the editing sessions allowed Bristolians and beyond
to learn how to set up their own Wikipedia account and play in an online
"sandbox", before getting going on making improvements to main pages on the
encyclopaedia itself.
"This is for everyone," said veteran Wikipedian Steve Woods of Bristol
Wireless. "So many people use Wikipedia, it's only right that they learn how
to edit it too - so that they can put something back into it. There was lots
of enthusiasm and positive energy today, which was great to see."
For the past 10 weeks, "Wikimedia Outreach Ambassador" Andy Mabbett has been
using ARKive's text resources to update Wikipedia articles about endangered
species.
The workshops at Watershed focused on improving the 200 texts about wildlife
that ARKive shared with Wikipedia as part of the project.
It was great to learn how to edit Wikipedia - really exciting," said
Wildscreen's Ellie Dart, who has been helping co-ordinate the project. "The
idea of our working together has been to help make Wikipedia's wildlife
articles more accurate, as well as encouraging more readers to come to
ARKive."
She added that no digital images have been used, only text, in the
collaboration. ARKive is famous for its beautiful pictures, but these are
strictly copyright.
Currently attracting 414 million visitors every month, Wikipedia, part of
the San Francisco-based Wikimedia Foundation, aspires to create "a world in
which every single human being can share in the sum of all human knowledge."
Volunteer writers and editors round the world co-create the resource, and
it's open to anyone to add to or improve it. There are around 100,000 such
volunteers, or "Wikipedians", in the UK.
"This is a wiki-friendly city," said Bristolian and enthusiastic Wikimedia
UK trustee and Board member Dr Martin Poulter. "We already have great
support from Bristol and Bristolians, and things like this Edit-a-thon are
an amazing opportunity for anyone with an interest they want to share with
the world to get involved.
"We're hoping to have many more free events like this in Bristol, and of
course all Bristolians can join in with the Wikipedian community online as
well."