*The Hindu : "Now, copyright-free maps of States, districts, panchayats"* http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article1697940.ece
*As “Malayalam Loves Wikipedia” campaign gets good response..* * * *Even as the “Malayalam Loves Wikipedia” campaign, launched to expand the knowledge repositories of Malayalam Wikipedia with copyright-free Malayalam-related photographs, continues to evoke overwhelming response from Wiki users and contributors, a project meant to make available online free-to-use national map and maps of States, districts and panchayats is making silent, but significant strides.* * * *The ambitious project was taken up by Bangalore-based software engineer and Wiki contributor Rajesh Odayanchal. Other contributors, Ajay Kuyiloor, Naveen and Jason Nedumbala, joined him in the venture. The team crossed a milestone when a copyleft [free of copyright] map of India — to be further fine-tuned — and maps of the districts of Kerala and some States were readied.* * * *“Our aim is to prepare maps of all Indian States up to ward-level, which is a humungous task. But we are confident that we will be able to execute district-wise, panchayat-level and ward-level maps of Kerala. Regarding other States, we may not be able to source data to do that kind of micro-level cartography, so we will most likely restrict ourselves to district-level mapmaking for the time being,” Mr. Odayanchal said.* * * *The project, carried out using vector graphics software Inkscape, carries a GNU General Public Licence that renders it copyleft. Separate maps are made in Malayalam and English. The modalities of execution have been well-laid out in order to standardise the maps and make categorisation easy.* * * *“Given the magnitude of the project, we would like to have more persons conversant with Inkscape,” Mr. Odayanchal said.* * * *To this end, a Google group has been formed, whichcan be contacted at mlwiki-maps@googlegroups.com.* * * *Separately, the Malayalam Wiki is also set to add to its database a copyleft version of Kottarathil Sankunni's Aithihyamala (Garland of Legends) under a project initiated by Santhosh Thottingal, a member of Wikimedia Foundation's language committee.* * * *The “Malayalam Loves Wikimedia' project, launched on April 2, received over 1,200 pictures as on Wednesday. It also found a mention in the international Wikimedia signpost.*
Regards Tinu Cherian
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 7:43 AM, CherianTinu Abraham tinucherian@gmail.com wrote:
The Hindu : "Now, copyright-free maps of States, districts, panchayats" http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article1697940.ece
In the last few news reports , the "copyright free" phrase is repeating. This is worrying. I think we should try to correct the reporters or try to give an explanation about the copyright of wiki project content. All the content in wiki projects are not "copyright free", but uses a permissive copyright or copyleft as its is popularly known.
I think Wiki Activists also need this sensitizations to communicate licensing well to reporters & public.
Anivar
Good idea. ! Would you mind creating a page on this on wikimedia.in , so that all can point that page to reporters.
- Tinu Cherian
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 8:52 AM, Anivar Aravind anivar.aravind@gmail.comwrote:
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 7:43 AM, CherianTinu Abraham tinucherian@gmail.com wrote:
The Hindu : "Now, copyright-free maps of States, districts, panchayats" http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article1697940.ece
In the last few news reports , the "copyright free" phrase is repeating. This is worrying. I think we should try to correct the reporters or try to give an explanation about the copyright of wiki project content. All the content in wiki projects are not "copyright free", but uses a permissive copyright or copyleft as its is popularly known.
I think Wiki Activists also need this sensitizations to communicate licensing well to reporters & public.
Anivar
Yeah this is true. There are many such reports recently.
Among many wikipedians also there is a common misconception that all the content and images in wikipedia are copyright-free. :)
May be we need to start using the word *Copyleft *to address all the free licenses. Usgae of words like Creative commons/GFDL and so on may confuse people who doesn't have much aware about free licenses.
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 5:22 AM, Anivar Aravind anivar.aravind@gmail.comwrote:
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 7:43 AM, CherianTinu Abraham tinucherian@gmail.com wrote:
The Hindu : "Now, copyright-free maps of States, districts, panchayats" http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article1697940.ece
In the last few news reports , the "copyright free" phrase is repeating. This is worrying. I think we should try to correct the reporters or try to give an explanation about the copyright of wiki project content. All the content in wiki projects are not "copyright free", but uses a permissive copyright or copyleft as its is popularly known.
I think Wiki Activists also need this sensitizations to communicate licensing well to reporters & public.
Anivar
Wikimediaindia-l mailing list Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
Dear all,
I would like to share another important topic related to the subject of this mail. Malayalam wikipedians have started the map projecthttp://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%B5%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%95%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%AA%E0%B5%80%E0%B4%A1%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%AF:%E0%B4%B5%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%95%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%AA%E0%B4%A6%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%A7%E0%B4%A4%E0%B4%BF/%E0%B4%AD%E0%B5%82%E0%B4%AA%E0%B4%9F%E0%B4%A8%E0%B4%BF%E0%B5%BC%E0%B4%AE%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%AE%E0%B4%BE%E0%B4%A3%E0%B4%82to create free-license maps of entire Kerala. Our aim is to create separate maps for all the 970 grama panchayats of Kerala. These maps will go upto ward level.
As some of you already know User:Planemadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Planemad(Arun Ganesh) has created maps for most of the Indian States. We are extending Arun's work by doing the Panchayath level maps.
As of now, almost all the articles about villages of India in English and Malayalam wikipedia (may be other Indic wikipedias also) are lacking maps that go to the Panchayath level. Most of the time we are satisfying ourselves with district level or state level maps.
We want the support from other interested indic wikipedians to extend this project for the other Indian states. If few more people can join we can expand this as a Commons project.
You can easily be part of this effort if you have working knowledge in Inkscape or similar softwares. Please mail me if you are interested to be part of this project.
Shiju
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 11:19 AM, Shiju Alex shijualexonline@gmail.comwrote:
Yeah this is true. There are many such reports recently.
Among many wikipedians also there is a common misconception that all the content and images in wikipedia are copyright-free. :)
May be we need to start using the word *Copyleft *to address all the free licenses. Usgae of words like Creative commons/GFDL and so on may confuse people who doesn't have much aware about free licenses.
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 5:22 AM, Anivar Aravind anivar.aravind@gmail.comwrote:
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 7:43 AM, CherianTinu Abraham tinucherian@gmail.com wrote:
The Hindu : "Now, copyright-free maps of States, districts, panchayats" http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article1697940.ece
In the last few news reports , the "copyright free" phrase is repeating. This is worrying. I think we should try to correct the reporters or try to give an explanation about the copyright of wiki project content. All the content in wiki projects are not "copyright free", but uses a permissive copyright or copyleft as its is popularly known.
I think Wiki Activists also need this sensitizations to communicate licensing well to reporters & public.
Anivar
Wikimediaindia-l mailing list Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
Okay, guys. This is uber-cool stuff. Hats off! :)
How about a workshop on training Wikimedians on map-creation? I would love to participate.
Yours sincerely,
Anirudh Bhati
00 91 9328712208 Skype: anirudhsbh
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 3:13 PM, Shiju Alex shijualexonline@gmail.com wrote:
Dear all,
I would like to share another important topic related to the subject of this mail. Malayalam wikipedians have started the map project to create free-license maps of entire Kerala. Our aim is to create separate maps for all the 970 grama panchayats of Kerala. These maps will go upto ward level.
As some of you already know User:Planemad (Arun Ganesh) has created maps for most of the Indian States. We are extending Arun's work by doing the Panchayath level maps.
As of now, almost all the articles about villages of India in English and Malayalam wikipedia (may be other Indic wikipedias also) are lacking maps that go to the Panchayath level. Most of the time we are satisfying ourselves with district level or state level maps.
We want the support from other interested indic wikipedians to extend this project for the other Indian states. If few more people can join we can expand this as a Commons project.
You can easily be part of this effort if you have working knowledge in Inkscape or similar softwares. Please mail me if you are interested to be part of this project.
Shiju
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 11:19 AM, Shiju Alex shijualexonline@gmail.com wrote:
Yeah this is true. There are many such reports recently.
Among many wikipedians also there is a common misconception that all the content and images in wikipedia are copyright-free. :)
May be we need to start using the word Copyleft to address all the free licenses. Usgae of words like Creative commons/GFDL and so on may confuse people who doesn't have much aware about free licenses.
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 5:22 AM, Anivar Aravind anivar.aravind@gmail.com wrote:
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 7:43 AM, CherianTinu Abraham tinucherian@gmail.com wrote:
The Hindu : "Now, copyright-free maps of States, districts, panchayats" http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article1697940.ece
In the last few news reports , the "copyright free" phrase is repeating. This is worrying. I think we should try to correct the reporters or try to give an explanation about the copyright of wiki project content. All the content in wiki projects are not "copyright free", but uses a permissive copyright or copyleft as its is popularly known.
I think Wiki Activists also need this sensitizations to communicate licensing well to reporters & public.
Anivar
Wikimediaindia-l mailing list Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
Wikimediaindia-l mailing list Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 3:28 PM, Anirudh Bhati anirudhsbh@gmail.com wrote:
Okay, guys. This is uber-cool stuff. Hats off! :)
How about a workshop on training Wikimedians on map-creation? I would love to participate.
Sure. if you get yourself organized gnowledge.org lab can conduct a workshop on making freemaps.
btw., the project reported in the press: is this same as openstreetmap project or it is different? where are the freemaps of Kerala published?
-- GN