I just tried to watch some presentation videos from Wikimania.
Some had very weak sound, some had no sound in the first minutes,
some only played the first minute and then stopped. I don't think
the Wikimania videos are unique in having such problems. Video is
new to Commons, and the expert contributors are more familiar with
still images.
How can we learn to make better videos? Are there some good
instructions? Perhaps a free instruction video (Wikibooks, but a
video instead of a book) on how to produce good videos is what we
need. In fact, the English Wikibooks has a title on "Video
Production", http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Video_Production but it
doesn't have a clear focus (pun not intended). It starts out with
discussing satellite TV and has long sections on file formats in
different operating systems.
There is a help page on Commons for converting video to the Ogg
Theora format, but that is only the last step in a long chain.
Given that video is new, how can we find and rate videos, nominate
"good/featured videos", and give advice on how to improve quality?
Is the Commons village pump enough for this? Commons has a
separate graphics village pump. Do we also need a separate video
village pump?
Current digital video cameras use hard disks or memory cards,
instead of tape cassettes. Many new models cost less than 300
euro (or dollars), some as little as 120 euro (memory card perhaps
not included). Some have a special "Youtube mode", and I guess
that kind of usage is what drives the price down. What models are
good, and what should one watch out for?
We can find free still photos on Flickr and copy them to Commons.
Is there somewhere we can find free videos and copy them? Yes, at
the Internet Archive. Somewhere else?
--
Lars Aronsson (lars(a)aronsson.se)
Aronsson Datateknik - http://aronsson.se
Today marks the final day of our campaign! Thanks to our collective
efforts, *Wiki Loves Birds India 2024* has surpassed the incredible *milestone
of 5,000 Uploads!* 🎉👏
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Birds_India_2024
Please note that the evaluation tool will only consider data submitted up
to this timestamp. However, if you still wish to participate, feel free to
upload your images—they will still be valuable for the project!
We’re also excited to announce an upcoming *offline workshop on 2025
January 10–11* at the Department of Forestry, Sir Syed College, Kerala.
*Manoj Karingamadathil*
Coordinator, Wiki Loves Birds 2024
Wikimedians of Kerala User Group
On Tue, Nov 26, 2024 at 12:26 AM Manoj Karingamadathil <
dartermanoj(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> We are excited to announce *Wiki Loves Birds India 2024
> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Loves_Birds_India_2024>*, a
> national photography campaign to celebrate and document the incredible
> avian biodiversity across India. Inspired by Wiki Loves Birds Nepal, this
> initiative enriches Wikimedia Commons with high-quality, free-licensed
> media and improves ornithology-related content in the Indian language
> Wikipedias.
>
> India has approximately 1,350 bird species, ranging from familiar locals
> to rare migratory wonders, thriving in diverse ecosystems. Through Wiki
> Loves Birds India, we seek to raise awareness about bird conservation and
> inspire a deeper appreciation of India’s avian biodiversity. The campaign
> aims to address knowledge gaps related to ornithology across the Indian
> language Wikipedias, enhancing access to valuable information for diverse
> audiences. The campaign is dedicated to the legacies of pioneering
> ornithologists *Salim Ali* and *K.K. Neelakandan*, whose work has been
> foundational in understanding and preserving India’s birdlife.
> Campaign Details
>
> - *When:* 25 November – 25 December 2024
> - *Activities:*
> 1. *Uploading Images and Sounds:* Contribute high-quality
> photographs and bird sounds to Wikimedia Commons
> <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Campaign:wlb_2024>
> 2. *Local Photo Walks:* Organize/Participate in photo walks
> <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Birds_India_2024/Phot…>
> to explore and photograph birds in their near natural habitats/nature park.
> 3. *Wikipedia Edit-a-thon:* Improve and create ornithology-related
> articles on your local language Wikipedia.
>
> Outstanding contributions will be recognized through a contest. If you
> would like more details, you can visit our Commons Campaign Page
> <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Birds_India_2024>.
> Thanks to the Salim Ali Foundation, Sahya Digital Conservation Foundation,
> and Wikimedia Foundation for helping organize and sponsor the prizes.
> Whether you are a seasoned birder, a budding photographer, or a passionate
> Wikipedian, we invite you to contribute.
>
> Warm regards,
> *Manoj Karingamadathil*
> Project Lead, Wiki Loves Birds India 2024
> Wikimedians of Kerala User Group
>
Hello!
*(apologies for cross-posting in various GLAM related lists)*
Would you like to see a GLAM, Culture, and Heritage-focused Wiki-conference
in 2025? If so, we’d love to hear from you!
Please take a moment to fill out this *community engagement survey* by *13
January 2025*. This is your chance to share your ideas, highlight what
topics matter most to you, and suggest how the conference could be most
relevant and impactful for your work.
*Would you like to see a formalized user group, or specific collaboration
with the WMF on a projects in this sector, is there a technical solution
that can inspire new innovation in other areas of Wiki?*
Your input will play a key role in shaping what this event could look like,
and we truly value your voice in the conversation. It is also a key
component for a Conference grant.
English:
https://forms.gle/TFUvsjT8F4xRuWfE7
Portuguese:
https://forms.gle/KaXcdp5g1eS8HgAN7
Spanish
https://forms.gle/WUWkSfT5RDr3gnRN7
Please feel free to share this survey with your network, with
chapter/language/user group mailing lists, groups, etc., who might be
interested. Together, we can make this an incredible and meaningful event
for the GLAMWiki community!
If you have questions or comments, or want to get involved, don't hesitate
to reach out.
All the best,
Connor
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Conbenewww.seehbe.com
P.s. there will be two reminder emails until the deadline.