OpenStreetMap
Map internationalization launched everywhere, AND embedded maps now live on 276 Wikipedias
Posted by naveenpf on 10 May 2018 in English.As of today, interactive (Kartographer) maps no longer display in the language of the territory mapped; instead, you’ll read them in the content language of the wiki where they appear—or in the language their authors specify (subject to availability of multilingual data). In addition, mapframe, the feature that automatically embeds dynamic maps right on a wiki page, is now live on most Wikipedias that lacked the feature. (Not included in the mapframe launch are nine Wikipedias [1] that use the stricter version of Flagged Revisions).
If you you’re new to mapframe, this Kartographer help page [2] shows how to get started putting dynamic maps on your pages. If you’d like to read more about map internationalization: this Special Update [3] explains the feature and its limiations; this post [4] and this one [5] describe the uses of the new parameter, lang=”xx”, which lets you specify a map’s language. And here are some example maps [6] to illustrate the new capabilities.
These features could not have been created without the generous programming contributions and advice of our many map-loving volunteers, including Yurik, Framawiki, Naveenpf, TheDJ, Milu92, Astirlin, Evad37, Pigsonthewing, Mike Peel, Eran Roz, Gareth and Abbe98. My apologies to anyone I’ve missed.
The Map Improvements 2018 [7] project wraps up at the end of June, so please give internationalized maps and mapframe a try soon and give us your feedback on the project talk page [8]. We’re listening.
[1] https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T191583 [2] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Extension:Kartographer [3] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Map_improvements_2018#April_18,2018,_Special_Update_on_Map_Internationalization [4] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Map_improvements_2018#April_25,_2018,_You_can_now_try_out_internationalization(on_testwiki) [5] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Map_improvements_2018#April_26,_2018:_OSM_name_data_quirks_and_the_uses_of_lang=%E2%80%9Clocal%E2%80%9D [6] https://test2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Map_internationalization_examples [7] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Map_improvements_2018 [8] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk:Map_improvements_2018
Email from Joe Matazzoni Product Manager, Collaboration Wikimedia Foundation, San Francisco
Discussion
Comment from imagico on 10 May 2018 at 09:21
It is unfortunate that you choose not to use automatic transliterations (as suggested here) and thereby encourage your users to add non-verifiable transliterations to the OSM database.
Sven Geggus has done a lot of work in this field you could build on although i kind of suspect this is not primarily due to technical difficulties but due to the cultural differences between Wikipedia and OSM - in other words: That Wikipedia sees the addition of non-verifiable transliterations to the OSM database as a positive thing that is good to encourage.
Regarding map design - this might be of interest. I find it quite noticeable that although Wikipedia has a lot of competence and experience in map design for screen use - see for example
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Maps/Conventions https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Graphic_Lab/Map_workshop https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Sting/Gallery:_Regional_maps
which gained it quite a bit of respect and recognition even outside the project i cannot really recognize much of this is the new interactive maps. Was there any substantial design discussion for this map regarding the embedded applications you introduce here?
Comment from Zverik on 10 May 2018 at 11:27
I agree with Christoph, transliterations are very important. Even we in maps.me use libicu for that — grateful to Sven for showing the way in his FOSS4G talk.