User:Phoenix-wiki/Introduction to the Wikimedia Commons and other projects



Introduction to the Wikimedia Commons and other projects
 * By Phoenix-wiki, 18 February, 2008

This chapter of the tutorial series will cover the wikimedia commons and other sister projects of Wikipedia, all run by the Wikimedia Foundation.

The Commons
The Wikimedia Commons is a repository of freely reusable media files (images, sound recordings and animations), and currently has over two million of them. You'll find it a great place to look for images for articles you're working on or for real life stuff. To use images from the commons on another project, just insert the image as you normally would and the commons image will display as usual.

Because it's a repository of free images, it'd be great if the free images from all wikimedia projects were there, but unfortunatly, they aren't. Numerous bots work transfering images from other projects to the commons. Next time you want to upload an image, why not put it on the commons rather than (here) on the English Wikipedia?

Though the commons has a search box like Wikipedia, it's often hard to find the media you're looking for from it, due to the fact that most images aren't as clearly named as Wikipedia articles. It is often easier to use the categories under "Content" on the main page or use the category tree tool at the commons.
 * Finding media

Other projects of the Foundation

 * Wikinews

Wikinews is a project which aims to collaboratively report news on all subjects from a neutral point of view. Consider it just like any other online news service except more neutral. They do, unlike Wikipedia, accept original research because it can be hard to find reliable sources for events as they actually are happening.

Articles on Wikinews aren't normally updated as events progress &mdash; new articles are created instead.
 * Wiktionary

Wiktionary is a collaborative project that aims to produce a free dictionary and thesaurus. Each page contains definitions, a guide to pronunciation and a psmall section on etymology. Wiktionary doesn't require referencing like wikipedia yet it's still quite accurate.


 * Wikibooks


 * Wikisource


 * Wikiquote


 * Wikiversity – by JWSchmidt

Wikiversity develops and hosts learning resources. Some of these are learning materials that can be used outside of Wikiversity while others are learning projects designed for Wikiversity participants. Wikiversity makes use of resources from other Wikimedia projects and develops additional types of resources including reading/discussion groups and research projects.


 * Wikispecies


 * Meta wiki – by Majorly

Meta wiki is a central project intended to help co-ordinate all other Wikimedia projects. Basically, things that go on at Meta generally affect other projects. For example, Meta is the home of the global spam blacklist; websites added to this list will affect every project, not just Meta locally. It is also where the stewards are based, and fulfil permissions requests. Other aspects of the Foundation are also co-ordinated here, such as Fundraising (remember the huge notice that appeared at the top of every page towards the end of last year? That was created on Meta, and updated by Meta admins). Requests for new languages can be made on Meta, as well as for projects.

Since Meta-Wiki affects every project, it is multilingual, and requires lots of translations to be carried out, both locally and for the Foundation site. Meta is also the home of "meta" style pages that will affect every project - ones such as Using the pywikipediabot and Right to vanish, as well as many others. Some might argue that Meta-Wiki is an editable version of the Foundation site. You can give feedback, and point out and suggest corrections at Meta for things that affect individual projects, and the Meta site is generally home to "Foundation style" issues, such as board and steward candidates. One current event that has Meta as its home is Wikimania.