On 27 May 2024, a Wikipedia lecture was held at the Book House Cafe in Jimbocho, Tokyo, and the lecture was published in the web media “IP mag”. This is released by Japanese startup company Wunderbar Inc. in November 2023 with the aim of expanding the possibilities of IP (Intellectual Property).
Article: ウィキペディアン海獺さんが『もったいないばあさん』真珠まりこさんの記事を充実させるイベント|IP mag 2024.06.03
The lecturer was Wikipedian 海獺 (Rakko), and the theme was “Enrich Wikipedia related to picture books: Mariko Shinju version”. Ms. Mariko Shinju is a picture book author known for her “Mottainai Grandma“. This picture book has received a great response since it was first published in 2004, and as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations, a project was organised at Book House Cafe, a shop specialising in children’s books, to enrich the Wikipedia article on Ms. Mariko Shinju.
Contents of the article
The article in IP mag first introduces the status of Wikipedia in Japan and the lecturer, followed by the content of the lecture.
1. The number of Wikipedia articles on picture books is small in relation to the publishing industry’s share of the market
The Wikipedia article on the list of million-selling picture books revealed that there are still quite a few picture books with no articles and in red. The lecturer hypothesised that because there are many male Wikipedians, few articles on picture books and children’s books of interest to women.
2. WikiGap, which aims to realise gender equality on the internet
The presentation introduced WikiGap, the Swedish initiative to increase the number of articles on women and by women on Wikipedia, and the features of Wikipedia as a starting point for deepening knowledge, in an easy-to-understand manner using YouTube and other media.
3. As a rule, do not put anything on Wikipedia that has not been published by the person in question
After the introduction of the concept of fair use in relation to the copyright of images, it was emphasised that when writing articles about living persons, great care should be taken to ensure their privacy.
4. Everyone’s official website is not a suitable source
The significance and methods of stating sources were explained, using the Wikipedia article on Mariko Shinju as an example.
5. Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia writing by everyone
The evaluation of Wikipedia articles was presented, as well as tips on how to properly organise and publish exhaustive information on the subject in an easy-to-read format.
6. Wikipedia can be delivered to environments without internet infrastructure
Expanding the focus to abroad, for example by copying Wikipedia data to a tablet, it was shown that knowledge and educational opportunities can be delivered equally in environments without internet infrastructure.
Finally, a YouTube video was shown to warn about the risks of publishing images of children, and participants were reminded of the need to be constantly aware of these risks in this age of social networking.
Comments
Above all, I am pleased that this event about Wikipedia have been properly reported. And while this event has led to the enrichment of Mariko Shinju’s Wikipedia article, hopefully it will be widely translated into other languages.
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