Monmouthpedia is the first Wikipedia project to embrace a whole town—specifically, the Welsh town of Monmouth (/ˈmɒnməθ/MON-məth; Welsh: Trefynwy). The project aims to cover every single notable place, person, artefact, plant, animal and other things in Monmouth in as many languages as possible, but with a special focus on Welsh. This is a different scale of wiki-project. The project is jointly funded by Monmouthshire County Council and Wikimedia UK, Monmouthshire County Council intend to install free town wide Wi-Fi for the project.
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Bringing a whole town to life on Wikipedia is something new and is a testament to the forward-thinking people of Monmouth, all of the volunteers and the Wikimedia UK team. I’m looking forward to seeing other towns and cities doing the same thing. - Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia.[1]
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Monmouthpedia uses QRpedia codes, a type of bar code a smartphone can read through its camera (using one of the many free QR readers available) that takes you to a Wikipedia article in your language. QR codes are extremely useful, as physical signs have no way of displaying the same amount of information and in a potentially huge number of languages.
Articles have coordinates (geotags) to allow a virtual tour of the town using Wikipedia's mobile apps (or the Wikipedia layer on Google Streetview) and are available in augmented reality software including Layar. Monmouthpedia may not use standard black and white QR codes, in order to differentiate between MonmouthpediA codes and other schemes and individual's codes.
There are different kinds of QR code—plaques and labels—all put up with the permission of the council and building owner:
Larger ceramic or metal plaques for places exposed to the elements for articles specific to Monmouth.
Smaller plastic, ceramic or metal plaques for labelling objects non specific to Monmouth, e.g. for use in the Flora and Fauna guide.
Labels for use inside buildings, e.g. for objects in museums.
Glass stickers in the windows of shops to give information on their professions
In addition there will be information posters, signs, notice boards and leaflets to help people contribute and stay informed.
The amount, detail and quality of the information that the community could create is staggering. The Council for British Archaeology has designated Monmouth as the seventh best town for archaeology in Britain. Knowledge gives us context, it allows us to appreciate our surroundings more: Monmouth may well be the first place in the world to offer its tourist information in over 250 languages.
We have over 1,000 QRpedia codes in Monmouth, including the museums. If you think you can help, contact info@wikimedia.org.uk
We are very keen for local people to be involved however they wish. Computer skills are not important, it’s the interest and the willingness to be involved, there is a wealth of opportunities for community involvement:
there were so many pubs in Monmouth's market place that they said "A gin court here, a gin court there, No wonder they call it Agincourt Square" (sign pictured)? 4th April
Osbaston'shydropower station (pictured) can produce 670 MWh of electricity each year and allows salmon to travel upstream?
... that new Monmouth Alms Houses are to be provided by the charity established nearly four hundred years ago to build the original dwellings? 19th May
The Charles Rolls Challenge was held to reward contributors, we had an amazing response, many people wrote 10, 20 even 50 articles, the top contributors are listed below.
The Geoffrey of Monmouth Challenge was held to reward contributors, we had an amazing response, many people wrote 10, 20 even 50 articles, the top contributors are listed below.
Monmouth Ladies Cricket Team in the 1950's. Anthony Cope
Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers colours, Monmouth Regimental Museum
Tintern Village c. 1914 showing pool and Royal George by W.A. Call, Andrew Helme, Monmouth Museum
Bees for Development QRpedia code plaque Adrian Riley for Monmouthshire County Council
View of the Wye and Monmouth Rowing Club taken from Wye Bridge, in winter, mid 1980s. colour effect is due to image being last one on the roll of film. Dawnswraig
The Kymin, Monmouth, Mike Peel
Robin Owain in the "Monmouthpedia Control Centre" during Monmouthpedia Day Rock drum
Dramatisation of the trial of the Chartists at Shire Hall, Monmouth, including background information (7 parts) Michael Booth
There are over 1000 new images that have been donated to Wikimedia Commons since the project started, a gallery of all the new images related to Monmouth can be found here
Please add yourself to this list if you contribute to an article, sign it using four tildes ~~~~ or click the Signature and Timestamp icon on the edit bar