Wikispot
WikiSpot R&D is developing a wiki project named WikiSpot. The definition of the project is:
- WikiSpot is an online public system of electronic, chronological, and geolocalized filing of pictures and videos of spots. The WikiSpot system integrates three parts: Recording, Searching and Watching wikispots.
WikiSpot functions in partnership with Google-Earth (by the means of the wikispot.kmz file) which allows the posting of the WikiSpot markers on the satellite images of Google-Earth, as well as a direct access to the wikispots (video, images files, and information) simply by clicking on a Google-Earth marker.
WikiSpot was founded by Eric Loonis who is a clinician psychologist (PhD). WikiSpot Research & Development is a non profit organization which, through the effort of the unpaid work of its members, is devoted to the online diffusion of WikiSpot format images and videos and which can, secondarily, find a financial support through the online diffusion and marketing of online advertising spaces, intended to promote the products turning around electronic images, videos, electronic devices to record images and videos (electronic video and photo cameras), hiking material, camping, geolocalization (GPS), sport, travel products, tourism, hotel trade, transport (trains, airline and shipping companies…), leisure vehicles (4 wheel drive, RV), roadmaps… without limitation to these only products in the future.
Since October 2007, wikispots markers visibled in Google Earth are integrated in the Best of Google Earth Community layer.
Moral goal
Our planet is in danger: pollution, climatic upheavals caused by the human activities, melting of the ices and glaciers, desertification, deforestation, multiple destructions of our environment, reduction in the biodiversity of animals and plants, overpopulation and gangrene of the cities… Our planet, the Earth, is sick of the Man who ransacks it, dirties it and disfigures it. Also, for the future generations, it is our duty to keep at least electronic images of what will become our past.
- Such is the moral goal of WikiSpot: to constitute and keep a memory of the planet, in order to allow, later, an archaeology of image, a "pictarcheology" which will accompany ground archaeology, to allow Humanity to keep, in spite of the upheavals in progress, the roots of its past, necessary for the branches of its future. For that, the WikiSpot system associates 4 tools:
- WikiSpot recording format: to take a 360° panorama in photographs and/or video of each spot of the planet, i.e. to make a "wikispot";
- Google-Earth showing: each wikispot will be posted on the satellite representation of Earth in Google-Earth;
- WikiSpot filing: each wikispot will be recorded in the WikiSpot system, free accessible to the public by the means of the Internet network;
- Public contribution: the WikiSpot system will be fed by the public online, by the Net surfers, the "wikispotters"
Definitions
- WikiSpot - wikispot: proper noun, the WikiSpot system (always in camel word to indicate the system in proper noun); common noun, the designation of spots recorded in the WikiSpot system (to record a wikispot, to click on a wikispot).
- to wikispot: verb, action to photograph and film a spot according to the WikiSpot Protocol, with an aim of producing and recording a wikispot.
- wikispotter: common noun, the person who creates, photographs, films and records one or more wikispots in the WikiSpot system.
- wikispotting: common noun, the action of the wikispotter who photographs, films and records a wikispot in the WikiSpot system.
Analyze of the WikiSpot definition
- A public system: WikiSpot is addressed to the public, in the whole world; it is free access, without any restriction in its use; the system is only limited by the rules of its operation (WikiSpot Format, technical instructions, Contract of transfer of wikispots, common rules of morality, decency, private life, copyright, etc).
- An online system: WikiSpot is an online system accessible by the Internet network; it is hosted on Web server platforms as an information processing system.
- An electronic filing system: WikiSpot records wikispots accumulates and keeps this information in the memory of electronic systems (or any other memory system in the future), thus creating a perpetual, continuous, and long term file.
- A chronological filing: the wikispots are sorted in the WikiSpot system in a chronological way, according to date and hour of the wikispotting.
- A geolocalized filing: the wikispots are also sorted in the WikiSpot system according to geographical terrestrial coordinates in latitude and longitude.
- A filing of pictures and videos of spots: WikiSpot files fixed electronic pictures and videos (films) of geographical spots. Pictures and videos match with a camerawork of the spot according to the principles defined in the WikiSpot Format.
Future Perspectives
The WikiSpot system is yet in beta stage (development stage). Future objectives of the WikiSpot R&D are:
- the development of a direct upload wiki system for images and videos of wikispots;
- the development of a dedicated Web server platforms network able to ensure storage and upload-download broadband of multimedia files online;
- the development of a high resolution wikispots (images and videos) sale service;
- the development of a professional and amateurs wikispotters network able to realize high quality wikispots;
- the promotion of the Memory of Earth concept, a picture archeology, and the protection of Nature and environment against human polluting activities and activities destroying the natural conditions.
WikiSpot format
The WikiSpot Format defines the code of good practice for the camerawork of a wikispot. The compliance with these rules is the principal criterion of a good quality wikispot, meeting the objectives which ensue from the definition of WikiSpot. These rules are as follows:
- The wikispotter is held at the exact place of the spot which corresponds to the geographical localization (latitude and longitude) which will be booked to classify the wikispot in the system.
- The wikispotter turns twice round himself: first once to take a series of pictures of the spot while ensuring himself of a sufficient covering between two pictures and to make a turn slightly exceeding 360 degrees; one second time to take a video film of the spot, while turning slowly, the turn slightly exceeding 360 degrees. Both rotations are done roughly starting from North and clockwise (from left to right).
- The wikispotter is able to locate the geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the point of camerawork with the highest possible degree of accuracy.
- The wikispotter is able to know precisely the date (month, day, and year) of the wikispotting and the time (hours, minutes) of the end of the wikispotting.