QRpedia
QRpedia is a web system for mobile devices, like mobile phones. It uses QR codes to show Wikipedia articles to people. The articles are shown in the user's own language.[1][2]
Process
[change | change source]A user uses their mobile device to scan a QRpedia QR code. The device decodes the QR code into a web address. The address has the domain name "qrwp.org". The last part of the web address is the title of a Wikipedia article.
The device sends a request for the article to the QRpedia web server. It also transmits the name of the language used by the device.[3]
The QRpedia server then uses Wikipedia's API[1] to find out if there is a version of the specified Wikipedia article in the language used by the device. If there is, it sends back the article in a mobile-friendly format.[3] If there is no translation of the requested article, then the QRpedia server offers a choice of the available languages. It also offers a Google translation.
In this way, a single QRcode can be used to find the same article, in many languages.[3] QRpedia also records usage statistics.[3][4]
Origins
[change | change source]QRpedia was invented by Roger Bamkin,[1] then chairman of Wikimedia UK,[5] and Terence Eden.[1] who is a mobile web consultant.[6] It was unveiled on 9 April 2011[1] It was unveiled at Derby Museum's Backstage Pass event.[1][6] The event was part of the GLAM/Derby collaboration between Derby Museum and Art Gallery and Wikipedia.[7] During the collaboration, over 500 Wikipedia articles were also created. The articles were in several languages. The project's name is a made-up word, using the initials "QR" from "QR (Quick Response) code" and "pedia" from "Wikipedia".
The project's source code is has a MIT License. This means that anyone can use it, free.[8]
Uses
[change | change source]QRpedia is used at:
- The Children's Museum of Indianapolis[2][9]
- Derby Museum and Art Gallery[3]
- Fundació Joan Miró,[3][10] including a travelling exhibit shown at The Tate[3]
- The National Archives, United Kingdom [11][12]
- The National Museum of Computing (UK)[13]
- Sofia Zoo, Bulgaria
- The Welsh town of Monmouth, as part of Wikipedia's MonmouthpediA project.[14]
- The New Art Gallery Walsall
QRpedia is also used in other kinds of places. For example, the Occupy movement uses it on their posters.[15]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Eden, Terence (2011-04-03). "Introducing QRpedia". Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Anon (2011-08-19). "The Children's Museum of Indianapolis Creates New Learning Opportunities through Wikipedian-in-Residence". The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Archived from the original on 2012-03-29. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Byrd Phillips, Lori (2011-06-15). "Going Multilingual with QRpedia". Marcus Institute for Digital Education in the Arts. Archived from the original on 2012-08-26. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ↑ "QRpedia Statistics (example)". Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ↑ "Board". Wikimedia Foundation. Wikimedia UK. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Anon (2011-05-21). "Quiet Realities". Imperica. Archived from the original on 2011-05-29. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ↑ Various. "Derby Backstage Pass". Wikimedia Foundation. Wikimedia UK. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ↑ "qrwp - QR Redirection to Wikipedia". Google Project Hosting. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ↑ Byrd Phillips, Lori (2011-07-29). "QR codes + Wikipedia = QRpedia". The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ↑ Hinojo, Alex (2011-05-11). "QRpedia Codes at Fundació Joan Miró". The GLAM-Wiki Experience. Archived from the original on 2012-08-26. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ↑ "New collaboration between Wikimedia UK and The National Archives". The National Archives (United Kingdom). 2011-09-15. Archived from the original on 2012-08-26. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ↑ Eden, Terence (2011-09-18). "National Archives and QRpedia". Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ↑ "Become an instant expert with a little help from your mobile". Smart UK Project. 2012-02-02. Archived from the original on 2013-07-21. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
- ↑ "Monmouth to be Wales' first WiFi town". Monmouth Today. 2012-02-29. Archived from the original on 2012-08-26. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- ↑ "We Don't Make Demands: Posters". 2011-12-02. Retrieved 2 December 2011.