QRpedia
QRpedia
The QRpedia website, showing a QR code, which decodes as the URL http://en.qrwp.org/QRpedia |
| URL |
qrpedia.org |
| Commercial? |
No |
| Registration |
None |
| Available language(s) |
Multilingual |
| Created by |
Terence Eden |
| Launched |
9 April 2011; 10 months ago (2011-04-09) |
| Current status |
Online |
QRpedia is a mobile Web based system which uses QR codes to deliver Wikipedia articles to users, in their preferred language.[1][2][3] QR codes can easily be generated to link directly to any Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), but the QRpedia system adds further functionality.
QRpedia was conceived by Roger Bamkin, chair of Wikimedia UK, and unveiled in April 2011. It is currently in use at institutions including museums in the United Kingdom, United States and Spain. The project's source code is freely reusable under the MIT License.
Process
When a user scans a QRpedia QR code on their mobile device, the device decodes the QR code into a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) using the domain name "qrwp.org" and whose path (final part) is the title of a Wikipedia article, and sends a request for the article specified in the URL to the QRpedia Web server. It also transmits the language setting of the device.[4]
The QRpedia server then uses Wikipedia's API[1] to determine whether there is a version of the specified Wikipedia article in the language used by the device, and if so, returns it in a mobile-friendly format.[4] If there is no version of the article available in the preferred language, then the QRpedia server offers a choice of the available languages, or a Google translation.
In this way, one QRcode can deliver the same article in many languages,[4] even when the museum is unable to make its own translations. QRpedia also records usage statistics.[4][5]
Origins
QRpedia was conceived by Roger Bamkin,[1] chair of Wikimedia UK,[6] and Terence Eden,[1] a mobile web consultant,[7] and was unveiled on 9 April 2011[1][8] at Derby Museum and Art Gallery's Backstage Pass event,[1][7] part of the GLAM/Derby collaboration between the museum and Wikipedia,[9] during which over 1,200 Wikipedia articles, in a number of languages, were also created.[10] The project's name is a portmanteau word, combining the initials "QR" from "QR (Quick Response) code" and "pedia" from "Wikipedia".[11]
The project's source code is freely reusable under the MIT License.[12]
Implementations
Though created in the United Kingdom, QRpedia can be used in any location where the user's phone has a data signal and, as of September 2011, is in use at:
QRpedia also has uses outside of museums and galleries. For example, the Occupy movement uses it on campaign posters.[17]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Eden, Terence (2011-04-03). "Introducing QRpedia". http://shkspr.mobi/blog/index.php/2011/04/introducing-qrpedia/. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ a b Anon (2011-08-19). "The Children's Museum of Indianapolis Creates New Learning Opportunities through Wikipedian-in-Residence". The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. http://www.childrensmuseum.org/Childrens-Museum-Indianapolis-Creates-New-Learning-Opportunities-through-Wikipedian-in-Residence. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ Johnson, L.; Adams, S. (2011). The Technology Outlook for UK Tertiary Education 2011-201. NMC Horizon Report Regional Analyses. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. ISBN 978-0-615-38209-8. http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2011-Technology-Outlook-UK.pdf.
- ^ a b c d e f g Byrd Phillips, Lori (2011-06-15). "Going Multilingual with QRpedia". Marcus Institute for Digital Education in the Arts. http://midea.nmc.org/2011/06/qrpedia/. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ "QRpedia Statistics (example)". http://qrwp.org/stats.php?path=QRpedia. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ "Board". Wikimedia UK. http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Board. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ a b Anon (2011-05-21). "Quiet Realities". Imperica. http://www.imperica.com/features/quiet-realities. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ Various. "Wikipedia:GLAM/Derby/QR code experiment". Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:GLAM/Derby/QR_code_experiment. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ Various. "Derby Backstage Pass". Wikimedia UK. http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Derby_Backstage_Pass. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ Roger Bamkin, interviewed on BBC Radio Derby by Phil Trow, 2011-08-30
- ^ Eden, Terence (2011-11-03). "QRpedia in Russia". http://shkspr.mobi/blog/index.php/2011/11/qrpedia-in-russia/. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
- ^ "qrwp — QR Redirection to Wikipedia". Google Project Hosting. http://code.google.com/p/qrwp/. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ Byrd Phillips, Lori (2011-07-29). "QR codes + Wikipedia = QRpedia". The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. http://blog.childrensmuseum.org/blog/wikipedian-in-residence/qr-codes-wikipedia-qrpedia. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ Hinojo, Alex (2011-05-11). "QRpedia Codes at Fundació Joan Miró". The GLAM-Wiki Experience. http://theglamwikiexperience.blogspot.com/2011/05/qrpedia-codes-at-fundacio-joan-miro.html. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ "New collaboration between Wikimedia UK and The National Archives". The National Archives (United Kingdom). 2011-09-15. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/620.htm. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ Eden, Terence (2011-09-18). "National Archives and QRpedia". http://shkspr.mobi/blog/index.php/2011/09/national-archives-and-qrpedia/. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ^ "We Don't Make Demands: Posters". 2011-12-02. http://wedontmakedemands.org/posters.php. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
External links