Wikipedia:Wikipedia Takes Manhattan/Spring 2008

Participation will be open to all, student or not. Participants will register, with their names and e-mails, and chosen starting point, to compete in three-person teams. If you don't already have a team, we can try to put you in a group, or you can compete in twos or individually if you want. Registration will include granting permission for all photographs to be placed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

It is important to register if you plan on coming to the party that night, whether or not you choose to compete (for example, if you want to volunteer). If you don't plan on competing, you can note that in the 'Team name' section.

Register online here: Wikipedia Takes Manhattan registration

However, even if you've pre-registered, you will still have to show up at one of the starting points on the day of the events to check in and receive your information packet, including the finalized goal list and rules.

There will be two starting points: one uptown at Columbia University, and one downtown at Union Square (run by NYU students). Although most people will check in in the morning, the starting points will be manned till 7 PM for latecomers.

• Columbia starting point: the Sundial in front of Low Memorial Library at 11:30 AM (information packets with goal list will be given out at 12 noon). Will run till 7 PM.
• Union Square starting point (run by NYU students): Union Square, Union Square Whole Foods, Cafe on the 2nd Floor, North East Corner. Will run till 7 PM.

A few extra notes for contestants:

• Each team should use only one camera.
• You should start the day with an empty flash card.
• Bring a pen or marker to write with.

The student participants will compete to photograph as many sites as possible from a list of goals whose articles lack photographs, or that are missing certain essential photographs. There may also be recognition of excellent photographs of sites not on the list.

• See: Wikipedia:Wikipedia Takes Manhattan/Goals (currently in a rough state)

Photography is to be done the day of the event. We'll post rules later that will ensure this.

Code of conduct

• Respecting personality rights: You should not make persons on the street the focus of your photographs, without their permission. If someone is in the background, or part of a crowd, or happens to be standing in front of a building in an inconspicuous way, it's OK. But, you shouldn't focus on an individual.
• Respecting the rights of artists: Artists have the right to restrict photography of their artwork, such as public statues (this does not apply to architecture, for which there exists a "freedom of panorama" exception under US law). Don't photograph copyrighted public art (created after 1923). If it is necessary to include public art in the frame to photograph something else, the public art should not be the focus of the photograph.
• Respecting the rights of property owners: Property owners have the right to restrict you from taking a photograph while standing on their property. But, you can take any photograph as long as you are standing on public property. If someone asks you to stop, stop.
• Respecting the police: If the police ask you to stop, stop.

Photography advice

• Keep pictures in focus.
• Avoid shadows.
• Show the whole subject in one shot, if possible; avoid cutting off tops of buildings.

The ending party will be held that night at Columbia, the photographs will be uploaded, and prizes given to the winners.

Party location: J.D. Satow Room (5th Floor, Lerner Hall (map)) at 11:30 PM. Alfred Lerner Hall is the student center at Columbia. The party will run till about midnight, or possibly later.

The first prize winning team members will get iPod shuffles jammed with free music, and the second and third prize winning team members will win free copies of the newly-published Wikipedia: The Missing Manual, generously donated by O'Reilly Media.

Wikipedian volunteers are especially encouraged to help with the organizational side of the event, either helping us with check-in during the day, or helping us upload and tally the images at the party at night. Of course, they can "compete" directly if they want as well.

If you want to help with this event (especially if you want to help with check-in during the day), please e-mail User:Pharos with your name and mobile phone number.

Even if you don't intend to compete, if you're coming to the party, you should still register online.

The set-up period for volunteers at the party will start at 10:30 PM.

The uploading at the party will be guided by this process:

• Wikipedia Takes Manhattan at the Wikimedia Commons

Wikipedians are also encouraged to help with the goal list (and make additional suggestions), as part of the preparation for the event.

Watch this space for future possible changes. And please watchlist this page.

Also, you should subscribe to the Wikimedia NYC mailing list for the latest updates.

• Pharos (talk) 20:40, 1 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

• -- RoySmith (talk) 22:06, 25 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• Fbv65edel — t — c // 16:08, 22 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• — Stakhanov (talk) 20:51, 28 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

• Pharos (talk) 20:40, 1 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]