Thanks Galder We now have two ways to incorporate Our World in Data interactive maps into EN WP.
1) The all Commons approach https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Interactive_data_graphics_by_Our_World_in_Data 2) The iframe with consent popup approach. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Pages_using_gadget_OWIDPopup We are working on tools to make the iframe approach easier to use (hopefully out in a few days). Our interactive calculators as discussed last year in The Signpost https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2025-01-15/Technology_report 1) Have been used within more than 300 EN WP pages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Pages_using_gadget_Calculator 2) One of my favorite includes on this article about an optical illusion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCller-Lyer_illusion 3) Looks like it is live in around 18 languages https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131344252#sitelinks-wikipedia Another project we are working on currently is how to improve our support of maps. Best, James On Wed, Oct 28, 2026 at 7:11 AM Galder Gonzalez Larrañaga via Wikimedia-l < [email protected]> wrote: > Dear all, > Those who know me or have read previous mails know that I like > interactivity and augmented experiences. In the past, I have written mails > to this list explaining why I think we are behind the needs of the people > who come to our platforms for learning. That's why I'm writing you this > text, which is not a newsletter, but might become one in the future. > > *Why interactivity, now* > Large language models can already produce fluent encyclopedic prose on > demand, so plain text is fast becoming a commodity. What they can't easily > replicate is a structured, interactive way to explore a topic, something a > reader manipulates, compares, and watches change. Humans learn in a variety > of ways, and text is only one of those ways. A compelling story, a > multimedia layer, something that can be touched by the reader makes the > experience better. If Wikimedia projects want to stay places to learn > rather than pages to skim, that layer of discovery is where we can add > value an LLM chat window can't. > On the Basque Wikipedia we've spent the last few months building exactly > that: interactive charts, maps, sliders, and even a wiki-race game, layered > on top of our articles. A few recent examples below, in case other language > communities want to copy the approach. > *What we've recently built (some examples)* > > - *Gizaki *(Human: https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizaki#Eboluzioa): a > world population chart, and out-of-Africa interactive map ( > https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizaki#Historiaurrea), a draggable > human-anatomy slider and an interactive compared anatomy template, and a > 100-square waffle chart to make proportions visible at a glance that loads > information from Wikimedia Commons .tab files. We also added videos from > our project Ikusgela, and the great OWID visualizer ( > https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:List_of_interactive_graphs), > making this one of the richest articles in Wikipedia. > - *Zaldia *(Horse: https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaldi#Taxonomia)*:* a > foldable cladogram ({{klado tolesgarri}}) readers expand themselves, and a > horse-human skeleton comparison via {{Irudi interaktiboa}} that makes > anatomical differences visible instead of just described ( > https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaldi#Eskeletoa). > - *Izurri Beltza* (Black Death: > https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izurri_beltza#Izurriaren_kronika)*:* we > replaced a static, hand-drawn plague map with a series of OSM-based > interactive map ({{OSM kokapen mapa}}), so the epidemic's spread can be > explored geographically. The text includes links to the map, and the map > points to the text sections. > - *Hiruwiki:* (https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Hiruwiki) a growing > family of vanilla JS/CSS math gadgets now with physics capabilities. > Because you can learn more by manipulating a sound wave than just looking > at the math formula: https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soinu#Soinu-uhinak. > - *Interactive climate data:* we have been expanding geographical > articles from official census data, and recently we have added climate data > for the United States and France articles. This data comes from official > sources (i.e. NOAA), and can be updated montly with the last data. The > visualization makes a point on climate change. Take a look to the article > about Alabama (https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama#Klima) or > Bordeaux (https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordele#Klima). > - *Up-to-date thematic maps:* let's say that you read that in your > town the Gini index is 27,9. How do you compare it to the rest of the > province? We can make interactive maps from data in Commons: Gini index in > Gipuzkoa: > > https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zerrenda:Gipuzkoako_udalerriak_Gini_indizearen_arabera. > Income by county in Illinois: > > https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zerrenda:Illinoisko_konderriak_errentaren_arabera. > These maps are generated from data that can be updated easily in Commons. > > *Copy it, and let's compare notes* > If your community wants to try something similar, get in touch: we're > happy to share the templates, Lua modules, and gadget code behind any of > these, and to help adapt them to another wiki's needs. We'd also love to > hear what interactive elements other projects are already building, so we > can borrow from you too. > Best, > Galder > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], guidelines > at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > Public archives at > https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/HJP6ZIDTGWN3NNUH77UDLQ2PQNXIFEGR/ > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > -- James Heilman MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
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