News

Upload your pigeon photos to Wikimedia Commons in honor of Craig Newmark

Photo by Alan D. Wilson, CC BY-SA 2.5.

Here are some things you might know about Craig Newmark:

  • In December, Craig asked people to celebrate his 65th birthday by donating to the Wikimedia Foundation in his honor. He made a pledge to match every birthday donation up to US$650,000, calling it his birthday gift to open knowledge, and to the future of Wikipedia, which he says is “where facts go to live.”

And here is something you may not know about Craig Newmark:

  • He loves birds, especially pigeons.

Why pigeons, Craig?

“They’re practically ubiquitous, living everywhere on Earth except the Sahara and the poles,” says Newmark. “They’re amazingly diverse and beautiful. They can adapt to almost any environment—but that doesn’t mean some species haven’t been pushed to extinction. In a funny way, they’re a lot like Wikipedia. Maybe that’s why I love them both so much—Wikipedia and pigeons. Ubiquitous, diverse, resilient, never to be taken for granted.”

So what better way to honor Craig Newmark than through combining his love of pigeons with his love of Wikipedia?

That’s where we need your help. And your pigeon photos.

Photo by Sierra Communications, attribution required.

Help us honor Craig Newmark through #wikipigeon

When we asked Craig what we could do to thank him, he said that he wanted to see more pictures of pigeons on  Wikimedia Commons, which is a freely licensed repository for educational media content that hosts most of the images used on Wikipedia.  We’re calling it #wikipigeon, and our goal is to get 100 new pigeon photos on Wikimedia Commons and train 100 new people on how to upload their pigeon photos.

By sharing your photographs on Wikimedia Commons (instructions below), you can ensure that your pigeon photos can be used as an educational material around the world.

There are detailed instructions on how to upload your pigeon pictures to Wikimedia Commons. Here are the steps you need to take:

  1. Take some pigeon photos.
  2. Create an account.
  3. Go to the Upload Wizard and select photos to donate.
  4. Select “This file is my own work”.
  5. Choose a title, describe what the photo shows, and add the category “Unidentified pigeon breeds.” If you’re sure of the exact species, add that category instead.
  6. Click next, and you’re done!

Thank you—both for adding to the world’s collection of free and open knowledge, and helping us thank Craig Newmark!

Wikimedia Commons accepts all kinds of educational media content, and it’s all freely licensed—available for anyone to use, anywhere, with no fees. Exact copyright licenses can vary, but generally you need to credit the author and share any remixes under a similar license. Join them today!

Related

Read further in the pursuit of knowledge

Experience some of the world’s most beautiful places with Wiki Loves Earth 2022

Think about that feeling you get when you are walking through pristine nature. Do you think it can be captured in a single photo?  The Wiki Loves Earth photography competition celebrates the world’s natural heritage, encompassing everything from small parks to massive nature reserves. It asks photographers to dive into those areas to pick out….

Read more

Wikimedia Foundation announces $2.5 million in support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies for security of Wikipedia and organization’s other free knowledge projects

The Wikimedia Foundation is excited to announce $2.5 million in support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies that will help to ensure the security of Wikipedia, as well as the organization’s other sites and global community of volunteers. At a time of increased cybersecurity threats, this philanthropic investment from the organization of craigslist founder Craig Newmark will….

Read more

‘Unfrogettable’ picture of the year announced

Whichever frog pun (or caption) you choose to label it with, the photo above is this year’s Wikimedia Commons picture of the year. It features two Phyllomedusa rohdei, frogs endemic to Brazil, with one stepping on the other’s head, seemingly reaching for something just out of the frame. The photo was taken by biologist Renato Augusto….

Read more

Help us unlock the world’s knowledge.

As a nonprofit, Wikipedia and our related free knowledge projects are powered primarily through donations.

Donate now

Contact us

Questions about the Wikimedia Foundation or our projects? Get in touch with our team.
Contact

Photo credits