User Guide: Introduction Message

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User Guide
Getting started
Guidelines
Philosophy
Advice for new users
Editing places (tags)
Introduction Message
Adding place
Places and place tags
Languages
Polygons (outlines)
Photos
Addresses
Categories
Parent & Child tags
Comments
Deleting places
Deletion criteria
Linear features (Transportation)
Roads edit
Railroads edit
Ferry edit
Rivers edit
Other UI features
The main screen
Wikimapia's URL
Map types
My account (profile)
Geotools
Searching
User Script
Community
Forum
Finding help
Experience points
User account
User levels
Other users
Voting
Vandalism
Banning users
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Technical issues
Satellite images
To do

Welcome to Wikimapia

Greetings,

Welcome to Wikimapia! We are moderators for Wikimapia and part of the Advanced User community who ensure the map is described with interesting and accurate information. We also maintain the map to prevent clutter, spam and offensive submissions. In addition, we help new users who may not know the rules and practices of Wikimapia.

As you are a new user, we realize it will take you time to understand the rules and how to get the best out of Wikimapia for your own benefit. With this in mind, we have sent you this message that contains the important basics required for your experience in Wikimapia to be a more well-informed, compliant and pleasant one.

Fig. 1

Best map view

Due to a change in Wikimapia's service, all place tags without polygon outlines are not visible in the default view of the newer system. However, the older place tags are still viewable as squares and rectangles in the 'Satellite + old places' map view and the 'Wikimapia Classic' map view.

Before adding a place tag please choose 'Satellite + old places' as your main map view for place tagging. Click on 'Map type' > 'Satellite + old places' (highlighted in Fig. 1 ←). The 'Satellite + old places' map view will show places that are already marked. If you find an older place tag, please convert it by clicking "Add outline" under the square/rectangle. Do not duplicate an existing place tag.

What can be added

• Any non-movable place that exists at this particular moment in time. Historical/disappeared places can be added but they must have the 'historical layer / disappeared object' category.
• A place must have at the very least a properly constructed outline.
• Settlement place tags such as cities, towns, villages and neighborhoods must have a properly assigned category.
• Planes, submarines, circuses and other movable objects may be added if they are still for at least a week.

What NOT to add

Please think carefully before adding a place tag, there are certain things that are forbidden. Place tags that meet the following deletion criteria should not be added:

• An outline that does not mark any identifiable place.
• A historical/disappeared place without the 'historical layer / disappeared object' category.
• A planned building or road that has not entered the construction phase.
• Movable objects that are still for less than a week and not present at the tag's intended location.
• A place tag that marks temporary or intangible events such as battles etc.
• A place tag that is a copy of another place tag.
• A personal/private residence that does not contain an address or useful information.

Make sure these do not apply to your place tags.

Tagging etiquette

The standard we are aiming for is that place tags must be meaningful and have official titles. Please read the following:

► How do I draw a polygon around a place properly?
Once in edit mode, you should manipulate the red polygon with care so that it traces the map image of your place accurately. This is done by moving the small red squares (points) located on each corner of the polygon. You can even add or remove points if necessary. Ensure the outline does not cover other places; only the intended place should be marked.

► The map image of an object I want to mark covers other places, how should I mark it?
You should still outline it as accurately as possible. However, if the map image of the object conflicts with other marked places, you should only mark the base or footprint of the building. This method should be applied to map images of tall structures like skyscrapers which cover other places because they were photographed at an oblique angle.

► What should I put as the title?
Place tags should have official titles whenever possible. For businesses this would pretty much always mean the actual name of the business, as shown on the building, for example "McDonald's" etc.

► What about titles for private homes?
This will almost always be its address. The addition of personal names like "John", "Raju", "Suzy" etc. and informal wordings such as "My sweet home", "My house", "My palace" etc. are not satisfactory for titles of place tags because they are not official titles. However, there can be exceptions for places like historic houses and places that do not have building numbers or names.

It is important you obtain permission from the owner/occupant of the house you intend to mark. If you do not have permission, do not include their personal details. Remember, private information can be abused and exploited if made public.

► I don't know the official title of the place I'm marking, what should I do?
If you do not know the official title of a place, you may save your place tag without a title. However, you should attempt to give it the most appropriate label and a useful description whenever possible. In addition, you must give it an address and category as explained further below.

► What about descriptions?
Descriptions are useful or interesting details that describe your place tags. Even a few sentences will be sufficient for a description.

► What is the address section?
You should add the street/road name and number of the place you are marking in the address section of the place tag. The address section is for street/road addresses only, do not include other details.

► What are categories and how do I use them?
Categories are labels that classify places according to their function. They are especially useful when searching for specific place tags using the category search tool. You must add at least one suitable category for your place tags, however, you should avoid the addition of unnecessary category combinations wherever possible. For example, the "shopping mall/center" category should only be used for shopping malls and shopping centres; other categories like "store/shop", "restaurant", "pet shop" etc. (which can be found in the shopping mall) should not be added because only the mall is being tagged. Remember, all places must have their own categories.

► What is the building checkbox in my place tag?
The building checkbox is for places that are buildings i.e. a man-made structure with a roof, walls and an entrance. It should only be ticked if your place tag describes a building. Places that are not found under a roof and within the walls of a building, for example parking lots etc. should not be ticked as a building. The checkbox is important because building place tags are exclusively identified with a dark grey colour in the 'Map view'. If your tag is about a group of buildings or buildings within an estate, do not tick this box.

Other important things to remember

Fig. 2

• The right tool for the right job. Please use the correct tool for marking your objects:
  • Polygons (created with the "Add place" tool) are for static or stationary places such as settlements, boundaries, forests, lakes, islands, buildings and places within buildings (e.g. shopping malls, office buildings etc.) etc.
  • Linear tools ("Road", "Railroad", "Ferry" & "River") found in the "Edit map" menu (see Fig. 2 →) must be used to mark transport routes and waterways. You will be able to use linear tools after you have gained some experience with the "Add place" tool.
• Add real places. Do not add non-existent or nonsensical contributions, such as "I love you", false words or silly polygons. If these places do not exist in reality, please do not mark them.
• Languages. Please add your place tag title and description using the correct language page. If you wish to add non-English text, please select 'Add another language' from the tag menu and then choose your desired language from the choices available. Mixing languages is not acceptable because it causes confusion for non-native speakers.
• Regarding photos & images. Please add relevant photos only. It is unacceptable to add photos that do not have a direct relation to the place being marked. These include but are not limited to passport/portrait photos of people, celebrities, random corporate logos, cartoons/clip art images, religious symbol adornment etc. Also, copyrighted images must not be used if you do not have permission to use them.
• Advertising. Place tags created purely for advertising are strictly not allowed. Place tags that show clear examples of aggressive advertisement descriptions such as sale pitches, prices, bargains, recruitment details etc. shall be deleted. Advertisement details are only permissible if they:
  • are composed in good taste
  • contain useful information
  • are presented with a neutral point of view
• Unnecessary CAPITALIZATION. Do not type every word in upper caps/upper case. For example, "GREEN HILL CENTRAL LIBRARY" is visually unpleasant compared to the mixed caps of "Green Hill Central Library". Titles and descriptions in mixed caps are proper and easier to read.
• Wikipedia Links. Do not add fake Wikipedia links in the Wikipedia link section. Adding false links is deceptive and thus prohibited. Links to non-existent Wikipedia pages will be deleted. Do not add Wikipedia link to a different language interface, for example, a Wikipedia link in English should only be applied to a tag that is in the English page, and not to insert Wikipedia link in other languages. You can insert the link to the correct and appropriate language pages if the tag had that particular languages been translated.

Useful links

In addition to the User Guide box to the right of this page, there are some useful links below which are official documentations from Wikimapia's Forum and Wiki. They form an invaluable guide so please follow them.

• Official Guidelines
• Terms of Reference (The fine print)
• Neutral Point of View
• Advice for beginners
• About place tags and tagging
• User Guide: Deleting Places
• Deletion
• Deletion Criteria: What isn't allowed to be marked
• User Guide: Vandalism
• Forum and banning guidelines

And finally...

Please don't panic about this message, it is our intention to help you use Wikimapia correctly. If you have any questions please contact any Advanced User via the message system, or you can visit the forums here.

Thanks for your time and patience.

Warm regards,

The Advanced User Community

"Let's describe the world together!"

The information on this page does not supersede the official policies of Wikimapia nor does it represent the views of Wikimapia's administrators or team members.