Welcome to the coordination page for wikipassports
Wikipassport is a paper booklet where each wiki-user can collect stamps from institutions participating in the wikipassport network. In this page you can find useful information on how the network works for both wiki-users, willing to get a wikipassport, and for institutions, interested in joining the network.
I'm an institution with sources: how can I join the network?
Does the wikipassport have a nationality? No, the wikipassport has no borders, just like wiki projects.
Who issues wikipassports? Anybody and nobody. There is no central registry for wikipassports. You can find a preprinted version in some institutions participating in the initiative but the easiest way is to download it from here.
Which personal data are present in the wikipassport? With the aim of respecting the great diversity of languages and cultures that enrich the world, the format of the wikipassport is designed to be neutral and universal. Rather than requesting personal data, it was decided to limit the information to the identity used to contribute to wiki projects. There are two empty spaces in the passport: one where you can place the image that you feel is most representative of your wiki identity and the other one where you can write the user name you use when contributing to wiki projects. This second one is the only information that is mandatory.
Does the wikipassport expire? The wikipassport has no issue and no expiration date. The wikipassport expires when you have visited so many institutions that there is no more physical space for further stamps. In such case, you need to print, or to obtain a new wikipassport from an institution part of the network.
What if I lose the wikipassport? From a security point of view, there is no damage. As explained in the answer to the previous question on personal data, it has been intentionally avoided to use real or sensible data. The greatest damage will be a “sentimental” one as you will no longer be able to look at your stamps to remember which insitutions you have visited.
Can stamps only be collected at institutions? Most stamps can only be collected at institutions part of the network. However promotional events for wikipassports are foreseen as part of other wiki events (conferences, tours, …): here you will be able to collect special stamps.
Why is the coordination page not available in my native language? This page, as well as the other information pages, are maintained by a group of volunteers. Languages currently available are the ones that the group knows well enough to write in. If you wish to join the group and help us to increase the number of available languages you can contact us here.
How do I know which institutions I can visit? The list of the institutions can be found in this subpage. The list is constantly growing as well as the covered cultural areas: this will allow all wikipassport holders to have a fair number of institutions within a travel day distance.
Which are my obligations as holder of a wikipassport? No frequency in contribution is requested. However the right to get a stamp from an institution requires to have enriched at least one of the projects of the wiki-universe with a contribution related to the sources available in the visiting institutions.
How can I constantly be updated about the extension of the network of institutions? Beside checking regularly the list, you can add your name in the contributors list and,whenever ther is any news, you will receive a notice when logging on a wiki project (Wikipedia, Commons, ...)
I ran out of space for stamps: what can I do? When there is no more room for new stamps, you need to get a new blank passport either asking one at the institutions part of the network, or downloading it from here.
That's cool. How can I promote the initiative? Beside the evergreen word of mouth both towards other contributors and towards new institutions, you can add this userbox in your user-page of wiki projects. Furthermore, you can add your name in this page to help us with the work necessary to keep this and other info pages updated or to organize or collaborate in the promotional events.
Can an institution ask me for other documents besides the wikipassport? Entrance to the institution and access to the sources occurs accordingly to the rules of the institution and to applicable laws of the Country. The delivery of a blank wikipassport, when available, is not subject to the request of an identification document.
Which checks is the institution allowed to do before stamping the wikipassport? The institution, before stamping the wikipassport, can ask to see the wikipassport to read the user name, can ask to which project you contributed to using the sources available in the institutions and can crosscheck that such contributions are not vandalism.
Who can I contact to become part of the network? The participation in the network is formally defined through an agreement with the local chapter of Wikimedia. You can report your interest using either the references available in the page "About us" or the links to the Chapters available in the footer of the present page.
Which obligations I have after joining the network? To join the circuit we ask you to make available for consultation, if not yet done, the sources you own. Additionally you should arrange a station (e.g. a laptop and and seat) with access to Internet to allow for the updating of information on wiki projects.
Which benefits come by joining the network? Once the institution has joined the network, its name will be added to the list used by the holders of the wikipassport. Additionally, when formalizing the agreement, further ways of collaboration and promotion of the institutions can be defined, with specific reference to cultural branch of the institution.
What kind of preparation is requested for my staff? The staff will receive a basic training on the wikipassport to enable them to answer the most common questions from the general public. More articulated forms of training can be defined when negotiating the agreement.
Can I promote the initiative? The promotion of the initiative is welcome. To respect the wiki-spirit, the initiative must not be associated to fund-raising activities.
How can I know the real identity of the user? Without prejudice to the applicable procedures for entering the building and to access the sources, it is not required to verify the real identity of the holder of a wikipassport before stamping it.
