Boosting Goa’s Presence on Wikipedia – Goan Wikipedians Team Gets To Work

We live in a world where a simple Google search can flood us with so much information. At a simple click, we are able to track information and facts from across the world, but when it comes to our own Goa, for many, not versed with Goa’s knowledge, it’s a roadblock. 

Wikipedia would otherwise be a very good option for many facts, but Goa’s bank of information is very limited on this platform. And as such, to revolutionize this space, a team of dedicated people, with support from some renowned Goans in different fields, are set to boost Goa’s presence on Wikipedia. 

Wikipedians of Goa – a group of like-minded people – have come together with about 25 other volunteers, to go about contributing content and photographs about Goa on the Wikipedia platform. 

With a team formed and its priorities listed, Wikipedians of Goa are going about putting information on various places, cultures, and anything and everything related to Goa – all backed by accurate and reliable sources. 

Over the weekend, the team had online sessions for its volunteers to enable a proper understanding of how to go about contributing content for Wikipedia. The team, led by software engineer Tanmay Pereira Naik, is aiming that in a few months, almost every Goan village will find its place online on the global encyclopedia page. 

All this will only prove to be a key booster for Goa’s image on the online world, as accurate information, backed by sources that are authentic, will enable many others to know more about the tiny state of Goa and some of its picturesque villages. The identity given to such locations on the online space will prove imperative in the long run. 

Besides addressing other aspects of contributing content to Wikipedia, the volunteers were also guided on how to upload images through the Wikimedia Commons App. With image copyright issues being a top concern in today’s digital world, advisories against uploading images that are not clicked by themselves were shared through the sessions.

During the last couple of months, the Wikipedians of Goa group had set out to create content for many of Goa’s Wikipedia pages, besides also editing already available ones. Some have gone about creating pages on Goan villages such as that of Raia and Nachinola, while journalist Frederick Noronha, has created a page on animal rights and welfare in Goa. It lists different information on animal rights organizations and other related topics to animal rights.  

The Wikipedians of Goa has been existing in the state for a couple of years now. Its aim also includes providing content about Goa in different languages. With its objectives clear, the group has made a remarkable strides towards enhancing Goa’s identity on the encyclopedia platform through a set of robust Goan pages.  

With many youths turning to Wikipedia to get their information on various topics, the invitation is clear – be courteous and contribute back towards the platform that once was at your rescue.