-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Wikimedia Commons Atlas of the World
Date:   Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:22:37 -0800
From:   Brian Bach <[log in to unmask]>
To:     [log in to unmask]


All,

Yesterday, in search of a quick online answer to a simple map question regarding the island of Saaremaa off the coast of Estonia, I happened to blunder upon the Wikimedia Commons Atlas. The question (whether there are diacriticals in the spelling of the name on various map editions) was readily answered.

Anyway, I'm wondering what Maps-L members think of this growing web resource (e.g. its quality, value, reliability, etc.). Personally, it strikes me as a decent starting point for online quick reference, either for the casual user or the serious student. With the 'Wiki_____' culture garnering everything from ecstasy to contempt, I was curious to find a general response. Is this particular example a cobbled-together consumer package for our impatient times, or a credible 'gateway' of great potential and community?  The truth of course, will always be somewhere in between, I should think.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Atlas

Thanks,

Brian

Brian P. Bach
Documents/Maps
Brooks Library
Central Washington University
400 E. University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926-7548
USA
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http://www.amazon.com/Calcuttas-Edifice-Buildings-Great-City/dp/8129104156