Wikistories for Wikipedia/FAQ

What is the Wikistories tool?
Wikistories is a new tool that can be used to create stories that combine images and short text, with content from Wikimedia Commons and Wikipedia. The tool is intended to support a visual format for knowledge creation & consumption, and explore engagement opportunities for users already familiar with similar tools outside the Wikimedia platform.

What is Wikistories tool going to be used for?
Wikistories tools is going to be used to create short format stories which are a combination of images from Wikimedia Commons and text from Wikipedia articles.

Who created the Wikistories tool?
The Wikistories tool has been created by the Inuka team of the Wikimedia Foundation.

What is the motivation behind creating the Wikistories tool?
WMF Inuka team regularly explores opportunities that can increase awareness about knowledge available on Wikimedia, primarily for the benefit of communities and users in regions where digital media has recently seen more growth due to greater access to mobile devices and the internet. These users are more likely to consume and create visual content. The team conducted two research studies - one in Africa with general users, and another with Wikimedia Indonesia community members - that gave better insights into the viable opportunities that can be explored through a tool like Wikistories.

How is Wikistories different from media on Commons?
Wikistories combines media from Wikimedia Commons with short text from Wikipedia to create short story cards. This is a new format, and is not similar to how content in Commons is stored or described.

Can I find the Wikistories tool in all Wikimedia projects?
At the moment, the tool is available only in Bahasa Indonesian Wikipedia. It can be considered for wider availability in a gradual manner in the near future.

Can Wikistories be used on desktops and laptops?
The user-experience is better on mobile devices; however, you can still view stories from desktops.

Why does it look broken on desktops?
Wikistories has been designed to primarily be used on mobile devices. The current version has been built with this objective in mind and may look less optimal on desktop screens.

What is a Wikistory?
Wikistory is a visual format of knowledge content that combines selected images from Wikimedia Commons along with short text descriptions from a Wikipedia article to summarize information about a certain topic in a group of sequentially viewable cards. A Wikistory can be created using the Wikistories tool that is available as a beta feature in select Wikipedias at present, for logged in users. The Wikistory can be seen on a Wikipedia article page about the topic.

Can anyone create a Wikistory? Do I need to login to create or edit a story?
A wikistory can be created by a logged in user who has enabled the Wikistories tool as a beta feature in their preferences, on the Wikipedia where the tool is available.

How do I start a story in Wikipedia?
If the tool is enabled correctly, Wikistories will be visible in the Wikipedia article page under the article title. You will see a row with options to create or view stories.
 * To view stories: simply click on any of the Wikistory icons, each one represents a story. You will be able to pause and navigate between frames.
 * To create a story: click on the “Create Wikistory” icon from the Wikistories article section.

Can I create a story for an article that has few or no photos?
Yes, you can use any images from Commons that are appropriate for the topic of the story and use them. In case there are no usable images on Commons either, you may have to reconsider your choice of article, and try again later after more images become available.

Where do the images used in Wikistories come from?
Images that can be used for Wikistories come from Wikimedia Commons

Must I always use the text from a Wikipedia article?
We strongly recommend starting with text from the article but you can edit it to fit your needs

Can I use an Image from my phone to create a story?
There is no direct method for you to use an image from your phone to create or add into a story. However, you can first follow the process of uploading the image to Wikimedia Commons, with appropriate details like category descriptions, and then use it for your story.

Can I change the font, text size and color, move text and change the background color of the story text in a Wikistory?
These types of format customizations are currently not supported yet.

Is it possible to edit (crop, resize, enhance, zoom in and out) an image I want to use for a story?
As this time there is no provision to edit an image, and it will be used as-is from Wikimedia Commons. You can only edit the order of the frames with the images, when creating a story.

Can I edit a story after I have created it?
Yes, stories can be edited. You can edit an existing story in the following ways:
 * You can access the “Edit” option from the menu in the story viewer (top right corner).
 * Stories can also be edited using a simple edit form by going to the story page in the Story namespace and using the “Edit source” tab.

Can I edit or delete a story created by someone else?
All stories can be edited by anyone, just like articles. Wikistories live under the Story namespace and can be deleted by users with the appropriate sysops permissions, the same way an article page can be deleted. More info here.

Where can I see the edit history of the story?
From the story page in the Story namespace, use the “View history” tab.

How do I see/read a Wikistory? Do I need to login?
You will have to login to your Wikimedia account or open one to create a story. You will also need to be logged in and enable the beta feature to view stories on article pages. You don't have to be logged in to view stories in the Story namespace.

Where can I find the stories I have created or contributed to?
In the Special:Contribution page you can see them all if you filter by the Story namespace

Do stories disappear from an article after 24 hours?
No, stories don't disappear after 24 hours, they are stored. You can find all the stories for an article in the Story namespace.

How can I access the Beta feature to enable Wikistories if I use the Wikipedia Android or IOS App?
Currently, the beta feature is unavailable in the Wikipedia Android or IOS App. You can only access Wikistories via the browser in incognito/private mode to bypass the app opening automatically.

How do I go back to the main article after viewing the story?
You can click on the "x" at the top right corner of the story to close the story and go back to the main article.

Can I change which article a story is linked to?
Yes, this can be done. The related article can be updated using the edit form on the story page in the Story namespace.

Can I rename a story?
Stories are pages so they can be renamed using the regular page “Move” feature.

How can I share a Wikistory on social media?
A Wikistory cannot be shared directly on social media at the moment. You can share the link to the story like any other url.

Can I reorder the images, add new ones, remove some?
In existing stories you can make changes to the images that were used. The following actions can be done:
 * Reordering: To reorder images, click/tap an image and hold for about half a second. The image will become larger and you can then drag it to its desired position.
 * Removal: Images can be removed using the “Delete page” option of the menu (top right corner)
 * Addition: New images can be added using the “+” button to the right of the thumbnails bar (bottom right corner).

What if I am not interested in seeing the stories created for an article, I just want to see the articles and read them?
You can disable or enable the Wikistories beta features from the preferences menu under the beta features tab. More info: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Beta_Features

Can I add a story to my watchlist?
Yes. A story can be added to your watchlist like any other page. From the story page on the Story namespace, you can add a story to your watchlist.

How can I find details about the images used for a Wikistory?
When viewing a story in the story viewer, the image license, author, and a link to the file page are available at the bottom of the screen.



How do I verify a story?
The story is created using content from a Wikipedia article and images from Wikimedia Commons. The information available on the story can be checked through the references available on the article. As any other article on Wikipedia, stories may also be subject to review from time to time in case changes about the topic come to be surfaced.

Are all the images used for Wikistories licensed under Creative Commons?
There are no restrictions, and all images available on Wikimedia Common can be used for stories as long as they are considered relevant for the topic.