Open Travel Culture Jani Patokallio [email_address]

Open Travel Culture

Jani Patokallio

[email_address]

The Idea “ Travelers’ best information source is other travelers. ” -- Evan Prodromou, founder of Wikitravel

“ Travelers’ best information source is other travelers. ”

-- Evan Prodromou,

founder of Wikitravel

Wikitravel.org "Wikipedia meets Lonely Planet" Launched in July 2003 Almost 50,000 articles in 20 languages Over 20,000 in English version alone 10,000+ edits/week Webby Award for Travel in 2007 CC Attribution-ShareAlike license

"Wikipedia meets Lonely Planet"

Launched in July 2003

Almost 50,000 articles in 20 languages

Over 20,000 in English version alone

10,000+ edits/week

Webby Award for Travel in 2007

CC Attribution-ShareAlike license

Wikitravel Press We turn Wikitravel the website into printed Wikitravel guidebooks Addresses an obvious need I nternet is good, but sometimes paper is better Current guides are 3-10 years out of date Sold online at Amazon.com Ordinary bookstores are too slow for us!

We turn Wikitravel the website into printed Wikitravel guidebooks

Addresses an obvious need

I nternet is good, but sometimes paper is better

Current guides are 3-10 years out of date

Sold online at Amazon.com

Ordinary bookstores are too slow for us!

Flow between website and book: 1) Edit guide 2) Publish guide 3) Deliver guide 4) Read guide 5) Edit guide...

Technological challenges “ How can something as fluid and unpredictable as a Wiki can be turned into a professional-grade guidebook? ”

“ How can something as fluid and unpredictable as a Wiki can be turned into a professional-grade guidebook? ”

Wiki to print Why not just export HTML to PDF? Because... Single column text: waste of space Poor image handling: a thumbnailed map is useless No cross-referencing: a printed hyperlink is useless No table of contents or index: needed when you can't hit CTRL-F for Find

Why not just export HTML to PDF?

Because...

Single column text: waste of space

Poor image handling: a thumbnailed map is useless

No cross-referencing: a printed hyperlink is useless

No table of contents or index: needed when you can't hit CTRL-F for Find

Solution: Yucca Wiki to TeX to PDF engine TeX: Professional DTP engine Hairy syntax, but extremely powerful, and allows automated layout

Wiki to TeX to PDF engine

TeX: Professional DTP engine

Hairy syntax, but extremely powerful, and allows automated layout

Maps Having maps is a nice little bonus for Wikitravel.org articles... Plenty of other maps online But maps are absolutely necessary for a printed travel guide Difficult/tedious to draw by hand Major obstacle to finding editors

Having maps is a nice little bonus for Wikitravel.org articles...

Plenty of other maps online

But maps are absolutely necessary for a printed travel guide

Difficult/tedious to draw by hand

Major obstacle to finding editors

OpenStreetMap to the rescue! Vast treasure trove of detailed, CC-licensed map data Output customized with XML "style sheet" Cross-referenced with listings Automatic numbering Listing index boxes

Vast treasure trove of detailed, CC-licensed map data

Output customized with XML "style sheet"

Cross-referenced with listings

Automatic numbering

Listing index boxes

OSM v2: Helsinki, Finland

Commercial challenges “ Why is Wikitravel better than Let's Rough Planet, and can I trust what's inside? ”

“ Why is Wikitravel better than Let's Rough Planet, and can I trust what's inside? ”

Up to date travel information Coup in Thailand? Missile test in North Korea? Colonial hotel now a strip mall? Hip restaurant turned into furniture showroom? ...not according to your Let's Rough Planet...

Coup in Thailand?

Missile test in North Korea?

Colonial hotel now a strip mall?

Hip restaurant turned into furniture showroom?

...not according to your Let's Rough Planet...

Why? Information in a normal guidebook can easily be over 5 years old "Editions" are when it's sold, not when it's compiled Time lag of up to a year between research and compiling Only a small part is actually revised in each edition Most guidebooks (esp. off the beaten track) revised only once every few years

Information in a normal guidebook can easily be over 5 years old

"Editions" are when it's sold, not when it's compiled

Time lag of up to a year between research and compiling

Only a small part is actually revised in each edition

Most guidebooks (esp. off the beaten track) revised only once every few years

Editorial process Raw data from Wikitravel community Incredible coverage and depth of knowledge Over 10,000 edits weekly Hand-picked editors in charge of books Intimately familiar with destination Receive a royalty on sales

Raw data from Wikitravel community

Incredible coverage and depth of knowledge

Over 10,000 edits weekly

Hand-picked editors in charge of books

Intimately familiar with destination

Receive a royalty on sales

Print on demand Revisions every month Soon: Immediate prints of “live” data Printed on demand at a press near you Under 24 hours from order to print at Amazon

Revisions every month

Soon: Immediate prints of “live” data

Printed on demand at a press near you

Under 24 hours from order to print at Amazon

Sample order Mon: Place your order Wed: Your order ships Fri: Your order arrives (target for regular shipping in continental US, no guarantees unless you order as expedited and may take longer elsewhere) Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

Mon: Place your order

Wed: Your order ships

Fri: Your order arrives

(target for regular shipping in continental US, no guarantees unless you order as expedited and may take longer elsewhere)

Future plans Roll-your-own guides Pick your places, we print your book How fresh do you want it? Absolutely uncensored, latest patrolled version, or human-edited

Roll-your-own guides

Pick your places, we print your book

How fresh do you want it?

Absolutely uncensored, latest patrolled version, or human-edited

We're hiring! Looking for a Kuala Lumpur guide editor Content already in decent shape Maps can be taken from OSM Sign up for a 12-month contract (renewable) Royalties paid for every book sold Option to distribute locally Other guides for Malaysia, Thailand etc also possible - ask!

Looking for a Kuala Lumpur guide editor

Content already in decent shape

Maps can be taken from OSM

Sign up for a 12-month contract (renewable)

Royalties paid for every book sold

Option to distribute locally

Other guides for Malaysia, Thailand etc also possible - ask!

The Idea “ map , search, filter and share your flights and travels with friends or the entire world ”

“ map , search, filter and share your flights and travels with friends or the entire world ”

In a nutshell First open-source travel mapping application Launched January 2009 "Web 2.0" interface Map changes in realtime Share your map with friends On Facebook as well CSV/KML import/export

First open-source travel mapping application

Launched January 2009

"Web 2.0" interface

Map changes in realtime

Share your map with friends

On Facebook as well

CSV/KML import/export

Aviation data Commercial airport databases cost >US$1000 The OpenFlights airport and airline DBs are free! As of Jan 2009: 5391 airports 5871 airlines

Commercial airport databases cost >US$1000

The OpenFlights airport and airline DBs are free!

As of Jan 2009:

5391 airports

5871 airlines

Thank you!