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User:Evad37/Infobox mapframe draft RFC

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Should infoboxes in general have mapframe mapping capability, and how should such maps operate by default? ~~~~

Background

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Maps in infoboxes have traditionally either been static images, which have to be manually created and updated, or pushpin maps, which display location marks on top of a static base map at specified coordinates. Since May 2018, Mapframe maps have been available on English Wikipedia. Mapframe maps show a base map from OpenStreetMap, which when clicked opens a dynamic, interactive full screen map that can be panned and zoomed. One or more features can be (and usually are) displayed over the basemap, either as markers (with or without icons) at specified coordinates, or as highlighted line or shape features (if the relevant item on OSM is tagged with a Wikidata ID).

Of all the current options for creating maps in Wikipedia, Mapframe is the fastest and easiest tool to use, the most likely to be up-to-date, and shows the most information, from street-level detail all the way to a location's position globally. There are already approximately 40 infoboxes using some form of mapframe mapping.

Mapframe maps are commonly inserted via {{maplink}} templates, but that requires several parameters. An alternative suitable for infoboxes is Module:Infobox mapframe, which can insert a mapframe map with minimal user input – instead using data from existing infobox parameters and/or Wikidata, depending on how it is configured. Such "automatic" maps can be on by default (require a parameter to be specified to turn on), off by default (require a parameter to turn on), or be on by default if another type of map is not already present. Other options, such as marker icon or styles, can have default values specified on an individual infobox basis and/or in individual articles.

This RFC is intended to gauge the broader community consensus on how mapframe maps should be used within infobox templates.

Previous discussions
Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)/Archive 159 § Should we ask for mapframe to be turned on?
Wikipedia:Village pump (proposals)/Archive 161 § OpenStreetMap (re mapframe use in countries and other territorial articles)

Examples

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Point feature with switcher (zooms)
Map
Map
Map
...
infobox headings, labels, and data omitted
...
Point feature with switcher (auto)
Map
Map
Map
Map
Map
Map
...
infobox headings, labels, and data omitted
...
Point/shape features with switcher
Map
Map
Map
...
infobox headings, labels, and data omitted
...
Line feature
Map
...
infobox headings, labels, and data omitted
...
Specified coordinates
Map
...
infobox headings, labels, and data omitted
...
Custom mapframe
(George Floyd protests)
Map
...
infobox headings, labels, and data omitted
...

Q1. Availability

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Should standard parameters for displaying mapframe maps (i.e. use of Module:Infobox mapframe) be added to the infoboxes listed at Wikipedia:Mapframe maps in infoboxes, and more generally any infobox which displays coordinates, or image-based maps, or pushpin maps?

Note: Default settings, including whether such mapframes maps are on or off by default, will depend on either local consensus, or any consenus reached in the questions below.
THIS IS A DRAFT, NOT YET OPEN FOR COMMENT/!VOTING

Q2. Display

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Should "automatic" mapframe maps be:

  • (a) on by default (and can be turned off in individual articles); or
  • (b) off by default (and can be turned on in individual articles); or
  • (c) on by default if another type of map is not already present (and can be turned on or off as required in individual articles)?
Note: This question applies to any infobox which has consensus to display automatic mapframe maps, either local consensus, or any consensus reached in Q1
THIS IS A DRAFT, NOT YET OPEN FOR COMMENT/!VOTING

Q3. Position

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Should mapframe maps be positioned towards the top of infoboxes (after any images), or at the bottom?

THIS IS A DRAFT, NOT YET OPEN FOR COMMENT/!VOTING

Q4. Wikidata coordinates

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If users do not specify coordinates in a parameter, should coordinates from Wikidata be used? Q3221735

THIS IS A DRAFT, NOT YET OPEN FOR COMMENT/!VOTING

Q5. Switcher

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Module:Infobox mapframe allows for automatic Template:Switcher-style switching between multiple mapframes, either:

  • switching between three zoom levels: "zoomed in" (default zoom level, or minimum 3), "zoomed out" (zoom level 1, and "zoomed midway" (average of "zoomed in" and "zoomed out")
  • switching between geomask areas, either manually specified, or automatically found by recursively looking up location (P276) and located in the administrative territorial entity (P131) values on the page's Wikidata item. E.g. that item's city, that city's state, and that state's country

Should switcher functionality be:

  • (a) enabled by default for zooms (and can be turned off or changed to geomasks in individual articles); or
  • (b) enabled by default for automatic geomasks (and can be turned off or changed to manually-specified geomasks or changed to zooms in individual articles); or
  • (c) not enabled by default? (and can be turned on in individual articles)
THIS IS A DRAFT, NOT YET OPEN FOR COMMENT/!VOTING