Wikipedia:Wikimedia logos
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[edit] Wikimania
[edit] 2006
.png/350px-Wikimania_(spacing).png)
The logo was created by Wikipedian Ben Yates (User:Tlogmer); Yates lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, close to the host location of Harvard University.
[edit] Wikimedia Incubator
A logo design competition ran in 2006. The resulting logo (right) by the user NielsF was challenged by the board for being too similar to the Wikimedia logo, thus in violation of the Wikimedia Visual Identity Policy. However it was decided not to change it against the will of the community, but to make sure that future vote were handled more closely.
[edit] External links
[edit] Wikipedia
Wikipedia's current logo, in use since October 2003, is a modification, occasionally referred to as the "silver ball", by David Friedland (Nohat) of the puzzle globe design by Paul Stansifer (Paullusmagnus), which won the International logo contest on September 2003. For more information on the history of the logo, see Wikipedia:Wikipedia logos.
[edit] Wikisource
When Wikisource began as Project Sourceberg, the contributors chose to use an iceberg as the site's logo. Organizers contacted Dr. Uwe Kils, a German marine biologist, who gave what would become Wikimedia the rights to use one of his photo manipulations as a logo. Kils' manipulation was what the above and below water segments of an iceberg look like. The image was created by mirroring a second iceberg photo, and placing it below the primary image.
The logo was used because it is "the whole iceberg" and not just the tip which pokes over the surface of the water. The iceberg logo is also reminiscent of Sigmund Freud's use of an iceberg as an analogy to illustrate his concept of the unconscious mind. Icebergs are also known for their purity, preserving water for future generations, which fit with Wikisource's objectives.
When the project changed to become "Wikisource", numerous people in the community expressed their disagreement with the logo. Some expressed discontent with the content of the logo, feeling the imagery no longer relevant, that it was not consistent with the style of other Wikimedia logos, while others simply didn't feel photography of any sort a good choice for a logo. The debate ebbed and flowed
One of the criticisms for the logo, that the Foundation didn't hold copyright to it, was ceased in May 2006. The copyright holder, Professor Dr. Uwe Kils, made a statement, "I give full copyright to wikimedia foundation to use it for any purpose whatsoever." This prevented it from being used on advertising or merchandise.[1]
[edit] Redesign process
Wikimedia participant Nick Moreau (username "zanimum"), then a graphic design student in Toronto's Humber College, decided to create a vector illustration of the Sourceberg logo, and submit it for comment.[2] Unwittingly, this sparked a large request for logos, creating an informal logo selection procedure by the end of 2005.[3] The voting procedure was not well-defined, and no closing date was set, causing confusion among the community.
In the meantime, Wikimedia's winter 2005 fundraiser used Moreau's logo in an illustration of the Foundation's projects. Wikizine, an independent email-based newsletter, also adopted this layout of logos for its subscription page.
A formal process was started in 2006.[4] This formal process however, continued to draw more entries, expanding the pool of choices. It also had no defined set of rules, and led to continued, unstructured commenting. The process was not highly promoted, causing complaints that it was hidden. Each language had its own page, separating support and opposition. Much of the commenting was done by users with limited participation in Wikisource, if any.
A small vote on the German Wikisource finally led to closure of sorts. That language's community decided to replace the existing logo (something most the English vote didn't even come to consensus on), and chose to use Moreau's logo as the replacement. On the English project's "Scriptorium", a discussion board, some question whether this meant each language would choose its own logo. The logo was soon implemented on other languages. Some participants questions the scrapping of the vote, Wikimedia president Jimmy Wales asked for positive improvement, and commented that "the idea that logos have to be voted on is just mistaken".
[edit] Wikiquote
To date, Wikiquote has had four logos. The original logos contained the following quotations:
-
- And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.
- (Erica Jong, (born 1942) American author and educator — More quotes from Jong)
- And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.
- I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to.
 Original Wikiquote Logo; active from 27 June 2003 - 25 September 2003. |
 Second Wikiquote Logo, an improved version of the first. Active from 25 September to 26 September 2003. |
 Third Wikiquote Logo; active 27 September to 22 October 2003. |
 Wikiquote's fourth and current logo; active since 22 October 2003. |
[edit] Meta
After the 2001 logo for Wikipedia was chosen, Mark Ryan designed one in a similar style, but in colour. It was for some time used as the Meta logo.
The second and third place logos of the International logo contest were appointed as the logos for Wikimedia and MediaWiki by logo contest organizer Erik Möller on October 15.
[edit] End material
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ www.cafepress.com/wikipedia
- ^ Wikisource: Revising the "Sourceberg" logo, 29 October 2004—17 May 2005.
- ^ Wikisource: [1]
- ^ Wikisource: New Wikisource logo
