Listen to Wikipedia

Listen to Wikipedia
Developer(s)	Stephen LaPorte, Mahmoud Hashemi
Repository	github.com/hatnote/listen-to-wikipedia
Written in	JavaScript and HTML
License	3-clause BSD license

Short description: Real-time visualization and sonification of Wikipedia activity

Listen to Wikipedia, also known as L2W or Hatnote: Listen To Wikipedia, is a multimedia visualizer developed by Mahmoud Hashemi and Stephen LaPorte which translates recent Wikipedia edits into a display of visuals and sounds. The open source software application creates a real-time statistical graphic with sound from contributions to Wikipedia from around the world. To accomplish this, L2W uses the graphics library D3.js.^[1]

The concept of Listen to Wikipedia is based on BitListen, originally known as Listen to Bitcoin, an application by Maximillian Laumeister.^[2]^[3]

Presentation

Listen to Wikipedia exhibited at the University of Virginia

Audio

Each edit produces a note in the pentatonic scale.^[4] The bell-like sounds of a celesta correspond to edits with a net addition of content to Wikipedia, and the strums of a clavichord correspond to net subtractions of content. The pitch is inversely proportional to the size of the edit (lower pitched notes are produced by larger edits).^[5] Newly registered Wikipedia users are welcomed by a violin chord.^[6]

Visuals

Each edit creates a circle of one of three colors: white for registered users, green for unregistered users, and violet for Wikipedia bots. The size of a circle is proportional to the magnitude of change executed by the edit; larger circles are produced by larger edits.^[3] The name of the article edited is displayed in the center of the circle. Clicking on the text opens a Wikipedia page in a new tab in the user's browser, showing the revision. A blue bar at the top of the screen will appear whenever a new Wikipedia user is registered, listing their username. At the bottom left corner there is a bar showing the amount of edits per minute.

References

↑ Listen to Wikipedia , blog.hatnote.com, Retrieved August 27, 2013.
↑ "Listen to Wikipedia – Wikimedia blog". July 30, 2013. https://blog.wikimedia.org/2013/07/30/listen-to-wikipedia/.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Hashemi, Stephen LaPorte and Mahmoud. "Hatnote Listen to Wikipedia". http://listen.hatnote.com/.
↑ Wilson, Mark (August 23, 2013). "Listen To The Orchestra Of Users Updating Wikipedia". Fast Company. http://www.fastcodesign.com/1673265/listen-to-the-orchestra-of-users-updating-wikipedia#1.
↑ "Listen To Wikipedia: Engineers Translate Edits Into Sound". NPR. https://www.npr.org/2016/04/13/474120884/listen-to-wikipedia-engineers-translate-edits-into-sound.
↑ Seifert, Dan (August 9, 2013). "Fall asleep to the sound of Wikipedia". The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/9/4607240/fall-asleep-to-the-sound-of-wikipedia.

External links

No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.
Stephen LaPorte, Mahmoud Hashemi, Listen to Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation blog, July 30, 2013

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Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listen to Wikipedia. Read more

[1] Listen to Wikipedia , blog.hatnote.com, Retrieved August 27, 2013.

[2] "Listen to Wikipedia – Wikimedia blog". July 30, 2013. https://blog.wikimedia.org/2013/07/30/listen-to-wikipedia/.

[l2w-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Hashemi, Stephen LaPorte and Mahmoud. "Hatnote Listen to Wikipedia". http://listen.hatnote.com/.

[fastcompany-4] Wilson, Mark (August 23, 2013). "Listen To The Orchestra Of Users Updating Wikipedia". Fast Company. http://www.fastcodesign.com/1673265/listen-to-the-orchestra-of-users-updating-wikipedia#1.

[5] "Listen To Wikipedia: Engineers Translate Edits Into Sound". NPR. https://www.npr.org/2016/04/13/474120884/listen-to-wikipedia-engineers-translate-edits-into-sound.

[theverge-6] Seifert, Dan (August 9, 2013). "Fall asleep to the sound of Wikipedia". The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/9/4607240/fall-asleep-to-the-sound-of-wikipedia.

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