Information
Working with Wikipedia
Aug 27th
What’s the deal with Wikipedia? We all use it. We all know what it is. But does anyone really know how confusing it is?!?!
Over the last two weeks, I have been working to make Global Traveler a Wikipedia article. When I started, I figured I would just need to do some research about the company, add in the things I knew and then put in the finishing touches. I was mistaken.
First of all, Wikipedia has a ton of rules. Rules that you never thought would matter but that Wikipedia thinks is super important. There are rules about making lists and including people’s names. One large rule is the “Point of View” rule. You have to be unbiased and present your article from a completely neutral point of view. That tends to be incredibly difficult when you are making a page about a company that you work for. One of my favorite obstacles is that you cannot have a user name that is a company name. Despite reading hundreds of pages about Wikipedia and articles, I never came across this rule. I learned this the hard way when trying to find out something on a help chat. The person in the chat was so serious about this rule that he would not help me until I filed a “name change request.” Wikipedia is not for those people just playing around.
Wikipedia has its own language. Everyday tasks done on the word processor become difficult and bothersome. Pressing ctrl and “B” no longer makes something bold. The Wikipedia user has to use apostrophes (‘’’) to initiate the bold and then another set of three apostrophes to end it. Similar programming techniques are used to get italics, bullets, lists and headings. I would tell you how to underline, but I don’t even know if that is possible in Wikipedia world.
So after you master the rules and the language, there is one more problem. People and robots continually check the site to make sure that people are posting things fairly and legally. I tried to upload the GT logo and immediately two people were leaving messages on my “MyTalk.” If only they knew I had no idea what was going on and didn’t even know how to find their messages! Right now I have my page up for feedback. We shall see how that works out.
Working with Wikipedia has given me a new-found respect for the articles that people put up. Every link is the result of hard work, and every picture is the result of an intense copyright law. It has been fascinating learning the ins and outs of the Wikipedia world, and by the end of the process I hope to be so knowledgeable that I can call others out on their mistakes. My interaction and work with Wikipedia has confirmed my opinion that teachers and professors should count it as a reliable source. If they only knew how hard it was to get information published on it!
– Mary Carpenter, intern
Queen of the Nile
Jul 23rd
Last week I headed over to the Franklin Institute to check out its newest exhibit, “Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt.” It was a fascinating look into the work of Franck Goddio, the archaeologist who led the underwater search for elements from Cleopatra’s life, and Zahi Hawass, who leads the expedition to find Cleopatra’s tomb.
 The exhibit included almost all of the treasures found during Goddio’s searches – sculptures, jewelry, coins, etc. It was also incredibly informative, with maps of the way Egypt looked in Cleopatra’s time and short videos explaining myths, history and the dives. I was especially pleased that each exhibit-goer was given a headset, free of an additional charge. Throughout the exhibit, there were numbers and a special recording to listen to at each designated spot. The recordings were short but rather explanatory.
Apparently, my knowledge of Cleopatra was quite limited. Now, I’m happy to say, it’s quite extensive. Her story is intriguing. She was 17 years old when she took over the rule of a tumultuous Egypt. She wooed two Roman big shots, Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, ruling Egypt until its fall at the hands of Octavius. Rather than suffer at his hands, Cleopatra took her own life. There the real mystery begins, as the exact whereabouts of her tomb remain unknown. Cleopatra was one of the first women in power in history!
I don’t want to give away too many details about the exhibit because I encourage all of you to visit the Franklin Institute and check out the exhibit if you find yourself in the Philadelphia area. As of right now, no other cities are slated to welcome the exhibit. It runs at the Institute into January.
Of course, there is a lot to see and do at the Franklin Institute besides “Cleopatra.” If you visit, be sure to check out the walk-through human heart, the IMAX Theater and a lot more interesting exhibits!
– Kim Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executiveÂ
Two Hundred Blogs!
Jul 18th
Yesterday my husband had gone online to read my blog when I heard him exclaim, “Hey, tomorrow’s will be your two-hundredth blog!” I had to come see for myself that indeed, the “categories” column indicated that there were currently 199 entries under “Patty’s blog”. For nearly two years, virtually twice a week (I’ve had a few days off), I’ve written the weekend blogs for Global Traveler. Those have added up quickly, but I’ll be the first to admit that coming up with new topics which might be of interest and at least somewhat travel related hasn’t always been a breeze.
I remember when GT editor in chief Lisa Matte asked me to take on this role, and I was completely mystified as to why I, perhaps the least-traveled staffer and one of the newest, would be asked to take on the assignment (aside from the obvious — that few would want to interrupt weekend fun with a writing assignment). I was nervous and concerned that I wouldn’t have much to contribute, but I decided I’d have to give it a try. My ego certainly wouldn’t be terribly wounded if Fran or Lisa, after getting a sample of my efforts, decided maybe I wasn’t really cut out for this kind of thing. I also decided that at the very least I could give readers and my fellow GT staffers a picture of the world through my perspective, living in a small city/town in the Pacific Northwest (I’m currently the only one working for Global Traveler west of the Mississippi). And now, here we are 23 months and 200 blogs later.
While I’ve shared a bit about the sights and events unique to my corner of the country, I’ve also been able to relate stories from trips abroad to Europe and New Zealand and jaunts across the United States and to cities like New York and Chicago. I’ve discussed insights into the world and its people that travel has revealed to friends and loved ones on their journeys. Sometimes I’ve been spurred to comment on a travel-related news item or world event, and occasionally I’ve shared more intimate snapshots of people and situations which have touched my life. Sometimes I’ve got a clear idea of my subject matter for upcoming blogs, but just as often Friday night or Sunday morning arrives and I say to myself, “What the heck can I write about this time?!”
I really have no idea who (besides my immediate family, whom I harass mercilessly with “Have you read my blog yet? What did you think?” each week) reads what I write. I just try to present a bit of information, an interesting story or one thought-provoking idea with each blog I post and hope it reflects well on GT and all the great people who work here and complements the wealth of information they provide to travelers. On to the next 200 blogs!
– Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor
Global Traveler — What a Value!
Jun 19th
Yesterday the editorial team put the finishing touches on the July issue of Global Traveler, and art director Tracey Cullen sent the files off to the publishing house. This past month was extra busy, as we also prepared the annual Global City Guidebook to be published and polybagged with the July magazine. For those of you new to GT, the GCGB is chock-full of one-page guides to major cities throughout the world and across the United States, providing the traveler with a convenient overview of each city, its major attractions, hotels and restaurants.
The Guidebook is just one of several supplements which we publish each year. Additionally, our regular subscribers look forward to Class Act, an annual survey of premium-class cabins of international airlines. It provides the most comprehensive, detailed summary of information on first- and business-class cabins available, and our readers always tell us how much they look forward to it and reading the other articles it contains on other services, from spas to lounges to airport rail links, a busy traveler may use.
I always look forward to our Luxury/Indulgence supplement. It’s fun to read about the latest in the finest dining, accomodations, extra-special services and truly extravagant “toys” out there. Though on first look I don’t think I personally might ever experience most of them, I’ve found that a few of those “indulgences” are actually within my reach and well worth the splurge!
In addition to those annual “books,” each year we offer separate supplements on individual destinations around the world. These present a focused look at countries or regions of particular interest to travelers. Within the past twelve months we’ve delved into Spain, the Pacific Rim and Ireland. Every one provides great information and plenty of incentive to go out and book a trip to that enticing location.
We on the editorial side always breathe a sigh of relief when we’ve finished up a month where we’ve basically produced two magazines in 30 days. The added work and rushed deadlines are always worth it, though. Our subscribers tell us time and again how interesting and helpful these products are to them, and everyone at Global Traveler is proud and pleased to provide such great value to our readers.
– Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editorÂ
