You heard right, video lovers! Wikipedia and video will finally unite. The information-site recently launched their TimeMediaHandler, an app that supports HTML5 video content for any of the posts on the database. This means that videos can now be added to its millions of entries and be seen by its half-a-billion monthly visitors. So…a lot of people are going to see these videos.
This video project has been in the works for the past four years, but it has been delayed due to the company’s decision to host in-house content, rather than outsourcing. Wikipedia has been in collaboration with video startup Kaltura and Google to launch the service with around 15,000 videos. The TimeMediaHandler is what makes the video work on Wikis by supporting audio, video, closed captioning, and other “timed text.” Its flexibility is the most important, making changes based on your bandwidth and what kind of device you are on, including mobile.
So what does this mean for you and your explanatory videos? In true Wikipedia fashion, anyone can contribute videos as well as edit videos that are already on the site. The content needs to be directly uploaded to the Wikipedia Commons by a user. This means that using or embedding of third party videos from sites like YouTube is not an option.
As a Wikipedia user, you can upload your own explainer video to enhance any post already on Wikipedia, or create your own page that supports your video. We already know people love to learn from video, so get yours up there!
Another great feature that comes along with the video capabilities is the option for closed captions in multiple languages. This offers a pretty big opportunity to expand the library of videos translated for the hearing impaired. Wikipedia’s big news can mean big changes and even bigger exposure for your explanatory videos, so make sure to get them up onto Wikipedia!
