New Wikipedia feature shows articles based on location

Wikipedia has introduced a new service that displays pages related to the user’s location. The page is mainly intended for use on mobile, but also works on the desktop version.

The Nearbypage shows relevant pages based on the user’s location. Places such as museums, parks, historic places and cafes are shown, but also events, for example. The page is specially designed for mobile phones, but in principle also works on the desktop, provided that the user’s browser supports location determination.

Wikipedia say want to teach users about their environment with the new function. “How well have you thought about the history of your neighborhood, or the events that have influenced the place where you live?” asks developer Jon Robson of the Internet encyclopedia. Wikipedia also pursues another goal: the encyclopedia hopes that users are prompted to provide information, for example by adding a photo or updating outdated information.