User:Tradedia

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Welcome! I am the developer of War Map Templates/Modules. This started when I created the Syria war map (first version). The map is drawn by a computer code (Lua), and allows viewers to read the history of events (with references & sources) by clicking on the town dots. The map editing has strict rules which are imposed by Wikipedia administration. I am also in charge of enforcing Wikipedia rules on the map. The templates are also used to create picture files that are inserted in articles. To learn more about the map, you might take a look at Wikipedia:Top 10 myths about the Wikipedia Syria war map.

Later, War Map Templates/Modules for other countries were created. However, War Maps should only be created for countries in a state of war. Below is a list of good war maps in alphabetical order:

Conflict	War map (template)	Code & documentation (module)
Central African Republic	Template	Module
DR Congo	Template	Code directly in template
Ethiopia	Template	Module
Iraq	Template	Module
Israel/Palestine	Template	Module
Libya	Template	Module
Mali	Template	Module
Mozambique	Template	Module
Myanmar	Template	Module
Nagorno-Karabakh	Template	Module
Somalia	Template	Module
South Sudan	Template	Module
Sudan	Template	Module
Syria	Template	Module of important places
		Module of smaller places
Ukraine	Template	Module
Yemen	Template	Module

The creation of these Wikipedia maps was in reaction to the unreliability of existing online war maps. See the section below for an illustration of this unreliability. Our war maps have gained a worldwide reputation for reliability and quality. They have been used by many media organizations. For example, our Template:Russo-Ukrainian War detailed map is being used in March and April 2022 by a leading French newspaper, Le Parisien. Also, the same map was used on the state-owned news TV network, France 24 in March 2022.

Timeline of online Syria war map makers’ fails

This does not include the bias of the map maker (which is the attempt to overstate the gains of the side it prefers or understate the gains of the side it opposes). These cases are considered routine and everyone is aware of them. A “fail” is defined by a map maker overstating the gains of the side it opposes or understating the gains of the side it prefers. These instances show that the map maker is simply incompetent (as opposed to biased). We also define as a “fail”, instances where a map maker copies from another map. I only include well known map makers.

12 September 2014 – Pro-gov Peto Lucem had the area around Al-Tulaysiyah marked as rebel held (you can read all about it in the archives of a talk page). However, I was able to find a source that showed that in reality it was gov held. We informed Peto Lucem of his mistake and he corrected it.
8 December 2014 – Pro-opp DeSyracuse map had many towns around the strategic Abu al-Duhur airbase marked wrong for a while. He marked them under gov control when they were attacked by the gov but then did not take into account the fact that it was a hit and run attack and that gov troops left them a day later. See here for details.
8 December 2014 – Pro-opp DeSyracuse’s map dated 8 December 2014 uses a pro-gov source (al-Baath brigades) for a pro-gov update in the al-Safira area. (see here for where this was pointed out to the Wikipedia community).
8 January 2015 – Pro-opp DeSyracuse’s map dated 8-january-2015 shows Kafr Shams gov-held. This was before the large gov offensive (beginning February). So we know it was wrong since one of the gov offensive’s objectives was to capture Kafr Shams. (see here for where this was pointed out to the Wikipedia community).
13 March 2015 – DeSyracuse admits that his main source… is the Wikipedia map!
April 2015 – Pro- opposition Institute for the Study of War map (page 24 of report) botches badly the size of the rebel held pocket of Khan al-Shih. They show it as fifty times smaller than in reality! In their following map, they even forget the whole pocket! See details here, here and here.
20 June 2015 – Al Masdar started a new map obviously based on copying the Wikipedia map without even giving us credit! When looking at the map, we can clearly recognize that they are using our template map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Syria_location_map3.svg. They are also using the same kind of dots for towns and the same exact colors. They also have the same border posts with similar icon shape (not a standard shape, so they clearly copied it from us). So they obviously started by copying (literally print screen) our map then made modifications to it. (see here for where this was pointed out to the Wikipedia community).
30 August 2015 – Pro-opp DeSyracuse had the town of Mahajjah gov-held for many months. However, the town was rebel-held as indicated by all news sources, such as SOHR, Iran Press TV, Bosnjo, FSA website… For more details, see here.
8 September 2015 – Pro-gov Islamic World News had the town of Sabsaba rebel-held. However, a commenter to the map noted that the two major media reporting on the war had indicated it was gov held. (see here for where this was pointed out to the Wikipedia community).
4 October 2015 – Pro-gov Islamic World News had a land connection between Beit Jin area and Quneitra. However, a commenter to the map noted that: “According to maps from rebels themselves (that SF, Jaish Islam put out) there is no land connection between Beit Jin area and Quneitra.” The next day, Islamic World News corrects his map.
15 December 2016 – IHS map in BBC (considered reliable) has its layover displaced relative to the background in the north-east direction by a significant margin (about 1.5 km). Therefore, none of what the map shows is accurate. For more details, see here.