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Picture This Nanaimo

Nanaimo City Hall Steps.  One of our Historical Monuments.
If you want to see some of our local history and the pictures I took just follow the 

A couple of weeks ago I was looking up some information on Wikipedia.  I have always wanted to contribute something to Wikipedia but have not gotten around to it yet.  Well... this time when I went to Wikipedia I noticed that they were having a Historical Monument picture taking contest.  Being an amateur photographer, with way more equipment than I can ever use, I thought to myself this is right up my alley.  Really it was.  I had to go up many back alleys to get some of the pictures.

I was very excited and immediately created a Wikipedia account.  I checked out Nanaimo (the place where I live) and found that there were well over a hundred Historical Monuments.  The vast majority of the Monuments did not have pictures yet.  I set out with my camera and started to take pictures.

It was great fun and I learned so much.  I learned that Nanaimo drivers are so courteous that if I was standing anywhere close to the street, even if there was no intersection close by or if I had the camera up to my eye, people would stop so that I could cross the street.  I got a lot of exercise crossing the street so as not to be rude and then crossing back to my original spot to take the picture.

I learned that many of our Historical Monuments have been lost to fires or other occurrences.

I learned that I did not know my city as well as I thought I did.

I learned a lot about our local history from the people I met.

I learned that no matter how many times I returned to a spot that some places were just not there.

I learned that Monuments included; Businesses, Residences, Churches, Dams, Libraries, Cemeteries, Government Buildings, Hospitals, Farms, Schools, and one Neon Sign.

I learned that contributing to Wikipedia is not as scary as I thought.

I learned of many wonderful places including the Colliery dams where my wife and I can go for walks.

I learned that perfectionism is the enemy of Excellence.  Please remember that when you look at my excellent pictures.

I learned that anyone can contribute to Wikipedia so if you can take a better picture than I did, all you have to do is upload it.

I learned that I can do my part to help preserve things that otherwise may be lost forever.

I learned that it makes a big difference which word you emphasize when speaking the title of this blog.

Disclaimapedia.

I know Wikipedia is not perfect but I like to use the 80/20 rule (I can find 80% of the information I require in Wikipedia using 20% of my effort).

I realize that nothing is perfect so I also use the grain of salt rule (Take everything with a grain of salt because it may not be entirely true).

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