[Foundation-l] A simple question on languages.

Fri Jan 25 13:26:38 UTC 2008

Regarding Apahia comment about Arabic inclusion in the press release
languages

On Jan 25, 2008 1:02 AM, Aphaia <aphaia at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Jan 25, 2008 7:16 AM, Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 24/01/2008, cohesion <cohesion at sleepyhead.org> wrote:
> > > On Jan 24, 2008 2:46 PM, Nathan <nawrich at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > I don't think its useful to look at limiting languages in terms of
> > > > 'resources' available for providing Wikimedia projects. As Aphaia
> and
> > > > Gerard point out, what we're dealing with is volunteer resources -
> > > > which cost the Foundation nothing and can't be required or
> redirected
> > > > in any case.
>
> > > I don't know if that's entirely true. I mean, it's nice if volunteers
> > > can translate everything. But it's certainly conceivable that the
> > > Foundation might want to issue press releases or statements or
> > > something in these N languages regardless of volunteer support, even
> > > if that means paying for an occasional translation.
> > >
> > > The answer to this question would conceivably be very useful, I don't
> > > see any reason to discourage people from finding it.
>
> I basically agree with Nathan if we talk on volunteer resources only
> it would be pointless, so now I think it reasonable for us to proceed;
> is there any need to spend money and hire even occasional translators
> for a specific need? I think this question should be considered
> seriosly in the light Cohesion cast, like press releases or any other
> official communications from the WMF to particular language speaking
> commnity.
>
> > If the WMF wants to translate things, the number of languages would be
> > much smaller than the numbers we're talking about. I can see the WMF
> > paying for translations into major languages, or languages used by
> > people directly affected by what the press release is about, but
> > translating into even just dozens of languages would be prohibitively
> > expensive.
>
> Yes.
> And as Danny mentioned properly, we need to consider how monolingual
> communities can be reached. Then we would find a big Wikimedia
> language community but monolingual and in a weak tie with the rest of
> the project or the information from WMF is not fully effectively
> addressed to their society in general, and in my opinion specially in
> case WMF expect a potential revenue from business in that language
> society (selling live feed, deal on logos etc). Then the first
> question of Greg makes a sense and cast another light I think: how
> many languages we need to access the vast majority - either the whole
> of this globe, thus the potential readership or our current
> readership.
>
> Here the mere stats about native language speakers or the size of
> project doesn't make a sense. We need a stats of literal communication
> ability including L2. An interesting example is the Arabic language
> case I guess ... there we may find a large community but good at
> another more influential language(s).  Arabic people have a large
> population, but for Wikimania 2008 Mido said to me English would be
> the first and only working language for the whole team  --- including
> the local team: typing Arabic he said (and if I don't misunderstand)
> was annoying even for native speakers and "slower" than English and
> because of diverse Arabic dialects English sometimes was used as
> lingua franca among the Arab(!), at least in the Middle East, so
> although I convince Arabic language is an invaluable addition to the
> press release set and whatsoever, I am inclining not to think it a
> part of necessary language kit unless we are under a pressing need to
> involve many Arabic speakers.
>

I may have to object here, being used widely among some people who got used
(because of many reasons) to have most communications in English, does NOT
make the language itself invaluable to include "especially" in press
releases. when we don't issue press releases in Arabic, then what we're
going to sell in this conference or the message which is delivered also
through the releases the foundation make, people in the Arab world are
begining to get attention to Wikimedia and the free culture movement and one
of the things that would draw more attention to that direction is talking
more in Arabic, giving lectures in Arabic and making more material avaliable
in Arabic. Communicating in English in Wikimania I see is essential matter,
exactly like giving "most" sessions in English in the conference itself, and
this's for easy communication between the local team and everyone else, not
for the sake for slow typing for example. I was just assuring you during
that conversation on IRC that we won't have problems like the ones
complained from during last wikimania where many of the communications were
in Chinese as I have been told.
I can't see how you've come to such conclusion, we've got mentioned
[Wikimania] in many local national newspapers here and other Arab ones. and
that's due to the press release we issued in Arabic, translated by the BA.

There is media represented in newspapers, television, website, etc.. and
that media needs material to write about or from, and translation is very
essential, and we're under a pressing need to involve many Arabic speakers
as we can, wikimania being in Alexandria should be an incentive to make more
materials avaliable in Arabic, not the opposite

-- 
- Arabic Wikipedia: http://ar.wikipedia.org/  "Share your knowledge"