Wikipedia Time
Although I had been somehow inactive in many project that I am involved in, for the past few days I am giving some extra time for the Arabic Wikipedia.. Wikipedia for those who don’t know it, is an Open Content, multi-language Encyclopedia, formed and shaped using Wiki concept. Wiki is about making anyone able to do anything, complete freedom. Arabic Wikipedia that I had been involved in started some time about a year ago, and for the past few months, Arabic Wikipedia had some interesting growth and coverage of interesting topics.
The reason for my interest in the Arabic Wikipedia now is that it is about to be reshaped. In Feb 2004, when I joined Arabic Wikipedia, it didn’t have the needed skeleton to grow and be get shaped, and I set one.. Now after around 9 months, there are some really good Wikipedia contributors that joined in since then, and we are all working now in resetting the base and skeleton that Arabic Wikipedia can grow on.
What makes me sad about Arabic Wikipedia is a couple of things, First, the number of interested people in having an Open Content Arabic Encyclopedia doesn’t reflect the number of Arabic people over the Internet… Human-made (Constructed) languages such as Esperanto, or even Klingon (yes from Star trek) have more articles and contributors than those to a Language such as Arabic. Maybe it is the technological challenge facing those in the Arab world (I just don’t buy this excuse) or it could be the feeling of disgust and shame Arabs have toward their language. It is a shame.