A Call to Action for Arabic Content on Wikipedia: Bridging the Digital Divide
I recall attending a Wikipedia workshop organized by the Institute of Computer Science at the University of Oxford. The pressing question raised was: why, despite having nearly half a billion Arabic speakers, is Arabic content on Wikipedia less than 5%? Moreover, of this small percentage, perhaps only a third is truly useful. This query, seeking answers and potential solutions, highlighted the long road ahead to enrich Arabic content online.
Arabic speakers, unlike many Americans or Europeans, often master multiple languages. For instance, many Algerians speak French, and many Egyptians speak English. Despite this multilingualism, the time spent learning additional languages instead of focusing on scientific knowledge can be detrimental. Those who do not master a secondary language often lag in their fields, struggling to grasp the cultural nuances embedded in the language.
Focusing specifically on Algeria, how many of its citizens actively contribute to Wikipedia? The number of contributors and the amount of encyclopedic content they add remains uncertain. However, a 140-page report from Oxford, which I reviewed and highly recommend for its excellent analyses, sheds light on these issues.
In summary, to address the dearth of Arabic content, we must define clear objectives, organize efforts, and direct work towards these goals with persistence, adaptability, and repetition. I remain optimistic about our future.
For more detailed insights, you can access the full report here: Oxford Study Report.
(This conversation was originally part of a social media exchange and has been compiled here to reflect multiple responses with a conversational tone.)
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