[Foundation-l] Promoting non-en Wikipedias (was In defence of Google)

[habj]

2007/1/21, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com>:

> What can we do for countries where people routinely use the English
> wikipedia and ignore their own language Wikipedia? I try to push local
> Wikipedias when talking to the press (and far too many  seem to be
> unaware of their own language Wikipedia) and mention the international
> character talking to the English-language press. That hopefully does a
> little, but not enough.

Besides enwiki actually being the longer and "better story",
journalists learn about their subject from other journalists.
Journalists will read the articles on English Wikipedia that they can
find on the net. In them, English Wikipedia is routinely referred to
as Wikipedia. Of course the journalists will focus on Wikipedia =
English Wikipedia, not on the "we also have Wikipedias in n number of
languages". If Jimmy Wales, people on the board and others giving
interviews would make sure to say English Wikipedia a bit more often
when they are talking about English Wikipedia, that would probably
make some kind of difference.

Of course, the major part of that effort would be wasted since the
journalist will shorten English Wikipedia to Wikipedia. They are short
of space, and as we all know Wikipedia most of the time _is_ used as
an abbreviation for English Wikipedia.

/habj