Comments on: Convincing Arabic Wikipedians to Write in Arabic http://thenextweb.com/2008/07/22/convincing-arabic-wikipedians-to-write-in-arabic/ International technology news, business & culture Thu, 24 May 2012 04:12:58 +0200 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Dr. Shadi Murtada http://thenextweb.com/2008/07/22/convincing-arabic-wikipedians-to-write-in-arabic/#comment-364771 Dr. Shadi Murtada Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:35:54 +0000 http://thenextweb.org/?p=2021#comment-364771 Dear Sir, I totaly agree that we have a gap with the western world due to lack of knowledge and knowledge access. I think that the Arab world is rich in educated people but they don not have the appropriate tools to display and share their knowledge. For this reason the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAGorg) recently announced the launch of the first Arabic electronic encyclopedia (TAGIPEDIA), the first initiative of its kind that targets Arab academics, scholars and readers, and provides them with general knowledge and sciences from an Arabic cultural, historical, and educational perspective. TAGIPEDIA aims at founding a free-access database that delivers a broad variety of knowledge in all humanitarian sciences, with the highest standards of quality, integrity, and accuracy. It also gives the chance for readers/users to augment the content through contributing to the Encyclopedia without prejudicing the rights of its original author. In order to preserve the authenticity and quality of all contributions, in addition to providing academic and scientific support to the Encyclopedia’s content, the Organization has drafted an agreement with the Association of Arab Universities. The agreement aims at enhancing cooperation between the two parties in order to enrich the content, defining the references and sources of the incoming information whether they be institutions, universities, or research centers, and drawing up agreements with these parties in this regard. You can check on the TAGIPEDIA registration website for further information: http://register.tagipedia.org/ Dr. Shadi Murtada TAGIPEDIA Manager Dear Sir,

I totaly agree that we have a gap with the western world due to lack of knowledge and knowledge access. I think that the Arab world is rich in educated people but they don not have the appropriate tools to display and share their knowledge. For this reason the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAGorg) recently announced the launch of the first Arabic electronic encyclopedia (TAGIPEDIA), the first initiative of its kind that targets Arab academics, scholars and readers, and provides them with general knowledge and sciences from an Arabic cultural, historical, and educational perspective.

TAGIPEDIA aims at founding a free-access database that delivers a broad variety of knowledge in all humanitarian sciences, with the highest standards of quality, integrity, and accuracy. It also gives the chance for readers/users to augment the content through contributing to the Encyclopedia without prejudicing the rights of its original author.
In order to preserve the authenticity and quality of all contributions, in addition to providing academic and scientific support to the Encyclopedia’s content, the Organization has drafted an agreement with the Association of Arab Universities.

The agreement aims at enhancing cooperation between the two parties in order to enrich the content, defining the references and sources of the incoming information whether they be institutions, universities, or research centers, and drawing up agreements with these parties in this regard.

You can check on the TAGIPEDIA registration website for further information: http://register.tagipedia.org/

Dr. Shadi Murtada
TAGIPEDIA Manager

]]> By: Standards http://thenextweb.com/2008/07/22/convincing-arabic-wikipedians-to-write-in-arabic/#comment-364770 Standards Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:31:39 +0000 http://thenextweb.org/?p=2021#comment-364770 As late as the twelfth century, most European numerals (except for the 1, 8 and 9) were different from the form we use today. <a href="http://web2.blogtells.com/2008/06/29/electronic-commerce-ecommerce-network-and-internet-payment/" rel="nofollow">Standards</a> As late as the twelfth century, most European numerals (except for the 1, 8 and 9) were different from the form we use today. Standards

]]> By: Mohamed Marwen Meddah http://thenextweb.com/2008/07/22/convincing-arabic-wikipedians-to-write-in-arabic/#comment-364769 Mohamed Marwen Meddah Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:21:55 +0000 http://thenextweb.org/?p=2021#comment-364769 I just wanted to comment on the last bit about English being the main language on the web; I don't have much to add about the rest but agree and emphasize that there is a problem of lack of Arabic content online. It is true that English is the main language online, just as it is the most used language in business and communications around the world, still that doesn't make the other world languages any less important, and it continues to be very important to have books, encyclopedias, magazines, and websites generated in those languages. Many people I know in the Arab world are very comfortable reading and writing in English, but prefer reading and writing in Arabic. And as for people who don't know English, it shouldn't really be an obligation to learn English to be able to use the internet and find content they need. I just wanted to comment on the last bit about English being the main language on the web; I don’t have much to add about the rest but agree and emphasize that there is a problem of lack of Arabic content online.

It is true that English is the main language online, just as it is the most used language in business and communications around the world, still that doesn’t make the other world languages any less important, and it continues to be very important to have books, encyclopedias, magazines, and websites generated in those languages.

Many people I know in the Arab world are very comfortable reading and writing in English, but prefer reading and writing in Arabic. And as for people who don’t know English, it shouldn’t really be an obligation to learn English to be able to use the internet and find content they need.

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