Hungry for New Content, Google Tries to Grow Its Own in Africa
In e-mail interviews, two of the finalists in the Swahili contest said the arrival of Google on their campuses changed them from passive users of Wikipedia to active contributors. Still, they expressed mixed feelings about receiving material rewards for sharing knowledge.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/technology/25link.html The Swahili Wikipedia still has a long way to go, however, with only 16,000
articles and nearly 5,000 users. (Even a relatively obscure language like Albanian has 25,000 articles and more than 17,000 contributors.)
Why does a vibrant Kiswahili Wikipedia site not rank as a priority for most of us? I can barely speak fluent Kiswahili, let alone write it well. Saidi
What if one day was set aside on skunk as Kiswahili only day (on pain of a shilling per word as contribution to the server fund ...) On Jan 25, 2010 7:54 AM, "saidimu apale" <saidimu@gmail.com> wrote: In e-mail interviews, two of the finalists in the Swahili contest said the
arrival of Google on their campuses changed them from passive users of Wikipedia to active contributors. Still, they expressed mixed feelings about receiving material rewards for sharing knowledge.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/technology/25link.html The Swahili Wikipedia still has a long way to go, however, with only 16,000
articles and nearly 5,000 users. (Even a relatively obscure language like Albanian has 25,000 articles and more than 17,000 contributors.)
Why does a vibrant Kiswahili Wikipedia site not rank as a priority for most of us? I can barely speak fluent Kiswahili, let alone write it well. Saidi _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks ------------ Skunkworks Server donations spreadsheet http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AopdHkqSqKL-dHlQVTMxU1VBdU1BSWJxdy1f... ------------ Skunkworks Rules http://my.co.ke/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=94 ------------ Other services @ http://my.co.ke Other lists ------------- Announce: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce Science: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science kazi: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general
2010/1/26 Kipkemoi Kiptum <kip@kipkemoi.com>
What if one day was set aside on skunk as Kiswahili only day (on pain of a shilling per word as contribution to the server fund ...)
A good idea, but it all goes with a willing buyer, willing seller mode.
On Jan 25, 2010 7:54 AM, "saidimu apale" <saidimu@gmail.com> wrote:
Why does a vibrant Kiswahili Wikipedia site not rank as a priority for most of us? I can barely speak fluent Kiswahili, let alone write it well.
The reason is that we do not value Kiswahili so much until we see some Mzungu speaking fluent Swahili that we decide to go for it. Interestingly, I've noticed, the US ambassador speaks Kiswahili though with some 'twanging'
Saidi
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-- Solomon Mbũrũ Kamau P.O. Box 19343 - 00202 Nairobi Cell: (+254-0) 735 431041 Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the same way to the side of a hill! AND It is better to die in dignity than in the ignomity of ambiguous generosity! http://dawn-in-kenya.blogspot.com http://smiley2.wordpress.com http://mburu.sikika.co.ke Sent from Nairobi, Kenya
What if one day was set aside on skunk as Kiswahili only day (on pain of a
shilling per word as contribution to the server fund ...)
A good idea, but it all goes with a willing buyer, willing seller mode.
Am very much 'bought' by the idea :) .. wengine wapo? Ngugi wa Thion'go, defending his decision to start writing exclusively in Gikuyu, says that decolonising a people starts with the language. Kumbuka pia mwenzangu, ya kwamba wateja na wanunuzi wako ni Wakenya, sio waingereza. -- Ndungi Kyalo
2010/1/26 Ndungi Kyalo <ndungi@gmail.com>
What if one day was set aside on skunk as Kiswahili only day (on pain of a
shilling per word as contribution to the server fund ...)
A good idea, but it all goes with a willing buyer, willing seller mode.
Am very much 'bought' by the idea :) .. wengine wapo?
Mimi ni mmoja wao!
Ngugi wa Thion'go, defending his decision to start writing exclusively in Gikuyu, says that decolonising a people starts with the language.
Even Shabaan Roberts on his famed quote: *'Titi la Mama Litamu....'*, posits language is the key tool in communication. Yamkini, jambo likidhaminiwa litatuwezesha kuinua hadhi ya Kiswahili.
Kumbuka pia mwenzangu, ya kwamba wateja na wanunuzi wako ni Wakenya, sio waingereza.
-- Ndungi Kyalo
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-- Solomon Mbũrũ Kamau P.O. Box 19343 - 00202 Nairobi Cell: (+254-0) 735 431041 Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the same way to the side of a hill! AND It is better to die in dignity than in the ignomity of ambiguous generosity! http://dawn-in-kenya.blogspot.com http://smiley2.wordpress.com http://mburu.sikika.co.ke
participants (4)
-
Kipkemoi Kiptum -
Ndungi Kyalo -
saidimu apale -
Solomon Mburu Kamau