Wikipedia aims to expand reach through local languages
By siliconindia   |   Wednesday, 05 January 2011, 19:07 IST   |    1 Comments
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Wikipedia aims to expand reach through local languages
Bangalore: The popular web-based encyclopedia, Wikipedia that is free for all, aims to expand its branches in India by launching content in more Indian local languages. Presently the content is available in 20 Indian languages and the Indian Wikimedians want to take it to 20 more. Wikipedia is apparently 20 times the volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica and will complete its ten years of existence this month. Barry Newstead, Chief Global Development Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation was here in India last year scouting cities to decide the Wikicapital of India. Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi were neck to neck in the race to become the Wikicapital of India. The decision for the same may be announced anytime soon. Newstead had also stressed upon the idea of spreading through languages. Said he, "The top priority of the Wikimedia Foundation is to support the growth of communities of Wikimedians in India across the multitude of languages in the country." The Wikimedians of India , on their part, are raising awareness by holding events across 15 cities to create Wikipedias in their respective languages.

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