Tell us about Afrikaans Wikipedia

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Afrikaans Wikipedia

Wikimedia Statistics can be difficult to interpret. What is your impression, how many steady contributors do you have?
- We seem to have about ten steady contributors - although not always the same ten. Some users have sporadic bursts of contribution, when they'd be very busy at the encyclopaedia, interspersed with quiet periods, when The Real Life keeps them busy. Anrie 12:16, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Are your contributors mostly native speakers?
- Mostly. We also tend to get some optimistic Dutch/German speakers now and then. Anrie 12:16, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Where do your contributors live (regions/country)?
- All over the world: South Africa, New-Zealand, Europe... you name it. Anrie 12:16, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
How common is it that your contributors meet in real life?
- Not all that common - due to the fact that most live far apart. I understand that the local guys have met once or twice. I've met one other (recently absent) contributor myself. Anrie 12:16, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- A small number of us met up as part of Wikipedia Week in November 2007 - Afrikaans Wikipedia meetup. Greenman 18:23, 25 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Do you have special contacts with other Wikipedias (maybe in related languages)?
- No. Anrie 12:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Do you translate a lot from other Wikipedias? Which ones?
- I used to translate a lot from the English Wikipedia and occasionly from the Dutch one. Lately I've been concentrating on gathering my own material, so as to avoid mirroring articles. Anrie 12:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Apart from English Wikipedia there is some translation from German and French Wikipedias. Most templates and other intricate stuff comes from the English Wikipedia. Laurens-af 18:09, 1 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Is there a Wikimedia chapter in your country? How does your language relate to it?
- I believe there is a Dutch chapter where I live. My language originated from Dutch about 300 years ago. Anrie 12:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Are there work groups in other organizations about Wikipedia?
- I don't know. Anrie 12:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is there a language institution for your language, like an Academy, or a club of people interested in your language? Do you have contact with them?
- Afrikaans is regulated by the Taalkommissie of the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns. The ATKV is a language an cultural organisation concerned with the promotion of the Afrikaans language and culture. There are currently no formal links between these organisations and the Afrikaans Wikipedia. Laurens-af
Who (else) supports you?
- Our contributors. A magazine called "Huisgenoot" has interviewed contributors on more than one occasion, but so far nothing has come of it. Anrie 12:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
What does the public outreach for your edition look like? Do you have fliers, give lectures, training etc.?
- None so far. Anrie 12:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC). Some of us took part in a wikipedia Academy with Jimmy Wales but this was mainly aimed at promotion of Wikipedia amongts speakers of other indigenous languages of South Africa whose Wikipedias are still very small. Laurens-af 18:20, 1 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Do you get feedback from readers?
- Mostly on talk pages. I've received some feedback via email as well. Anrie 12:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
What other encyclopedias exist in your language?
- No online encyclopaedias that I'm aware of, although the Afrikaans Internet has grown impressively the past few years. Anrie 12:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Does your edition concentrate on certain topics, like your region and language, or Latin Wikipedia on Roman history and Christianity?
- Certain users seem to concentrate on certain topics, for example Russian history, economics, technology, chemistry, French and American geography, etc. I try to cover a wide spectrum of topics, but have lately focused more on South Africa fauna. Anrie 12:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Did your edition enjoy text donations, for example from older encyclopedias?
- No. Anrie 12:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is there a generally accepted norm about your language (spelling, dictionary, pronunciation)?
- To some degree, but there are more than enough words that have more than one accepted form. Anrie 12:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Yes, we subscribe to the exiting official guidelines as articulated in Spelling rules and authoritative dictionaries. in specific cases these have been made explicit as in the case of Article Title guidelines (af:Wikipedia:Titelriglyne) Laurens-af 18:28, 1 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]
How do you deal with different spellings, dialects etc. (like B.E. lift and A.E. elevator)?
- Very carefully. Check to see which form is most-often used by the scholars, or the media (thus the most familiar) or preferred by dictionaries. Anrie 12:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- No, Afrikaans spelling is standardised. Some word have more than one acceptable form and for some concepts there are more than one form. In these cases our preference is for the more conservative (traditional form) - Sjina rather than China for instance. Laurens-af 18:28, 1 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]