Tell us about Estonian Wikipedia

This overview is seriously outdated. For current information, visit our chapter's page, 2012 grant description or overview of latest activities (updated about once a month).

Estonian Wikipedia

Estonian (Eesti) – et

Contributors

Wikimedia Statistics can be difficult to interprete. What is your impression, how many steady contributors do you have?

Maybe about 20-30 daily contributors, can't say about steady contributors. Avjoska 18:34, 28 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Number of steady contributors is below 20. Kruusamägi 13:02, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Are your contributors mostly native speakers?

Yes. Avjoska 18:34, 28 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Where do your contributors live (regions/country)?

In Estonia, Europe. Avjoska 18:34, 28 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How common is it that your contributors meet in real life?

First meeting was in December 2007, which also had media attention. Second was after Wikimania 2008. Now trying to meet once every month. Next meetup September 28, 8 PM @ Lounge 8 in Tallinn, 8 Vana-Posti. Avjoska 18:34, 28 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

2007 − 1 meeting in Tallinn

2008 − 2 small meetings in Tallinn

2009 − 1 bigger meeting in Viki village at Saaremaa and 2 meetings (one in Tallinn, other in Tartu)

2010 − 1 meeting in Tallinn, founding meeting of Wikimedia Eesti and one longer meeting in South-Estonia

Kruusamägi 13:02, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

And at a future there will also be more meeting because on Wikimedia Eesti as the people who are doing some projects need to get together sometimes. Kruusamägi 13:07, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Other Wikipedias

Do you have special contacts with another Wikipedias (maybe in related languages)?

At a moment the number of contacts is rather small. As Estonians have almost not participated at Wikimania and other meetings yet then there can't expect that lot of contacts will exist. Kruusamägi 13:02, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Do you translate a lot from other Wikipedias? Which ones?

Some translation is done. Most popular is English version. German comes next etc. Kruusamägi 13:02, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Russian and Finnish are also used due to common local and historical themes. On general issues, French is not uncommon. --Oop 08:41, 16 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Organization and support

Is there a Wikimedia chapter in your country? How does your language relate to it?

No chapter in Estonia. Avjoska 18:34, 28 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Now we have a chapter − Wikimedia Eesti. Kruusamägi 13:02, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Are there work groups in other organizations about Wikipedia?

At a moment no. Kruusamägi 13:02, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Your Wikipedia and the linguistic community

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?

There is Institute of Estonian language. We occationally contact with the institute about language questions. No official contact though. Avjoska 18:34, 28 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Who (else) supports you?

Nobody supports us. Hopefully that will change. Kruusamägi 13:02, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

How looks your public outreach for your edition? Do you have flyers, give lectures, trainings etc.?

(Estonian) Wikipedia is widely used in Estonian media as a source; occasionally they also write about Wikipedia. Avjoska 19:15, 30 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well, actually media doesn't write about Estonian Wikipedia almost at all but this is slowly changing. Kruusamägi 13:02, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Do you get feedback from readers?

Not much. Kruusamägi 13:02, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

What other encyclopedias exist in your language?

Estonian Encyclopedia (Eesti Entsüklopeedia), which third edition is planned. Also Tea Encyclopedia (Tea Entsüklopeedia) will be printed since September 2008; different thematic encyclopedias. Avjoska 07:54, 31 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The first encyclopedias were attempted in the end of 19th and start of 20th c., but were stopped after publishing 1-2 volumes. In 1930s, there were two encyclopedias, one of them (almost) finished: Eesti entsüklopeedia ("Estonian Encyclopedia"). After the war, a half-hearted attempt was made in Sweden by Estonians in exile, and in 1968–1976 in Soviet Estonia, 8-volume Eesti nõukogude entsüklopeedia ("Estonian Soviet Encyclopedia") was published. Second edition was started in 1985, and in 1990 (from the 5th volume) it was renamed Eesti entsüklopeedia. It was finished in 2007, 15 volumes as a whole. In Soviet times, Estonian encyclopedias were extremely popular, as quite a national cultural feat, so the 1st volume of second edition was published by 220 000 (in a language that has a little over 1 million speakers). Nowadays, paper encyclopedias are quite expensive, and there are concerns they may be just too unprofitable to publish. --Oop 08:54, 16 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Content

Does your edition concentrate on certain topics, like your region and language, or Latin Wikipedia on Roman history and Christianity?

We try not to concentrate to much on certain topics but to be as broad we can be. As the number of contributors is still quite small then some topics have better coverage than others. Kruusamägi 13:02, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Did your edition enjoy text donations, for example from older encyclopedias?

We don't have that. Kruusamägi 13:02, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Language

Is there a generally accepted norm about your language (spelling, dictionary, pronunciation)?

Estonian language is official language of Estonia. The spelling has generally accepted norms. Also there are dictionaries for Estonian language. Avjoska 18:34, 28 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How do you deal with different spellings, dialects etc. (like B.E. lift and A.E. elevator)?

Even though Estonian language has many dialects then we have only one written language and that has strict norms. Kruusamägi 13:02, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]