User:Hindustanilanguage/Urdu Wikipedians Skype Call

Dialogue Transcript: A Gathering of Urdu Wikipedians

This transcript captures a significant dialogue among five passionate Urdu Wikipedians over Skype. The session aimed to shed light on crucial issues within the Urdu Wikipedia and its community, fostering connections among Urdu enthusiasts spanning India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Finland.

Event Details: The meeting took place on April 29, 2014, from 4 to 6 pm Indian Standard Time, with an agenda comprising ten key points. Though the dialogue was conducted in Urdu, the text here is presented in English for reference and analysis.

Participants:

Muzammil (M)
Shuaib Nadwi (S), admin, Urdu Wikipedia, India
Tahir Mahmood (T), admin, Urdu Wikipedia, currently in Saudi Arabia
Qaisarani (Q), a Finland-based Urdu Wikipedian
Irfan Arshad (I), a student from Pakistan

Introduction: M: Greetings, friends. I welcome Shuaib bhai, Tahir sahab, Qaisarani sahab, and Irfan sahab. I also tried connecting with Ameen Akbar, but it seems he's offline.

S: Possibly.

M: I hope everyone reviewed the 10-point agenda. Our focus is Urdu Wikipedia's functioning and strengthening the community. Let's begin with self-introductions. I'm Muzammil, involved in Wikimedia projects and previously worked in education.

S: I'm Shuaib from Nagpur, teaching and editing Urdu Wikipedia since 2012.

T: Greetings. I'm Tahir from Lahore, currently in Jeddah. Discovered Urdu Wikipedia in 2012.

I: Greetings. I'm Irfan from Vehari, joined Urdu Wikipedia in 2013.

Location and Content Analysis: M: Where are most Urdu Wikipedians located?

S: Social interactions indicate more contributors from Pakistan, but India also has active contributors.

M: Regarding content, there's a concern about purist language and neologisms. Thoughts?

T: Changes need community consensus before implementing on TranslateWiki. Simplifying articles is an ongoing process.

M: Congrats on 50,000+ articles. However, there's skepticism about bot-assisted creations. Your thoughts?

S: Article creation is just the start; we're working on expanding and improving them.

Content Composition and Stubs: M: What areas have more articles?

T: Cities and personalities.

M: And fewer articles?

S: Science suffers due to debates over language simplicity versus purity.

Notability and Technical Issues: M: Your stance on stubs?

S: Articles should aim for 100-200kb but won't delete small ones; aim to expand them.

M: Thoughts on notability?

T: Checking English Wikipedia or creating articles there first could determine notability.

Technical Challenges and Solutions: M: Encountered typing issues?

S: Ligature formation issues persist, but a new font might resolve them.

M: Any workaround?

M: Sometimes; suggested websites for assistance.

Outreach and Future Plans: M: Organizations for Wikipedia workshops in India?

S: Suggested Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad.

M: Already involved in workshops; discussed further plans.

M: Target cities in India for Urdu Wikipedia outreach?

S: Delhi, Lucknow, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Hyderabad hold potential.

Miscellaneous Discussions: S: Recording this conversation?

M: Yes, for documentation.

S: Send me a copy later.

M: Feedback on my article?

S: Nominated it for featured status; credits to the original author.

M: Editathons on Urdu Wikipedia like in Hindi?

S: Need planning; not many technically sound users.

M: Concluding thoughts?

Others: Thank you. Hope for more interactions to elevate Urdu Wikipedia.

Outcomes:

Majority of Urdu Wikipedians from Pakistan, some from India.
Plans for terminology change through community consensus.
Focus on reworking bot-generated articles.
Content composition: More on cities, less on science.
Ideal article size: 100-200kb.
English Wikipedia's notability criteria deemed valid.
Technical challenges reported; solutions sought.
Potential organizations and outreach targets identified.
Planning needed for editathons on Urdu Wikipedia.

This comprehensive discussion highlighted various challenges and potential strategies for the growth and enhancement of Urdu Wikipedia, fostering a collaborative approach among the Urdu-speaking community.