Language and Product Localization Technical Support/Current Initiatives

2024-25

OKR work

Objective - Communities are supported to effectively close knowledge gaps through tools and support systems that are easier to access, adapt, and improve, ensuring increased growth in trustworthy encyclopedic content.

Key Result - By the end of Q2, implement and test two recommendations, both social and technical, to support languages onboarding for small language communities, with an evaluation to analyze community feedback

Q1 Hypothesis	Q2 Hypohtesis
If we create a selection criteria and collaborate with the Language Committee to identify 5 languages that will receive access to a full-fledged wiki with modern features, we will be able to co-articulate feasibility and readiness requirements for implementation and success measurement across the selected language communities✅	If we provide production wiki access to 5 new languages, with or without Incubator, we will learn whether access to a full-fledged wiki with modern features such as those available on English Wikipedia (including ContentTranslation and Wikidata support, advanced editing and search results) aids in faster editing. Ultimately, this will inform us if this approach can be a viable direction for language onboarding for new or existing languages, justifying further investigation.

Essential work

Communities are supported with a structured approach to respond to internationalization and localisation issues issues, support technical follow through, and accountability of deliverables for visible impact.

Key Result	Q1 Deliverables	Q2 Deliverables
Respond to x number of Issues through timely interventions and engagements to resolve i8n and localisation technical issues	Provide support for new and existing languages on Wikimedia projects through responding to language related issues .	Provide support for new and existing languages on wikimedia projects through responding to language related issues .
Explore meaningful x collaboration and engagement opportunities for Wikimedia communities (language communities)	Engage Language communities at Wikiconference Nigeria, Wikimania and Wikindaba✅ Foster a language community network by encourage collaboration among individuals and communities interested in language-related technical topics; Language Community Meetings ✅ Make the Language and Product Localisation  work  more accessible to a broader audience; Language and Internationalization Newsletter, ✅ Collaborate with Let’s connect organising team to host a session on  Language tools infrastructure and Language diversity as part of their technical sessions. ✅

2023-24

As part of Language Inclusion cross departmental initiative, which aimed to connecting the dots across disparate language diversity-focused work streams inside the Foundation, increase understanding of Wikimedia’s role in the internet language ecosystem, coordinate across movement stakeholders, and work toward a movement theory of change for language inclusion.

Objectives	`Key Result	Deliverables
There is a clear picture of the state of languages and the process of supporting existing and new languages to the Wikimedia movement	By Q4, identify 3 key recommendations for improving the social and technical infrastructure to support existing and new languages	Report on the current technical support for new and existing languages Proposal on Language onboarding process recommendations Foster a Language technical community network & promote awareness & adoption of language related tools