Tell us about Dutch Low Saxon (nds-nl) Wikipedia

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Dutch Low Saxon Wikipedia

Questionaire

Contributors

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

Six at the moment; there is daily activity. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Are your contributors mostly native speakers?

No, mostly they are competent speakers and writers whose first (most fluent) language is Dutch. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Where do your contributors live (regions/country)?

Nicely spread out over the Dutch Low Saxon area (provinces of Grunnen, Drenthe, Oaveriessel and Gelderlaand). Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

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

It hasn't happened so far. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Other Wikipedias

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

Yes, with the Platdüütsch Wikipedia. E.g., we feature each other's monthly article on the front page and we print interwikis to each other's articles in boldface. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

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

A lot is translated from the Dutch Wikipedia; material from the English, German and Platdüütsch Wikipedias is used to a far lesser extent. This is not only because of language issues but also because the Dutch Wikipedia best covers subjects of interest to Dutch Low Saxon speakers. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Organization and support

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

There is a Dutch Wikimedia chapter which we have no formal contact with.

Are there work groups in other organizations about Wikipedia?

Not to my knowledge. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (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 are many institutions and associations and several (literary) magazines concerned with Dutch Low Saxon. Our contact is mostly limited to asking questions by e-mail to get information for articles. We also distributed a press release among Dutch Low Saxon organisations in March 2008 about the second anniversary of the Dutch Low Saxon Wikipedia. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Who (else) supports you?

Wikimedia, of course; otherwise we are a tiny, self-supporting writing community. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

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

See above (press release). Following the press release, we were hosted on a regional language and culture programme on a regional radio station (RTV Oost), where the Dutch Low Saxon Wikipedia was discussed for a full hour in Low Saxon.

We sometimes contact users at the Dutch Wikipedia who may be able and willing to contribute to the Dutch Low Saxon Wikipedia. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Do you get feedback from readers?

Comments are sporadically left by readers who do not otherwise participate in the Dutch Low Saxon Wikipedia. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

What other encyclopedias exist in your language?

There are many dictionaries, but there is no Dutch Low Saxon encyclopaedia. The written output in Dutch Low Saxon is largely limited to stories, novellas, poetry and opinion columns. There is no competition and we have free rein in most matters. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Content

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

The editions concentrates strongly on regional topics, including the language itself (there are many distinct dialects), local geography, local traditions, history of the region etc. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

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

We are not offered content, but we use content from elsewhere where it is legally possible. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Language

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

There are a couple of spelling standards and authoritative dictionaries; contributors are asked to orientate their writing towards the spelling standard which applies to their dialect. Pronunciation is described but, of course, cannot be prescribed. There are a few spoken articles. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

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

Each contributor can write in their own dialect, categorizing an article in accordance with the dialect used. If the article is a stub, another contributor can expand it and bring it in line with their own dialect. If the article is longer, a further contributor using a different dialect will ask for their alterations to be rendered into the original dialect.

Many articles on animals, plants, objects and activities include an overview of what is often a plethora of local names, differing per region and even per village. Ni'jluuseger 20:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]