Tell us about Scottish Gaelic Wikipedia

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Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)[edit]

Wikimedia Statistics can be difficult to interpret. What is your impression, how many steady contributors do you have?
- Maybe 4-5 that make some contributions a few times during a months.--Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Are your contributors mostly native speakers?
- As far as I know them, they are mostly learners.--Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- We've had a couple of native speakers over the years. Eoghan and AnSiarach spring to mind. No Gaels contributing regularly at the moment though (apart from the odd anonymous spelling/grammar corrector. -- Derek Ross 05:20, 30 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Where do your contributors live (regions/country)?
- Some in Scotland, some in Germany, also in Canada and USA.--Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Also in England and Ireland. -- Derek Ross 05:20, 30 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
How common is it that your contributors meet in real life?
- Personally I've met a few of them. But so far we had no official meetings. --Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Never met anybody, sadly. -- Derek Ross 18:36, 30 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Do you have special contacts with other Wikipedias (maybe in related languages)?
- Living in Germany myself, I have good contacts to the German Wikipedia. I get lots of help, especially technical support, from them.--Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Do you translate a lot from other Wikipedias? Which ones?
- Sometimes. There are some translations from ga:. I did some from en: and de:.--Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is there a Wikimedia chapter in your country? How does your language relate to it?
- I don't know.--Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- No, there is currently no Wikimedia chapter in the UK. -- Derek Ross 05:20, 30 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Are there work groups in other organizations about Wikipedia?
- No. -- Derek Ross 05:20, 30 September 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?
- In Scotland: "Sabhal Mòr Ostaig", a Gaelic College, in Germany: "Zentrum für Gälische Sprache und Kultur", an institution for gaelic language and culture --Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Who (else) supports you?
- So far, no one.--Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
What does the public outreach for your edition look like? Do you have fliers, give lectures, training etc.?
- As far as I know nobody has ever produced any press or promotional material relating to the Scottish Gaelic Wikipedia.--Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- That is indeed the case. -- Derek Ross 05:20, 30 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Do you get feedback from readers?
- Here in Germany: yes. People knowing that I'm learning the language are telling me that there is such thing as a Gaelic Wikipedia, sometimes I get feedback and suggestions mostly by e-mail.--Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Never. -- Derek Ross 05:20, 30 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
What other encyclopedias exist in your language?
- None that I know of.--Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Does your edition concentrate on certain topics, like your region and language, or Latin Wikipedia on Roman history and Christianity?
- Scotland, Gaelic language and culture, irish topics as well. But it depends a little on the area where the contributors are comming from. Personally I started out with articles related to Europa. --Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Did your edition enjoy text donations, for example from older encyclopedias?
- No, not as far as I've seen. --Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is there a generally accepted norm about your language (spelling, dictionary, pronunciation)?
- There is no such language as a "Standard Gaelic". Although there is GOC (Gaelic Orthographic Convention), it is not known/accepted by the majority. Two major dictionaries (Colin Mark, Edward Dwelly) and a major online-source from Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. (yet sometimes even they have different spellings)--Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- There are two spelling conventions - the older pan-Gaelic traditional spelling which used to be shared with Irish Gaelic and is used by most older dictionaries and the newer spelling convention introduced by the Scottish Education Department in the 1970s and used by learners and younger native speakers. -- Derek Ross 05:20, 30 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
How do you deal with different spellings, dialects etc. (like B.E. lift and A.E. elevator)?
- At the moment: I leave the articles the way they are. For the title: I go for the most commenly used one (lookig them up in the dictionaries, Google won't work) and by redirects.--Sionnach 17:22, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- We accept any recognised spelling and dialect -- although we don't have enough native speakers to need to worry about dialects. -- Derek Ross 05:20, 30 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]