A more linguistically diverse internet is becoming more possible thanks to an emerging movement of language activists leveraging the reach and opportunities provided by the web. New digital content is being produced in indigenous, endangered, or underresourced languages helping a new generation of speakers access information in their mother language. However, before many languages can realize their full potential to be shared online, technical challenges, such as a lack of a keyboard or software compatibility need to be addressed. Collaborations between language communities and developers provide solutions to overcome these obstacles. We’ll hear about experiences where technical solutions were put in place to address community-identified needs.
We’ll explore possibilities for scaling these types of collaborations by proposing ways to better understanding the technical needs and how to propose ways developers can get involved in efforts for making a more multilingual internet a reality.
We would like to also explore possibilities for "matchmaking" activities that may link communities that have self-identified tech needs with developers or programmers that may be able to help. We hope to attract an audience that may already be doing similar type of collaborations or think of a new process to enable these types of connections.
How will you deal with varying numbers of participants in your session?:We will make this session participatory in the sense that the speakers will make a short presentation followed by a facilitated discussion including the audience. We will open it up to questions and other types of short interventions by audience members.
What is the goal and/or outcome of your session?:We would like to share experiences strategies to engage with language communities that have self-identified technical needs that would help them in sharing their language and culture online. In addition, when technical solutions are not available within the community itself, we also want to provide some examples of how to link these communities with technologists who can adapt or create new solutions to meet these needs. Finally, we hope to brainstorm possibilities to facilitate these connections by making these connections.
Rising Voices Director, Global Voices
