Hi Elisabeth!

I will be happy to join the Wg11 Wikipedia edit-a-thon. I can start on March 13. I can also help edit contents in both English and Spanish.

Kind regards, Miguel

Environmental Specialist Ottawa, Canada miguelmadrid.net

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Note by moderator:
See here for a continuation of this discussion:
forum.susana.org/component/kunena/198-wi...roundwater-pollution

Dear Leif,

Your suggestion about other language Wikipedias is a good one! Most people probably don't realise: but you can check which other language versions already exist by looking at the left of the Wikipedia article. E.g. when you look at the article on groundwater (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater), look on the left hand side and you will see that it exists in MANY different language already which is great. Note that the different language versions are NOT a 1:1 translation of the English article! Often they are quite different and might be a lot shorter. They may be better or worse, it just depends on who put time and effort into it.

It could be worthwhile to ensure that the other language versions of the article on groundwater mention the issue of groundwater pollution in the same way as the English article does. And if not, do add it in.

Note the article on groundwater pollution (which I actually created) only exists in English so far. Is anyone keen to translate it into another language?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater_pollution

I have not worked with the translator tool myself but Chris Canaday has. He has told us about it here:
forum.susana.org/component/kunena/198-wi...ish-to-spanish#19553

Translation in Wikipedia is slower than a normal translation, since one has to respect the links to bibliography and definition of words, plus in many cases reconstruct the latter.

At first, this went slowly, working online. Then I translated the whole remainder off-line and then cut and pasted it on top of the rough draft that Wikipedia provides, dancing around the links. The rough draft that is provided does not seem to be from Google Translate and should largely be ignored. The good thing is that it maintains the links to citations and tries to reestablish links to definitions of words, which one must contribute considerably to, especially since many pages have not been done in Spanish yet.

I also translated into Spanish and built up the ArborLoo page:
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArborLoo
(which already has a great version in French)

I encourage everyone to translate the Wikipedia pages on the topics they find most important, into the languages they speak.

Regards,
Elisabeth

P.S. Regarding your second point about references, I agree 100%! This is also the reason why you don't need to be an expert to edit Wikipedia articles. You just need to know which references to cite and how to write in an easy to understand language. Many professors nowadays set student assignments for students to improve Wikipedia articles - it is good practice for them!

Count me in!

Arjen Naafs
Regional Technical Advisor WaterAid

Dear All,

In addition to what Elisabeth wrote, please consider also the following:

Some of Wikipedia articles are already quite detailed and well described. But the OTHER LANGUAGES either have no or very basic information on groundwater protection ans sanitation aspects.

If some of you speak two languages, you cold provide a big support by translating the most important sections.

Also, I would like to share my view that, while Wikipedia articles are an excellent way to get a first introduction into a subject, the authorship is anonymous and they DO NOT replace the expert literature / manuals / text books, where somebody is responsible and accountable for the content. Thus, I think that it is good to work with a lot of references and quotes.

Best regards
Leif

A list of possible Wikipedia articles that could be of interest to members of Working Group 11 on groundwater protection includes, I think:

• Groundwater pollution en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater_pollution
• Groundwater en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater
• Pit latrine en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_latrine
• Water well en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_well
• Septic tank en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septic_tank

And for all WGs we are suggesting the Wikipedia article on the SDGs :
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals

as well as World Water Day:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Water_Day

I am wondering if we should add some content about regulation into the article on groundwater or on groundwater pollution? So far there is only some information about regulation in the U.S. about groundwater:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater#Regulations

I am also wondering if the term groundwater protection should get its own Wikipedia article? At the moment groundwater protection is re-directed to groundwater pollution. There, you do find sections on prevention and on management. However, would readers find it more helpful if there was a separate article on groundwater protection? One would have to avoid dublication though, e.g. the causes why groundwater protection is necessary should remain in the article on groundwater protection and not be fully repeated in the potential new article on groundwater protection.

Regards,
Elisabeth

Dear SuSanA Working Group 11 members
(on groundwater protection),

You have an interest in the topic of groundwater protection, and we need your help to spread information about this topic on Wikipedia!

We are planning to provide 48 hours of expertise to improve WASH-related Wikipedia articles.

Why? Educating the public will be critical if we are to achieve Sustainable Development Goal Number 6 (SDG6): “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”.

What: World Water Day Wikipedia Edit-a-thon

When: 19-20 March

Where: Wherever you and your computer are on March 19-20 (or the two weeks before then)

Who: You can contribute solo, or work with a group of friends

Why you? You’re an expert or an interested member of the public committed to achieving sustainable sanitation for all (and SDG6)

Why Wikipedia? Achieving water and sanitation for all requires educating and informing all stakeholders. Wikipedia reaches over 500 million people each month, making it the 5th most often visited website.

Next steps required from you:

1. Post here in this thread by 6 March to register your interest in helping with the edit-a-thon.
2. Look at the example Wikipedia articles listed below in the next post which I think could be of relevance to this Working Group and which ones you have a personal interest in. You can also suggest additional ones. Join the conversation on how best to include groundwater topics in Wikipedia!
3. Subscribe to this thread (by clicking on the blue subscribe flag when you are logged in) where we will post short videos and further information on how to edit Wikipedia articles: forum.susana.org/component/kunena/213-wo...d-the-clock-together - we will also email the same information to anyone who has registered their interest

What if you can’t make it on 19-20 March?
No problem. You can edit Wikipedia anytime. Please let us know what you’re working on. This effort is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant to SuSanA (see here for more information: forum.susana.org/component/kunena/10-ann...l-knowledge-platform) and we want to keep track of how many SuSanA members contribute to the Edit-a-Thon. So please let us know.

What if you don’t have a reliable internet connection?
As an editor you can help in many different ways, be it writing new content, correcting and improving existing content, adding images, adding references, internal links, external links etc.
More detailed information about online and offline options to get involved and help will be provided very soon on the forum in the general Edit-a-thon thread mentioned above.

You can click here to look at a list of Wikipedia articles the other SuSanA Working Groups will be working on: forum.susana.org/component/kunena/213-wo...clock-together#20524 .

Questions? Just ask. We want to make it easy for you.

Kind regards,
Elisabeth (supporting Leif Wolf and Andrea Nick, the leads of Working Group 11)

together with Ruth Miskelly (Water Aid), Carol McCreary (PHLUSH), Esther Shaylor (Oxfam), Diane Kellogg - members of the Grant Consortium of the SEI grant by BMGF on “Supporting SuSanA and the broader Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Community of Practice through an online platform”