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How to get started in the�Wikimedia Incubator

Jon Harald Søby

Wikimedia Language Diversity Hub

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What is the Wikimedia Incubator?

  • The project to start new language editions of existing projects
  • In the Incubator: Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikibooks, Wikiquote, Wikinews, Wikitravel
  • Not in the Incubator: Wikisource, Wikiversity, multilingual projects
  • Uses a system of test wikis to separate the various projects from each other, with prefixes in the page titles.�Example: Wp/mag for Wikipedia in Magahi

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A (brief) history of the Incubator

  • Started in 2006, before the language committee was created and the Language Proposal Policy (LPP)�
  • 2009: WikimediaIncubator extension made by SPQRobin
  • 2022: New AddPrefix gadget and interwiki gadget�
  • 2024: Top year by number of projects graduated (so far)

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Requirements for new projects

Eligibility

  • The language must have a valid ISO 639-1 or -3 code
  • The language must be a living, general-purpose language
  • Sufficient number of speakers to form a viable Wikimedia community

Approval

  • Request a new language → Meta
  • Active test wiki in the Incubator
  • Ongoing translation of MediaWiki in translatewiki.net
  • Independent verification by language expert

[[m:LPP]] – https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Language_proposal_policy

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How to start a new test wiki

  • Step 0: Create an account
  • Step 1: Set your test wiki in preferences
    • Know your language's language code!
  • Step 2: Create the info page for your test wiki
  • Step 3: Start editing
  • Step 4: Gather a community

[[incubator:Help:Manual]] – https://w.wiki/WPd

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Step 1: Set test wiki in preferences

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Step 2: Create the info page

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Step 3: Start creating content

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Step 3: Start creating content

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Step 4: Gather a community

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Tips and recommendations

  • Get experience from an established project
  • Start small! Don't try to translate full articles from big languages; focus on the essential info, and move on to the next article
  • Focus locally: Write about the things you and your community is interested in or needs
  • Create community spaces: On-wiki village pump, off-wiki chatting services like Telegram or WhatsApp

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Where to get help

  • Neighbouring communities
  • Local affiliates
  • Incubator's Community Portal�(village pump)

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Projects graduated

127 new language editions of Wikipedias have been launched since 2006

Since its inception, 252 new wikis have graduated from the Incubator, Beta Wikiversity and Multilingual Wikisource

2024 was a record year, seeing 26 new projects launched.

6 projects from Africa

14 from South East Asia

Looking to surpass the 273,908 edits made in 2024

252

127

26

216,495

Statistics

New Wikipedias

New projects in 2024

Edits in 2025

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Q&A