No art critics attend Wikipedia event

No art critics were present at the Wikipedia: Schools and Universities project’s Saturday meeting that sparked a discussion over updating the Armenian language content of the free online resource.

Speaking to Tert.am, a coordinator of Intergate Project, Armenuhi Petrosyan, said similar events do not normally address a specific topic, adding that this time only they decided to focus on art.
 

“We organize [the meetings] in different places and have never had a specific topic. This time, in collaboration with the Naregatsi Art Union, we decided to devote the discussion to art critics and involve them in the event as users of Wikipedia,” she said.
 

Asked why no one had attended the meeting, Petrosyan said she could mot explain any reason.
 

Addressing the issue, a project manager for the Union, Levon Iskenyanm said art critics might not be properly informed of Wikipedia’s importance.


Mher Bekaryan, who administers the Armenian language section of Wikipedia, said the human resource is a key factor for contributing materials. He said that though many know how to add an article they fail to do that for some reason.


“All editors know how to do it, but nobody works. There is a demand for human resources, while we have few activists. When one wants to write something, s/he is eager to have some gain to have his or her name below an article. But there is nothing of the kind in Wikipedia,” he said.
 

Bekaryan further spoke of terminology-related problems.


“The terminology causes problems as very often, terms relating to cinematography, for instance, do not have an Armenian equivalent, so we have to use the Russian or English word,” he said.
 

The expert also stressed the importance of information tools, noting that an agreement with different encyclopedias currently allows them to acquire 70,000 articles.
 

Bekaryan said that the Armenian Wikipedia, which has been functioning since 2005, contains 25,620 articles, with most of the items having been added in the recent three years. According to him, the materials predominantly cover topic related to art, history and cinema.