Language and the Internet, what do they have in common? Well for starters, the Internet is based on a language of its own, that incorporates html, xhtml, css, etc. These languages help provide structure and behavior for the pages that we see when we visit a website or click on a link. But who would think that the actual language that the website is presented in counts? Have you ever taken a minute to ask yourself: what is the most popular language on the Internet? According to this link, as of right now English is still the most popular Internet language. But that could soon change.
According to the graph, English is the number 1 language on the Internet, followed by Chinese and then Spanish. Wow that’s pretty amazing that Spanish makes it to third place. This is one example of why many of the pages of EditorialCampana.com website are in both Spanish and English. It is important to be able to reach out to as many people as you can. Depending on the language of the website, will determine what visitors will be attracted as well as the amount of people. Many of the books published by editorial campana and campanita are in bilingual (English/Spanish) format. So it would make sense that the pages on the website be available on both languages as well. Translation are not always easy to come by (and they can be expensive). Maybe that is why many websites stick to 1 language.
Before we continue, it is important to understand why the title of this blog includes “3.0”. Many of us have heard that the Web has gone 2.0. This basically means that the original web has had an update. In the first version we were able to retrieve information. Now with the 2.0 version, users can do much more. We can interact with the websites that we visit. This interaction comes in many different forms, from social networking such as wordpress.com to educational sites that allow students to do homework and hand in assignments online. This new Internet gives users more flexibility in the information that they receive. With a 2.0 release, there is always room for improvement. That is where the Web 3.0 may come into play.
it’s a wonderful feature to be able to go to someone’s blog and post a comment or reply to them. Another wonderful element of the Web 2.0 is to be able to add media to your site easily. However, lets say you have this small publishing company that wants to attract Spanish and English viewers? Its wonderful that people can interact on the web now a days, but language can be the greatest obstacle to overcome. Until now- in a recent article of the onlive version of the NY Times, Writing the Web’s Future in Numerous Languages, many people are starting to realize that native language is just as important in the real world as it is in the digital realm.
This statement was made by, Rama Bijapurkar, a marketing consultant and the author of “Winning in the Indian Market: Understanding the Transformation of Consumer India.” She seems to understand that language can very much control the fate of a website. Another individual, Ram Prakash Hanumanthappa, an engineer from outside Bangalore, India, saw an opportunity to make one’s native language usable on the Internet.
Although the article is about how India is attempting to change or expand the language of the Internet, how will this impact the rest of the world? The Internet allows people to go anywhere they like. That being the case, shouldn’t users be able to learn about their native country in their native tongue? Or when shopping online, wouldn’t it be nice to speak or read a products information in any language possible? Hopefully with the success of the the Web 2.0, more people like Ram Prakash Hanumanthappa will work to make the Internet a language-friendly place. Wouldn’t it be great to go to your favorite website, and just like editorial Campana’s website, be able to click on a language link and see the page transform. Or even better, go to the homepage and choose your language before you enter the site?
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