Wikipilipinas: The Philippines version of Wikipedia

One unstated principle of Wikipilipinas would be the view that Filipinos and Filipinas (or the Filipinized ones?) know better. And since the primary intended audience are Filipinos and ethno-cultural groups in the Philippines, Filipinos and Filipinas would have the appropriate tact in gathering information and delivering them to the readers using localized language. Wikipilipinas is a welcome idea. But I can’t say whether its time has come. I can’t even guess if at least some Pinoy wikipedians problematize whether they would stop writing or ‘developing content’ for Wikipedia and devote their energies on Wikipilipinas instead. And I learned from news that the site would soon monetize the hits by placing ads on the site’s pages. We must try to understand that the site is young, no older than my one year old niece. Wikipedia was like that five years ago, and early users usually copy paste articles from old books and free info webs, especially public ones, in the site. Remember that not long ago Encarta and Britannica Encyclopedia criticized Wikipedia, mocking its unencyclopedic entries which they claim were turning the knowledge world into a universe of gossips, controversies, spamming and scum talks. Wikipilipinas, to some extent, has been experiencing the same criticisms. My take on this is that we should give it a try. Besides, Filipinos do it for Filipinos. The sad reality is that foreign knowledge portals have taken over the information that we, as Filipinos, should have been the foremost, if not the only, holder is a clear kick in our face. We should not rub it in and instead, do something beneficial. That’s why its a free-content site where anybody can edit. The site needs you, me and other knowledge-lover people.