Eurid releases report on the growth of multilingualism on the Internet

[jose]

Eurid,the company behind .EU domain name,and UNESCO released today a reportd on the growth of multilingualism on the Internet .The report revealed that there is a significant correlation between IDNs and local content.

You can read the announcement after the jump :

"The growth of multilingualism on the Internet and the factors that contribute to it are tracked and analysed in a new report issued today by the .eu registry EURid and UNESCO. The "EURid-UNESCO World report on Internationalised Domain Names deployment 2012" follows last year’s study "IDNs - State of Play".

Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) are an essential building block for creating a truly multilingual Internet. The issue of IDNs has received more attention within the international community in recent years, making this report a vital contribution to the development of IDN usage around the world. Functionality and user experience for IDNs remain in their infancy. However, it is notable that within two years of IDNs becoming available at least 3.5 million registrations have already been carried out. Countries that have embraced IDNs at the top level include the Russian Federation and the Republic of Korea, which together have seen approximately 1 million registrations so far.

The new report, based on a 2011 study by EURid and UNESCO, found that there was a significant correlation between IDNs and local content. Using data drawn from 90% of the world’s top-level domains (TLDs) and case studies from Egypt, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the EURid-UNESCO report offers an essential insight into the current state of IDN usage in these countries. It addresses deployment experiences and reviews the linkages between local languages and IDN uptake. The report highlights elements which enhance the "IDN readiness" in a particular country or region.

"The introduction of internationalised domain names at country level was a very positive development towards fostering multilingualism in cyberspace and providing new opportunities to access information for those who do not use the Latin script in their language. UNESCO is working with various partners to turn this opportunity to the advantage of people around the world," stated the Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at UNESCO, Janis Karklins.

"This is the second year running in which EURid and UNESCO have collaborated to investigate the status of online multilingualism and the uptake of IDNs," said EURid’s General Manager, Marc Van Wesemael. "The scripts of the 23 European Union languages are supported under .eu and therefore, we see the relationship between local language and geographical location in the IDN registration patterns and understand its importance."

At IGF in Baku The EURid-UNESCO report will be presented to the Internet community during the workshop number 126 which takes place on 6 November 2012 at 2.30pm (local time) during the 7th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Also online The report "EURid-UNESCO World report on Internationalised Domain Names deployment 2012", as well as the one published in 2011, is available for download at link.eurid.eu/insights. They form part of the .eu Insights report series, which is based on surveys, studies and research conducted by EURid, in cooperation with industry experts and sector leaders."

[domainguru]

Send a copy to Tina :-p

[alpha]

link: www.eurid.eu/files/EURid_IDN_Report_2012.pdf

it's a good read actually.

It paints a bleak picture though. In summary it spells out that IDNs have a bunch of technical barriers that hamper adoption (browser, email, apps like facebook, poor registrar offerings.. all the usual stuff)

but then goes on to describe a paradox where awareness will only improve when these problems are resolved, and to resolve them, you need awareness.

The technical barriers will likely only be addressed when it is cost effective to do so, and that will only happen where there is demand, and demand will only come through awareness and adoption, and round and round you go again.

[domainguru]

link: www.eurid.eu/files/EURid_IDN_Report_2012.pdf

it's a good read actually.

It paints a bleak picture though. In summary it spells out that IDNs have a bunch of technical barriers that hamper adoption (browser, email, apps like facebook, poor registrar offerings.. all the usual stuff)

but then goes on to describe a paradox where awareness will only improve when these problems are resolved, and to resolve them, you need awareness.

The technical barriers will likely only be addressed when it is cost effective to do so, and that will only happen where there is demand, and demand will only come through awareness and adoption, and round and round you go again.

The barriers explain the delay. They don't take away the basic need.

[alpha]

The barriers explain the delay. They don't take away the basic need.

of course. But are the two linked? The barriers won't go away just because there's a need.

[bumblebee man]

but then goes on to describe a paradox where awareness will only improve when these problems are resolved, and to resolve them, you need awareness.

The technical barriers will likely only be addressed when it is cost effective to do so, and that will only happen where there is demand, and demand will only come through awareness and adoption, and round and round you go again.

Yeah, it's a chicken-egg dilemma. And this one is hurting us more than all the bloody delays at ICANN.

[domainguru]

of course. But are the two linked? The barriers won't go away just because there's a need.

Yes they are linked. Companies need financial motivation to remove the barriers. That only happens with registration cash.

But its happened with browsers ... eventually ... due to demand.

I have my doubts about email, but I have my doubts about the future of email anyway.

Thais don't need IDN emails. They put gmail or yahoo emails on website contacts anyway. Nobody gives a toss here about what your email address is.

But Thais are already using IDN websites. The only barrier that is stopping big companies using them is having half their domain in English not Thai.

I've always said .com -> .คอม was day zero for Thai IDNs. So we can hardly say ICANN hasn't produced this road-block. They plainly have, but it is soon disappearing.

Sure, even on day 1, adoption will still be gradual, there will no sudden exposion of IDN use, but it will be a darned site quicker than it is now.

[jose]

(browser, email, apps like facebook, poor registrar offerings.. all the usual stuff)

Browser?
Facebook? No, not Facebook. All the issues have been fixed. I have reported some bugs to Facebook and I must say that, as far as I know, they now fully and correctly support IDN domains everywhere. Websites AND apps. You can verify it here: https://www.facebook.com/noticia.net Notice all the links, pop-ups and references to "notícia.net". And here: https://apps.facebook.com/noticianet/ A canvas app running on an IDN domain.

Seems like the issue with Facebook is "IDN email addresses in user accounts".

But this is not correct: "Yesterday there was a panel where we heard that if you type in an IDN URL in Facebook
, it does not automatically convert it into a web link because - they don’t recognize an IDN domain name as a URL"

[alpha]

..Facebook? No, not Facebook...

that report calls facebook out because you cannot register with (and get notifications etc) an IDN email address

[Rubber Duck]

that report calls facebook out because you cannot register with (and get notifications etc) an IDN email address

Yes, on the presumption that anyona actually gives a shit.

[DktoInc]

http://www.euractiv.com/infosociety/internet-multilingual-study-news-515882


The internet is becoming more multilingual: Study

Internationalised domain names (IDNs), which are seen as an essential building block for creating a multilingual internet, are growing in number, according to a new report.



The EURid-UNESCO World report on Internationalised Domain Names (http://www.eurid.eu/files/EURid_IDN_Report_2012.pdf)includes data drawn from 90% of the world’s top domains.
The report, published Tuesday (6 November), also uses case studies from Egypt, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
It concludes that there is a significant correlation between IDNs and local content.
EURid is a non-profit organisation that operates the .eu top-level domain.
Within the past two years since IDNs have become available, at least 3.5 million have been registered since 2005. The countries that have embraced IDNs at the top level include Russia and the South Korea, which together have seen approximately one million registrations so far.
“The introduction of internationalised domain names at country level was a very positive development towards fostering multilingualism in cyberspace and providing new opportunities to access information for those who do not use the Latin script in their language," said Janis Karklins, assistant director-general for communication and information at UNESCO.
"UNESCO is working with various partners to turn this opportunity to the advantage of people around the world,” Karklins added.
The European Commission, while stressing its supporting role behind the member states, says it regards respect for linguistic diversity as a core value of the European Union.

[AWS]

EURid signs MoU with UNESCO

Brussels, 27 February 2013 - Following the IDNs - State of Play Insights report of 2011 and the 2012 World report on IDNs deployment, EURid and UNESCO have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Both parties will carry out common projects to contribute to the promotion of multilingualism in cyberspace with special focus on research and analysis of the International Domain Names (IDN) deployment, preparation of joint World Report(s) on the IDN deployment, cooperation in preparation of joint events, meetings and projects involving experts from various professional and academic communities, industry as well as other international, regional and national organizations.

The 2012 World report on IDNs deployment has been successfully presented during the UNESCO WSIS + 10 event in Paris on 26 February. The report is available here (http://www.eurid.eu/en/about-us/publications/insights-research-reports) and can also be downloaded for free via our tablet app in iTunes or Google Play.


http://www.eurid.eu/en/news/feb-2013/eurid-signs-mou-unesco

[AWS]

Verisign Blog Post: Multilingualism on the Internet and other key learnings from WSIS+10
Pat Kane | Mar 14, 2013

Recently I joined a number of world leaders, policy makers, NGOs and other groups at the first World Summit on the Information Society review event, WSIS+10. The discussions focused on how we can all make progress toward achieving a truly multilingual, open Internet for everyone and establishing a knowledge-driven society. Hopefully, some of the key learnings will help shape the next review event in 2014 and also encourage a continuing dialogue about how to lower the digital divides that prevents so many users around the world from navigating the Web in non-native scripts and languages. There were many interesting workshops, seminars and interactive sessions happening at the meeting, but I wanted to share some thoughts about a special panel I participated on regarding Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) with Janis Karklins, Baher Esmat, Minjung Park, and Christine Arida, hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
[... (http://blogs.verisigninc.com/blog/entry/verisign_blog_post_multilingualism_on)]
In 1996, two-thirds of the world’s Internet population was in the U.S. Today, Asia Pacific is the largest region with more than 40 percent of the online population.
[... (http://blogs.verisigninc.com/blog/entry/verisign_blog_post_multilingualism_on)]
Surely, changes to an ecosystem as expansive as the Internet won’t happen overnight, but the future of IDNs is bright and undoubtedly cannot be ignored.
[... (http://blogs.verisigninc.com/blog/entry/verisign_blog_post_multilingualism_on)]
Now that the groundwork has been laid, it’s time to make the Internet a truly multilingual Web.


http://blogs.verisigninc.com/blog/entry/verisign_blog_post_multilingualism_on

[blastfromthepast]

There is no growth of multilingualism on the internet.

There is growth of the percentage of internet users who speak languages other than those already widely represented on the internet.

[Rubber Duck]

There is no growth of multilingualism on the internet.

There is growth of the percentage of internet users who speak languages other than those already widely represented on the internet.

Only if you neglect the well known fact that all Chinese and Indians speak English.

To validate this hypothesis you only have to visit the local takeaway. :-D

[blastfromthepast]

Only if you neglect the well known fact that all Chinese and Indians speak English.

To validate this hypothesis you only have to visit the local takeaway. :-D

Does your local take-away have an online order form in Urdu and English?

[Rubber Duck]

Does your local take-away have an online order form in Urdu and English?

No, so there you go. :lol: