[Summary]
Launched in 1995 by the WorldWide Language Institute (WWLI), an
institute providing language instruction via the internet, NetGlos
-- which stands for "Multilingual Glossary of Internet
Terminology" -- was compiled as a voluntary collaborative project
by a number of translators and other language professionals
worldwide. In September 1998, NetGlos was available in 13
languages (Chinese, Croatian, English, Dutch/Flemish, French,
German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Maori, Norwegian, Portuguese,
Spanish). As explained by Brian King, director of the WorldWide
Language Institute, in September 1998: “Before a new term becomes
accepted as the 'correct' one, there is a period of instability
where a number of competing candidates are used. Often an English
loan word becomes the starting point -- and in many cases the
endpoint. But eventually a winner emerges that becomes codified
into published technical dictionaries as well as the everyday
interactions of the non technical user.”
***
NetGlos -- which stands for "Multilingual Glossary of Internet
Terminology" -- was compiled as a voluntary collaborative project
by a number of translators and other language professionals
worldwide.
NetGlos was launched in 1995 by the WorldWide Language Institute
(WWLI), an institute providing language instruction via the
internet. Three years later, NetGlos was available in 13 languages
(Chinese, Croatian, English, Dutch/Flemish, French, German, Greek,
Hebrew, Italian, Maori, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish).
As explained by Brian King, director of the WorldWide Language
Institute, in September 1998: “Much of the technical terminology
on the web is still not translated into other languages. And as we
found with (…) NetGlos, the translation of these terms is not
always a simple process. Before a new term becomes accepted as the
'correct' one, there is a period of instability where a number of
competing candidates are used. Often an English loan word becomes
the starting point -- and in many cases the endpoint. But
eventually a winner emerges that becomes codified into published
technical dictionaries as well as the everyday interactions of the
non technical user. The latest version of NetGlos is the Russian
one and it should be available in a couple of weeks or so [in late
September 1998]. It will no doubt be an excellent example of the
ongoing, dynamic process of 'russification' of web terminology.”
How about the future? "As a company that derives its very
existence from the importance attached to languages, I believe the
future will be an exciting and challenging one. But it will be
impossible to be complacent about our successes and
accomplishments. Technology is already changing at a frenetic pace.
Lifelong learning is a strategy that we all must use if we are to
stay ahead and be competitive. This is a difficult enough task in
an English-speaking environment. If we add in the complexities of
interacting in a multilingual/multicultural cyberspace, then the
task becomes even more demanding. As well as competition, there is
also the necessity for cooperation -- perhaps more so than ever
before. The seeds of cooperation across the internet have
certainly already been sown. Our NetGlos Project has depended on
the goodwill of volunteer translators from Canada, U.S., Austria,
Norway, Belgium, Israel, Portugal, Russia, Greece, Brazil, New
Zealand and other countries. I think the hundreds of visitors we
get coming to the NetGlos pages everyday is an excellent testimony
to the success of these types of working relationships. I see the
future depending even more on cooperative relationships --
although not necessarily on a volunteer basis."