After a decade, Wikipedia, one of the most well-known free encyclopaedias in the world, has finally undergone its first update. Wikimedia, the organisation that powers Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, recently revealed that the 22nd anniversary of English Wikipedia marked the release of the first significant update to its desktop interface.
The emphasis of the updated interface is on usability and knowledge-sharing simplicity. The most current upgrade has been made accessible on English Wikipedia, and according to the platform, all desktop users can access 94% of the 318 language variants of the web.
According to Wikimedia, the new desktop interface was developed to cater to the needs of the upcoming generation of netizens. The platform’s primary objective has been to make it basic and accessible for everybody, regardless of their prior online experience. After seeking input from Wikipedia readers and volunteer editors, the new update was created.
These features were created with feedback from readers and volunteers from all over the world with the goal of meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse audience while maintaining the simple and straightforward feel that millions of people have come to trust over the course of the last 22 years, said Selena Deckelmann, Chief Product and Technology Officer at the Wikimedia Foundation.
Here’s What’s New
1. Users will now have access to a new search interface that combines descriptions and images, making it easier for them to find articles on the platform.
2. The platform has given language-switching options more prominence in order to help editors and readers who are multilingual. Users can easily access their favourite language from a selection of more than 300 languages.
3. Users will also see a redesigned sticky header with links to Search, the name of the page, and parts that scroll. To lessen scrolling fatigue, the alteration has been included into the portal.
4. A table of contents that indicates where the reader is in the piece and provides context.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1. Which country exercises control over Wikipedia?
Ans: Wikipedia is hosted by a non-profit organisation, Wikimedia, based out of the United States of America.
Q2. Is the information displayed on Wikipedia absolutely accurate?
Ans: Twenty years after it was first published, the online encyclopaedia is still not wholly trustworthy because information can be changed, sometimes in nearly imperceptible ways. This is true even though many entries are well-documented, quality-checked, and often entirely up-to-date.
