Editing Simple English Wikipedia

{{short description|Basic/Learning English edition of Wikipedia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox website
| name = {{Wiki favicon}} Simple English Wikipedia
| screenshot = Simple English Wikipedia screenshot.png
| screenshot_alt = The homepage of the Simple English Wikipedia
| collapsible = Yes
| logo = Wikipedia-logo-v2-simple.svg
| logo_size = 85%
| logo_caption = Logo of the Simple English Wikipedia
| url = {{URL|simple.wikipedia.org}}
| commercial = No
| launch_date = September 18, 2001<ref name=Meta /><ref name=HomePage />
| type = [[Online encyclopedia]]
| language = {{hlist|[[Basic English]]|[[Learning English (version of English)|Learning English]]}}
| registration = Optional
| owner = [[Wikimedia Foundation]]
| num_users = {{NUMBEROF|USERS|simple|N}} users, {{rounded calculation| {{NUMBEROF|ADMINS|simple}}-1|0}} administrators as of {{Date}}
| content_license = {{nobr|[[Creative Commons licenses|Creative Commons Attribution/<br/>Share-Alike]] 4.0}} (most text also dual-licensed under [[GFDL]])<br/>Media licensing varies
}}

The '''Simple English Wikipedia''' is a modified [[English language|English-language]] edition of [[Wikipedia]] written primarily in [[Basic English]] and [[Learning English (version of English)|Learning English]].<ref name=adolescent>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R1_vBUMfgFcC&pg=PA76|title=Adolescent Literacy, Field Tested: Effective Solutions for Every Classroom|last=Parris|first=Sheri R.|publisher=International Reading Assoc.|isbn=978-0-87207-695-2|year=2009|page=76|quote=A version of Wikipedia, called Simple English Wikipedia, contains entries using the 2,000 or so most common words in English, and is well suited for younger readers.}}</ref> It is one of seven [[List of Wikipedias|Wikipedias]] written in an [[Anglic languages|Anglic language]] or English-based [[pidgin]] or [[Creole language|creole]]. The site has the stated aim of providing an encyclopedia for "people with different needs, such as students, children, adults with [[learning disability|learning difficulties]], and people who are trying to learn [[English language|English]]."<ref>[[:simple:Wikipedia:Simple English Wikipedia|Simple English Wikipedia, 2009]]. Retrieved 26 January 2016</ref>

Simple English Wikipedia's basic presentation style makes it helpful for beginners learning English.<ref name="helpful for beginners">{{cite book |author=Fabien Snauwaert |url=https://how-to-learn-english.com |publisher=how-to-learn-english.com |title=How to Learn English, the ebook 📘 |year=2010 |page=34 |access-date=18 June 2011}}</ref> Its simpler word structure and syntax, while missing some nuances, can make information easier to understand when compared with the regular [[English Wikipedia]].

== History ==
The Simple English Wikipedia was launched on September 18, 2001.<ref name=Meta>{{Cite web |title=Simple English Wikipedia |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=Meta |language=en}}</ref><ref name=HomePage>{{cite web |url=http://simple.wikipedia.com/wiki.cgi?action=history&id=HomePage |title=History of Home Page |website=Simple English Wikipedia |language=simple |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011019070808/http://simple.wikipedia.com/wiki.cgi?action=history&id=HomePage |archive-date=October 19, 2001 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 13, 2025}}</ref>

In 2012, [[Andrew Lih]], a [[Wikipedia community|Wikipedian]] and author, told [[NBC News]]' Helen A.S. Popkin that the Simple English Wikipedia does not "have a high standing in the [[Wikipedia community]]", and added that it never had a clear purpose: "Is it for people under the age 14, or just a simpler version of complex articles?", wrote Popkin.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Popkin |first=Helen A.S. |date=December 7, 2012 |title=You're not smart enough to read Wikipedia |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/youre-not-smart-enough-read-wikipedia-flna1c7466948 |access-date=April 3, 2024 |publisher=[[NBC News]]}}</ref>

Material from the Simple English Wikipedia formed the basis for One Encyclopedia per Child,<ref>{{cite web |title=One Encyclopedia Per Child |url=http://wiki.laptop.org/go/One_encyclopedia_per_child |access-date=29 July 2009 |publisher=Wiki.laptop.org}}</ref> a project in [[One Laptop per Child]]<ref>{{cite book |author=Lawrence A. Tomei, Robert Morris |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S7xi5jcSp6EC&pg=PA544 |title=Encyclopedia of Information Technology Curriculum Integration |publisher=Idea Group Inc (IGI) |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-59904-881-9 |pages=544}}</ref> that ended in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=2018-04-16 |title=OLPC's $100 laptop was going to change the world — then it all went wrong |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/16/17233946/olpcs-100-laptop-education-where-is-it-now |access-date=2020-06-13 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref>

In 2018, it was proposed for closure due to a claim that no proof exists that the [[target audience]] was catered to, but the proposal was rejected due to unjustified policies and lack of approval.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://meta.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia|title=Simple English Wikipedia|website=Wikimedia Meta|language=en|access-date=March 27, 2025}}</ref>

As of {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}, the site contains over {{formatnum:{{#expr:{{NUMBEROF|ARTICLES|simple}} round -3}}}} content pages. It has more than {{formatnum:{{#expr:{{NUMBEROF|USERS|simple}} round -3}}}} registered users, of whom {{formatnum:{{#expr:{{NUMBEROF|ACTIVEUSERS|simple}}}}}} have made an edit in the past month.<ref>[[:simple:Special:Statistics|Special:Statistics]]. Retrieved {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTDAY}}, {{CURRENTYEAR}}</ref>

== Website structure ==

The articles on the Simple English Wikipedia are usually shorter than their [[English Wikipedia]] counterparts, typically presenting only basic information. Tim Dowling of ''[[The Guardian]]'' newspaper explained that "the Simple English version tends to stick to commonly accepted facts".<ref name=dowling/> The interface is also more simply labeled; for instance, the "Random article" link on the English Wikipedia is replaced with a "Show any page" link; users are invited to "change" rather than "edit" pages; clicking on a [[Wikipedia:Red link|red link]] shows a "page not created" message rather than the usual "page does not exist".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/howwikipediawork00ayer_0|url-access=registration|title=How Wikipedia works: and how you can be a part of it|last1=Ayers|first1=Phoebe|author-link1=Phoebe Ayers|last2=Matthews|first2=Charles|last3=Yates|first3=Ben|publisher=No Starch Press|year=2008|page=[https://archive.org/details/howwikipediawork00ayer_0/page/417 417]|isbn=9781593271763 }}</ref> The project encourages, but does not enforce, the use of a vocabulary of around 1,500 commonly used English words<ref name=adolescent/> that is based on [[Basic English]], an 850-word controlled natural language created by [[Charles Kay Ogden]] in the 1920s.<ref name=dowling>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,,2240303,00.html|title=Wikipedia too long-winded for you? Try the simple version|author=Tim Dowling|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=14 January 2008|access-date=17 May 2009}}</ref>

== See also == 
*[[Plain English]]
*[[Readability]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{InterWiki|code=simple|Simple English}}
{{Commons category|Simple English Wikipedia}}
*{{Official website|name=Simple English Wikipedia main page}}
{{Wikipedias}}{{Wikipedias in Germanic languages}}

[[Category:Wikipedias in Germanic languages]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 2001]]