More About Filipiniana.net and WikiPilipinas

This took a long time coming...but as promised here is Part 2 of my entry about two of the hottest new Pinoy websites - Filipiniana.net and WikiPilipinas.org.

I've had more time to check out both sites since I discovered them at the Manila International Book Fair where they were formally launched to the public, and I must say, that the more I looked, the more impressed I became.

As I said in my previous entry, I am particularly impressed not only by the range of books and materials offered by Filipiniana.net, but even more so by the researcher-friendly features of the site. I already mentioned about SKOOL TOOLS, which is the only one of its kind I've seen in a local digital library.

If you are a historian, researcher, or a student searching for rare Filipiniana materials, then you will most definitely find Filipiniana.net a treasure trove of hard-to-find books and documents. But more than that, you'll appreciate the fact that the website has all these features that make both researching and writing a paper so hassle-free. Aside from Skool Tools, Filipiniana.net also offers fully-indexed books and documents so if you know what you are looking for, all you have to do is type in the keyword and the pages in which the word appears are displayed right on your screen. Now, if that's not researcher-friendly, I don't know what is.

Now, about WikiPilipinas...

Unlike Filipiniana.net, its sister site, WikiPilipinas.org, looks like it is still a work in progress. But it holds so much promise, that it's got the 'elitist' /'purist' local chapter of global giant wikipedia.org, virtually up in arms over what they perceive is a duplication of efforts. In my search for more information about WikiPilipinas, I stumbled upon the so-called "turf war" that began just after the launching of the website. It seems that some Pinoy wikipedians (Seav and Shrumster are among those whose negative comments I've read) are playing Goliath and are out to trample upon the Davids of this startup website. Well, we all know how that Biblical tale ended and by the looks of it, the wikipinoys are not about to let the big bullies stop them from attaining their goal of hitting 100,000 entries to catapult the site to the top ten wiki sites of the world. As of last count, it has breached the 40,000 mark in just a couple of months.

I will admit to having a thing for underdogs and big dreamers, which is why I fully support WikiPilipinas. Its tagline reads: Wikipilipinas.org, the Free and Hip Philippine Encyclopedia, yet it is also working towards becoming an almanac, a Philippine directory, and a communities portal all rolled into one. It's ultimate goal is to become the world's largest Philippine knowledge database. Like I said...big dreams and I love it!

I truly hope that it gets all the support it badly needs particularly in building up its encyclopedic content if only to gain more credibility. It looks like its successful launching at the MIBF has upped its popularity as evidenced by the soaring number of registered users. Well, I hope this translates to more entries for them. I look forward to the time it can truly claim, "There is something for every Pinoy in WikiPilipinas.org."

Filipiniana.net and WikiPilipinas Make You Proud to be Pinoy

At the Manila International Book Fair which ran from August 29 to September 2, I discovered two fascinating web portals – Filipiniana.net and Wikipilipinas.org.

I went to the World Trade Center early on the first day of the fair to meet a friend, and it was difficult not to miss the booth. At first, I was rather intimidated by the sheer whiteness of it all – a giant screen and about a dozen of the latest iMAC units over white tables and white chairs. Even the people hovering in and around the booth were wearing white.

But the fact that there weren’t any books visible anywhere was what got me really curious. After all, it was a book fair, right? So I decided to watch from the sidelines and from what I gathered from the videos and presentations, both were newly-launched websites purportedly offering comprehensive information about the Philippines.

When I got home that night, I checked out the two websites. I will confine this entry on my take on Filipiniana.net.

True to its claim, Filipiniana.net is the premiere digital library and research portal on Philippine studies. I’ve never seen such a diverse collection of books and materials on the Philippines. Just check out their homepage and you will see the extensive line of books and materials they offer FOR FREE on this site – from centuries-old books, early Tagalog novels, Philippine revolutionary records and documents, all the Philippine laws and constitutions from the first to the current one, and even Pinoy komiks. The materials are in Tagalog, English and Spanish. Now, how cool is that?

But I, for one, believe that Filipiniana.net is set apart from other digital libraries because of the added features. I am completely fascinated with Skool Tools, a unique web application embedded on the site which allows researchers to actually write their report or paper without ever having to leave the site. The best part of it is that it allows instant citation in the format prescribed by the Chicago Manual of Style. GREAT! Filipiniana.net actually revolutionizes the way people do research and write reports.

Kudos to the publisher, Gaspar Vibal, for this monumental project. Kakaiba talaga!

About WikiPilipinas.org on my next entry.