Wikipedia aims to reach 1 billion users by 2015 by the help of mobile phones which will double the current number of Wikipedia users. The higher authorities are of the opinion that the rapid expansion of cellular networks will enable them to take Wikipedia to places even where there is no internet. Jay Walsh, senior director of communications at the Wikimedia Foundation said “It’s surprisingly challenging to take your website and make it available on the simplest phone.” Walsh said that in countries such as in Middle East or Asia, opening your phone and accessing a website like Wikipedia can cost quite much according to their economical standards. Wikipedia is trying to eradicate the barrier so that people would not be bothered by money in order to access the site. This will enable the organization to increase from its current 483 million users to 1 billion till 2015.
Telecommunications services providers like France-based Orange and VimpelCom of the Netherlands, are helping Wikipedia to move forward in this direction. They are making agreements that would help waive data charges for customers accessing the site, in an initiative called Wikipedia Zero.
While accessing the site is easier on mobile phones and tablets, the absence of a proper keyboard has resulted in decrease of active editors of the website. Active editors mean those who edit a page at least five times a month. The number has reduced to 33,000 from 50,000 in 2007. The organization claims the “smartphone proliferation” to have caused the decline.
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