Dunoon Observer:£250,000 for Gaelic ‘Facebook’ One person..

[Gràisg]

'“One person’s high expense is another’s value for money.”


£250,000 for Gaelic ‘Facebook’
A PUBLICLY funded committee which aims to promote the Gaelic language has spent £250,000 on a Gaelic social networking website - despite there already being one.
Bòrd an Gàidhlig awarded Gillian Thompson, a Glaswegian non-Gaelic speaker, the cash to set up mygaelic.com. Ms Thompson pitched her idea of a Gaelic Facebook-style site to the board on behalf of her IT company Creative Cell, and was said to be ‘stunned’ when funding of a quarter of a million pounds was agreed.
Speaking for Bòrd an Gàidhlig, Hugh Dan MacLennan confirmed that the process had gone out to tender and that more than one company had pitched for the work. Asked about the high cost of the project Mr MacLennan said: “One person’s high expense is another’s value for money.”
Confirming that this was a two-year project, Mr MacLennan continued: “I think that when people see the finished article they will realise that this is more than just a website.”
A Gaelic social networking site has existed for some time. Abair Thusa (You Say) currently has 99 members and lively discussion boards and forums. Abair Thusa was built, for free, on the ‘ning’ interface and does everything that Facebook does.
Rosemary Ward, acting CEO of Bòrd an Gàidhlig, said that this will be more than just a Facebook-style site. She said: “Mygaelic.com is a new web based information portal which aims to be the place to visit for everyone who wants to learn more about Gaelic - the language and culture, tourism, events relating to Gaelic and how and where they can engage with anything to do with Gaelic.
“Within the networking area of the site, individuals who run Gaelic related groups, or users representing Gaelic organisations, can create their own groups which other users are open to join. Here they can communicate to interested parties the purpose of their group or organisation, and provide news and information of interest, such as where and when they are holding Gaelic related events, learning courses, releasing new songs, etc.
“The main purpose of the site is to get the audience, both Gaelic and non-Gaelic speaking, to engage with the Gaelic language and culture.”
2001 Census results showed that Gaelic is spoken by 1.2 per cent of the Scottish population.
Mygaelic.com, which will be able to be used in English, Gaelic or ‘simple Gaelic’, is expected to be launched at the end of January 2009. Project manager Gillian Thompson was not available for comment.

Tuilleadh an seo:
http://www.dunoon-observer.co.uk/news/thisb.html#story3

[Seonaidh]

Bidh sinn a' faighinn ar fanaideachadh - sinn a chuireas taic ris a' Ghàidhlig - fad àm leathan air sgàth seo. 'S e "farcebook" a th' ann, myalgic.com 's dòcha. Ruigidh creideas BnaG neoni air a shon.

[GunChleoc]

Uill, chì sinn dè eile a rinn iad leis an duilleag seo. Tha e coltach gur e barrachd na seorsa facebook a bhios ann.