CoSyne: A Framework for Multilingual Content Synchronization of Wikis

Wikis allow a large base of contributors easy access to shared content, and freedom in editing it. One of the side-effects of this freedom was the emergence of parallel and independently evolving versions in a variety of languages, reflecting the multilingual background of the pool of contributors. For the Wiki to properly represent the user-added content, this should be fully available in all its languages. Working on parallel Wikis in several European languages, we investigate the possibility to “synchronize” different language versions of the same document, by: i) pinpointing topically related pieces of information in the different languages, ii) identifying information that is missing or less detailed in one of the two versions,iii) translating this in the appropriate language, iv) inserting it in the appropriate place. Progress along such directions will allow users to share more easily content across language boundaries.