Global Voices has posted an interesting summary of discussions in the Arabic-speaking blogosphere regarding the recently launched Egyptian Arabic Wikipedia. In short, it’s a typical dispute between those who think it ought to be recognized as a separate language, and those who believe that doing so divides the community. The quoted voices seem to lean more towards the latter opinion, though one commenter expresses the interesting notion that Egyptian Arabic could function as a scratchpad for the Arabic Wikipedia among speakers who find it easier to write than formal Arabic. [via ethan]