Spanish-language Twitter debuts

Madrid, Nov 4 (EFE).- The Twitter microblogging social network, which up until now was available only in English and Japanese, on Wednesday unveiled its Spanish version thanks to the collaboration of Spanish-speaking users who voluntarily took on the task of translating the Web page.

Twitter is based on users giving a response using a maximum of 140 characters to the question "What are you doing now?" and it also allows them to connect with other users, just like a social network, and follow their updates about their activities.

It took less than a month to complete the translation into Spanish, a project that was begun on Oct. 8 when several volunteers were given a program that allowed them to translate the Web page into Spanish, French, Italian and German, a task that was finished on Wednesday by the Spanish-speaking Web surfers.

Moncloa Palace, the seat of the Spanish government and residence of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, was one of the users congratulated by Twitter for having trusted in the possibilities of the service before it was launched in Spanish.

Twitter has grown in popularity because it also is - or has been - used by famous personalities, including U.S. President Barack Obama, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor Aston Kutcher - who used the Web tool to post snapshots of his wife, actress Demi Moore - and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong.