[Foundation-l] English Wikipedia ethnocentric policy affects other communities

Birgitte SB birgitte_sb at yahoo.com
Wed Dec 20 21:31:07 UTC 2006


en.WP is not the primary Wikipedia for many wikimedia
editors.  These usernames *are* in the primary
character set of the users home wiki.  I think it is
perfectly reasonable to expect to not be blocked just
because Wikimedia adopts SUL.  Bascially what this
boils down to is someone who today edits as an IP
without harrassment will be blocked after SUL as soon
as an en.WP admin spots them on RC.  This will happen
without the editor doing anything differently on their
end.  

There is strong support for SUL throughout all
communtities, but I cannot support going live with it
if large chunks of the wikimedia community will be
locally blocked without warning on any particular
wiki.  If en.WP does not wish to adjust thier policies
to this mew development perhaps en.WP can be left out
of SUL.  Is it possible for en.WP to keep their own
user database while all other wikis use a shared
database?

Birgitte SB

--- The Cunctator <cunctator at gmail.com> wrote:

> Um. I think a policy of expecting people to have
> usernames readable in the
> primary character set of the Wikipedia is perfectly
> reasonable, whatever the
> language, and nothing to flip out about.
> 
> Maybe you should reconsider your outrage.
> 
> On 12/20/06, Walter van Kalken
> <walter at vankalken.net> wrote:
> >
> > The Cunctator wrote:
> >
> > >On 12/20/06, Aphaia <aphaia at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >>Hello,
> > >>today a user on Japanese Wikipedia whose account
> is in Kana (a
> > >>Japanese script) came to our Admins' noticeboard
> to request for
> > >>chaning his username. He said he would have
> liked to do so because he
> > >>had changed his username on English Wikipedia.
> > >>
> > >>I repeat again the English Wikipedia community
> should reconsider how
> > >>shameful and discriptive policy they has about
> users' identity and
> > >>respect of cultural diversity, and how badly it
> affects other
> > >>communities. I am very sorry to see such a
> request fullfiled to our
> > >>request page.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > >Although there are strong relationships between
> language and culture, I
> > >believe you are off the mark.
> > >
> > >It is not unreasonable for the English Wikipedia
> to have a policy of
> > >Latin-alphabet usernames.
> > >
> > Then it wouldn't be unreasonable for the Japanese
> wikipedia to have a
> > policy of only Kana usernames. You bloody yanks,
> limeys and ozzies and
> > other anglo saxon idiots are so fucking biased
> about everybody needs to
> > speak your f*******g language and nees to
> understand your f*****g
> > cultures it is disgusting. There are more peopel
> around speaking non
> > english based languages then there are people
> speaking the lingo. Learn
> > to adapt to that. I can only predict the whining
> of stupid Americans
> > about feeling discriminated when they would be
> requirde to login in
> > Chinese on the Chinese wikipedia or Thai on the
> Thai wikipedia.
> >
> > Why the f*** should everybody learn your pissant
> of a language if you
> > refuse to learn others.,
> >
> > Waerth .... extremely pissed off
> > _______________________________________________
> > foundation-l mailing list
> > foundation-l at wikimedia.org
> >
>
http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
> >
> _______________________________________________
> foundation-l mailing list
> foundation-l at wikimedia.org
>
http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
> 


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 



More information about the foundation-l mailing list