[Foundation-l] Throwing some data onto the flamefest fire (was: English Wikipedia ethnocentric policy affects other communities)

[David Gerard]

On 23/12/06, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com> wrote:
> David Gerard schreef:

> > Which is more useful on a given wiki:
> > a) System transliteration into the script(s) of that wiki (which will
> > apparently lead to tremendous offence to people not even using the
> > wiki);
> > b) Optionally append a user-ID number to the non-local script name,
> > and have this user-ID work for blocks, log-checking, etc. (will
> > apparently offend people who want to be "????????" rather than a
> > number)
> > c) Disallow both the above and require the usernames to be displayed
> > in a script unreadable to the native speakers on that wiki (which will
> > lead to near-automatic blocking as happens now, because you KNOW the
> > vandals will exploit it big time)

> Your question negates the issue at hand. It is therefore only describes
> a part of the problem. The problem is that you refuse to address the
> issue by only talking in terms of English language Wikipedia.


Erm, the effects of your particular plans for SUL affect the largest
and most publicly prominent wiki on Wikimedia. In the above paragraph
you appear to be deliberately ignoring that there will be problems and
that your plans, as outlined in your posts throughout this thread,
will in fact make the problems worse - with publicly visible and
media-unfriendly effect in increased vandalism - rather than going any
way at all to solve them.

Put it this way: ultimately, you have to convince en:wp admins to
administer the wiki they're admins on the way that you want them to.
So far you've (a) signally failed to do so (b) failed to show any
interest in doing so.

You *seem* to be assuming that the Foundation will tell them what to
do and they'll just have to fall into line or something. But it
doesn't work like that.


- d.