[Wikipedia-l] New request for Cantonese Wikipedia: vote at 29-6

[Jimmy Wales]

Stirling Newberry wrote:
> You wonder why people don't trust you, this is why, you are not 
> trustworthy. The question as to whether Catonese is a separaete 
> *written* language is precisely the question that needs to be decided 
> by the community.

I don't think the personal attack was necessary, but nonetheless, I
think it is worth noting that using a vote-stacked poll is extremely
counter-productive and unpersuasive.

The *real* question here is not about polls or communities.  Let's
imagine for a moment that somehow the US and UK governments got into a
fight, let's imagine even that it's a war.  And let's imagine that in
the aftermath, there is a huge community vote to split into two English
Wikipedias: American English and British English.  And let's further
imagine that there is a huge majority.

Well, we still wouldn't split the two, because it's still lunacy to split.

Having said that, of course there are borderline cases and complexities.

What I would like to hear is *nothing* about Node's rigged poll, but
about some very simple practical questions.

Those in favor of the split claim that the two languages *in written
form* (as well as spoken form) are mutually unintelligible.  Node has
produced some testimony to that effect.  I would like to hear more about
that, especially from (for example) Andrew Lih.

--Jimbo