I want to add: the vast majority of requests are unproblematic and are usually marked as eligible by a single member of langcom, without consultation. This is provided for in the <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Language_committee/Voting_policy>: "Any committee member can mark clearly eligible requests for new languages as eligible. Requirements are: the language has a valid ISO 639-3 code, there are no significant issues with regard to the language itself, the population of speakers is significant."

On Incubator, we also have <https://incubator.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incubator:Requests_for_starting_a_test>, where users can get quick guidance on where the appropriate place to start is, if they are unsure. I agree with Jon Harald that it might be good to streamline all of this. I've often thought there should be a "single point of contact", which could also help avoid the creation of useless requests like <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Requests_for_new_languages/Wikipedia_Ottoman_Turkish_5> (if we'd close it as rejected, sooner or later someone will start request no. 6).

Am Mo., 3. Apr. 2023 um 16:06 Uhr schrieb Kimberli Mäkäräinen <kimberli.makarainen@tuni.fi>:
This does not pertain to Dendi since it has already been verified as eligible, but I would prefer not to let people just randomly start up a project on the incubator without someone verifying that it is eligible or we will end more ancient language/constructed language projects or projects where there is no language community at all that can support the project. On the other hand, having the request page does not mean that all the support would not just end up being the work of one person and their sockpuppets/meatpuppets like we had with Kamassian. Nonetheless, I still think the request formality is a good idea.

Moving the whole shebang to Incubator sounds like a good idea.

Slighty OT: Do we have any of the following stats for the incubator?
  • actual ISO codes, where the language has been verified
  • actual ISO codes, where the language has not been verified but a project has been started anyway
  • actual ISO codes where the language is not considered within the scope of the Wikimedia projects (ancient languages, etc.)
  • fake ISO codes
t. K


From: Jon Harald Søby <jhsoby@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, April 3, 2023 12:13 PM
To: Wikimedia Foundation Language Committee <langcom@lists.wikimedia.org>
Subject: [Langcom] Re: Starting Wikipedia Incubator in Dendi
 
The request pages in their current form are a little bit outdated in my opinion, a relic from a time where votes (or !votes) for new editions were given much more weight. Nowadays they are mainly used to ascertain eligibility according to the language proposal policy, but the most important thing is to start the test wiki on the Incubator and maintain an active community there. There have been cases where a test wiki was active and even getting ready to be approved before the request page was actually made, and it wasn't really a problem.

I would like to actually move the whole process (with the LPP and the request pages) from Meta to the Incubator. Currently there are two places where things are done; a very small part, i.e. the request page, is done on Meta, while the most important part (creating the test wiki and building a community) is done on the Incubator. I think it makes more sense to have everything in the Incubator, but I haven't written up a detailed proposal for that yet. I can hopefully get that done soon, but can't promise any exact timeline.

But yeah, to answer the main question for Dendi: I just created the outline page for it at https://incubator.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wp/ddn , and they can start from there. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of "help" for what is needed at the very beginning (that is also something I would like to do something about), so it is good if they already have some experience from other language projects or at least have some help from experienced Wikimedians.

I also marked the request page you linked to as eligible.

man. 3. apr. 2023 kl. 10:53 skrev Anass Sedrati <sedranas@gmail.com>:
Hello Colleagues,

I was contracted today by Wikimedians who want to start an incubator version in Dendi (a language spoken in Benin by ~500.000 people, iso code: ddn). They explained to me that they created this request page, but my understanding is that the mentioned page is a request to create a "full" Wikipedia, and not to have an incubator page. Is this a correct understanding?

To start their incubator, they just need to be bold and create a main Wp/ddn page and start working there. Is that also the correct procedure that I need to explain to them?

Thank you colleagues for your clarifications. I wish you a great start of your week and look forward to meeting you tomorrow!

Best regards,
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