2009/2/23 Newyorkbrad (Wikipedia) <newyorkbrad(a)gmail.com>om>:
However, one question that I have is whether the dump
includes, or should
conclude, all namespaces, or only articles. In the past, there have
allegedly been instances in which database dumps have been utilized for
purposes such as harvesting oversighted edits in userspace and utilizing the
information for purposes of harassment. I am not sure whether there is
value to providing dumps of other than the content spaces. Comments?
The value of providing good dumps is forkability, in case WMF is hit
by a meteor, hit by a legal meteor, goes collectively insane, etc.
Imagine trying to fork Wikipedia without being able to take the
project spaces with you.
It's too easy for a nominally "open" project to effectively be
proprietised by just not providing the data/code/etc.
(We will gloss over the idea that has occurred to me and several
others that a nuke-and-pave of the project spaces might be the only
way to fix en:wp's terminal instruction creep.)
See my blog post of a coupla years ago on the subject:
http://davidgerard.co.uk/notes/2007/04/10/disaster-recovery-planning/
- d.