2009/1/11 Anthony wikimail@inbox.org:
That may have been the intention of the author of the GFDL (though you haven't proven this). But the simple fact of the matter is that the history section *does* provide credit to *all* the authors.
It does so, in the context of Wikipedia.org, because change tracking and attribution are served by the same software function. That a listing of all authors would always be included directly (as opposed to by reference) with any copy of a Wikipedia article is not a reasonable inference from this fact, especially given that the language in GFDL which clearly exists for purpose of giving credit includes reasonable limitations (principal authors). After all, even you yourself agree that including the full change history with each copy is overkill.
Hence, we are having a practical debate about what is and isn't reasonable. I base my argument on the language of the GFDL when it comes to author credit, which includes limitations, as well as established guidelines and practices on Wikipedia. Your argument, on the other hand, appears to be pulled out of thin air. It is neither a direct requirement of the GFDL, nor an established practice, nor a reasonable expectation of a volunteer contributor. I can only conclude that it is your personal preference.