2005/11/22, Jimmy Wales jwales@wikia.com:
In my last email, I detailed some of the broad principles that we follow (or should follow) in the creation of new language editions of Wikipedia, and in this email I will sketch a basic proposal for a solution to our problems in this area.
[...] Therefore, I propose that we have a two-tier system and a formal committee formed of experts (or some outside language standards body if we can find one which is suitable) which will declare if a proposed language is an actual language or merely a dialect. This committee will issue for us an advisory opinion. We are not required, as a community, to follow the advisory opinion, but the advisory opinion will set a differential threshold for creation.
Hi Jimbo, I appreciate your willingness to help solve the problems with new language wiki creation and also applaud your commitment to supporting minority languages, such as those in Europe like Cornish that you mentioned. I too feel that culturally these minority languages are a worthwhile addition to Wikipedia.
I'd like to suggest that taking into consideration ISO codes or SIL codes may be one solution. This would mean that an outside group which is well established and has looked into the matter has deemed a certain language important enough to be assigned a separate code.
In the case of Andalusian which I mentioned in a previous post this situation would result in it not being open for consideration since it does not yet have it's own ISO or SIL code. I would see this as a fair situation, although I'd want the Andalusian wiki formed, I'd see that the guidelines would not have been met, yet anyway to request such a wiki.
With regards, Jay B. [[User:ILVI]]
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