On 12/22/06, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
Pros:
- Less of a technical issue on English Wikipedia for those who don't have
the ability (or permission) to install new fonts
- Allows people of the community to identify people with a name they can
understand, as opposed to using what they will just see as squiggly lines.
[snip]
Cons:
- Does not allow people to use the name they really want.
- SUL issues: with all sorts of different usernames, it'll be hard to have
a -single- user login when you have to have multiple because of script requirements.
I've stated this many times -- I like the idea of system transliteration for each wiki. Or at least a way to have an identity that's different from the username you log in with, so you can have a uniform username but you can be identified with what will be considered a comprehendable name.
Personally, I'm torn. With the utmost respect to all involved in the discussion, I would find it incredibly difficult to relate to usernames in scripts that I absolutely cannot recognize (just as an example, I can't reliably tell the difference between two names in Arabic script, much less type them out in the course of a conversation). I can also understand the anger and frustration of those who have been blocked, and I certainly don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
It seems to be a "catch-22" -- the two widely proposed options both have negative consequences. System transliteration, of some sort, is starting to look better, from where I'm sitting. Perhaps allow the system to make a "best guess," which the user can then modify, if they so choose, much like our current signatures system?
I think we need to find a "middle road," if at all possible. System transliteration seems to be the only such proposal -- if anybody else has got any ideas, now's the time.
Just a thought, -Luna