This was intended to be reply to the list.
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Projects in simple languages Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:12:16 +0100 From: Michael Everson everson@evertype.com To: Milos Rancic millosh@gmail.com
On 06/20/2011 08:55 PM, David Gerard wrote:
I have been around the Wikimedia projects since 2004. This is the very first time I have ever heard any official subset of English mentioned in any connection with the Simple English Wikipedia. Did I just miss past documentation to this effect? Was this part of its founding? When was Basic English first linked with Simple?
Evidently from the beginning.
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia
Simple English Wikipedia is a Wikipedia encyclopedia, written in basic English.[1]
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_English
Even in the earliest revision of the main page http://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Main_Page&oldid=461 it refers to controlled vocabulary of 1000-2000 words.
Ogden's Basic English was published in 1940. It's unlikely that those who asked for simple.wikipedia.org were unaware of it.
Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com/
Hello, The case with Simple English WP is a little more complicated: http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Simple_English_Wikipedia Basic English is only one standard they are looking at. There should be also more consideration about the target group. If a simple wikipedia meant to be a tool to learn the language?
Kind regards Ziko
2011/6/20 Milos Rancic millosh@gmail.com:
This was intended to be reply to the list.
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Projects in simple languages Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:12:16 +0100 From: Michael Everson everson@evertype.com To: Milos Rancic millosh@gmail.com
On 06/20/2011 08:55 PM, David Gerard wrote:
I have been around the Wikimedia projects since 2004. This is the very first time I have ever heard any official subset of English mentioned in any connection with the Simple English Wikipedia. Did I just miss past documentation to this effect? Was this part of its founding? When was Basic English first linked with Simple?
Evidently from the beginning.
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia
Simple English Wikipedia is a Wikipedia encyclopedia, written in basic English.[1]
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_English
Even in the earliest revision of the main page http://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Main_Page&oldid=461 it refers to controlled vocabulary of 1000-2000 words.
Ogden's Basic English was published in 1940. It's unlikely that those who asked for simple.wikipedia.org were unaware of it.
Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com/
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On 06/20/11 2:12 PM, Ziko van Dijk wrote:
The case with Simple English WP is a little more complicated: http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Simple_English_Wikipedia Basic English is only one standard they are looking at. There should be also more consideration about the target group. If a simple wikipedia meant to be a tool to learn the language?
I have always felt that the simple language projects were and still are valuable members of the project community, and it would be great if other languages had similar projects. While those learning a language are a clear target group, they are not the only one. One important group is the learning disabled, native speakers whose language skills will never reach the standards of the general population. In a meeting I once attended a school librarian spoke if the challenges of acquiring books for school libraries. To build a love of learning and reading among the disabled requires material that they can follow on topics they are likely to encounter. If the general student population is reading fantasy novels, the ability of limited learners to read something similar helps them to feel more a part of the community, and reinforces self-esteem.
Ray
wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org