On 11-10-2002, The Cunctator wrote thusly :
On Fri, 2002-10-11 at 04:05, Krzysztof P. Jasiutowicz
wrote:
For the discussion to be productive please state
:
1. what (other than domain names) signs of balkanization are there ?
2. what are you proposals to integrate other Wikipedias into one big
Wikipedia so that avoid balkanization ?
I've written about both of these in
previous emails, so to reiterate:
1. From a procedural standpoint: separate username spaces; separate
Recent Changes spaces; the wikipedia-l/intlwiki-l separation; different
grades of software; imperfect or non-existent interlanguage linking.
Many of these are actively being improved even as we speak, some of them
are not.
We (other Wikipedias/Wikipedists) are not able to change them.
It is therefore not a sign of balkanization but only deficiencies
of design, implementation and/or execution of plans and policies.
From a conceptual standpoint: seeing Wikipedia as
largely separate
projects specific to individual languages and nationalities.
2. The procedural improvements I propose should be obvious from what I
consider to be problem areas.
From a conceptual standpoint, I think it's
important to envision
Wikipedia as a single project that happens to have content in
an
admixture of languages (much as the World Wide Web is a single network
that happens to have sites in an admixture of languages--the world does
much better with a single geo-neutral Web instead of an American Web,
Chinese Web, Polish Web. I am also troubled by the forces which are
trying to balkanize the Web).
I take your point but what exactly are you proposing
to do to avoid this ?
I thank you for discussing this in my native tongue.
My Polish is worse
than minimal.
You're welcome. I assure you my Polish is not perfect either.
Please do not give an impression there are some inner trends (in
Wikipedias) to balkanize the whole project.
Regards,
Kpjas.