2005/5/29, Anthere anthere9@yahoo.com:
The one thing that is not mentioned in the discussion is who would fund this proposal. Is there a rich Ossetian benefactor willing to pay for this idea? There are many other languages that could benefit from this approach, but it should not be the responsibility of the general community to pay for such things in other languages either.
This is not a proposal, it already exist. It is currently funded by individuals, who may or may not be contributors. I just do not know.
It seemed to me, I've mentioned the benefactors in my previous messages: there are *four individuals* both in Moscow and Vladikavkaz who have already paid 1000 RUR (~20 articles) for the project and are going to help it from time to time so that we will be able to pay at least 100 quality articles a year.
Sure, if the idea of Anthere will be realized, we will be able to use the money of foreign benefactors as well: also for popularizing the encyclopedia at the universities. I believe, people would pay articles in a smaller language more willingly, if the see the project in work and having real results. But also without external help it runs already, using the fact that the Ossetian speakers are rather diversified by income: some live in poorer South, some in more successful North.
Anyhow, I agree with Ray that Wikimedia Foundation should not fund projucts like that -- it is not a smaller languages supporting organization after all.
Sl. / Amikeco