-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: wikipedia-l-admin@nupedia.com [mailto:wikipedia-l-admin@nupedia.com]Im Auftrag von Larry Sanger Gesendet am: Donnerstag, 14. Juni 2001 11:08 An: Wikipedia-l@nupedia.com Betreff: [Wikipedia-l] How to help the international Wikipedias along .. As an extra line of links at the bottom of *every* page on *every* Wikipedia, have this:
Read and edit an article on this topic in: English -- Castellano -- Deutsch -- Francais -- German -- [etc.; the various languages we have]
The idea to make articles of other languages usable to one's own language is a very good idea. How to do this? You mentioned the problem of misinterpreted words according to the different meaning they might have in a different language and other things. I found that I switch very often to the international pages just to read new content. I wanted to have this at the same time as I browse through the German version.
(1) ?? All mixing into one version Problems: -Users cannot read the other language -Users misinterpret other content as to be corrected content and change it (in their own language) -Users feel uncomfortable with ever switching => Mixing without users affirmation on this is a bad idea => already cancelled. The separation we have is good working.
(2) ?? Some kind of linking (as you proposed) Problems: -Authors dont take the right linking WELL, that is a problem that is general to every item crosslang or not -Users dont understand that linking like in (1)
(3) ?? Some kind of automated linking Problems: -What kind of institution will organize it (queued to the international court of translation yesterday)? -That is not in the spirit of wikipedia..
Proposal from me:
(Calm down Larry.) Make a dictionary entry according to every item in wikipedia if an author likes to have one (!) on a subpage called WB (Wörterbuch in German, 'word book' (dictionary), 'wiki bridge' for Larry) which contains dictionary descriptions (spelling,sound,wordtype..) AND which contains translations of this word. The translations are (or can be) linked to the international version of wikipedia. The only problem arises that in case of switching -which should be indicated by appropriate means (flag, title)- the user has to know that he is in a different language version. But he or she should notify it because * the layout words is different. * he or she has chosen the translated word One should have then (and this is the only automation there is, I think) a BACK TO ONE'S OWN LANGUAGE (written in started language).
Example:
I read an article about 'car'. In German 'Auto'.
Since German wikipedia is always behind, the author of 'Auto' has inspected article 'car' in int. Version. He writes a subpage (he should write anyway) [Auto/WB]. Auto/WB contains dictionary info about the *word* 'Auto'. .......... 'Auto' wordtyp: Substantiv, Singular: Auto, Plural: Autos Synonym(e): Automobil, Kraftfahrzeug, PKW .. Translation English: [[car]] Svensk: .. .........
Now the procedure might go like this: Instead one writes: Translation English: [[english:car]]
I might then switch to international entry 'Car' which tells me something about Model T and alike. On top I read: 'ZURÜCK IN DIE DEUTSCHE VERSION'. After reading 'car' I switch back by click on it and get 'Auto/WB' again.
This would give a universal mechanism to relate to other sections or versions (like childens encyclopedia) and it would make sense in proposal I outlined above. Just to make the content of others useful. Having at the same time the reader made conscious about switching to another area.
Consense has to be made there about coding language sections. We could use the international language codes for that. So tcrosslang refs would be: [[us:car]] [[de:auto]] [[sv:??]]
Programmers have then to prepare a mechanism that stores the LAST PAGE in one's home language (if any) to make the 'BACK TO INITIAL VERSION' (?) Button work. [If user changes to a different section, source section prepares the message given to the destination section printed on top.]
Would do you think?
mit freundlichen Gruessen Stefan
StefanRybo in Wikipedia apologies for any language errors (please correct)