Jimmy (Jimbo) Wales wrote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1921_in_Germany#Reparations
I just wanted to point out that this example, which I think was universally agreed to be A Very Bad Thing(tm), still says "a plan was formulated by which Germany was to pay 226 milliard gold marks in forty-two fixed annuities".
To my knowledge, virtually no speaker of English will have the slightest idea of what this might mean. First, "milliard" which is apparently in declining use everywhere. Second "gold marks". A "gold mark" is worth approximately what? I have no clue.
--Jimbo
Thanks to our wonderfull media, the solution should be simple. I created two interwikis; one to "milliard" and one to "gold mark". Somebody may know something sensible to say about the gold mark, but the milliard article is there.
It is one thing not to know a term, it is another not to be able to find it. People who are confused as to the meaning of a word deserve an article explaining a term. There is no need to dumb down. Because if we do that, people will not be able to read the sources of our articles.
Thanks, Gerard