Timwi wrote:
If people are willing to spend some time using this syntax to specify both spellings, why not let them? It might seem like a little thing to many if not most people, but it would certainly give Wikipedia's content a more professional and consistent overall appearance.
One reason is that adding more syntax increases a problem that I already think is growing -- which is excessive syntax for newcomers. When you click "edit this page", you should be presented with something as obvious as possible.
I'm not making a decree or anything, mind you. Rather, I'm expressing an opinion that adding software features to deal with US/UK spelling differences is a bad idea. I feel the same way about auto-conversion of units. If community opinion differs overwhelmingly from mine, I will not stand in the way of course. But I don't think community opinion differs on these points.
--Jimbo