Sofware changes for Fascile Translation on the Wikipedia (International)
1. Wikisoftware upgrade for the Simple English Wikipedia. 2. Means to siphon English wikipedia database to the Simple English database. 3. Application to facilitat translation from the English WP to the Simple English WP. 4. Download WKP format textfiles link on each article.
Comment: Some of the recent discussions among the various mailing lists deal with the compartmentalization factor of the Wikipedia -- that language borders represent too much of a relative challenge to allow for cross-language interest. Speaking personally, I would do more translation if it the software were set up to make it easier, so I simply wouldnt feel alone in doing it.
In a sense, WP's strong English showing in terms of article count (relative to non-En langa) is like a pillar -- one that is increasingly tall, and increasingly narrow. It's somewhat reminicent of the saying ( from "Dune Messiah"):
"Here lies a toppled God His fall was not a small one We did but build his pedestal A narrow and a tall one."
Most of us here deal with English as a common language -- and the Goal is to increase the number of inter-language "ambassadors" and hence, the number of non-English speakers. By these ambassadors, and by improving the synergy between discussion groups, article writing, etc. -- The rules of the Wikipedia -- that its attempts to institute controls over the processes of the Wikipedia, can then be better disseminated and debated.
Language problems are really problems of communication, as such can be rectified somwhat by simplifying communication (not over-simpifying) by allowing the Simple English WP to take the place of the English WP as the center of international content.
Generally, it would be proper to simply stipulate that the English Wikipedia should have a great deal of leeway in terms of its rules, but since a great many non-native English speakers can potentially want to contribute and use English articles, it becomes necessary to have a sandbox of sorts, to allow for crude-English seeding of articles, and to port the English WP to other languages. In the linguistic sense, a simplified English language should serve quite well as a "transformative grammar" -- Chomsky's (now semi-depricated) description of an innate, baseline natural language. In the internationalist sense, this would be a key step toward increasing WP's international appeal.
Reason -- to use the Simple English WP as a "pure language" base - from which a broader range of people can translate the populous English articles to other languages.
A translation from say, Chinese to simple English, and then edited, would be far easier to do than if normal gramatical standards werent necessary. Hence, the real purpose for a Simple Wikipedia is not to "teach English", (as it until-recently stated) rather to allow non-English speakers to deal with articles in English, as well as make it possible to contribute to them.
*Allow for a simple "port"( like "move page") functions from the English WP to the Simple WP - (from Simple to English only if English article doesnt exist)
* Conversion from English to Simple English (SEmpl?) should parse language (pw placing wrappers around unknown terms, and if possible (as announced in some translation attempts) to , etc.
*Problems: Redundancy/loss of information/increased rates of poor translation. These are all fixable. The point is to generate more interest, and increase cross-langa communication, with the help of a base. Simple English may not be a theoretical ideal for this purpose, but it may be the only practical choice.
*Requirements: Perhaps, a unified User:name system. One name carries over all WikiMedia sites. -- This allows at least a crossover ability to register Edits, ports and
*Related page activity -- Since each article, though by a new name, has some relation to activity of that article accross lingustic lines, it should be facilitated that each article should have a listed cross-langa database function --( I know the DB dont work this way now.) The current DIY langa links are an obstacle -- for each language, be there a page or not, there should be a link from each page, and tools to send text to the Simple English version. It makes sense to have this be done page by page -- not altogether blanket automated from the English WP, though Im sure we can all agree that the current software doesnt help this kind of thing out at all.
Client(editing/concordancing/uploading) The translation of an English Wikipage ideally could be helped via a fully functional editing client, and text highlighting could be a part --as in the VIM Wikipedia Schema -- though Keynote might also be a good choice client if implemented correctly. Adding concordancing ability to this client would save yet another step the goal of cross-pollenation of articles.
__________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com