Nikos-Optim wrote:
I think wikipedia should look the same, have the same policies and customs, and the same spirit, no matter the language.
In terms of very high level policies, I agree with you. But there are lots of little things that are dependent on culture. Let me give a couple of examples.
1. I am told that in some languages, what is known as an encyclopedia tends to include more 'mere definitions' that in English would properly belong in a dictionary. So, if the French wikipedia chooses to draw the line differently than we do about that sort of thing, I don't see a problem with that.
2. It has been reported to me that on the Japanese wikipedia, there is a stronger tendency to discuss things first on the talk page, reaching a consensus, and then to update the article page. That's consistent with Japanese culture. In en, of course, there's more of a custom of boldly updating pages and while simultaneously arguing about it on the talk pages. Either custom is valid, if it suits the people who are doing the work.
--Jimbo
The notion of policing Wikipedias in most languages is a nonstarter. Much will depend on the level of cultural and political development of the language users. One can anticipate that the Finnish wikipedia will function well, partly because most Finnish internet users know English partly because of their cultural and political traditions. Certain other languages will run into various sorts of difficulties but it is just not practical to monitor these things intensively except to the extent folks come to the English lists and to Jimbo with problems. A light touch is appropriate in light of the plain reality that we will seldom have access to specifics. One must assume that at least some interpretation of Neutral Point of View is adopted and used.
Fred
From: Jimmy Wales jwales@bomis.com Reply-To: Wikimedia developers wikitech-l@Wikipedia.org Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 06:49:45 -0800 To: Wikimedia developers wikitech-l@Wikipedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikitech-l] Re: Control of and responsibility for various wikipedia projects
Nikos-Optim wrote:
I think wikipedia should look the same, have the same policies and customs, and the same spirit, no matter the language.
In terms of very high level policies, I agree with you. But there are lots of little things that are dependent on culture. Let me give a couple of examples.
- I am told that in some languages, what is known as an encyclopedia
tends to include more 'mere definitions' that in English would properly belong in a dictionary. So, if the French wikipedia chooses to draw the line differently than we do about that sort of thing, I don't see a problem with that.
- It has been reported to me that on the Japanese wikipedia, there
is a stronger tendency to discuss things first on the talk page, reaching a consensus, and then to update the article page. That's consistent with Japanese culture. In en, of course, there's more of a custom of boldly updating pages and while simultaneously arguing about it on the talk pages. Either custom is valid, if it suits the people who are doing the work.
--Jimbo _______________________________________________ Wikitech-l mailing list Wikitech-l@Wikipedia.org http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l
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