[Foundation-l] Wiki Translations of Greek/Roman/XYZ classics

[Jimmy (Jimbo) Wales]

Elisabeth Bauer wrote:
> As much as people can't agree on the content of _one_ encyclopedia 
> article? Sorry, I have to object. The genial thing about wikis is that 
> it allows people to work in cooperation on one translation and improve 
> it as best as possible.
> 
> Wikipedia is the proof that this concept works and I can't imagine why 
> it shouldn't work for translations, too. Implementing features to create 
>  several translation versions means wasting the central advantage of a 
> wiki: collaboration.

I agree completely.  And there are easy ways to handle particularly
contentious bits if absolutely necessary in some context, but
generally I think the right way forward would be to find a way to
improve both versions until all parties are happier than with the
original versions.

> In my experience, waiting for the perfect software is the wrong way to 
> go. Nobody is going to program stuff for a project which might or might 
> not take off. There are more pressings things needed for the existing 
> ones...

*nod* In a voluntary community, there's always a chicken-and-egg
problem, and the best way to solve it is just: move forward as best
you can with the tools available.  This will itself generate the
demand and the expertise necessary to make those tools better.

--Jimbo