[Foundation-l] A proposal for new language creation

[Jimmy Wales]

In my last email, I detailed some of the broad principles that we follow
(or should follow) in the creation of new language editions of
Wikipedia, and in this email I will sketch a basic proposal for a
solution to our problems in this area.

To recap: I think there is broad community consensus for the following
principles:

1.  To encourage the creation of new Wikipedia editions in all
legitimate living natural languages, in an orderly way which involves
fostering a real community to care for wikis.  We want to make it easy
for newcomers to get excited and build, while at the same time trying to
keep from having too many dead wikis around.

For real languages, then, we only want some small indication of interest
from some native (or at least fluent) speakers.  We want to make this
part relatively easy.

2.  To discourage the creation of new Wikipedia editions in dialects
which do not significantly differ from existing Wikipedias.  We want to
keep from being hoaxed, and from falling into political traps.

For dialects, then, we want to require a much higher threshold before
allowing the wikipedia -- we need a good reason to start it.  A
"Bavarian" Wikipedia proposal would need a much much stronger rationale
before we start it than "German".  Obviously.

3.  To discourage the creation of new Wikipedia editions in constructed
languages.  I do not say "forbid" here, merely "discourage".  Similar to
dialects, constructed languages pose many risks for us of politics,
hoax, etc.

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Therefore, I propose that we have a two-tier system and a formal
committee formed of experts (or some outside language standards body if
we can find one which is suitable) which will declare if a proposed
language is an actual language or merely a dialect.  This committee will
issue for us an advisory opinion.  We are not required, as a community,
to follow the advisory opinion, but the advisory opinion will set a
differential threshold for creation.

For those which are declared to be languages, we could continue with
something like the existing process.

For those which are declared to be dialects, we would have a presumption
against creation, but that presumption could be overcome by a broad
community vote.

--Jimbo