[Foundation-l] Allow new wikis in extinct languages?

Thu Apr 3 20:32:29 UTC 2008

I never said it is acceptable. I said I have been one of the prime
advocates within that project for using Wulfilas' alphabet.

However, I do not think that using the Latin alphabet (which it
doesn't even do on all pages... just some of them) means it departs
from the corpus.

Mark

On 03/04/2008, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hoi,
>  When you learn a language, the language should be learned warts and all. I
>  disagree with you that writing in the Latin script should be qualified as
>  acceptable at all. A WMF project is written for the benefit of the READERS
>  of that project
>  Thanks,
>      GerardM
>
>
>  On Thu, Apr 3, 2008 at 10:04 PM, Mark Williamson <node.ue at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>  > What are these neologisms you are talking about? Please give multiple
>  > examples. I'm not saying they don't exist, I'm just skeptical of your
>  > claims.
>  >
>  > As far as Gothic goes, that is a project I was involved with closer to
>  > the beginning and I advocated for the use of Gothic script. However,
>  > people became lazy and resorted to using Latin script. It is really
>  > not as difficult to use the Gothic script as they make it seem... and
>  > in the future I hope we can overcome this nasty anachronism. Script
>  > alone is not an argument enough to say that they are departing from
>  > the corpus, however.
>  >
>  > Mark
>  >
>  > On 03/04/2008, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com> wrote:
>  > > Hoi,
>  > >  When Gothic was never written in the Latin script, the line is crossed
>  > when
>  > >  it is written in the Latin script. When a encyclopaedia cannot be
>  > written in
>  > >  a language because there is not enough vocabulary and consequently
>  > >  neologisms have to be created to write the text or when words are given
>  > a
>  > >  meaning that they did not originally have the line is crossed.
>  > >
>  > >  Certainly Gothic and probably Anglo-Saxon language have crossed the
>  > line
>  > >  already.
>  > >
>  > >  Thanks,
>  > >      GerardM
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >  On Thu, Apr 3, 2008 at 9:50 PM, Mark Williamson <node.ue at gmail.com>
>  > wrote:
>  > >
>  > >  > This is essentially my position.
>  > >  >
>  > >  > However, there is a line to be crossed - when we are writing a
>  > >  > language based on existing materials, and when we are writing in a
>  > >  > language that we have made up. A Gothic or Anglo-Saxon Wikipedia
>  > could
>  > >  > possibly stay on the proper side of this line, but a Sumerian
>  > >  > Wikipedia probably could not and a Carian Wikipedia definitely could
>  > >  > not.
>  > >  >
>  > >  > Mark
>  > >  >
>  > >  > On 02/04/2008, White Cat <wikipedia.kawaii.neko at gmail.com> wrote:
>  > >  > > On Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 12:10 AM, Jesse Martin (Pathoschild) <
>  > >  > >  pathoschild at gmail.com> wrote:
>  > >  > >
>  > >  > >  > Hello,
>  > >  > >  >
>  > >  > >  > The language subcommittee only allows languages that have a
>  > living
>  > >  > >  > native community (except Wikisource, due to its archivist
>  > nature).
>  > >  > >  > This is based on an interpretation of the Wikimedia Foundation
>  > >  > mission
>  > >  > >  > to "provide the sum of human knowledge to every human being".
>  > Thus,
>  > >  > >  > the overriding purpose of allowing a wiki in a new language is
>  > to
>  > >  > make
>  > >  > >  > it accessible to more human beings. If a language has no native
>  > >  > users,
>  > >  > >  > allowing a wiki in that language does not fit our mission
>  > because it
>  > >  > >  > does not make that project accessible to more human beings.
>  > Instead,
>  > >  > a
>  > >  > >  > wiki in their native languages should be requested if it doesn't
>  > >  > >  > already exist.
>  > >  > >  >
>  > >  > >  > Typically, the users requesting a wiki in an extinct language
>  > don't
>  > >  > >  > want to provide educational material to more people at all, but
>  > only
>  > >  > >  > want to promote or revive the language. While these are noble
>  > goals,
>  > >  > >  > they are not those of the Wikimedia Foundation, so that a wiki
>  > should
>  > >  > >  > not be created simply to fulfill them.
>  > >  > >  >
>  > >  > >  > But that is my opinion. What do you think; should wikis be
>  > allowed in
>  > >  > >  > every extinct language?
>  > >  > >  >
>  > >  > >  > --
>  > >  > >  > Yours cordially,
>  > >  > >  > Jesse Plamondon-Willard (Pathoschild)
>  > >  > >  >
>  > >  > >  >
>  > >  > >
>  > >  > > If there are people willing to develop and administer the language
>  > >  > edition
>  > >  > >  of the encyclopedia, sure. At worst it is their time to waste.
>  > Such
>  > >  > users
>  > >  > >  should be willing to operate the wiki as in take care of vandalism
>  > and
>  > >  > etc.
>  > >  > >
>  > >  > >  If the wiki somehow successfully resurrects a dead language, no
>  > harm
>  > >  > done.
>  > >  > >  It would be great publicity too. I see this as a no risk
>  > endeavored we
>  > >  > >  should take.
>  > >  > >
>  > >  > >  The role of the language subcommittee in my view should be to
>  > determine
>  > >  > >  weather or not there is enough of a community to launch a new
>  > language
>  > >  > >  edition of a project.
>  > >  > >
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