[Foundation-l] Wikisource

[Klaus Graf]

> Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:15:44 +0100
> From: Yann Forget <yann at forget-me.net>
> Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Promotion of lesser known projects
> To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List
>         <foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org>
> Cc: "discussion list for Wikisource,    the free library"
>         <wikisource-l at lists.wikimedia.org>
> Message-ID: <477CEE10.9060401 at forget-me.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Hello,
>
> I agree with Ray here, and I think that Klaus' mail does not report
> exactly the reality. The French Wikisource has the greatest numbers of
> scanned texts so far,

Is there a proof for this claim?

 but does not make mandatory to have them to
> publish a text there. It is only a suggestion, which many contributors
> follow.
>
> I think that the important point is not scanned texts, but notation on
> whether and how the texts are proofread by editors, whatever means the
> editors use to proofread the texts.

I am monitoring discussions on digitization projects as archival
professional since years. It's standard to give not only e-texts but
scans. Wikisource demands no scans when a permanent web adress (e.g.
library project) for the scans outside Commons is given.

I think the average quality of other Wikisource branches is very poor.
In most cases there is no source given: one cannot know which source
is used, and for scholarly purposes the e-text is worthless.

Klaus Graf

> Regards,
>
> Yann
>
> Ray Saintonge wrote:
> > Klaus Graf wrote:
> >> One can add de.Wikisource which is a project making historical Public
> >> Domain texts in German available with high quality standards. These
> >> standards are NOT (yet) shared by the other Wikisource projects, see
> >> also
> >>
> >> http://wikisource.org/wiki/Wikisource:Scriptorium#The_huge_leap
> >>
> >> Only de.Wikisource demands scanned texts (or digital photos) for
> >> contributions, most other Wikisource branches have a lot of texts
> >> which are unsourced. De.Wikisource has notes commenting the texts for
> >> lots of texts.
> > Much of what you suggest is not about to happen any time soon.  The fact
> > is that splitting up the Wikisource communities created circumstances
> > where each Wikisource develops its own standards and criteria.  The
> > discussions which may have taken place leading up to these policies on
> > de:Wikisource either did not take place elsewhere or did not have the
> > same results.  At best, there have been few determined contributors
> > willing to lead by example.  Simply telling people to do these gets nowhere.
> >
> > There is a clear benefit to having to having our texts supported by
> > scanned texts, but many of us who may work well with textual material,
> > may not have the same technical ease when working with images of any
> > kind.  Even adding a small number of illustrations that may otherwise
> > accompany a text can be a problematic chore.  I am quite prepared to
> > identify where I found my material, but I am quite content to have
> > others do the work of digitization.
> >
> > Commenting on texts is a great idea that could stand to be encouraged more.
> >
> > I agree with the premise that we cannot hope to keep up with the massive
> > digitization projects undertaken by well-funded institutions, but a lot
> > of restrictive requirements is self-defeating.  The need is really for a
> > balance somewhere between the minutiae of quality and the feeling that
> > contributors are seeing a lot of growth.  Wikisource will not become
> > great by trying to beat the big institutions at their own game. Thus we
> > need to ask oursaelves what we can do to add value that no other similar
> > project can do.  In doing so we cannot afford to get bogged down in
> > standardized headings that do not allow for easy expansion without a
> > complete understanding of tranclusion technology.  We need to allow our
> > imaginations the freedom to find new ways of connecting data without
> > being tied to formal structures that are so strict as to close off these
> > paths.
> >
> > Ec
>
> --
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