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

Durova nadezhda.durova at gmail.com
Sat Mar 29 23:38:27 UTC 2008


*Thus, the overriding purpose of allowing a wiki in a new language *
*is to make it accessible to more human beings. *
**
*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.*
**
Hold on: I see systemic bias at work.

European languages are already far better represented than other parts of
the world.  So if WMF implements a cap now, the Cornish Wikipedia (with zero
native speakers) would continue to grow past its current 1500 articles,
but....

The Hopi language has no Wikipedia.  It's got about 5000 native speakers so
it'd still have a chance.

The Mohawk language has 3000 speakers, but you're saying if they can't prove
some of those are native speakers they shouldn't get the chance?

A grandfather clause won't work.  Either we accept the precedent and extend
it equally or we shut down some of the Wikipedias we already have.  I prefer
the former.

-Durova


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