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

[Gerard Meijssen]

Hoi,
Ancient languages, languages that used to be spoken by people that are dead
cannot be used to discuss the modern concepts; they just lack the words.
When you insist on reviving a language, it is not the language it used to
be. Stating that it is indeed old greek or whatever when new words have to
be invented all the time makes it a language that is not what it is said to
be, it is not what is defined in the ISO-639 standard.

This is in marked contrast to constructed languages. Constructed languages
ARE modern languages, they DO allow for the creation of new words when the
words are lacking in that language. The whole notion that constructed
languages should not have new projects is something I have always objected
against. It is wrong and the stance is in my opinion dogmatic.

The issue is typically very much one of labelling. When Latin is considered
an ancient language, it is so because there is no people who speak the
language. However, it has been continuously spoken and new words have been
continuously added. This in my opinion is why there is no problem with
having a Latin Wikipedia. It is also the reason why we have a committee and
not a blind process that deals with requests for new languages.

When people want to write in a particular language, a language that allows
for new terminology, they can as far as I am concerned have a project as
long as it has its ISO-639 code. An ISO-639 code because it codifies what
language we are talking about. A ISO-639 code because it prevents disasters
like the one we suffered with "Siberian".

When people learn about subjects, a different presentation can make a
difference in learning and understanding. It is for this reason that I
welcome all living languages including constructed languages.
Thanks,
     GerardM



On Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 11:10 PM, 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)
>
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