[Foundation-l] Bookshelf project

[Ray Saintonge]

Jim Redmond wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 09:18, Waerth <waerth at asianet.co.th> wrote
>> I never new the goal of the wikimedia foundation was to evangelize the
>> world. As an agnost I take offence to this
> In this context, the term "evangelist" is not specifically a religious term;
> rather, it refers to a highly enthusiastic recruiter for the wiki cause.
> This usage is somewhat common in English, but I have to admit that it
> doesn't translate well.
>
>   
Would "propagandize" have been a better word?  The OED defines 
"evangelize" word in terms of conversion to Christianity.  Your extended 
interpretation is indeed common in English, but that includes all the 
negative connotations that are commonly associated with Christian 
evangelism.

Those of us who absorbed the wiki notion at an early stage did not need 
a catechism to do this.

Why does it need to be in English to start with? We have some very 
capable people in the German chapter who could write this kind of thing, 
and have it translated *into* English. Other chapters may be just as 
capable.

The people that this initiative seeks to recruit are ones that we would 
like to welcome into the wiki family, but terms like "compelling 
invitations" seem very much like corporatist bafflegab when there are no 
tools to compel any volunteer to do anything.

Ec