[WikiEN-l] Project as namespace

[Rich Holton]

stvrtg wrote:
> 
> [[Namespaces]], as any programmer can tell you, are a convenient and novel
> way to separate different kinds of data - to give indentify a kind of
> context for the data therin.
> 
> On WP, the general principle has been to keep the main free of metadata.
> Meta stuff
> traditionally belongs in the Wikipedia: namespace. I suggest the idea
> because
> using a separate project namespace might be a way to feature projects to
> emphasise
> the idea of getting used to joining and working within certain projects .
> 
> With WP growth the need for specialised meta namespaces seems a bit obvious
> to me
> - but thats one basic argument. As other wikis have done, maybe you might
> want to
> ask why those who have have already done so?
> 

If I understand your arguments correctly, your main reason is to 
emphasize the existence of projects so people get used to working within 
them.

Other ideas you mention:
-because namespaces are novel
-because namespaces are useful in separating data types
-because as the size of Wikipedia grows, the need for more namespaces is 
obvious
-because other wikis have created multiple namespaces

(I'm not sure what to make of your "as any programmer can tell you..." 
lead in. If you're suggesting that any programmer would immediately 
agree with you, I can tell you that you are incorrect. I have over 15 
years of professional programming experience, and am all too familiar 
with the idea, especially common among programmers, that "if a feature 
exists, we must use it.")

Of your reasoning, the only one that seems to have any validity is the 
idea that having a separate namespace will draw attention to projects 
and encourage people to work in them. However, I don't really see how 
that will be true.

-Rich Holton