[WikiEN-l] IPA issues

[Charles Matthews]

stevertigo wrote:
> Gregory Maxwell <gmaxwell at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> I think the prospect of a nice machine
>> synthesizer in the future (with the ability to provide real
>> recordings, of course) is probably sufficient justification for
>> continuing to use IPA all by itself.
>>     
>
> Ah. The minimalist argument. :)
>   
Question. I looked at [[International Phonetic Alphabet]], and while it 
is clear that IPA is an "international standard", I don't think the 
matter is really discussed there. I'm seeing arguments like "too 
international" (not so handy for English readers) and "not international 
enough" (too Anglo-centric). I'm quite sympathetic to the idea that 
there should be more IPA on the various Wikipedias and other projects. 
But I don't feel the foundations for that discussion have been laid. If 
for the example the WMF handed down some view on IPA, would it be 
endorsing a "standard international standard" like the SI system, or a 
"standard" such as some version of "imperial" units? All this affects 
attitudes, and the discussion on automation too.

Charles