[Foundation-l] English Wikipedia ethnocentric policy affects other communities

[Jeff V. Merkey]

You know, the solution to this is so easy. File systems have dealt with 
multiple namespaces for a long time. Here's how you do this
(are you reading this Brion). I deal with this crap in File System 
design all the time and the NetWare file system had to solve this
problem with namespaces.

1. When a user is created, you create a unique NUMBER (like a file 
directory number) and associate it with a NAME from the name space in 
which it was created.
2. The database for the various languages (as, nv, chr, en, nl, etc.) 
all store this number and associate it with NAMESPACES stored somewhere
in the database. If someone created an English name, then you store the 
name in the EN database along with the number. If someone logs into 
another language wiki and there is no text name for that namespace, your 
REFERENCE the default name.
3. When someone creates a new name on another wiki they always have THE 
SAME DIRECTORY NUMBER or USER NUMBER and then you associate this name as 
an ALIAS.

Easy to implement and easy to track. USER NUMBERS should be tied to IP 
ADDRESSES and IP ADDRESS RANGES with the autoblock detection in 
MediaWiki, but instead of blocking, USE IT TO RESOLVE THEIR DEFAULT NAME.

Jeff

David Gerard wrote:

>On 21/12/06, Yann Forget <yann at forget-me.net> wrote:
>
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>
>>In your options below, you forgot the main argument GerardM has
>>expressed in this thread: that the problem faced by the English
>>Wikipedia upto now will nearly disappear *because* of SUL.
>>    
>>
>
>
>How will the problems disappear?
>
>e.g. how does the problem of admins on a given language Wikipedia not
>being able to read usernames in unfamiliar scripts disappear with SUL,
>rather than get worse? GerardM has declared that adding a user-ID to
>the username is utterly unconscionable for no well-defined reason, so
>the only option that leaves is that all Wikipedia admins must be able
>to read all scripts used on any Wikipedia (and have the fonts and
>browsers to be able to do so) to be admins. I can only presume you and
>he hold that a superior option from a usability point of view.
>
>
>- d.
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