[Wikipedia-l] policy suggestion: SAMPA

[Ray Saintonge]

tarquin wrote:

> I suggest we formulate a policy on using SAMPA for pronunciation of words
> In the long run, IPA might be nicer, since paper dictionaries & 
> encyclopedias use it. However, until there's good support for Unicode, 
> sampa is readable on any browser. If at some point we can switch, the 
> two are in direct correspondance.
>
> I've started looking for articles which use pseudo-phonetic 
> transcriptions, & putting a list on 
> http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/SAMPA/To_Do
>
> We could make [[pronounced]] a redirect to SAMPA, or a simplified 
> SAMPA table page for ease of linking from articles which give 
> pronunciation.

SAMPA may be readable by any browser, but is certainly not readable by 
most humans.  Why should SAMPA's system of pseudo-phonetics be 
preferable to those that are already used?  Apart from any article about 
the history of SAMPA, the best place for this peculiar example of 
eurocentrism is in the trash bin.

Eclecticology